"So, are you going to tell me your secret?" Logan asked, eyes fixed on the strange book in his hands.
Quinn hesitated, then finally spoke."My parents… they didn't make it back after the Dalki war. This book was the only inheritance I ever received from them. I tried everything—burning it, cutting it, even pouring acid on it—but nothing worked. For years, I couldn't open it. I gave up eventually, moved on after awakening my earth ability.
He hesitated, thinking whether he should keep the truth to his current ability to himself, but he decided against it.
He continued, "Then, when a friend introduced me to Power Fighters, I had one last idea—one more experiment. Somehow, inside the game, it worked. That's when I unlocked the red aura. But beyond that, I don't know what the book really is… or how to open it.
From the way you reacted, though, I think you might know something."
Logan leaned back, sipping his coffee calmly while Quinn finished. His expression was unreadable.
"First of all," he said at last, "I don't know much about the book itself. But something strange happened when I touched it.
My ability—normally, I can interact with electronics. And when I touched your book, I was able to interact with it but for the first time ever, the book rejected my ability."
He slid the book back across the table toward Quinn, his tired eyes glinting with interest. "That's not supposed to be possible. Which means you might be carrying a very unusual inheritance."
Quinn took the book carefully, his mind racing. Logan seemed genuine, but something about his calm tone made Quinn uneasy. Too calm. Too practiced. He reminded himself: every killer in history had a polite face at some point.
Still, he couldn't resist. "I've always wanted to open it. Can you help me?" Quinn asked, excitement slipping into his voice.
"I can't promise anything," Logan replied smoothly, "but I'll try. And even if we fail, I might learn something from the tech woven into it. That's mutual gain, isn't it?"
Quinn bit his lip. "But… can you keep this a secret? You don't want to do anything else with the book, right?"
Logan smirked, tilting his head. "Why would I? If no one else can open it, what would they gain? The only thing I want is knowledge. And through you, I'll get it. You don't have to worry about me."
It wasn't a perfect reassurance, but it was enough—for now.
After a while, Quinn finally left the room, leaving the book, as he promised he would reach out to him through his watch after sharing the contacts.
Behind him, Logan leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing with unreadable thoughts.
----
The next day, after finishing his classes, Quinn's watch pinged. His heart skipped a beat as he read the message. Without hesitation, he sprinted down the hallways, excitement buzzing in his chest, until he reached the VIP chamber. He knocked once.
"Come in," a familiar voice called.
Quinn pushed the door open. Logan was seated in the same spot as yesterday, but his eyes looked sharper, tenser.
"Did you already find a solution?" Quinn asked, both curious and surprised.
Logan gave him a long, measured stare before sighing. "I still can't believe you never figured it out, even with the book in your possession all these years." He gestured for Quinn to sit.
"Your book," Logan began slowly, "is an inheritance. Does that ring any bells?"
Quinn frowned, shaking his head. He still didn't follow.
"I tried everything yesterday. Then I thought—blood. I pricked my finger and let a drop fall on the fangs etched into the cover. The book glowed… but it didn't open. That's when it clicked. You said it yourself—it's an inheritance. Which means only your blood can truly awaken it."
Understanding dawned on Quinn, and he nodded. "Then let's do it."
But before he could move, Logan raised a hand. "Not so fast. You haven't heard the full story." His voice lowered, careful, deliberate. "When I scanned it with my tech, I discovered two distinct energies inside. One of them is… infectious, parasitic. Dangerous. The other seems to resist even my ability. If this is truly your inheritance, it shouldn't harm you—but I advise caution. I'll guide you. Together, we'll try to separate the harmful energy before it touches you."
Quinn sat back, uneasy but thoughtful. He remembered Brock's warning—that the book contained something greater than any ability in the world. And Quinn… he wanted that power. He needed it—enough to break free from the chains of the Blade family and his cursed fate. The temptation was too great to resist.
"Let's do it," Quinn said firmly.
Logan's lips curled into a grin. Mechanical arms unfolded from the chair around him, whirring and hissing as they extended. Several clamped onto the book, while two others—thin and needle-tipped—latched onto Quinn's arm. Blood was drawn into a small vial and then poured onto the book's fanged crest.
This time, the glow didn't fade. The book trembled in the air, lifting itself up until it hovered before Quinn, radiating crimson light. Logan's grin widened as his mechanical appendages surged to life, linking with the artifact.
"Good… very good…" Logan whispered.
The strain hit him instantly. His body trembled, sweat forming on his brow as he struggled to split the two energies. "Aahhh—damn it—!" he groaned, his voice shaking with both pain and exhilaration.
The book's pages fluttered wildly, turning one after another. Strange runes and symbols etched themselves into Quinn's vision. To Logan, they were gibberish. But to Quinn… they made sense. Somehow, impossibly, he could read them.
The final page turned. The book pulsed once with blinding light—then vanished into thin air.
Quinn collapsed backward onto the bed, his consciousness slipping away. Logan was hurled back into his chair, his equipment crashing to the ground in a storm of sparks and broken metal.
As Quinn's vision dimmed, a faint screen appeared before his eyes:
[Congratulations. You have been granted: My Vampire System.][Error. Error.]
And then—darkness.