Wandering in the Fog

 

Scene I

Attis was eighteen when she, along with her parents and her brother, who was a year older than her, left her hometown. The move, which they had to undertake, was the result of her father's work. The girl couldn't come to terms with the fact that she had lost all her acquaintances and friends. Only in Venice did she feel safe. She rarely went on vacation, preferring to spend her free time in the park with her friends...

"What are you thinking about, little sister?"

A tall boy with violet eyes and straight black hair falling unruly over his forehead and eyes leaned over her. Attis smiled at him, rising slightly on the pillows scattered in the backseat of the car.

"We've barely left, and I already miss Venice..." she admitted.

Attis's brother ruffled her hair and sat down beside her.

"We'll be back in the city! You know how much your father really wants this job."

The girl nodded, looking out the window of the car hurtling at breakneck speed along the highway. The sun was just setting. Attis took a shaky breath.

"I'm afraid of the new Camarilla. Who knows what might await us there?"

"True. We're exposing ourselves to great danger from the Black Hand, but that's what makes it all so interesting!" Ahriman smiled disarmingly at her. "Don't worry too much, I think everything will be alright..."

The city they were to live in was truly enormous. It terrified Attis, unaccustomed to the enormous glass skyscrapers and apartment buildings dozens of stories tall lining the main streets. Everywhere she looked, there were crowds of people, cars parked in the parking lots, and countless bicycles and motorcycles. Women dressed like dolls milled about in shops with shiny signs, and young people sprawled on blankets on the grass in front of schools. The roar of cars and the bustle of Vilnius's inhabitants reached her from everywhere.

However, to her surprise, the longer they drove toward the city center, the less impressive the buildings became, smaller, and above all, older! Attis gazed breathlessly at the old, dilapidated, abandoned tenement houses. From the car window, she saw numerous houses with boarded-up windows, and in some courtyards, tall, spreading trees grew. Even the roofs were covered with grass and small bushes. The sidewalks were old, with uneven paving stones. The streets were full of potholes and running water from the recent rain.

Compared to the outskirts of Vilnius, there were remarkably few people here. They usually stood in front of small shops or sat in the shade of tall, brick gates, sipping beer. Besides, traffic wasn't as heavy here as in the outskirts. Involuntarily, she thought that this was where she would like to live...

"And how about Attis, Ahriman!? Do you like it?!"

The siblings' father was a very handsome man. He looked much younger than he actually was. He had bright, cheerful eyes and an almost white complexion. He always cut his hair short and dressed rather youthfully. Their mother, on the other hand, loved wearing long dresses. Attis, whenever she thought of her, saw her in either a skirt or a dress. She rarely wore pants. She also had very long, knee-length black hair and eyes as dark as night. They were very large, expressive eyes, full of love and devotion. She loved her husband above all else; they were both willing to do anything for each other...

Now, Arimanius glanced in the rearview mirror of the car and smiled at them with satisfaction.

"The suburbs don't really suit me, even though that's where I'll have to work, but I think the center is quite pleasant, don't you think?

" "I'm really shocked!" Aryman admitted. "I expected something completely different!

" "I really like it here!" Attis added with delight.

At that moment, they stopped in the market square. It was a huge, square-shaped square, in the center of which stood a tall, stone fountain depicting a dragon breathing water. The square was surrounded by old tenement houses, some with lights on, but most of the windows were already dark. Besides these, the square still held several large, spreading trees, under which stone benches were placed, lit only by the dim light of nearby lanterns. Here, too, it was almost deserted.

Attis sighed, delighted by the surprising sight. This city was truly incredible, full of surprises and secrets. Suddenly, she stopped thinking about Venice. She wanted to get to know this place better. It seemed special to her...

The car slowly turned toward a side street and, after a dozen or so minutes, stopped before a tall, stone gate. Arimanius got out and looked around. The street they stopped on was unlit, but the man had no trouble finding his way in the dark. He smiled with satisfaction when he saw light in the windows of the large tenement building surrounding the courtyard beyond the gate.

"We're here, you can leave."

Attis and Ahriman jumped out of the car and, stretching their bodies, exhausted from the long drive, followed their parents toward the iron gate, already somewhat rusty. They had barely reached it when they saw a man walking toward them. He stopped at the gate and regarded them with a searching gaze. Attis simply couldn't help but notice that he was already in the prime of life, with long, unruly hair loose over his thin shoulders. He had only one good eye; the other was completely white, and the girl found it utterly repulsive and ugly.

Arimanius fumbled for something in his shirt pocket, then handed him a letter sealed with red wax and a stamp through the gate. The stranger stared at him for a moment, then a key grated in the lock and the gate swung open.

"It would be a good idea to lock your car in the courtyard; the worst den in the whole city is in the center.

" "Fine."

Arimanius ran to a black car with tinted windows and drove into the square lined with cobblestones. After a moment, he parked under a tall tree, closed the door, and ran up to them. For a moment, they stood in complete darkness, with only the dim lights from the tenement buildings illuminating their view. These tenement buildings, too, were ugly and dilapidated. Attis noticed that the only way out of the courtyard they stood was through a single gate. They were surrounded on all sides by tall, old buildings.

"Will we be able to see the Prince again today?" Aitvaras asked.

"I believe so," he replied after a moment in a hoarse voice. "How was your journey?"

The stranger now led them down the center of the courtyard toward the tall, wooden doors. They all walked in silence, nervously wondering what it would all be like, how the Prince would receive them, and whether they would even be accepted in this Camarilla Domain...?

"Fine. Let me put it another way. A lot has changed since I was last in these parts.

" "So you've been here more often?"

"Yes, but only I. Vilnius is my hometown.

" "And what brings you here now?

" "Work..." Arimanius replied curtly.

The key grated again in the double door, and a moment later they entered an old, dusty corridor. The walls were scuffed and dirty. The ceilings were swarming with cobwebs, and the floor, in the corners, was littered with piles of dry leaves. Their footsteps echoed dully against the high walls of the building. They slowly began to ascend the concrete stairs.

Attis's heart beat restlessly in her chest. She had a strange feeling about being in this building. As soon as she entered, she felt a sense of awe and solemnity she had never felt before. Suddenly, the sound of rain reached their ears. It was starting to rain again.

They ascended the winding stairs slowly, unhurriedly. Old kerosene lamps burned dimly on some walls of the long attic corridor. The entire building must have been decades old, if not longer. The floor creaked menacingly under their footsteps. But their guide seemed unconcerned. Through the grimy window at the end of the corridor, Attis saw a bright flash of lightning, and then a tremendous clap of thunder pierced the silence of the building. Following the stranger, they passed many old wooden doors. But they seemed unused only at first glance.

"This is where..." the stranger's hoarse voice echoed hollowly against the empty walls of the dimly lit corridor. "The Prince should be waiting for you, if you had his seals. If you ever need my help again, my name is Adad. Everyone in the Camarilla knows me. You should have no trouble finding me.

" "Thank you for your help." Aitvaras smiled at him gratefully, and then Adad left them alone, limping back toward the stairs...

When they had knocked and entered a large room with high, bare walls, their eyes immediately went to a massive wooden desk, behind which sat a tall, clean-shouldered man. He looked to be around sixty, though he held himself very well, as befits a true member of the Council of the Firstborn. His gray, sharp eyes looked up at them from his notes.

Attis, meanwhile, looked around the nearly empty room, its windows tightly covered with heavy black curtains. This was crucial if anyone wanted to stay in the building during the day. An old wooden chest of drawers still stood in the room. In addition, old books were neatly arranged on shelves along one wall. Attis longed to know what was written in them, as she had loved reading since childhood. Her father interrupted the girl's thoughts.

"Greetings!" Arimanius, along with the rest of his family, bowed respectfully. "Forgive us for interrupting, but it was our duty to honor the Tradition of Hospitality.

" "I understand you are the ones who came to Venice?

" "Yes. We wanted to find refuge here.

" "Then you will receive it, just as all those who came before you received it." The Camarilla welcomes you to its Domain." The Prince stood and shook the delighted Arimanius's hand. "Welcome, among the Blood people, among your sisters and brothers, the Vampires...! It's true that you are in a completely new and unfamiliar Domain, but you shouldn't have any problems acclimating," the Prince said casually as they sat down in the deep, old armchairs placed right next to his desk. "You might only have problems with the Sabbat Community, for even here their influence is great. You also don't show yourselves, if possible, in the suburbs; they don't like outsiders there.

" "Thank you for the advice," Aitvaras said in her resonant voice. "We would just like to know where we can meet the Clans of our race here?"

"Well, yes..." The Prince looked at their faces. "Our Temple is an old, abandoned monastery, near the center. You're sure to find it; its tower is visible from every window in the city. This is also where Vampires most often come, wanting to rest or when they have nowhere to live. It's true that there are plenty of old, abandoned houses all over Vilnius, but they're full of rats and vermin. Sometimes dangerous people hang out there, and I would strongly advise against contact with them... Where exactly are you planning to live?

" "We still need to look for an apartment. I don't know the city well enough...

" "If I can make a suggestion, and you'll then have a fifteen-minute walk to the monastery, choose an apartment on Chestnut Avenue. There are relatively decent apartments there.

" "That's wonderful!" Attis exclaimed suddenly, laughing happily. "We'll have trees!"

The girl's parents paled. The Prince could have interpreted such behavior as an insult to his authority. Even Ahriman glared at his sister, who, seeing the reaction of her loved ones, blushed and lowered her head, apologizing silently.

Meanwhile, the Prince sat for a moment in his beautiful, high-backed chair, unsure how to react, and then burst into heartfelt laughter. Aitvaras and Arimanius exchanged uncertain glances.

After a moment, the Prince calmed down and looked with amusement at the frightened faces of those present.

"Wonderful Scion! Wonderful..." he nodded in amusement. "Child, if you ever feel like it, come visit me. I come here often."

Attis slowly raised her head and then smiled at him cheerfully. However, seeing the exhaustion on the faces of everyone present and understanding that they were only being polite to him, he stood and gestured towards the door.

"I won't keep you here any longer." You can sleep in the building tonight, but that doesn't mean you can't stay here. In the morning, Adad will open the gate for you.

"Thank you again!" Arimanius bowed low to the Prince, and then, wishing him a peaceful night, he and the rest of his family left for the dark corridor.

They stood for a moment, unsure what to do: go back to the car and look for a motel, or stay in the building?

"We'll stay here, okay?" Attis yawned, stretching lazily.

"Exactly. We'll waste money on a motel; it's better to stay," Ahriman agreed with his sister.

"Okay. I'll go to the car and get our things," Arimanius suggested. "You look for a room..."

When they were alone in the empty corridor, they glanced around uncertainly. It was dark, and the kerosene lamps made the cold walls and wooden parquet floor look even older. Aitvaras was the first to go, searching for a room. She opened the first door she could find and saw boxes stacked neatly against the walls, apparently storing documents.

Behind the next door, she saw wooden chairs stacked one on top of the other. The next door held clean bedding, duvets, comforters, and dishes. There were even fully equipped bathrooms, albeit very old-fashioned ones with rusty pipes.

