The next morning, Jennifer felt odd. Her dizzy feeling of sickness was gone, but now her heartrate was suspiciously high.

 

 

Feels like I'm on cocaine or something... Just what the hell is going on with me? First the sickness and now this...

Perhaps the stranger next door can help? He still has to explain the next step of his ominous plan...

 

 

Jennifer: "Hey, man. Are you awake?"

Unknown voice: "I was wondering when you would return. Last I saw of you was the guy carrying you off to behind that big door on my side of the floor. So, did you do it? Or rather, did he?"

Jennifer: "Yes, but ever since I feel weird... First I felt dizzy, and now my heartrate has spiked. Just what has happened there?"

Unknown voice: "Don't worry. I will explain it in due time. All you need to know is that it will help you escape. So. I figure you're standing right in front of the glass wall now?"

Jennifer: "Yes, but..."

Unknown voice: "Good. Now, you need to focus. Think of something you like, someone attractive... someone you would enjoy sleeping next to."

Jennifer: "Hey, what's that supposed to accomplish? Are you some kind of creep or something?!"

Unknown voice: "I promise, it will get you out of there. Now, focus. Close your eyes, maybe."
 

As she closes her eyes and thinks of someone attractive, her heartrate slows down again, while her body temperature rises.
 

Jennifer: "I'm feeling.. hot... literally speaking... is that supposed to happen?"

Unknown voice: "Yes, yes, very good. Now, open your eyes, and look right at the spot in front of your cell... imagine you were there, with all of your willpower!"

Jennifer: "What?!? That's insane!"

Unknown voice: "It's your only option! Don't lose your focus now!"

As she does as how it was told to her, a black fog embraces her body, as her feet and hands become increasingly hot. Yet after a few seconds, the prisoner disappears...

 

...and someone free appears.

 

 

Jennifer: "Woah! Wha... did I... did my hands just burn?! What just happened?"

Unknown voice: "You've just used your newly attained powers for the first time. Most physical human limitations do not apply to you anymore, including simple walls. Anyway, would you kindly...?"

Jennifer: "Oh, of course.. wait..."

Jennifer barely realized that, standing now outside of her cell, she could also see the mysterious prisoner on the other cell.

 

Jennifer: "You look... older than you sound..."

Unknown Prisoner: "Yeah, I get that often. Its the hair. Now, again, would you...?"

Jennifer: "Of course, of course..."

Unknown Prisoner: "Of course, he has the keys, but the computer over there can also open the cells."

 

Jennifer: "There's lots of stuff in here, most of it sounds like esoteric gibberish... Bloodlines, Secret Societies... Even Vampirism..."

Unknown Prisoner: "Yes, but that's not what you're looking for..."

Jennifer: "Got it.... and... it should open now!"

 

Unknown Prisoner: "Ah, that feels good... You cannot believe how it feels to watch at this room for years on end, never being able to actually enter it... Thank you very much. Now, quickly, you guard the door while I look for information that could help us on the computer..."

Jennifer: "What, you think he has henchmen for this place? So far it seemed like a one man show to me."

Unknown Prisoner: "Trust me, it isn't. We need his weaknesses, anything that can help us fight him. Because as of now, despite your new powers, the odds are still scaled against us."

Jennifer: "Wait..."

 

Jennifer: "You want to fight this guy?"

Unknown Prisoner: "Not only him. His allies too. The Puppetmasters, everyone involved in this shall pay for what they've done!"

Jennifer: "No way! You can do that on your own, I have to escape this island and save my family!"

Unknown Prisoner: "The only way to do that is by ending this madness!"

Jennifer: "I am never going back in there!"

 

 

In a hurry, Jennifer ran out of the Prison, going upstairs and coming out of a bush, right at the garden of Valerian's mansion, before running off into the wild. But the old-looking stranger had no such intentions. He wanted answers.

 

Foolish girl... She's only going to get herself killed... or worse... Seems like I have to do this on my own... Find out where they brought her and then draft a plan on how to ransom them into turning her over...

 

 

Fuck... Footsteps... No doubt he's coming to check in on us... I am not ready yet. There is no other option but to return to the cell and pretend like nothing happened. For now.

