The Duke's Passion

842  Visionless vision

A pair of clouded eyes, a soothing voice, speaking wicked words; pale skin, and then… blood — lots of blood. Those were only the clear pictures Samael could make up to the snippets he was pulled into after chewing a part of Tristan's flesh. The memories were vague and short and quick, playing in rewind but in times ten speed. Until… Samael reached the very beginning, where everything started. Standing in a white space, Samael looked around. Everything was white; the walls and floor were covered with marble white. It was almost sparkling clean. The temperature was low. He had experienced running at the peak of winter, naked, and even bathed in the freezing lake during his vagabond days. He would still do that from time to time whenever he would have minor arguments with his wife. Lilou's punishment was painful, teasing him only to leave him when his body was burning with passion and desire. It helped his body cool down, and never once did the temperature affect him. But now, in this vast, enclosed space, his body chilled.

Samael rubbed his shoulders, causing friction to give his body some warmth. It didn't work. Hence, he could only continue as a fragile attempt while his body slowly adapted to the coldness embracing him tightly. As he did so, Samael walked around, hearing his own light footsteps echo. The place looked endless. With Samael's keen sight, he still couldn't see the end of this place. He looked from the right side and then to the left. All was there was an endless space of white. As he looked around, his brows elevated, lifting his gaze to look at the high ceiling. It was also white, making the pillars that were connected from the floor to the ceiling almost unnoticeable. Samael was aware he just got here, and he was only there for less than five minutes. However, that short time felt longer than it was supposed to be. 'What more if I get stuck here for an hour?' His expression turned sour at the thought. 'I'd lose my mind for sure — wait, what if this is all part of Quentin's plan and I stepped right in his trap?'

This time, Samael's face stiffened as the look of dread dominated it. How could he think about this after chewing Tristan's eyes?

"Happy thoughts!" his voice echoed, shaking his head to shrug off the negative thoughts that were clouding his mind. Samael had spent hundreds of years in slumber. One fact about being in slumber was that he wasn't fully unconscious. Samael might've appeared hibernating in that same coffin for centuries, but his mind was conscious. That was the reason he knew Lilou before he met her that night he woke up from his long slumber.

And in that place, all he could see was nothing but darkness. He didn't even know whether he had his eyes open or close since there was no difference. In other words, it was torturous in the mind. Being stuck in a place that was nothing but white was no different. He would literally lose his mind; his sanity was barely intact. Lilou and his kids were keeping him sane.

"Quentin can try, but I'm sure I can get out of this place if ever I did step into his death trap…" Samael trailed off, catching two figures from the corner of his eyes. His pupils widened, certain these two figures weren't there before. He quickly turned his head, only to see Zero and another person standing at arm's length from each other. The other person was wearing a thick and large cloak, their backs facing Samael. 'Who in the world…?' Samael's surprise didn't stop at the sudden appearance of Zero and the other person as he caught a marble table in front of the two. From Samael's vantage point, all he could see was a person lying on that marble table. He couldn't see the man's face as it was being blocked by the person wearing a thick cloak. However, he could see his arms and feet, some part of his leg, and his abdomen. The person lying in the marble coffin was naked. "It's perfect." Samael knitted his brows when Zero spoke in delight, reaching for the person lying on the marbled table. "The sacrifice of the Moriarty is worth it."

'Sacrifice?' Deeper lines resurfaced in between Samael's brows. 'Did he mean the massacre he did to ascend the throne?'

Just when Samael thought nothing could surprise him anymore, he was wrong. "You truly are vile." A voice of a woman came after Zero's remarks, making Samael shift his eyes to the person in a cloak. "Even on the mainland, you'd never find someone who would massacre his entire clan for power."

"You can say I am special."

The person in the cloak slightly turned her head to the side, granting Samael to get a glimpse of the tip of her short nose and small lips. But he wasn't able to see everything because of the hood over her head. "You are, indeed, that is why I chose you," said the woman before peeling her gaze from Zero. "Just keep doing what you are doing. The plans would be in motion soon." n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"This plan you keep talking about… I must commend your patience. Just how many centuries have you been waiting?" Zero asked with genuine wonder in his voice. "Do not get me wrong. Of course, I like the visionless vision you have and considering all the help you had been extending to me, I am willing to extend my helping hand if you need it. However, what exactly are you aiming for?"

Silence followed Zero's inquiry as the other person remained silent. Instead, she looked up. "Drink a drop of his blood once a week and in no time, you'd be able to achieve your goals." Her reply was anything closer to the enlightenment Zero sought. "If you truly want to create a clan with blood that is so powerful, then the seed of the Bloodfang is the key. With the blood of the demon and her blood, a terrifying clan would be born."

The corner of Zero's lips curled up, shrugging. "That's the plan," he said, gazing up at where the woman was staring. "The problem was… I don't think she's yet to be born."

"That is why be patient. Everything will come together when the time is due."

Samael darted his eyes between Zero and the woman with furrowed brows. He then slowly gazed up to see what the two were staring at. The second he did, his eyes dilated, seeing a gigantic black thing that was almost like a balloon with a strange face that was far more strange than a jester. 'A demon,' Samael whispered before his heart thudded upon hearing this low rumble in his head, saying;

"Pride… you came."