Only closer to the stairs, on the other side of the corridor, did they find rooms where they could sleep. But only in the fifth or sixth were there beds. Everywhere else, mattresses and blankets were spread out on the floors, and beside them stood a multitude of candles. They saw them everywhere: on the windowsills, chairs, tables, and even on the floor. Some were still quite good, others almost completely burned out.

"Here are the beds," Aitvaras said.

Attis ran to her and leaned over her shoulder.

"One double," she muttered. "I don't want to sleep with Ahriman. He snores!

" "You know?" her brother said indignantly. "It's not that bad!"

Attis stuck her tongue out at him playfully, but Ahriman didn't owe her the same. Suddenly they heard footsteps on the stairs, and a moment later, Arimanius entered the corridor, a large travel bag slung over his shoulder. They breathed a sigh of relief.

"Do you have any rooms?

" "We've just found one for you," Ahriman said. "Attis and I will look for another one.

" "No problem. Just not too far from us."

Ahriman opened another door, but there were also double beds there. This continued for several more rooms, until they finally found a large room with seven beds lined up against the walls. Here, too, candles stood on the windowsill of a window covered with black curtains. Ahriman pulled out a lighter, lit a few, and looked around at the beds. They were camp beds, with clean blankets and pillows arranged in cubes. Only one bed, right by the door, was a bunk bed.

"I'll go get our things," he suggested.

Attis was so exhausted by the emotions of the day that she sat down on the nearest bed and, before she knew it, fell asleep. When Ahriman returned to the room, he found the girl curled up in a ball. With a condescending smile, he covered her with a blanket and, after changing his clothes, decided to perform a very important ritual, which their Clan called the "Awakening with Vigor." He sat against the wall and, leaning his back against it, slowly closed his eyes. Gradually, he calmed down. He concentrated on protecting everything that was dear to his heart. For this ritual, concentration was crucial. For almost half an hour, he sat completely still in the large room, lit only by the dim light of candles. Silence surrounded him. Nothing interrupted his deep concentration. Only when the flame of the candle before him wavered in the still air did he slowly open his eyes and, over the flame of one of the lit candles, burn a few bird feathers. He then scattered the grayish ash around his sister's bed, and then around his own. Awakening with a vigour was an ancient thaumaturgical ritual that allowed them to awaken in the event of impending danger. Only then, calmed down, though exhausted by the long ritual, did he go to bed.

They slept peacefully all day. No light penetrated the dark curtains of their rooms, so they faced no danger in the tenement house. Only at sunset did a knock on the door rouse them.

"How did you sleep?" Aitvaras asked, poking her head into their room.

"Good morning, Mother!" Attis smiled sleepily. "Is it night already?

" "The sun is setting. We want to go to the monastery with Father. We're starting to get hungry." There will definitely be donors there.

"I want a drink too!" Attis moaned, jumping out from under her warm blanket.

"Then we'll go together. And you, Ahriman, are you coming?

" "Sure. I'm starving!"

Attis changed quickly, washed, and then went outside with the others, in front of the tenement building. The sun bathed the sky and buildings in blood-red. Their car was where they'd left it the night before.

They didn't wait long. Adad must have been watching them, because soon they heard him limping toward them, kerosene lamp in hand. He greeted them, then led them to the gate, opening it for them to leave.

They walked slowly and leisurely through the city, looking around with interest at the narrow streets and tall, old tenement buildings. At this hour, it was truly impossible to meet a living soul...

As the Prince, who ruled the Domain where they were to live, had previously told them, they had no trouble finding the monastery. It was a very old building, with an unusually tall, soaring tower. Colorful stained glass windows still protruded here and there from the elongated windows, and the entire monastery building was surrounded by a high wall thickly overgrown with ivy. So, here, only one entrance led inside.

Arimanius pushed open the rusty gate with all his might, and the four of them found themselves in a very old park. Pebbles crunched under their feet, and on both sides of the oak avenue they walked toward the monastery, very tall grass grew, amidst sprawling old trees. Attis spotted gray, stone tombstones amidst the rippling sea of ​​grass. She was delighted by the sight. She hadn't expected such a beautiful place in the center of the city!

"Attis!?" Ahriman looked at her. "Do you intend to stay there?"

The girl glanced at the others. Indeed, she was lost in thought! She ran to them, and together they climbed the wide concrete stairs, countless leaves from the nearby trees rustling beneath their feet.

When Arimanius gripped the rusty iron handle of the monastery's tall, massive door, Attis held her breath. Now she had the opportunity to meet the members of her new Domain, as well as the Vampires of the Camarilla...

Scene II

Inside

the monastery, there was a crowd and bustle she had never expected in such a place. Almost all the Vampires residing in the monastery at the time were dressed in black. Therefore, their dark blue clothing, adopted in their previous Domain, was somewhat out of place, and above all, it stood out very much. They immediately sought out a quieter spot where they could observe the monastery in peace.

It was a massive building, with very high walls decorated with strange paintings depicting hooded figures holding candles. Opposite them was a large, ancient inscription in another language known only to a few. Attis read it easily. Her great-grandmother had once taught her this.

"Monsters we are, so that we may not become Monsters..."

Furthermore, on each of the columns on either side of the large dais, accessed by brick steps, were inscriptions that told Attis little except that they were the founders of the Camarilla, and therefore the most powerful members of the Family. No order bound them, for they were the ones who made the laws of the Camarilla.

Adana de Sforza - Mistress Fanchon - Hardestadt - Milkov Petrenkov -

Rafael de Corazon - Josef von Bauren - Camilla Banes

Wooden benches lined the walls, decorated with detailed floral and animal motifs. Some of the vampires knelt there, their heads bowed low. Attis was deeply moved by the sight. She looked around. The vampires here seemed, at first glance, no different from ordinary humans. But as soon as she looked closer, she couldn't help but notice the strange aura surrounding them. It was unique, fleeting, yet at the same time strong and determined.

She smiled to herself. Suddenly, a tall, pretty woman approached them. She looked to be around thirty-five. She had blond hair tied in a bun at the back of her head, light eyes, and a pale complexion. Like the rest of the vampires gathered at the monastery, she wore black clothes.

"Are you the newcomers from Venice?

" "That's right," Aitvaras nodded. "We wanted to see the monastery the Prince mentioned.

" "Do you like it?"

"He's beautiful!" Attis joined the conversation.

"I haven't even introduced myself yet! I'm sorry. My name is Achala, and I'm Sheriff in the Camarilla.

" "It's nice to meet you. It doesn't look like we'll be leaving Vilnius anytime soon, so we'll definitely see each other again.

" "I hope you won't cause any trouble with our law and will respect order and Tradition..."

"But of course!" Arimanius smiled.

"Have you eaten yet? Perhaps you're hungry?

" "Yes. We haven't had anything to drink in three days.

" "Then I see it's time for something that will help you. Come, I'll show you something." Achala gestured to a low door in a narrow alleyway.

They followed her, and when the woman opened the door, they found themselves in a large, arched cellar. Inside, there were significantly fewer people than in the monastery; kerosene lamps burned along the ceiling, and the walls, as almost everywhere else, were bare. Instead, they bore various inscriptions and signatures from those who had already been here.

"May I request a moment of silence!" Aczala said, and immediately everyone gathered in the basement fell silent, looking at them intently. "These are the new inhabitants of our Camarilla. They've come all the way from Venice. Thank you for your attention!"

Aczala smiled reassuringly at them, then left the basement, leaving them alone on the steps leading down. Attis glanced uncertainly at her brother, but then felt a light tug on her blouse. She looked down and saw a tall boy in front of her, with short, blond hair and hazel eyes. He had a dark complexion and a strong, athletic build. He smiled at her.

"Would you like something to drink?"

Attis nodded uncertainly, and before she knew it, the boy had pulled her down the stairs and, tugging her by the hand, led her to a small room accessed through the basement.

"Hey! Wait!" She snatched his hand away. "What are you...?"

"You said you wanted to drink!" He looked at her impatiently.

"Well, why did you bring me here?"

"Didn't you practice that here? Givers and all that..."

"Yes, but what does that have to do with any of this!?" She looked around the small room, where a few candles were burning on a shelf. Besides, the room had no windows, and the only furnishings were a camp bed.

"I'm a Giver, and I just offered you my blood," he replied, somewhat surprised by her reaction.

"What's your name?" She looked at him, scrutinizing him.

"Do you want blood or not?

" "What's your name?" she repeated calmly.

"Apophis..." he finally replied.

"So, Apophis, why are you doing this?

" "Why am I doing what?" he asked, growing increasingly irritated.

"Why are you giving us Vampires blood? It won't make you as powerful as us. It doesn't do you any good. Only a select few receive the Dark Gift.

" "But what are you even talking to me about?!" he groaned, spreading his hands. "You want blood, then take it. If not, I'll find someone else!

" "Why are you so upset?" she looked at him, irritated. "I'm just asking..."

"None of you have ever asked me why, what for, and what for...! You're the one who comes to me, and instead of just taking it, you're arguing with me!" His nervousness was evident. His hands were shaking.

"Or maybe..." she approached him and looked into his eyes. "Maybe you're just as addicted to us as we are to you?"

He backed away, seeing her eyes fill with a strange, grayish mist, but he stumbled onto the bed and sat down heavily. Attis sat on his lap and brushed her lips against his neck. He flinched but couldn't move, as if she'd robbed him of his strength. A moment later, he felt pain, and then only a gentle sucking sensation.

He didn't wake from the strange numbness until several minutes later. By then, however, it was over. The girl with midnight hair was sitting on the bed beside him, her head tucked into her drawn-up knees. She was breathing slowly and evenly.

Apophis felt the sticky blood trickling down his neck. He took a handkerchief and held it to the wound. He had calmed down enough to leave her alone in the room. He had been a Giver so many times that he knew that vampires experienced something extraordinary after drinking blood and didn't want to be disturbed. He was about to close the door behind him when he heard his name. He turned and looked into the girl's glowing eyes, returning to the room.

"Thank you..." she replied quietly.

"It's rare for anyone to thank me for my blood. Usually, by the next day, you can't even remember what I look like.

" "Come on...! We're not humans to behave like humans. There's no reason for us to stoop to your level.

" "How arrogant you are!"

Attis raised her beautiful, deep eyes to him. She looked at him for a moment, then smiled to herself.

"After all, that's precisely what you seek in this monastery, and that's the only reason you became Kitra. You seek the freedom that humans don't have, immortality among those who can give it to you, and the darkness that liberates souls..."

Apophis swallowed hard. How did she know? After all, this is the first time they've seen each other!

"Are you so surprised by my words?" She stood up and slowly approached him. "After all, that is your heart's deepest desire..."

With that, she passed the surprised boy and went outside into the basement. Here, even the dim light of the kerosene lamps hurt her eyes. She closed her eyes, searching for her family. Only in a dark corner, at the table with a glass of beer, sat her brother. Relieved, she walked over to him and sat down beside him.

"Oh, Attis..." he smiled sleepily at her.

"How many times do I have to tell you it's dangerous to drink blood and then alcohol immediately afterward?!"

"What are you talking about, little sister! You haven't tried it yet, you don't know what you're missing!

" "Come on. Where's Mom and Dad?

" "They haven't come back yet. Do you like it here?