 

 

Valerian: "Now, where's my Princess... wait... Where is she?"

 

 

How did she escape?! This cannot be! She couldn't have the means to do it!

The anger inside Valerian transforms him into something else... his skin becomes lighter, his veins more visible... his teeth sharper...

 

 

Valerian: "You! You must have seen her escape, I know you did! Tell me, where did she go?!"

Unknown Prisoner: "I.... I have no idea what you're talking about."

Valerian: "Ratfaced liar! When I am done with her, I will take my time to think about new methods to torture your miserable soul, you pathetic loser!"

 

 

Valerian: "Fine. I'll find her myself then. After all, she can't have come far..."

 

If only he knew how right he was. Because at the same time, Jennifer arrives at the island's coast, unable to proceed further.

 

 

Fuck... No boat in sight... this island is a dead end, at least until the sun comes up...

 

 

Valerian: "Jennifer!"

 

 

Valerian: "So far, I have been a patient host... yet you continue to spoil my wrath, despite the courtesy I have shown to you... but I have planned this for more than twenty long years... and I will not be stopped by a moody concubine?"

Jennifer: "Twenty years? That makes no sense. What are you talking about? And what's with your face?!"

Valerian: "You really have no idea at all, do you?"

 

 

Valerian: "Twenty-six years ago, my father fell in love with a woman... there was no being on earth that he liked at all, even tolerated. But this woman... he met her and immediately felt like they should belong together for eternity."

 

 

Valerian: "After a while, they even decided to have a baby. To continue my father's dynasty, a ritual would need to be conducted... so that the child would inherit the father's immortal powers... and become a Vampire just like his father..."

 

 

Valerian: "But his family got jealous of his ambitions, and his own sister betrayed and killed him..."

 

 

Valerian: "While an outsider robbed the bride of her greatness, cancelling the ritual..."

 

 

Valerian: "That woman, Jennifer, was your mother... and that child... was me. Despite the ritual's failure, I was still born. But I was scarred... incomplete. Not fully human, but not a Vampire either. An outsider to both worlds.

Jennifer: "This... this cannot be. We're... half-siblings? That's... disgusting!"

Valerian: "One of the conspirators gave me away to an orphanage. I grew up thinking I was merely a sick human child. I was almost a young man already when I found out about my true heritage... when friendly Vampires found me... offered me a chance to develop my true identity... and right the wrongs of history. They told me that there was still a chance to bring back my father... if he were to reunite with his bride. And if you stay here long enough, she will come right into my trap... a family reunion, if you will. And you won't stand in its way."

Moments of silence. Jennifer has no words to say. What could someone even say after being told such an unbelievable story?

Jennifer: "You know what..."

Suddenly, Jennifer's skin turns white... her eyes and hair lose all color... and she feels an immense strength rushing through her body, accompanying a feeling of rage.

 

 

Jennifer: "I am SO FUCKING TIRED of your wannabe aristocratic bullshit!"

Valerian: "Wha...? How...?"

Before Valerian can answer, Jennifer throws him onto the ground, before she instinctively starts to levitate... she barely notices it happening...

 

 

 

Valerian: "You're... no.... No, this can't be! I checked you... the machine said you were fully human..."

 

 

Suddenly, it is Valerian who runs away from Jennifer. The predator becomes the prey, as it seems.

 

 

Jennifer: "What's the matter, Valerian? Don't you wanna be with your 'Princess'? Don't you wanna reunite with your sister, huh?!?"

 

 

Still under panic, Valerian has trouble concentrating on the mechanism for opening the mysterious door next to the cells.

 

 

Valerian: "There is only one way out... Only one Plan B... untested, but it's better than staying here..."

 

 

Jennifer: "Come back here, you coward! You can't run away from me!"

 

 

Inside the room stands what looks like a portal. But Valerian, standing in front of it, seems to hesitate using it.

Jennifer: "What's this? Another dirty little trick of yours?"

Valerian doesn't even seem to listen to Jennifer anymore. His thoughts are entirely occupied with the portal in front of him.

