Umbra sat quietly across from a girl, his dark eyes thoughtful. The night around them was still, the stars above twinkling softly. He finally broke the silence, "And that's how I got here."
The girl raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk on her lips. "It sounds like you left out a lot of information," she said, her voice playful yet probing.
Umbra shrugged, leaning back slightly. "Yeah."
"Is that a true story?" she asked, curiosity dancing in her eyes.
"Yes," Umbra replied calmly.
She stared at him for a moment, then whispered in awe, "I can't believe I have the one true king right here in front of me."
"Well, you do," Umbra said, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Her gaze shifted to the worn book lying beside him. "So, what's in that book?"
"Everything I just told you," he said, tapping the cover lightly. "I'm basically just writing this book for fun, I guess."
She tilted her head, a puzzled expression crossing her face. "How are people going to know the true story if you left out so much?"
Umbra's eyes gleamed with a mysterious light. "That's the point. Someone will have to find the rest of the books I'm going to make, put the pieces together, and discover the truth."
She blinked, taken aback by the complexity of his plan. "Oh…"
After a moment, she asked softly, "What are you going to do now?"
Umbra's gaze drifted to the sky. "I'm developing a special technique. I need to put my soul back into my physical body."
"Why not?" she asked, confused.
"Simply because, as I already told you, that world can't handle the presence of my soul. All these other worlds reset back to normal power—well, this one at least," Umbra explained, his tone serious. "So, I'm just going to start a new adventure."
"You don't care about your family?" she asked, concern lacing her words.
"I do," Umbra said firmly, "but right now, I know they can handle their own. They will eventually need me, so I have to prepare. I need to slowly regain all of my power without the higher-ups noticing. But first, I need to get my body stronger because this physical body doesn't meet the requirements."
The girl's eyes softened as she leaned closer. "I'm a vampire. Once you become a vampire, if you allow me to turn you, your physical body will be thousands of times stronger. It will also get stronger two times faster than a human body."
Umbra considered her offer, then nodded. "Alright."
She hesitated, then added, "But since your current state has only been around for six years, once I turn you, your original state will always be in a six-year-old body."
"It doesn't matter," he said, his voice resolute.
She looked deeply into his eyes, searching for something. "You will be able to change your looks," she said softly. Then, she leaned in closer, cupping his face gently in her hands. She kissed him, allowing her blood to flow into his mouth, turning him into a vampire. As she did, she glimpsed all of his memories, feeling the weight of his past.
She pulled back, her voice tender as she hugged him tightly. "You can cry in my arms if you want to."
Umbra shook his head, his expression distant. "I can't cry just now. I have to push forward for my family."
A silence fell between them, filled only by the gentle rustling of the leaves. Finally, Umbra spoke again, his voice softer. "You found me and took care of me for six years. I'll be on my way, but first, I'm going to just lay here."
He lay back, resting the book on his chest, staring up at the stars and the moon. He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the world easing just a little.
The girl lay down beside him, her presence a quiet comfort. "I am going with you," she said, her voice a soft promise.
Umbra closed his eyes, a faint smile on his lips. "It is a new journey anyway…"