" "Let's just say.

" "You said it was lovely at the monastery.

" "But they have some very strange Donors.

" "What!? Mine was fine," he smiled into his glass of beer, taking sips.

"I just couldn't get along with mine.

" "You know, if you come up with such brilliant ideas like talking to Kitra, I probably wouldn't get along either.

" "But tell me, what's wrong with that?

" "Nothing...

" "So what's the problem?

" "Attis!" I think I explained this to you a week ago! People are our sheep; you don't love sheep, just like you don't love food. Yes, we respect them, but come on, that doesn't mean you have to talk to every single one of them. It's just a needless waste of time.

At that moment, they saw Apophis leaving the room where Attis had previously been drinking his blood. He looked around at the people present, but because the siblings were sitting in a very dark and crowded corner of the basement, he didn't notice them. After a moment, he left the monastery.

"Is that him?"

Attis nodded, looking at her parents approaching them.

"So?" They sat down beside them.

"Mom, he's drinking alcohol again right after blood!" Attis groaned.

"Let him drink, it really does boost your energy," Arimanius waved.

"Apparently?" Aitvaras added. "And besides...?

" "Very nice. I'll come here more often," Attis smiled.

"But don't overdo it. Look for the Givers in the city.

" "I know. You can't exploit the sheep to the fullest. Instead, you should care for and respect them.

" "And that's your guide." Aitvaras was pleased with their daughter's academic results.

As parents, they had devoted a great deal of time to instilling all the elements of the Tradition in their children, so that in the future she wouldn't have even the slightest trouble finding her way in the new Domain. This was very important. If Vampires decided to move, or even travel to another city where they stayed for a longer period, they must communicate, according to the Tradition of Hospitality, with the Vampire in charge of the given area. Otherwise, they could have a lot of problems with the Vampire Community. Stand trial, or worse, become the cause of the Blood Hunt, or Lextalionis...

"We're going to my father's new company, do you want to come with us?"

"No thanks, I'm staying?" Attis asked. "And you, Ahriman? What are you doing?

" "I'm going home. I feel like throwing up.

" "Didn't I tell you you'd had too much to drink?

" "Leave me alone, Attis..." he waved her off.

"Shall we go?" Arimanius looked at the others, and they all left the basement, entering the now almost empty monastery.

Attis stopped in surprise, gazing with delight at the high, brick walls. The sight filled her with a strange longing for something she couldn't define.

"Are you staying here?"

The girl nodded, not taking her eyes off the beautifully painted vault.

"Alright. Remember to return to the building before dawn. Otherwise, Adad might not let you in."

"Don't worry. I'll manage."

When her parents and Ahriman left the monastery, a deep, dark night had already settled in. A milky, damp fog hung over the narrow streets. The air was cold and crisp. The trees in the park surrounding the monastery rustled lazily in the wind.

They stood for a moment, breathing in the fresh air and gazing at the sky, star-studded with billions of stars, and then they descended the wide steps into the alley, heading toward the building where they were staying.

Attis sat still on one of the wooden benches. She wasn't thinking about many things. She wanted to fully enjoy this beautiful view. There was something about this place that captivated her. In Venice, the city she came from, there was no building that made her feel as wonderful as here.

Suddenly, someone approached her. She looked into the face of a tall boy with narrow, green eyes. He had bushy eyebrows and sharp, masculine features. His dark, short hair was cut in a pageboy style. He was dressed in black. His black silk shirt was open at the neck, and a black leather trench coat was slung over his shoulder.

"Are you new?" he asked in a deep voice.

Attis stared at him for a moment. There was something strange and elusive about him. She couldn't concentrate on his words, trying to capture that mysterious "something" she'd never found in anyone else before. He looked to her to be about thirty.

"Hey, kid?! Are you okay?"

The girl blinked, as if she'd just woken up, then looked back into his eyes. They were narrow, with large, almost enormous pupils.

"Y-yes..." she replied quietly. "Everything's okay."

"I was getting worried that something was wrong.

" "No. Everything's not right...

" "What Domain are you from?

" "I'm from Venice...

" "Oh! You've come a long way," he said, still leaning towards her; he was a truly tall man. "And what Clan are you from, if I may ask?"

Attis smiled at him.

"My Clan is Treemere.

" "Treemere?" he asked, surprised. "I've never heard of it before.

" "They say we're the heirs to the legacy left behind by great magicians and wizards..." she began to explain calmly. "By the way, this Clan isn't very well known because we stick together like no other Clan to strengthen our power."

"So I understand you're not alone."

She looked at him in surprise. He must have been very astute. She would never have jumped to conclusions so quickly. She was silent for a moment.

"That's right. I came with my family; we plan to stay here for a while.

" "You know?" It's been great talking to you, maybe we can go to a pub for a beer? It's not exactly appropriate to flirt in a monastery." He held out a large, protective hand.

Attis looked at him, then at his. She hesitated for a moment when her hand hovered just above his for a split second, but then she raised her large, trusting eyes to his, and he closed his hand over hers, helping her to her feet.

They both left the monastery in silence. Like the Attis family before, they paused on the high, wide steps of the temple and began descending to the alley. Mist, driven by a light breeze, swirled mysteriously and invitingly between the tall tree branches, first descending between the gray tombstones, then rising into the sky again.

Attis was slender, yet powerfully built. She was tall for a girl. She had dark hair, like her mother's, curling at the bottom and falling freely past her shoulders, but it wasn't as long as she would have liked. She had very fair, almost white skin and long fingers. But to a stranger, she seemed a small, vulnerable girl, considerably shorter than her companion.

They walked through an empty city, with narrow, dark streets, on either side of which tall, dilapidated walls of tenement houses rose towards the cloudless sky. An eerie silence reigned, and only their footsteps echoed against the walls of the old ruins.

They crossed the market square and then stopped at the door of an old inn. Above the entrance hung a brown board with the words "Under the Falcon" written in white. They entered.

The sight surprised her. It was a small room. On the dirty, uneven parquet floor stood wooden chairs and tables, each covered with overturned candles. Large beams, kerosene lamps strung across the ceiling, hung from them. To reach the counter, they had to climb a wooden staircase, and the only other person in the inn at the time stood there. She was a short, plump woman with a plump, flushed face. Her eyes were bulging and bloodshot. Her hands were large and wrinkled despite her age. Attis estimated her to be around fifty. She looked at them warily.

The stranger approached her casually.

"Two beers," he said, and then he and the girl went to a relatively clean table, where they sat down.

"Can we talk here in peace?" Attis glanced uncertainly at the truly old, stained walls and ceiling.

"Sure. I come here often. I hope you like it.

" "Cool. This city has surprised me from the start. Incredible.

"You think so?" he sighed, looking at the hostess, who was serving them mugs of beer. "I hadn't paid attention to it until now.

" "Were you born in Vilnius?

" "No. I'm actually from London.

" "So what brings you to Vilnius? It's quite a journey, after all..." she asked, slowly sipping the icy drink.

"You know... Hmmm... Actually, I don't even know your name. They call me Aeternitas.

" "Attis, nice to meet you.

" "Those who know the true meaning of your name probably know a lot about you." He looked at her searchingly. "Only a few carry blood in their name.

" "Just like a few, their name is darkness.

" "I see you were taught our language.

" "My great-grandmother took great care to make sure I learned it.

" "I'm sure her studies weren't in vain. But you asked what brings me to Venice."

Attis nodded, looking at him with growing admiration.

"I have this job. I was kind of forced to come here.

" "Will you tell me more about it?"

"You know, I'd rather not. Sometimes ignorance can save your life.

" "What do you mean?

" "Nothing, actually." He finished his beer and smiled at her. "Maybe I'll tell you someday.

" "It's unfair, Aeternitas. After all, I told you almost everything you wanted to know.

" "And thank you for that. I certainly won't use it against you, but as for me, it would be better if you didn't know everything.

" "I don't understand these secrets. I thought the Tradition only applied to those who weren't Vampires.

" "That's right. But even among people of the same blood, there are sometimes certain things that shouldn't be known.

" "I understand," she nodded, then stood up and left the inn without a word.

"Attis!" he shouted after her, throwing money for the hostess on the table. "Where are you going!?"

The girl walked briskly, heading straight for the tenement building, where her brother was probably waiting for her. A moment later, a man caught up with her.

"What's the matter? Did I offend you somehow? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

She didn't look at him, walking slowly through the vast market square without answering him.

"What's the matter, little one? I didn't mean to upset you."

But the vampire still didn't answer. Finally, Aeternitas became angry. He grabbed her arm and lifted her head so he could look into her eyes. Attis was seriously frightened. Fear flashed in her eyes.

"Leave me..." she moaned in a strangled voice. "I'm afraid of you!"

Aeternitas sighed heavily. He really was strong. Her arm hurt so much, and he wasn't holding her with all his strength! He was silent for a moment. Then he took a shaky breath and pushed her straight onto the bench where they had stopped. The girl sat down uneasily on the stone bench and looked at him, rubbing her sore shoulder.

"I didn't mean to scare you, really. But let me explain, I wouldn't want to put you in danger. Why?

" "I don't understand what you mean," she muttered. "I felt really embarrassed. I told you everything, and you? You're keeping such big secrets...

" "I'm sorry, Attis. I didn't mean to. However, do you really want to know what Clan I come from..." He looked at her uncertainly.

"I want everything to be clear between us. Because, you know, I really liked you, and I wouldn't want that later..." She fell silent, lowering her head.

"Okay. I hope this won't get you into trouble, but I'll tell you who I really am. I come from the Assamite Clan."

Attis was speechless for a few moments. Her hands trembled, then she clenched them tightly into fists, holding them in her lap. It was obvious to her that Vampires were hunters of the night, but she hadn't expected to encounter an Assamite here in Venice. They were a Clan of the greatest hunters, known as assassins. They killed not only Kindred but also humans. Assamites went where they had to to catch their targets, and in return, they wanted only a portion of their employer's pure blood...

"Now I understand," she whispered, her throat tight.

"I warned you.

" "Who did you come to Venice for?

" "I really don't know why I'm telling you all this!" he groaned in surprise. "We've only just met."

She looked at him with her large eyes and smiled shyly.

"It must be hard for you, hiding in Vilnius.

" "It's not terrible, you can get by somehow."

"But why did you come here, Aeternitas?"

He looked at her, into those innocent, so childlike eyes of hers. He immediately sensed that there was something mysterious and beautiful about her. That's why he decided to talk to her, but he didn't think things would take this turn.

"I came to Vilnius for a girl. She's supposed to be a vampire. But I haven't found a suitable one yet.

" "Are you..." Her voice broke, but she finished. "Are you supposed to kill her?"

"No. My employer ordered me to bring her to London.

" "And what will happen to her then?"

"I don't know. It's none of my business.

" "Do you work..." she hesitated again before asking the question. "Do you work for humans?

" "Never in my life!" he said, outraged. "I would never work for humans." It would be degrading, almost like slavery...

Scene III

Sitting

on a bench, they suddenly saw a group of men dressed in black emerging from a nearby narrow street. There were seven of them, and among them they saw the tall, slender figure of a girl, dressed in a black shroud with a large hood pulled over her face. She walked between them, her head bowed low, calmly, though not quite confidently.

