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The train sped down the rails at full speed. Victor, Merlin, Jane, and Burst were on their way to the Kingdom of Aster.
The trip had been long — first, a carriage ride through Eldoria's dirt roads to a remote village; then, boarding the railway that would finally take them to Aster — a few more endless hours of travel.
"For the love of God..." muttered Victor, leaning against the window. "I'm not even sick, but I feel like I am. What hell is this..."
Jane chuckled softly, covering her mouth. "You're definitely not built for long trips, are you?"
"He was just like that when we traveled from Cirgo to Valoria," Merlin recalled, sitting beside him. "He spent the whole ride lying down, staring at nothing. Only got up when the carriage stopped."
Victor narrowed his eyes and turned toward the front seat. "I'm clearly not the worst one here when it comes to long trips. Look at him."
Burst was sprawled across the opposite seat, body limp, looking like a corpse on vacation. The carriage was almost empty, which only made the scene more pathetic.
"My stomach hurts..." the young man muttered weakly.
"Traveling always gives you a stomachache. What's wrong with you?" Jane asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't know... but I'm trying really hard not to throw up right here..."
Victor sighed. "Want me to absorb you until we get there? Just say the word."
"Thanks, but I'll pass. Your absorption makes me feel even weirder."
Merlin giggled softly.
A month ago, Victor had finally told them about his unique ability, and Burst wanted to "experience" what it was like to be absorbed.
The result: he was swallowed and released… without feeling a single thing.
Victor confirmed then that inside his ability, time simply didn't exist — whoever was absorbed was paused, then unpaused, as if nothing had happened.
"Speaking of that," Jane said thoughtfully, "you didn't absorb that armor, did you?"
"No. Without its core, it became nothing but a pile of holy metal. And I couldn't risk it... besides, I had no idea what would happen to me if I tried."
"Good call," she agreed. "Holy materials are lethal to you."
The train began to slow down.
Through the window, the group saw the first outlines of Aster: a golden and bluish city wrapped in a gentle mist. Gothic towers rose in the distance, and in the center, a colossal clock tower dominated the sky.
Victor and Burst exchanged a look of pure relief as the train came to a stop. When they stepped onto the platform, both took a deep breath — almost in sync.
"Ahh… smells like industrial revolution," they said together.
Meanwhile, Merlin and Jane walked toward a large city map posted on a mural.
"Which of these hotels looks better?" Jane asked.
"It's still early morning. We can check the ones nearby first," Merlin suggested. "What do you think?"
"Perfect. Let's go then." She glanced at the boys. "You two find something to do. I'll call you if needed."
"Got it," Victor replied.
"Stay in the shade," Burst added.
The phones — a recent invention from Eldoria, designed using communication crystals — allowed instant communication through the user's energy.
Jane planned to track Burst's mana, since she was most familiar with his.
Victor's, however, was another story entirely — confusing, distorted, and impossible to lock onto, like a living mosaic.
The two women walked off, leaving Victor and Burst alone — which was rarely a good idea.
Victor, despite his mature appearance and power, wasn't in the best mental shape. Burst, on the other hand, became a chaos magnet whenever he was relaxed. A dangerous combination.
"So what now?" Burst asked, hands in his pockets. "What do we do?"
Victor looked around, thought for two seconds, then pointed toward the sky. "How about we climb that clock tower?"
Burst stared at him. Looked at the clock. Then back at Victor.
He gave a thumbs up. "Let's do it."
And off they went, determined and happy like two bored children.
Aster was truly magnificent — cold, elegant, and wrapped in an ancient charm.
Stone streets bustled with horse-drawn carriages, and the steam escaping from boilers gave the city a mystical feel.
Humans and a few elves walked side by side, dressed in black and gray coats and hats — as if fashion had never left the Victorian age.
Suddenly, a voice called out:
"Good morning, gentlemen!"
A thin old woman waved from the front of a small shop. "We've just opened! Would you like to try our famous meat pie?"
Victor blinked. "They have that here?"
"Meat pie?" Burst's eyes widened. "That's… that's real?"
"Of course!" she said cheerfully. "Made with ground beef and topped with mashed potatoes. Baked until golden. Delicious!"
They were already drooling.
"We'll take two slices, please," said Victor.
"Right away! Come in, you'll be my first customers today!"
But before they could step inside, Victor froze.
A sharp sound sliced through the air — clang! — and he caught a dagger by its blade, between two fingers.
He turned calmly.
A young elf with dark skin, silver hair, and violet eyes with black sclera glared at him with pure hatred.
"Hey… it's dangerous to throw knives at people like that," Victor said, still holding the blade.
"Silence, monster! I know what you are!" the elf shouted, opening the purple cloak he wore.
Victor blinked. "You do?"
The shopkeeper gasped and stepped back.
People began to gather, forming a curious circle around them.
The dagger in Victor's hand trembled, then flew back to its owner as if pulled by will.
The elf raised the weapon. "You are—" the pause was dramatic, "a vampire!"
"Eh?"
"Hm?" Victor and Burst said at the same time.
Silence. Everyone waited for an explosive reaction, but Victor answered with the calmness of someone hearing tomorrow's weather report:
"No, I'm not."
The crowd froze.
"D-don't lie to me! Straight black hair, red eyes, pale skin! It's obvious!"
Victor sighed. "You have a very… misguided idea of vampires, you know that?"
The elf blinked, confused. "What?"
"I'm serious. They usually have two looks: either white hair and red eyes, or black hair and golden eyes. They wear white with gold or black with red."
He raised his arms.
"Always looking seductive, holding a glass of wine," Victor continued, gesturing as if giving a lecture. "And, of course, sitting on a throne made of swords."
"W-what are you even talking about?!" the elf yelled, panicking.
Victor opened his arms wide, as if offering a hug. "Then tell me — which part of me fits that description?"
"Black hair! Red eyes! Black clothes with red detail!" the elf pointed furiously at the red stripe on Victor's pants.
Victor smiled. "But… my eyes aren't gold."
The crowd went silent. Nobody knew what they were witnessing anymore.
"Mr. Victor…" Burst murmured. "I think the problem isn't the description — it's that you literally match every other vampire trait."
The elf dropped to his knees, shocked.
"He fell!" Burst exclaimed, stunned.
Victor chuckled softly and turned dramatically. "Lesson learned, young man. Now begone — I've got a meat pie to eat."
He took a step toward the door — clang! — another blade flew.
He caught it again, this time tossing it to the ground.
"Alright, you little brat!" he growled. "You're starting to piss me off!"
The elf stood up, eyes blazing with determination. "You may be right about vampires... but—"
"He's not," Burst muttered to the side.
"—you'll have to prove to me that you're not one of them!" the young elf shouted, raising his hands. Several ethereal weapons appeared around him, surrounded by an oppressive purple aura.
Victor took a deep breath. "There's always one of these…"
The elf leaped, descending on him with fury — and in the heart of the cold city of Aster, the peace of dawn shattered.
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