 

 

Valerian: "It's the only way... they refused to help me enact my revenge..."

and just like that, Valerian walks through the portal... disappearing behind the fog-like, green barrier.

 

 

Just as Jennifer, still guided by vengeful rage at the man who deceived and kidnapped her, wanted to follow him through the mysterious portal, someone came out of it: An ash-black skeleton, speaking with the echoed voice of Valerian, as the portal closed behind it.

Valerian: "AAAAAH! I... I...."

 

 

Valerian: "I... I HAVE SEEN GODS... MERCILESS... GUARDING THE OTHER WORLD... HUBRIS.... ARROGANCE... I..."

The corpse barely had enough energy in it to scream out delirious words, before even this shell of a man disassembled into a completely lifeless block of ash, right before Jennifer's eyes.

 

 

Jennifer: "...what the hell...."

The utter confusion at what had just happened quickly replaced Jennifer's rage, turning her body into her original form again.

 

 

Unknown Prisoner: "I've seen you run inside from my cell... Just what happened? Is he dead?"

Jennifer: "I... think so? I... don't know. He... catched up to me at the shore.. I remember becoming insanely angry at him... he got scared... ran into that... gate there... a few moments later a skeleton came out and screamed nonsense at me, before turning into this... stone."

Unknown Prisoner: "I have never heard of such an event before. Even I don't know the answers to that mystery. But I think it is safe to say that he is at least gone now. I think we should go upstairs... get some rest..."

 

About an hour later, on the balcony of the mansion.

 

 

Unknown Prisoner: "Man, I haven't smoked in years. This feels better than Sex."

Jennifer: "I just... don't understand what happened over the last couple of days. It all feels so... unreal. Like a fever dream I can't seem to wake up from."

Unknown Prisoner: "Well, I told you there would be answers to your questions. I figure now is the time to do just that. Give it a try."

Jennifer: "Who was this man? When we were out there, he told me some convoluted story about how he is my half-brother and tries to resurrect his father."

Unknown Prisoner: "To my understanding, Valerian was his real name. That much was true. Valerian Erhler. Son of Maximilian Erhler.... and Gina Kyron. A half-blood, the offspring of a Vampire and a Human."

Jennifer: "So he was right? My mother slept with his father? Giving birth to him? But... I think my Mother would remember? Why didn't she tell me about it?"

Unknown Prisoner: "So you are her daughter. Your voice seemed familiar, but I thought it might have been a coincidence. Procreation between Vampires and Humans is a bit different, you know. For one, it leaves almost no marks on the mother's body. And it needs a ritual to be completed. A ritual which was aborted in Valerian's case. Usually, both the child and the mother would become Vampires in the process."

Jennifer: "So... this all sounds very fantastical... Vampires, Half-Bloods, a Portal that opened and closed in front of my eyes, talking Skeletons..."

Unknown Prisoner: "Vampires are real, yes. But ever since the industrial revolution, we have largely been hiding from human society at large. Predators like Valerian... and his father, are the exception."

Jennifer: "These powers you taught me... does this mean that I..."

Unknown Prisoner: "You are a Vampire now, yes. Your powers are still somewhat basic. But don't worry. You won't be my first apprentice."

Jennifer: "Apprentice? Wait, no. I don't want this. This is over now. I have a family to go back to, I have almost missed up half the semester because of this kidnapping."

Unknown Prisoner: "If that is your wish, then go on and leave. Unlike Valerian, I will not stop you. But I really recommend that we stay in contact with each other."

Jennifer: "Why?"

Unknown Prisoner: "Because I would be greatly surprised if this is the last we hear from Valerian and his allies. And besides, you would need someone to help you get rid of your Vampirism, even if you decide against my training. Now, you should return to your family, they'll be missing you. Take your time to make your decision, but make it."

Jennifer: "Well then. Thanks, I... suppose. For your help in escaping and such. I... just noticed I never got to learn your name."

Unknown Prisoner: "My Name? Huh. It's been a while since I've needed one. You can call me Arnborg. Arnborg Rehnskiöld."

Jennifer: "Thanks, Arnborg. I... will tell you about my decision once I have taken it."

 

 

Arnborg: "Until next time, then."