Attis, observing Aeternitas in profile, saw that he was holding his breath. His eyes narrowed even more, and the arm that had previously rested calmly on the back of the bench now tightened violently.

She turned her face again toward the unfamiliar figures, but they were lost in the darkness, unilluminated by the dim light of the single streetlamps.

"Do you know them...?" she whispered, unable to see them.

Aeternitas nodded, his gaze fixed on the spot where the strangers had disappeared.

"I just sense they're not human..." he added grimly.

"Maybe they're Sabbat people?

" "That could only mean trouble. Their auras, however, didn't indicate that."

"I didn't feel their auras!" the surprised girl gasped.

"Of course, they used the Shields to protect themselves. You're too inexperienced, Attis.

" "Perhaps," she nodded. "But I think I've found a fantastic teacher.

" "Do you think so?" He smiled softly at her, turning his head toward her.

Their eyes met, and for a long time, Aeternitas gazed into her deep, beautiful eyes. There was something captivating about them. He no longer considered them typical vampire eyes. Such eyes were grayish in the twilight, with enormous pupils, but they were full of longing and something elusive, something he couldn't describe, yet longed to know.

Some tender reflex made him reach out a large, protective hand to her face and tenderly stroke her cheek. Attis looked at him startled, and almost immediately jumped from her seat, standing before him. Aeternitas, startled, turned his gaze to her. The girl smiled reassuringly at him and quickly leaned toward him, kissed his cheek, and jogged a few steps away, waving a friendly hand.

"Thanks! I hope you'll invite me for a beer again sometime!" she laughed, disappearing into the darkness of the narrow alley.

Aeternitas smiled to himself and stood up from the bench, looking in the direction the strangers had gone. His right hand instinctively tightened around the heavy Japanese katana hanging at his side.

Attis hurried toward the building. She knew dawn would be breaking soon. She had to hurry. In her haste, she didn't notice the girl standing by the gate and collided with her, falling onto the sidewalk.

"Could you be a little more careful!" the stranger groaned, helping her up.

"I... I'm sorry..." Attis groaned, brushing the autumn leaves from last year from her clothes.

Here, apparently, no one had any intention of keeping things tidy; it was evident everywhere. This included the overgrown sidewalks, the holes in the narrow, unlit streets, and the leaves, which were plentiful here. Sometimes, when the wind struggled, single newspaper pages would float into the air, swirling through the air with the leaves before falling back to the ground. Some houses were so neglected that the grass grew in lush tufts in the gutters. There were also many tenement houses and apartment buildings where the windows were tightly boarded up to prevent further damage...

"I'm just rushing to the tenement house."

"Dawn's coming soon," the stranger muttered.

Attis looked at her uncertainly. She could navigate very well in the darkness of the night. She was a Vampire, after all. The girl's face was pale. But not as white as hers. Her eyes were blue, with large pupils, and her hair was blond and curled into rings. She was dressed in black. In a leather miniskirt and a black tank top with the word DEVIL written on the chest in red, blood-red lettering.

"I'm Attis," she smiled at her, knocking on the door.

"I already called him. Adad should be going.

" "Are you from the Camarilla?

" "It's obvious you're new here."

Attis nodded uncertainly. The girl seemed strangely cold and unpleasant to her. She looked at her with great suspicion and was reluctant to answer.

Then they both heard Adad's limping. She peered into the darkness, illuminated by the kerosene lamp. In its light, the guard's face looked even more terrifying than usual. Attis looked at the girl again.

"I'm new. Maybe we can be friends?"

The woman looked at her in a way that made Attis feel like she was about to punch her.

"Leave me alone!" she hissed and pushed open the iron gate, which creaked open, held by Adad.

The girl stared in surprise for a moment after the stranger. Adad snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Are you going to stay there until morning? If so, forgive me, but I'm going home!"

Attis flinched at the sound of his voice. She glanced at him and ran into the building's spacious courtyard. Their car was already parked under a tree, just like before. She thanked Adad profusely and ran to the tall, heavy door.

The stairwell was, as always, dirty. Old leaves clogged the corners, and as she walked toward the stairs, she kept stepping on scattered newspapers. Watching carefully at her feet, so as not to trip, she glanced at a newspaper headline:

"Mysterious disease strikes, 13 people have already died!"

She swallowed hard, seeing that the newspaper was about 100 years old!!! Attis was shocked. This city seemed more and more interesting to her with each passing night. She climbed the concrete stairs to the second floor. Then the wooden stairs began, for when she stepped on them, they creaked menacingly and gloomily. Finally, she reached a narrow corridor and glanced uncertainly at the doorways.

"Hail Ahriman!

" "You're finally back, my parents were worried!" he muttered from behind his book.

"I'll go see them soon. Have you sobered up yet?

" "What else!? I've been drinking for a while.

" "It's a shame you don't want to quit..." she muttered under her breath and left for her parents.

Before she even entered, however, she heard their muffled voices and decided it would be best to give up. She turned and found herself face to face with the strange girl she had met at the gate. The stranger looked at her, just as surprised as she was.

"Are you planning to go wild all day today?" she muttered, brushing past her. "Will you let normal Vampires sleep in?"

Attis spared herself a reply and returned to their room. There, she began changing. Ahriman was already asleep. Fresh bird feather ash was scattered around his bed, but he hadn't forgotten hers either. She smiled tenderly at him and then went out to wash. By the time she returned, it was already six in the morning. Fortunately, the curtains blocked out any light, which made them feel safe....

Toward evening, Attis was woken by her brother. She saw a grayish tint in his violet eyes. He must have been starving.

"Are you coming with me to the monastery?" he asked, leaning over her so low that she felt his hot breath on her face.

"Sure. Wait a moment." She jumped out of bed and began to dress hurriedly.

Then, leaving a note for her parents at their door, they went outside. The blood-red sun was just setting, bathing the city and the ancient buildings in purple. Attis stood for a moment, gazing at the beautiful view, but Ahriman had no patience for gazing at the sunset. He tugged at her hand, holding it by the wrist. Without a word, the girl ran after him. Soon they reached the monastery.

They climbed the stairs, and Ahriman pushed open the large doors. There weren't many people inside yet. They paused for a moment before the altar, where they recited a short litany, and then Ahriman entered the basement with Attis.

Inside, however, they unexpectedly encountered quite a few people. They looked around at the faces of those present, and then a boy approached Ahriman, escorting him to a room at the end of the corridor leading underground.

Attis was left alone on the stairs. Since she wasn't dry yet, she decided to wait for her brother in the basement. She sat down in a dark corner of the room and, leaning back against the cold wall, began to play with her medallion, on which were inscribed the fifteen names of Lillith. Such a medallion served primarily as protection against the mother of all Vampires, who was said to kill even her own children.

"Hello!" she heard a girl's voice above her.

She raised her eyes and looked at a short, slender blonde. Next to her stood a brunette with a gaunt and drawn face. Neither of them looked well. She didn't speak to them, feeling she shouldn't.

"Perhaps you'd like some fresh blood?

" "I'm not into drugs.

" "What?! We're offering you blood." The blonde's voice was low and raspy.

"When was the last time you took drugs?" she said calmly and without much interest, engaging in conversation with them.

It was the coldness radiating from her that somewhat disconcerted the two strangers.

"This morning. Hey, don't you know that this kind of blood is better?! You're even more excited!" the other woman added. "We're offering you a completely new kind of entertainment! Try it!"

Attis glared at them with such anger in her eyes that they recoiled in horror.

"How dare you offer us such filth!? Get out of here, you're sinking deeper and deeper into this mess! The Dark Gift isn't for you!" Attis hissed through gritted teeth. "Now leave me alone!"

The girls looked at each other, surprised by her behavior, then walked away, afraid to speak to her again. Attis remained seated as before, glaring at them angrily. Not only were they sinking themselves, but they were also trying to infect them?! Oh no, she wouldn't let them do that... On impulse, she jumped up from the bench and, standing still, closed her eyes. She concentrated on them; it didn't take her long...

When she opened her eyes, their footprints, invisible to any other vampire, were visible to her. They glowed a bright, greenish color. She smiled to herself and was about to follow them when she felt someone grab her by her coat.

"Are you going to kill them or scare them?" A girl with short red hair sat next to her on the bench.

"It depends..."

The girl looked into Attis's eyes and saw the joyful anticipation of the upcoming hunt.

"Will you hunt us if something about us doesn't suit you?" she added hesitantly.

"I'll see..."

Then she broke away and left the basement without a word. The footprints were clear. She didn't need to hurry. So she walked slowly. The girls left the monastery and headed for the market square. Attis felt her excitement growing with each passing minute. Her hunting instincts, previously dormant, suddenly came alive with renewed vigor. She felt her hands tremble with agonizing anticipation. She involuntarily quickened her pace.

Soon she was close to them. She could tell by the intensity of the light from the tracks they left behind. Her breathing quickened, her eyes glittered, and her pupils dilated even more. Finally, she heard their voices. They spoke calmly, unsure of what awaited them. Attis waited until they entered a house on a dark, old street. The house had no roof, the walls had large holes in them in places, and the windows were boarded up. She followed them inside and then decided to begin the hunt. She wanted to have some fun. Just like a cat, which satisfies its hunting instinct with play before killing its prey.

At first, she decided to scare them. She sat on the dusty ground in a lotus position and clasped both hands across her chest. She concentrated on one of her favorite rituals—the Summoning of the Malicious Spirit. This caused a violent wind to surge through the house. Immediately, all the doors and windows that had been open slammed shut, and an incredible noise erupted inside, caused by the spirit's piercing shriek. Attis heard the girls' squeals of terror with satisfaction.

"What else should I do now..." she thought, crouching against the wall to avoid any injuries.

All sorts of things were flying through the house, from broken chairs to bricks, which struck the wooden walls at dizzying speeds before rising again and flying across the room. The wind was unbearable, so sharp it took her breath away.

Meanwhile, Attis, with a malicious smile on her face, quietly pondered what to do with the girls. Finally, she decided it would be worth trying one of the lesser-known rituals, one that involved creating an invisible, yet completely real, flame. She pulled a lighter from her jacket and threw it into a pile of leaves in the corner of the room where she sat. A huge fire immediately erupted. Attis spread her open hands over it, closing her eyes.

"Power that lies dormant in the sacred flames of rebirth and death, come to my call!" she whispered forcefully.

She didn't have to wait long for the result. Soon, the leaves burned down and the fire died out, but she still felt the warmth surrounding her on all sides. The invisible flames had come to her call. She smiled, then, with a wave of her hand, pointed to two girls who, aching and scratched, were just entering the room. With a startling whoosh and crackle, the flames crashed down on them, enveloping them, igniting their clothes and hair.

The screams of the terrified girls pierced the silence of the night. Attis grimaced in disgust. That scream could have ruined her entire party. Meanwhile, however, she watched the burning bodies with great satisfaction. The girls writhed and groaned on the ground, trying to extinguish the fire. But more and more flames ignited their clothes. Finally, Attis grew tired of watching passively.

