Joseph sat in the silence of his room, the weight of his nightmare pressing down on him like a boulder. His heart still raced, and his hands trembled slightly from the vividness of it all. His mind replayed the nightmare in an endless loop, the words of his reflection cutting deeper with every replay. The guilt, centuries-old, stirred violently within him.
A sharp knock on the door shattered the eerie quiet, jolting Joseph back to the present. He blinked, his mind still half-lost in the haunting dream.
"Sir, your breakfast," came the soft voice of the maid as she tentatively stepped inside after knocking, her presence like a brief anchor to reality.
Joseph inhaled deeply, trying to center himself, realizing that in his earlier outburst, he hadn't acknowledged David's concern. The guilt didn't just stem from his past; he was now allowing it to poison his present. "Keep it in the hall; I'll eat with the others," he replied, his voice quieter than usual, betraying his exhaustion and remorse.
The maid gave a small nod, exiting the room quietly. The click of the door closing behind her felt final, a sound that seemed to echo in the room long after she had gone.
Joseph stood slowly, his limbs heavy with fatigue, the echoes of the nightmare still pulsing through his veins. As he moved towards the door, a sharp pain shot through his temples, making him wince. He pressed his fingers against his head, trying to dull the ache. "What the hell? Why does it hurt more now?" he muttered to himself, confusion mixing with the lingering exhaustion.
Stepping out into the hall, he froze. The scene before him was… wrong. The maid, who had just exited his room, stood still in the hallway, the tray she carried balancing precariously in her hands. Her expression was blank, her body unmoving as if someone had stolen the very essence of time from her.
"Aunty? Why are you not serving the dishes?" Joseph asked, his voice breaking the strange stillness. But there was no response. She didn't so much as blink.
He took a few cautious steps forward, scanning the hall. David and López were seated at the far end of the corridor, mid-conversation, but something was off. David's hand was suspended in the air, caught mid-gesture, while López's lips were parted as if she had been about to speak. But both of them were frozen, as though trapped in a photograph, devoid of motion or life.
The realization hit him like a tidal wave. Time itself had stopped.
The ticking of the nearby clock was conspicuously absent. Joseph's gaze was drawn to it, his mind racing. The hands had stopped moving.
A chill crept up his spine, and his senses sharpened. Someone—something—is here.
Joseph's body tensed, his instincts kicking into overdrive as he felt the presence behind him. His muscles coiled, ready for a fight. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice cutting through the eerie silence, sharp and deadly.
The shadows at the edges of the hallway began to swirl, dark smoke seeping out from the cracks in the walls, pooling together until it formed the shape of a man. The figure materialized, dressed in an elegant black coat adorned with a red diamond brooch on his chest. A crimson shirt peeked from underneath, and his black pants completed the polished, almost aristocratic look. His beard was meticulously groomed, his dark hair slicked back in a short, refined style.
The man exuded a cold calm as he adjusted his sleeves, his voice smooth and unhurried. "Impressive senses, Joseph. Or should I say, Lord Joseph Mills, son of Vampire Lord William II?"
Joseph's eyes narrowed, his body on high alert. He could sense no immediate danger, no overt hostility, but the air was thick with tension. Whoever this man was, he wasn't human. That much was clear.
"I'll ask you again," Joseph growled, his voice low but threatening. "Who are you?"
The man smirked, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "No need for such aggression, Joseph. I'm not here to fight. Consider this a courtesy call."
Joseph's patience was thinning. "You're testing my patience. Introduce yourself."
The man's smile widened, unfazed by Joseph's increasing agitation. "The demon you killed…"
Joseph's eyes narrowed further, suspicion creeping into his voice. "What about him?"
The man's gaze gleamed with dark humor. "He used to work for me."
Joseph's fangs extended instinctively, his body brimming with barely contained anger. "So, you're behind this?"
The man shook his head, his tone casual, almost dismissive. "No, no. He acted of his own accord. His death means nothing to me. I'm here for another reason entirely."
Joseph's jaw tightened. "Then why are you here?"
The man's expression remained relaxed, but his eyes were cold. "I'm here to advise you. As the son of the great Vampire Lord William II, it would be wise for you to stay out of these… trivial matters."
Joseph's temper flared. "Trivial? You demons are slaughtering innocents, and you call that trivial?"
The man shrugged; his composure unbroken. "The weak are born to die, Joseph. That is the natural order of things. The strong survive, the weak perish." He walked calmly past Joseph, his fingers lightly brushing against the walls as though he were walking through a pleasant garden. "Or is there something else keeping you involved?"
The demon's eyes flicked towards López. He moved closer to her, his fingers gently tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "Could it be… you've developed a fondness for these humans?"
Before the demon could blink, Joseph was across the room. His hand closed around the demon's wrist, his speed so swift it was as though he had teleported. His grip tightened with lethal force. "Don't. Touch. Her."
The man only chuckled, his voice a low purr. "Ah, I see… I struck a nerve."
Joseph's fury boiled over, his claws slashing through the man's arm with one swift motion, severing it cleanly at the elbow. Blood sprayed, but the demon merely smiled as his arm began to regenerate in an instant. "Such anger, such passion. You and the girl… would make quite the pair."
His expression darkened as his voice dropped into a taunt. "Is it her beauty, or is it because you're not a pureblood?"
Joseph's eyes flared crimson, his anger mixing with shame. The demon leaned in, his whisper like a blade, twisting. "No, it must be that filthy human blood in your veins."
With a roar of rage, Joseph grabbed the man by the throat, slamming him into the wall with such force that cracks spread through the stone.
"Say that again, and I will kill you," Joseph snarled, his grip tightening.
The man's body began to dissolve into smoke, his form dissipating into the air. His voice echoed hauntingly as he disappeared. "You can try… if you want." His final words echoed through the hall, "Consider this a friendly suggestion, Sir Joseph."
And just like that, everything snapped back to normal.
The ticking of the clock resumed. The maid resumed walking; trays still balanced in her hands. David and López continued their conversation as if nothing had happened.
López glanced at Joseph. "When did you get there, Sir Joseph? Was that crack in the wall always there?"
David, perceptive as always, glanced at the clock. He knew something had happened but chose not to press it. "Let's eat before the food gets cold, Miss López."
They sat down to breakfast, but Joseph barely touched his food. The weight of the demon's words still lingered in his mind. As López and David discussed mundane things, López offered to cover up the crime scene, allowing Joseph and David a moment alone.
David turned to Joseph; his voice low. "What happened? While time was stopped for López and me?". Even though the time was stopped for David but his sense was enough to sense the shift in time and space.
Joseph hesitated for a moment, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind. There were things David didn't need to know, as he will get too worked up. "A demon appeared. He told me to stay out of their affairs. He wasn't hostile… but his ability to stop time wasn't something to take lightly."
David's brow furrowed, concern deepening. "Did he say anything else?"
Joseph's eyes darkened, but he chose his words carefully. "Just a warning," he replied, leaving out the taunts about his blood and his connection to the humans. There were some things even David didn't need to know.
David, sensing Joseph's reluctance to share more, nodded slowly, not pressing the issue. "We'll need to keep an eye on things, then."
Joseph gave a curt nod, his mind already racing with thoughts of the demon's warning. He had concealed enough for now, but the weight of the demon's words still lingered, gnawing at the back of his mind.
To be Continued...