Lukas finally leaned back to think a little, but then ended up scratching his palm over the dagger beside him.
"O-ow," he hissed and brought his hand up to check on the wound and found it bleeding slightly. "At least I know that it's actually sharp–and wait just one moment, is that thing glowing?"
Beside him, the ceremonial dagger was starting to lighten up. Lukas knew better than to reach it and was prepared to actually run away just in case Viktoria Cadis was right and the blade consumes whoever it attacks, but then the brightness overwhelmed him and knocked him out.
***
When Lukas finally opened his eyes, he found himself in a place that was completely white. Pitch bright white and he couldn't feel his own body.
However, when he lifted his eyes, in the distance he found something, or rather someone. There was a stunning woman with deep red eyes and lips of the same blood red color.
She was dressed in a black gown that framed her voluptuous body. Her dark hair was wavy and flowed down all the way to her waist and somehow almost reminded Lukas of Stacy if she was older and more mature.
"You woke up a little faster than others," she mused aloud.
"Pardon?" Lukas asked.
"Are you not the next inheritor of the Blood Vampiric Dagger?" she asked.
Lukas raised a brow. He knew that he should have watched his words more carefully, but the words still came out of his lips.
"Isn't it seemingly too much to call it both Blood and Vampiric?" he asked. "That's like saying a Vampire wields this bloody blood vampiric dagger."
The woman's eyes flashed for a moment and her lips curled into a dangerous smile.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Well there, I'm not the one who makes up these names, are I?" she said.
"Right, sorry… is there a way out of this dream? Vision or whatever this thing is?"
"Only the worthy ones capable of wielding this blade shall live."
"Wait–what?!" Lukas' eyes widened.
"You should know, since your ancestors have imprisoned me–"
"Um, I don't know anything about ancestors! I just received this blade and don't belong to any specific bloodline!"
"You are not from that Sanguise House?" the woman narrowed her eyes.
"Nope."
"Then you are not worthy of anything–"
"Wait, hold on a second. I thought you said worthy ones capable of wielding this blade and then you're making it so that only the Sanguise House can truly use it? That's wrong." Lukas said. "What if… what if say, the Weisse House or the Vardoken House members took the blade for themselves."
"Then they are nothing more but greedy and vile Houses," the woman frowned.
"That doesn't make any sense."
"... the Sanguise House has betrayed me, but I am still of their blood. Or rather, they are of my blood and so it is still worth noting that they're capabilities have led me to be in this position. Treachery and betrayal is common, so I suppose there is some merit to their deeds."
Lukas finally got the picture, but then shook his head.
It was like an estranged grandfather who despised his children and grandchildren but still would favor them over other people.
"Well then, this is enough talking with you–it is time for you to pay the price for your mistakes."
"W-wait, don't you want to hear the news of your relatives? Or maybe want this blade to be returned to its proper owners?" Lukas offered. As much as he wanted the blade for himself, it didn't make sense to risk incurring the wrath of the imprisoned one.
The Vampire looked at him blankly, but then slightly pursed her lips.
"Speak and I'll allow you a couple more seconds to hold your life."
Lukas bit his tongue.
"Well, I don't exactly know–"
"Then die–!"
"Wait, but if you let me out of here, I'll bring you news!" Lukas said. He had a hunch, or maybe it was just common sense that for a Vampire who was trapped in this dagger for who knows how long, they would be still interested in hearing news about the outside.
"You're deceiving me."
"I'm not."
A smile curled on the woman's lips, and for some reason, it almost seemed bittersweet.
"If the Sanguise House is not wielding this dagger and passing it around to their progeny then it only means that they are gone or have become too unworthy that the blade has fallen into the wrong hands."
"That's not–"
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"But fine. I'll allow it." the woman spoke.
"Thank you."
"However, you must still pass the same test that I give to each possible successor."
"Huh. Isn't that–"
And yet Lukas couldn't even finish his sentence because the entire white world suddenly changed. Its skies started thundering and red storm clouds started to appear from out of nowhere.
Before Lukas could even ask any questions, it started pouring.
Blood red rain started falling from the skies and while Lukas might have not seen an issue with it, the problem began to become apparent to him. It was the same problem that had shown itself in the beginning.
Lukas couldn't feel his entire body.
He had managed to shake his head, but the rest of it was limp and he couldn't move. Which didn't seem like a problem since the woman wasn't doing anything to him but then the blood water started to rise and he was still stuck in his position.
She gave him a smile as her feet–and she actually was bare feet–stepped on blood red water puddles that were starting to form and skipped on them as if she was playing.
The Vampire raised her head up and seemed to enjoy the thrill of the blood droplets falling everywhere in an aura of serene calmness.
Perhaps this was the only thing that she could do while stuck in the blade for an unknowable amount of years.
It brought her joy.
Even as the blood rose in its levels, her feet always stayed above it.
And Lukas was going to drown.