She rose from her knees and looked at the terrified faces of the girls. They looked truly pathetic. They were trembling, trying to get up, but they lacked the strength. Their clothes were almost completely burned, their skin covered in disgusting blisters and blackened. Attis stood over them. She was about to raise both hands over them to perform another ritual when she remembered the conversation she'd had just before leaving the monastery.

"Are you going to kill them or scare them?

" "It depends...

" "Will you hunt us down if something about us doesn't suit you?"

"I'll see..."

She hesitated for a moment. But only for a moment, because as a Vampire, she had no compassion or conscience. She wasn't human. She wasn't guided by human laws, she was free from limitations.

"Stop..." one of the girls moaned, lifting her head with difficulty towards Attis. "I beg you... Stop..."

The vampire looked at them. They couldn't read any emotion in his eyes. They were terrified by her indifference and cold blood.

"I beg you..." she whispered with difficulty. "I swear to you..."

She didn't finish, because at the same moment, her head was severed from the rest of her body with an Air Saber. Blood sprayed onto the stained, old parquet floor. The other girl screamed horribly, but her voice soon died in her throat.

Attis knelt beside her and smiled at her grimly and ominously.

"Don't worry about her... You'll meet again in Hell..."

The words had barely escaped her lips when purple blood coated the corpse. The girl's head rolled to the side. Her eyes were wide with terror. Attis, however, was smiling at her with a strange, distant smile. Then she stood up and summoned the Power of the Invisible Flame again. The entire wooden house instantly burst into flames, engulfing the corpses in a sea of ​​flame. Attis stepped outside without looking back. The sticky blood on her fingers excited her. She decided to return to the basement and satisfy her Hunger.

Suddenly, however, footsteps reached her ears. She turned sharply and looked Aeternitas straight in the eyes! She smiled shyly at him. However, he didn't return her smile. He stared darkly into her eyes for a long moment.

"What's the matter?" she moaned, irritated by his behavior, avoiding his gaze.

"I thought you were different," he began in his melancholic, deep voice. "But you're no different from other vampires..."

She looked at him in surprise, then frowned, yanking her arm from his grasp.

"What did you expect?!" she hissed furiously. "I'm one of the Treemere Clan. Do you think I've never killed anyone before?"

Aeternitas looked back at the house, which was completely engulfed in flames. Acrid smoke rose in a great cloud above the rooftops of central Vilnius. Surely someone would be here soon.

"Let's get out of here," he said to her, and without waiting for her reaction, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her along into a small side street.

"Hey!" she whimpered, practically running after him. "Leave me alone!"

When he finally released her, they were standing in a small courtyard surrounded on all sides by tall, dilapidated tenement houses. Attis glared at him.

- Where have you taken me?

- I live here - he replied, walking towards the half-rotten door, hanging on one hinge.

"Hey! You're not going to leave me here, are you?!" she shouted after him. "I don't know which way to go back home!

" "I don't know about you," Aeternitas shouted back. "But the sun will rise in fifteen minutes, and I don't really feel like being outside then.

" Attis glanced nervously at her watch. "Indeed!" She groaned and ran after the man, who had entered the ugly, old stairwell. There were graffiti-splattered walls, leaves and newspapers on the floor, and a lot of bottles.

"Does anyone else live here besides you?"

"No..." he shook his head. "This house is scheduled for demolition.

" "And you live here?" she groaned, following him up the wooden, creaking stairs.

"It's better than nothing...

" "And that tenement where the Prince lives?

" "Too many vampires hang out there, I need peace and quiet. I wouldn't want too many people knowing me.

" "But it's just us and three girls."

"Probably. However, whenever the Salubri appear in town, this building fills with Vampires.

" "Sa... Salubri??? Are they dangerous? Or maybe they're some kind of Sabbat Clan?

" "You don't know them? Strange, after all, the Treemere are known for their widespread hatred of this Clan.

" "Probably, but I haven't really paid much attention to my Clanmates' dislikes until now; you know that girls aren't favored in our Clan. It was difficult for me, and I've become somewhat alienated from them. Only now am I starting to function normally in Treemere.

" "What was that supposed to mean, just now?" he asked, still climbing the wooden stairs.

Attis couldn't hold back a heavy sigh.

"I don't know. I had such a great, overwhelming desire for the Hunt. I really don't know what happened to me!

" "I was watching you..." he muttered under his breath. "You know a lot of rituals.

" "I'm from Treemere, after all," she replied proudly.

"I could use someone as skilled in magic as you.

" "In the Hunt?" she asked curiously, feeling her heart begin to pound in her chest.

"That's right..."

At that moment, they stood in a narrow room, several doors on either side. Behind some of them, the rooms had no floors or ceilings, so Attis could see the sky gradually brightening.

"Come on," he tugged at her hand when she stared at the sky for too long.

Attis followed him obediently. He was taking such long strides that she couldn't keep up, having to quicken her pace every few moments, but Aeternitas paid no attention.

They entered a small room where an old mattress lay on the ground, covered with a blanket and a sleeping bag. In the corner next to it lay a large travel backpack, and on a broken wooden chair stood a glass full of red blood! Attis involuntarily groaned, feeling a strange cramp in her lower abdomen. If it weren't for Aeternitas blocking her path for a moment, as he moved toward the window, she would have lunged at the glass, wanting to drink its contents.

Aeternitas cut the tip of his index finger and marked the window pane with his blood, then did the same to the door, placing an iron seal on it. Attis immediately understood that he was performing a ritual called Dominion. It protected them from the sun's rays. In total, the ritual lasted about two hours. When Aeternitas finished, Attis watched him with curiosity.

"I think I'll learn a lot from you," she said, looking into his deep, beautiful eyes.

"If you want, I'll teach you everything I know..."

Scene IV

When

Attis sat down on the mattress, Aeternitas found a blanket in his large backpack and spread it on the ground.

"You're my guest. You'll sleep on the mattress," he said, lying down on the floor.

"Thanks," she replied, following his example.

Unfortunately, she couldn't fall asleep for a long time. She couldn't calm down after her first hunt in seven years! She could still feel their sticky, warm blood on her skin. She could still see those huge, purple pools of spilling blood before her eyes... She rolled over, and her gaze met Aeternitas's.

"Why aren't you sleeping...?" he asked quietly.

"I can't..." she whispered.

"It's the Hunt. Right?" His eyes narrowed as he asked.

She nodded silently. Under the influence of his piercing, piercing eyes, she was afraid to do anything against his will. Sometimes she felt as if he possessed some strange power over her. As if he possessed... power over her?! At the mere thought, her immortal and proud soul shuddered with disgust and tried with all its strength to defend itself.

"I smell their blood..." she said softly. "My lungs are filled with that scent... I want more... I want to see the terror in their eyes..."

She fell silent, terrified by what she was saying. Aeternitas stared at her, though his eyes didn't change expression. His face was cold and seemingly indifferent.

"If you want... I'll take you on the Hunt..."

Attis woke in the evening. Her muscles ached, and every limb felt sluggish and leaden. She felt exhausted and empty inside. She slowly opened her eyes. There was no one else in the room where they slept. She should have expected this.

With great difficulty, she stood up. She was about to leave when her gaze landed on a beautiful Japanese katana resting on the windowsill. She walked over to it and ran her fingers along the sharp, silver blade.

"This sword has tasted blood more than once..." she thought, feeling pleasant vibrations beneath her fingertips.

"Do you like it?" a voice said just above her ear.

She turned sharply toward Aeternitas.

"You scared me!" she moaned, backing away from him.

"Little one, you're very careless. This is the second time I've managed to surprise you.

" "We can bet now that you won't be able to do it again," she smiled encouragingly at him.

"I wouldn't risk it if I were you. As far as I'm concerned, I'm very confident of victory.

" "You wish..." Attis whispered fiercely. "Besides, we can make a bet, if you're so sure...

" "Okay. " So I choose the prize too," he offered her his hand, then smiled. "You are bound to me by Blood Bonds. Remember?

" "Blood Bonds...?" she whispered, shocked.

"Don't you remember last night?" he asked.

"Yesterday..." she touched her forehead with a trembling hand. "Yesterday...

" "You were hungry... You needed blood... And that blood in that glass was mine..." he pointed to the overturned glass next to the mattress she was sleeping on.

Attis was speechless with horror. For a moment he stood still, moving his lips as if trying to say something, but unable to. The anger within her was so great that it blocked all other feelings.

"You...!" she screamed furiously and threw herself at him with her fists. "You..."

Her voice caught in her throat; all she could do was blindly strike him with her fists. Aeternitas allowed her, for a split second, to vent her anger on himself. He wasn't surprised by her reaction. Blood bonds were very important in the Vampire world. Few wanted to be bound by them, as they often depended on the drinker's dependence on the donor. Attis, too, could be sure that in moments of doubt, she would always choose what Aeternitas wanted. This ritual was called the Blood Call in his Clan. It created a limited psychic bond between Vampires...

Finally, he grabbed her wrists and held them brutally. The girl was trembling, angry with herself and cursing him silently. She lowered her head, not wanting him to see the expression on her face.

"Don't cry..." he whispered, releasing her. "You wanted blood...

" "I don't want to hear this..." she moaned. "Leave me alone..."

She didn't look at him as she quickly ran out the door. Without a second thought, she ran down the rotten stairs. In the darkness of the gathering night, she found herself in a deserted, neglected courtyard. She didn't watch where she was running. Tears obscured her vision. She was still trembling, unable to contain her emotions.

Suddenly, she collided with someone. She fell to the ground, hitting her tailbone painfully. She looked up uncertainly and moaned softly.

"What are you doing here?" asked the girl, whom Attis had met before at the gate to their building.

"I... I'm lost..." she admitted after a moment.

"And why are you running around crying? Are you kidding me, or what am I supposed to understand?"

"No!" she nodded vigorously, standing clumsily. "Will you help me get back to the building?"

"They're already worried about you," she said, turning and heading back in the direction she'd come. "Your Clan is amazing.

" "I'm from Treemere...

" "I understand," she agreed dryly, not particularly interested in talking to Attis. "Next time, don't stray far from the building, or you'll attract attention.

" "It just happened today," Attis replied, confused.

"I have no doubt..."

Attis sat on her bed, tired and furious. She couldn't forget Aeternitas's piercing eyes. She couldn't forget the ritual binding her to him!

"Attis?!"

Her mother entered the room with a bag in her hand. She tossed it toward her. The girl caught it, looking at her uncertainly.

"We're moving. My father and I found the building the Prince mentioned.

" "Wonderful!" Attis exclaimed.

"Where have you been all this time? We've been worried about you. Dad and Ahriman are already at the apartment."

"I met a very nice Vampire... We were at a pub together... Then dawn caught us, so I stayed the night with him.

" "Have you asked the Prince about the Scions yet?" Aitvaras helped her pack.

"No... I haven't thought about that yet!"

"It would be nice... Ahriman isn't in a hurry to join the Scions either.

" "You're not surprised, are you, Mom?

" "No..." she nodded. "You're right. There are many Hunters, and the Sabbat has grown stronger recently, but that doesn't mean you have to give up on your own happiness.

" "I know..." she nodded. "I'd like to wait a bit longer, though."

They left the room, closing the door behind them. Attis was sad to leave this magnificent building, but as a Vampire, she felt the need to be on her own. She didn't like preying on other Vampires in this way.

She and Aitvaras went outside, threw their bags in the trunk, and got into the car. Adad was waiting for them at the gate with keys and a kerosene lamp in hand. As the car pulled out of the courtyard, Attis took one last look at the building's windows, and in one of them, she saw the strange blond girl standing there, gazing out glumly.

Itvaras

only stopped at a small parking lot surrounded on all sides by low garages stretching along the street. One of them belonged to her family, but Attis's mother wanted to show her first a grand avenue, flanked by enormous chestnut trees. They were truly impressive, their branches spreading over the flagstone path, creating a vast tunnel.

Attis also gazed with delight at the building they were to live in. It was surrounded by waist-high grass. No one, even here, on this beautiful avenue, seemed to care about order. The building was in relatively good condition, just as the priest had mentioned. It had three floors in the first two staircases, four floors in the next two staircases, and five floors in the next two. Lights shone in some windows, but here too, most of the windows were dark.

"And where is our apartment?" she asked, touching the car window with her hands.

"We live at the very end, on the fifth floor," Aitvaras replied, pulling into the garage.

Then the two of them strolled along this magnificent, yet strangely and inexplicably terrifying, avenue. Attis studied the dark walls of the large building with extraordinary care. Each staircase had the same tall, double doors.

As Aitvaras had mentioned earlier, they entered the last staircase and ascended to the top floor. Arimanius and Ahriman were sitting at a wooden table, on chairs, drinking beer. A kerosene lamp hung from the ceiling, giving off a dim light. Their apartment took up an entire large floor. The walls were red brick. There was a stone fireplace, and in one room, a tiled stove on which one could lie down, and everything else had been carefully removed and tidied up. Only the narrow hallway held various boxes.

"How do you like it?

" "Great!

" "Then let's get started furnishing..." Arimanius didn't mention Attis's disappearance. He assumed Attis knew what she was doing. He trusted her, because he had reason to. Attis was an exceptionally modest, but also exceptionally proud, Vampire.

They worked all night and all day, until late in the evening, furnishing the apartment. First, they mopped the parquet floors and removed the cobwebs. It took a lot of energy and time, but working on the new apartment brought the family much joy. The new furniture arrived only in the morning.

"Where do you want your room?"

"I saw that little room there...

" "I thought you'd take the one by Ahriman?"

Attis nodded, wiping her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand.

"I prefer this clean room..." she added.

And so it was. Attis decorated it in a typically Japanese manner. She loved Japan. She couldn't imagine a room without posters of Japanese script on the walls. The curtains on her windows, though almost black, depicted cherry blossoms. The furniture in her room was rather old-fashioned. A chest of drawers, a few shelves on which she placed books and a few stuffed animals, a wardrobe, and a desk. She didn't have a real bed, but a mattress placed on the ground and covered with a quilt patterned with suns and stars. It was separated from the rest of the room by a typically Japanese partition, behind which stood a desk.

The Treemere placed great importance on learning. As heirs to magic, those who wielded immense power, the Treemere believed they should cultivate this power within themselves. The clan to which Attis belonged was rumored to have used ancient wizards to gain immortality and power from vampires. However, the bond between wizards and blood deepened over time, and over the centuries, these wizards became increasingly dependent on blood. Even their rituals and power would not have been possible in Attis's modern day without blood. Therefore, the Treemere clan joined the Camarilla. However, as one of the few clans with such a highly developed organization, the Council of Seven Elders was established, which controls the entire Treemere clan from its headquarters in Vienna.

Attis had once been to Vienna. She had seen this august council and was greatly impressed by it. Meeting them had a profound impact on her later life and only further united her with the Clan...

"Attis? May I come in?"

Ahriman found his sister standing at the desk, a candle burning on it. The girl held an amulet given to her by the Council of Seven Elders. He walked up to her, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, and snuggled close.

"We're done. You wouldn't recognize the apartment.

" "I like it here... Do you...? Do you feel the vibrations in this room?"

"Yes. When I first walked in, I had the impression there was someone else in this room. That's probably why you chose this room. Right, little sister?

" "I want to know where this power comes from," she replied with a smile.

"I see you're hungry...

" "A little.

" "Should I go with you to the monastery?"

"No! I wouldn't drag you there. You'd only be bored in the basement.

" "Okay. But don't come back too late." My parents would like to discuss something with us before they leave for work in the morning.

- Okay, I'll keep that in mind...

T

As the Prince had mentioned, they had less than fifteen minutes to walk to the Monastery. Attis found her way there without any problem. She climbed the old stairs and found herself among a crowd of black-robed Vampires. However, to her surprise, most of them were seated on wooden benches set on both sides of the monastery. Attis stood, surprised and a bit disconcerted, in the doorway. She stood there until someone gently pushed her aside and, apologizing, hurried inside.

Suddenly, she saw the Prince, along with two other Vampires dressed in their finest vestments, sitting on high chairs placed on a raised platform. From the very beginning, the girl sensed that this was the meeting the vampire community called the Conclave. She sat uncertainly on the last bench and looked at the Prince, who stood proudly erect, surveying the faces of those gathered.

An unusual silence reigned in the monastery. Everyone watched the Prince with impeccable attention, awaiting his speech. The Conclave wasn't called for any reason; it always had a very important reason, one that made Vampires from all over the city gather in one place...

"Dear brothers and sisters of the Camarilla, greetings. May the blessings of Lillith and Caine be with you," the Prince suddenly said, his resonant voice echoing through the monastery chamber. "The Conclave that began today, unfortunately, is not one of my pleasures, for its cause is the initiation of Lextalionis."

At that moment, a whisper of horror spread through the hall, but it quickly subsided, and all eyes turned to the Prince. He began again.

"Unfortunately, it is our clanmate, Aeternitas, who has come to Vilnius from London. From this day forward, from this hour, I begin the Blood Hunt. Slay him, at all costs..."

At that moment, he rose and walked into the side aisle, where the Vampires' loud remarks no longer reached him.

Attis sat frozen, her eyes wide, still focused on the same spot where the eldest of the Camarilla had sat moments before.

Aeternitas...? Him...?! How could that even be possible...?! But... but...

She jumped from her seat and, running despite the opposition of several guards, made her way to the Prince. Grabbing him by the long sleeve of his ornate robe, she looked him in the eyes with despair.

"Why?" she moaned. "Why?"

The Prince looked at her in surprise. And when the guards tried to drag the girl away from him, he stopped them with an imperious wave of his hand. Then he led her to a small room built apart from the others. Attis stood in its center, watching the Prince, who stood for a moment by the window, watching the dark branches of the trees moving lazily in the strong wind.

"Not everything depends on me..." he finally replied. "I'm dependent on the Inner Circle... you know that...

" "But why..." she moaned. "Why him?

" "Do you know this young man?"

Attis didn't answer. She stared silently into his strange gray eyes. The prince stared at her for a moment. Then he nodded grimly and looked out the window again.

"Unfortunately. Aeternitas has come to Vilnius for a girl from the Vilnius Camarilla. We cannot allow him to find her... This girl is very important, she can even decide the future of our Camarilla...

" "But..." she stammered, but her voice caught in her throat. "He will die, right?

" "That would be best. I wouldn't want to fear for that girl's life.

" "Is she really that important?

" "Yes..." he nodded slowly. "She has powers I dare not even speak of..."

She returned home on trembling legs. It wasn't all that late yet, but she didn't feel up to asking anyone for blood... She found her victim in one of those dark, damp, and stiflingly mist-shrouded little streets that dotted the city center.

"Hey?!" the girl whined as Attis approached her with a stony expression.

But the vampire didn't react. His eyes instantly clouded over with a grayish mist, and his pupils almost disappeared. The girl started to back away in fear. She wanted to scream, but her voice caught in her throat. Suddenly, she tripped over a can lying in the street. She gave a short scream and ran. Then Attis pulled a small cube of dried mud, perfectly square, from the pocket of her black leather trench coat. She clutched it in both hands, holding it out toward the fleeing girl. The stranger suddenly felt very strange, and then she realized that the more she wanted to run, the slower she ran, then walked, until finally she stopped completely. Attis walked up to her and looked the terrified girl in the eye.

"Wh-who... are you...?" she stammered in a choked voice, terrified beyond endurance.

However, Attis didn't respond. She leaned toward her and gently brushed her lips against the skin of her taut neck. The stranger froze. Suddenly, she felt pain, then a gentle sucking. With each passing minute, she grew weaker and drowsier. The vampire, in turn, sucked until the girl slumped limply at his feet, losing consciousness.

When Attis had taken a few steps away, she suddenly felt something large slip past her legs. She looked behind her and saw a whole pack of wild, stray dogs barking menacingly, attacking the body of the unconscious girl, tearing it to pieces...

'So that's how it is...' she thought without any emotion. 'This is how inconvenient bodies disappear...

'

Without even knowing how, she somehow made it to their new apartment. The stairwell was completely dark, only a dim light was on on the floor where they lived. She entered the apartment, carelessly taking off her shoes and throwing her jacket on a coat rack.

"Attis? We've been waiting for you," her mother said.

Attis entered the kitchen and looked blankly at the faces of her small family gathered around the table. Then she sat down beside them.

"I'm listening...

" "My parents would like us to start attending school here as well.

" "School...?" she echoed.

"We care very much about your education."

"Everyone from Treemere cares about that," Attis remarked.

"So do we," Arimanius joined the conversation. "There are no high-quality schools here, so you should manage on your own.

" "If that's the case, I have nothing against...

" "Seriously?" Ahriman grimaced. "I was hoping for a year-long vacation from school.

" "There would be no vacation for you."

"I know that perfectly well; we have to continue our education..." Ahriman grumbled reluctantly.

"So what do you think?

" "I don't see a problem," Attis replied dully, staring blankly into the flame of the candle on the table.

"Okay. Someone has to watch the young one..."

The

school they were about to attend was truly different from any they'd seen before. The large courtyard in front of the school building was filled with people freely smoking cigarettes and drinking beer. All the surrounding walls were adorned with conspicuous graffiti, and in some windows, no one had even bothered to replace the broken windows.

Attis stood by their father's car for a moment, staring at this "school," and wouldn't have moved from her spot for a long time if it weren't for Ahriman.

"Are you coming?

" "Didn't we get the addresses wrong, little brother?" she looked at him uncertainly. "It reminds me more of a den than a school...

" "Come on. It's nice here." At least our parents will be happy we're going to school, and they won't find out what it's really like so quickly..." He grabbed her wrist and led her into the building.

Most of the school's students eyed them with distrust, and even some crude insults were thrown their way, but they ignored them.

They easily found the principal's office, knocked, and went in. A short, plump woman with tired, dark circles sat behind a desk. Her hair, once dyed, now looked pathetic with gray roots. She looked at them from behind thick glasses.

"We're the new students," Attis said.

The woman smiled ironically. It was as if she'd heard some very funny, if tasteless, joke.

"Okay. Sit down, your parents have already been to my place, they left me all your documents... There shouldn't be any problems," she added, her voice hoarse from constant talking.

To their surprise, she did everything herself. She stamped their IDs, entered their information into the directories, and then showed them the classes they were supposed to be attending. Then, without saying goodbye, she left them in a wide, crowded hallway lined with metal lockers.

"Do you think our people are here?" she asked Ahriman quietly as they walked toward the exit.

"Possibly. Although we haven't been here long enough to say anything about it.

" "And where are you?!" a tall, broad-shouldered man with a stern expression shouted at them. "To your classes! The bell's about to ring..."

Some of those standing nearby smiled sheepishly and left despite his resistance, but Ahriman and Attis returned to their classrooms. They were in different classes, after all, Ahriman was a year older than Attis. They parted ways in the hallway, waving each other friendly hands for encouragement.

When the girl entered the classroom, everyone suddenly fell silent. Attis, trying to ignore them, moved to the other, empty desk and sat down, pulling a book from her backpack that she'd been reading for several days.

However, she could feel their curious gazes on her. Everyone was scrutinizing her leather trench coat, black clothes, and heavy, high boots with extraordinary care. She seemed completely out of place in the colorful classroom. There was almost no one in it who didn't have a piercing on their tongue, near their eyebrows, and it was a must to have several piercings in their ears. Almost everyone also had dreadlocks and a multitude of beads around their necks, even the boys.

Attis tried not to distract them with whispers, but she wasn't very successful. Suddenly, she heard footsteps. Someone leaned over her and sat down heavily in the empty chair next to her. The girl looked at him. He was tall, very tall, but no taller than Aeternitas. His blond hair partially obscured his expressive blue-gray eyes. His complexion was sunburnt. Like the others, he dressed in worn-out clothes and in the typical hippie style, apparently fashionable among the local youth. He stared at her shamelessly, not forgetting her large breasts. Attis tossed back her dark auburn hair, though her expression never changed. It was as impassive and cold as ever. Even her eyes betrayed no anxiety. The stranger stared at her for a very long time. He, too, seemed not to be joking. Suddenly, however, the teacher entered the room. She didn't look much better than the headmistress. Like her, she was tired, sleep-deprived, and resigned.

The students lazily sat down at their desks, but the boy who had joined Attis didn't move. The vampire, however, refused to be unsettled. He sat facing the teacher, ignoring the boy.

"Ahuran, aren't you going to sit in your seat?" the teacher asked reluctantly, writing something on the blackboard.

However, the boy, only a few minutes later, when the lesson, in which only Attis was listening anyway, was already underway...

After

the lessons ended, Attis peeked into her brother's classroom. But as it turned out, he had even more classes than she did, so he had to stay at school. The girl, on the other hand, decided to go home alone. As she turned, heading for the exit, she felt the gazes of her classmates leaving class, but she ignored them with silence...

Anger

at the city, empty as always, dragged her feet slowly, almost lazily. The sky filled with heavy clouds in a matter of seconds, and the first few drops of rain fell on the warm sidewalk. Within moments, it was raining so heavily that Attis was soaked to the skin. She didn't seem to feel the rain, though, even though it was often cold in the evenings at this time of year.

Suddenly, she stopped abruptly at the gate to the old courtyard. She glanced at the building's windows and realized she was in the tenement building where Aeternitas had taken up residence! She was about to enter the courtyard when, for a split second, she hesitated, feeling she shouldn't.

"Attis!" she heard a voice behind her.

She jumped in fright, not expecting a soul in this deserted neighborhood. She looked up fearfully and saw a black umbrella above her, protecting her from the pouring rain, and, to her indescribable relief, Aeternitas smiling softly at her.

"Little one, you're soaked to the skin!" He took her by the wrist and wordlessly pulled her toward the tenement building where he had taken up residence.

"I didn't mean to cause any trouble..." she moaned as they found themselves in a completely ruined and neglected stairwell.

"What trouble is there?"

She remained silent as she followed him up the steep, yet winding, wooden stairs. Outside, the rain was growing heavier, making the view gray and blurry.

"Aeternitas..." she whispered, and once again a cold shiver ran down her spine. "You know about... I wanted to ask if you know about the Blood Hunt..."

"I know," he replied dryly.

To her surprise, she detected no fear or bitterness in his voice. She glanced at him, but the man didn't turn his head.

Finally, they entered his room. Aeternitas lit some candles and looked around the room somewhat helplessly.

"You have to change," he muttered, and began searching for something in his backpack.

"But I don't want to!" she paused, then added hastily, "I'll manage."

"You've got to be kidding, little one?! It's cold, and you're telling me you don't want to change into something dry and warm? You can't lie," he pressed his shirt into her hand. "Put this on. I don't have anything better on hand, and it's better than nothing.

" "But...

" "There's no but?! You'll wait until your clothes dry and go back to yours. For now, you're safe here as far as the Blood Hunt is concerned..."

Attis frowned and briskly walked up to him, looking him in the eye defiantly.

"You think I'm afraid of that?!" she hissed with such anger that her voice trembled.

"You're beautiful..." he smiled, extending a large, cold hand to her.

The girl blushed, lowering her head so he couldn't see her face.

"I'll go out for a moment, and you can change. You can sleep on the mattress."

As he said, he waited until she had changed, then entered. He surprised Attis, however, just as she was about to hide under the warm blanket lying on the mattress. He stopped in surprise at the doorway. His shirt was long, reaching halfway down her thighs, but it was still a very arousing sight for him. Attis had very long and beautiful legs. Meanwhile, she stood before him with the blanket clutched in one hand, unsure how to react.

Aeternitas approached her and stood over her, so close that she felt his hot breath on her neck. He leaned toward her and began to gently caress her with his lips. He couldn't get enough of that feminine scent and the softness of her white skin.

Attis stood still for a moment, completely taken aback by his behavior. At that moment, his hands wrapped tightly around her hips and pressed her against him. On impulse, she threw her arms around his neck and nuzzled her nose into the place where his neck ended and his shoulders began.

Aeternitas couldn't resist, pushing her onto the mattress, but not releasing her from his tender embrace. They both lay still for a moment, gazing into each other's eyes. Attis felt his quick, uneven breath on her neck. She looked at him with feverish eyes. He, too, didn't avoid hers.

Those eyes... Those wonderfully deep eyes... He lost himself in them! He discovered his desire and his longings in them, as if Attis were a part of him. A reflection of his lust.

Her red, full, and large lips tempted him. Now, slightly parted in shallow breaths, they tantalized him even more. He gently brushed them with his lips. Attis trembled in his arms. He felt it. Her body tensed, pressing ever closer to his. As if she wanted to merge with him, to connect...

He gently captured her lips in his, in a long, passionate kiss. A new, fiery energy poured into his body—it swelled in him, stirring his blood, rushing to his head. He leaned down to her ear and breathlessly whispered her name. In response, he felt her trembling hands on his belt. She was ready...

He was about to help her unbuckle his belt when he realized what he was truly doing. He was exposing Attis to the Blood Hunt, but she wouldn't be the Hunter, only the prey! He couldn't do that to her. With the last of his willpower, he pulled away from her. Her white thighs, between which he had been lying moments before, tempted him so much that his hands tightened on her shoulders. Attis moaned in pain. Aeternitas was strong. No, he was very strong...

She looked into his eyes, her feverish, burning gaze begging him silently for help. Aeternitas lay down next to her and slowly unbuttoned her shirt with one hand, kissing her luscious, full lips. His hand roamed the girl's body, pausing at her large breasts and gently pinching her swollen nipples. Attis moaned softly, clutching the sheets with both hands. Finally, Aeternitas slowed his movements and found his way to her most sensitive spot. He took his time there, tormenting her with his delay. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, she felt his hand travel up her thigh. When he touched her, she jerked back, gasping for air.

"Easy..." he whispered, kissing her neck. "I won't hurt you..."

He guided her to the end with his hand. However, beyond the obvious pleasure and energy flowing from intercourse with Attis, because he was a Sexual Vampire, he hadn't satisfied his purely physical needs...

When

she lay sweaty and exhausted in his arms, he gently played with her hair. Dusk was already falling outside, and the initially pouring rain had now turned into a hailstorm. Attis lay very still in his arms, breathing deeply and evenly. His arousal hadn't faded. How could it have when her sweat-drenched body lay next to him?! He tried with all his might to concentrate on the enormous dose of energy he'd gained. But he couldn't fully succeed.

In London, when he did the same thing, the only difference being that in nightclubs, he had no problem staying with the heated girls who worked there. He took what he wanted and simply left, then sat somewhere private, in peace and quiet, reveling in his newly acquired energy. Yet he couldn't push her away. Quite the opposite. He longed to take her again. Not to regain her energy, however, but to see her aflame and begging, to see the desire in her eyes...

But why??? He closed his eyes, leaning his head back so he could kiss her incredibly soft hair to his heart's content. What had happened to him? He'd never felt such a need. Never! So why now this overwhelming desire to be close to her, as close as possible? Why...?!

At that moment, Attis shuddered and looked at him with eyes still clouded with lust. He smiled at her and kissed her passionately. Attis kissed him back with delight, then rested her head on his chest again.

"You're tired, aren't you?

" "Very... I've never been this tired before, but it's nothing... it was worth it... I don't regret it...

" "Did you enjoy being with me?"

She was silent for a moment. But she lifted her head to him, her hair sliding off her shoulders and pleasantly tickling his chest.

"I want more..." Her eyes narrowed. "I want you inside me..."

At her words, a violent wave of excitement coursed through his body. Attis felt the arm around her hips tighten and tighten around them. Aeternitas closed his eyes, tilting his head back.

"Don't tempt me...

" "Why?" she whispered, and her hand involuntarily slid to his belt.

She felt him holding his breath, so she slowly lowered her mouth to his chest and closed her lips around his nipple, sucking it gently. Hesitantly, he allowed her this caress, but almost immediately, he grabbed her hand, already unzipping his zipper. She looked at him, confused.

"No..." he moaned hoarsely, "We can't, Attis..."

The girl sat down beside him, flustered and flushed with his previously unfamiliar boldness. He caressed her cheek.

"We can't...

" "Did I do something wrong?" she asked contritely.

"You were wonderful, Attis! I've never felt so good with any other woman." But, Attis, we can't now...

On impulse, she snuggled against his broad chest. Aeternitas wrapped her in a blanket, then stood up, feeling that the longer he sat by her side at such a dangerous distance, the more he wanted to fulfill the girl's wish.

"I shouldn't have inflamed you, little one. I don't know what happened to me..." He sat down on his blanket spread on the floor and blew out the candle. "If you can't cope, come to me. I'll help you..."

Attis, trembling, lay down on the hard mattress. Aeternitas's piercing, sharp eyes followed her every move. She knew it. She slowly reached out to him. He closed his large, protective hand around her... They couldn't fall asleep for a very long time...

Scene V

R

Aeternitas brought her a glass filled with fresh blood. Without asking where she had gotten it, the girl took it in trembling hands and began to drink it greedily. Meanwhile, the man began dressing.

When he finished, he saw Attis sitting on the mattress, her back against the wall. Her head was tilted back, and there were still traces of blood on her lips, his blood... She sat there with her eyes closed for a very long time. He knew she was now replenishing her lost life energy; if it weren't for this, they would have long since vanished. He waited a moment until she had fully recovered.

"Better now?

" "...Was that your blood?" She opened her eyes slowly, as if waking from a long sleep

. "Yes."

Attis smiled resignedly, looking not at him, but at the opposite wall.

"I have to find that girl. It would be best if you returned to your Clan."

Attis looked at him in fear and, ignoring the fact that she was completely naked, leaned toward him with a pleading expression.

"You can't! They'll kill you! Forget about that girl! Don't look for her!

" "Attis..." he caressed her large breasts with his gaze. "I can't concentrate on what you're saying when you're so close to me, completely naked. Have mercy..."

Blushing, she quickly wrapped herself in his blanket.

"Don't look for her! I beg you..."

"I have to. I'm bound by the agreement.

" "But do you have to go back to London!? Stay here, or go to Prague. No one will find you there. Don't look for her. I'll tell the Prince of your decision, he'll call off the Hunt.

" "You know it's not that simple! The Blood Hunt continues until its cause is eliminated. You heard they're going to kill me!" He spoke so calmly, as if it weren't about him.

For the first time, Attis felt so helpless that she couldn't come to terms with it. Involuntarily, warm tears welled in her eyes, then flowed down her cheeks. Aeternitas tilted his head slightly, examining her intently, as if tears in others were something completely new and unfamiliar to him.

"Are you crying?" He leaned toward her and kissed the salty tears from her skin. "Are you crying because of me?"

"Don't do this! Don't do this!" she moaned, raising her eyes to his. "

I promise you, as soon as I complete my mission, I'll come back for you, and then we'll leave for Prague together. Okay?

" "Aeternitas..." her voice broke. She couldn't say anything anymore.

"Don't cry, little one. Don't cry.

" "And what will happen if you don't come back...? What will happen then?

" "That's why I didn't want to risk it then. I'm afraid you'll be alone later.

" "Don't do this," she repeated bitterly. "Ignore them!" I beg you!

"You know I'm an Assamite. I don't just do this for my employers. I derive pleasure from it myself. Hunting is my life, and I won't give it up even at the cost of my own existence..."

Attis

sat at school in a very bad and depressing mood. She couldn't concentrate on lessons. The teachers had also lost hope that the first person in this hopeless class would actually apply themselves. Yesterday, she'd volunteered and done really well. Today, she wasn't listening and couldn't answer even the simplest questions.

Relieved, she followed the others to the old, shabby gymnasium. There, they were changing for physical education. Attis had changed back into black, leggings and a halter top. She left the locker room with the girls and sat on a bench in the gymnasium, waiting for the teacher.

"Hey, new girl..." A girl with red hair and hazel eyes unexpectedly approached her. She had a small nose ring and pierced ears in several places.

Attis looked up at her, not quite sure what to talk about with someone like her. Her face, as usual, was gloomy, and her eyes were cold. They hadn't seen her smile, nor had she spoken to anyone. She only spoke when answering.

"Where are you from? Because you're not from around here, are you? You have a different accent..."

The vampire stared at her for a long moment, as if he hadn't heard what she was saying. The girl was about to stand up, thinking she wouldn't hear a reply, when suddenly Attis spoke for the first time in front of the class.

"Venice..." she said in a soft and gentle voice. "I'm from Venice...

" "Venice?!?!!" the surprised girls exclaimed. "Is it nice there? What city is it?! I heard it's nice!"

They shouted over each other, and for a long moment she couldn't make out the questions. Only then did they fall silent, confused, as they saw the teacher approaching them.

Without

hearing any objections, the teacher told them to play a volleyball match with the boys from their class. The girls were outraged, claiming the boys were much stronger than them and had no chance. But the boys were itching to have a laugh at the clumsy girls.

The match began, echoing with the shrieks of frightened girls fleeing from the ball flying towards them, and the boys burst into wild laughter.

Finally, it was Attis's turn, standing at the end of the court, not halfway up like her friends, waiting for their serve to sail over the net. The boys, and even the girls, looked at her in silent expectation. Even Ahuran, tired from the game, stopped arguing heatedly with his friend and positioned himself ready to repel the attack.

Attis left herself plenty of time. She bounced the ball on the ground a few times, then tossed it up, and before she even struck it with her open palm, she thought maliciously: "Now I'll show you how to play volleyball!"

Hit with incredible precision and power, the ball flew over the net at breakneck speed and hit the boys' court with a distinctive clatter.

Everyone straightened up, looking at it in admiration. The teacher also noticed the serve and glanced at Attis, who was already dribbling the next ball for service. When she was ready, she looked at the faces of the players, who couldn't take their eyes off her with unconcealed envy. The silence became uncomfortable for Attis. So she decided to act. She hit the ball with all her might, and it flew straight toward Ahuran. It was unlikely any other boy on the court would have ever returned it, but Ahuran managed it at the last second. Unfortunately, the ball was too powerful and bounced off his shoulders too quickly, hitting the ceiling.

Attis narrowed her eyes as she listened to the boys' applause and shouts for Ahuran.

"Let's see who's the last to celebrate..." she thought, hitting the ball again.

This time, the ball flew towards Ahuran again, but it brushed his shoulders and went out of bounds. Attis served the next balls so that only Ahuran could try to return them. Overall, the match ended in a draw...

Tired, she returned silently to the locker room, where the girls were already changing. When she entered, they fell silent, following her gaze to her seat on the bench, where she had begun changing. However, none of them dared to speak to her. Attis's mysteriousness and aloofness prevented them from establishing contact...

It

wasn't until three o'clock that she left school. Her hands were sore from receiving and serving balls, but satisfied with the match. Ahuran really couldn't take it anymore... she smiled maliciously to herself and suddenly bumped into her brother.

"You disappeared again!" he muttered, looking down at her.

"Were you worried?" she asked quietly.

"We didn't sense any danger, but you know perfectly well that your parents would prefer to see you home from time to time...

" "I'm sorry," she said, standing on tiptoe and kissing his cheek.

"Are you coming to see us?"

She nodded and got into the car. The car pulled out of the school parking lot and smoothly merged into traffic.

"We haven't been here long enough for you to have someone already..." he said, as if to himself.

"What do you mean?"

"You disappear without telling anyone, don't you think that's suspicious?

" "Sure. I'm not saying it isn't... But you don't suspect me of anything stupid, do you?

" "Not yet.

" "Have you heard of the Blood Hunt?

" "Sure. A friend told me.

" "Do you have any friends here?"

"Unlike you, I'm sure, little sister! You don't show up at anyone's place when we're making friends!" She sensed a reprimand directed at her in his voice.

"I'll try to change that. I'm not making any promises.

" "So what are you doing? Are you involved in the Hunt?

" "No..." she shook her head. "I don't want anything to do with this!

" "And what does that even mean? After all, the Blood Hunt is our duty.

" "I don't want to get involved..."

"I don't understand. Did something happen, Attis? I don't recognize you!" He turned onto a side street of the city center they had entered just moments ago.

"Nothing happened... I'm just hungry.

" "Aha," he nodded. "Then we'll go straight to the monastery; I need a drink too. Okay?

" "Fine. Stop right here. There's nowhere else to park." She gestured to him at a small, potholed parking lot.

Ahriman followed his sister's advice and, after parking, they both exited the car and headed for the monastery. It was still light when they climbed the wide concrete steps. Inside, as they expected, there were very few people, as everyone was usually working at this time of day, or, like them, studying.

After saying a short prayer to Lillith at the entrance, asking for her mercy and protection, they entered the basement. Here, too, there were no crowds. However, Attis saw Apophis in the corner. She approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. The boy turned sharply and looked into her gray eyes, which were almost pupil-less.

"Is that you...?" he whispered, rising.

Without a word, she followed him into the small room. There, they sat on the bed, and this time, the girl refused to speak to him. She only wanted his blood. As much as possible, to feel even better, to forget about the Blood Hunt and the mortal danger threatening Aeternitas... She gently ran her fingertips over the smooth, taut skin of his neck. Then she slid both hands into his thick hair. She felt him tremble at her touch. Greedily, she pressed her lips to his neck, lightly tracing his skin with her tongue. She waited only for him to relax a little, only then she quickly sank her teeth into him, greedily sucking on his sweet blood...

When

she sat down next to Apophis, saturated with his blood, the palpable pulse on his wrist was only very faint. She muttered something indistinctly, rising and, leaning against the wall, left the room. She passed the basement and went out to the monastery. There sat a group of girls praying fervently. Attis stepped outside and, without a second thought, entered the park surrounding the monastery. There were tall, thick grasses and spreading trees that cast gloomy shadows on the gray tombstones, which contrasted with the dark tree trunks and grass.

Suddenly, her legs gave out beneath her. She sat down in the grass, rocking unsteadily back and forth. Her eyes were clouded. Warm blood and life-giving energy were seething in her body, clouding her mind. Suddenly, someone stood over her.

"What are you doing here?" asked a blonde with long, curly hair.

"We meet again..." Attis smiled sleepily. "Sit down. It's nice here...

" "Go back to your apartment building, don't sit here like some lunatic. You could bring us trouble for nothing!

" "What trouble?" Calm down...

" "Vampire Hunters don't sleep. The Sabbat doesn't sleep, even less so.

" "I don't care. I'm not afraid of either the Sabbat or the Vampire Hunters..."

"Ha, ha! What a smart-ass. I wonder what you'd say if you found yourself in the ranks of that dreadful Clan." You know perfectly well that the Black Hand loves to kill, and to kill slowly and with indescribable brutality, prolonging the suffering of its victims.

"I've heard of that before," Attis waved her hand dismissively. "I don't care.

" "You don't even know what it is!" The stranger seemed clearly and sincerely irritated by her behavior. "You know nothing of what's going on there, and you ignore this mortal danger! You know nothing! And I was there..." she added quietly and walked away, disappearing into the darkness of the trees...

The girl's words were lost on the blood-intoxicated Attis. She sat in her seat, staring blankly at the tall, swaying grass around her. Only in the morning, when she was supposed to be leaving for school in less than two hours, did she show up at home.

"You were gone again!" Arimanius snapped at her.

"Sorry, I drank a little too much blood. My legs were giving out when I had to get up..." she replied, packing her books into her backpack.

"But the Giver is alive?

" "I think so. Anyway, when I left, he still had a pulse.

" "Attis, are you going crazy?

" "No..." she shook her head. "I just can't seem to find my way around this city...

" "You need some time. Don't worry, but Attis," Arimanius kissed her forehead and opened the apartment door, "You know you can trust us. We'll help you..."

Then he closed the door, leaving the girl alone in the dark corridor. Attis stood for a moment, watching him uncertainly.

"Y-yes..." she whispered as if to herself, "I know...

"

At school, she began to devote herself to her lessons, much to the surprise and, above all, outrage of her classmates, who weren't putting in the effort, especially not to their lessons. Attis ignored them, didn't make contact with anyone, and didn't say hello to anyone. It was more comfortable for her. She didn't have to try to hide her secret. And she also cared about it for another reason. She had always been afraid of becoming attached to such a person, and then finding it difficult to part with them. After all, she was immortal. It was quite possible that when her human friends aged, she would still look twenty....

She

lifted her head sharply and deflected the ball at the last moment, but it struck her in the chest with such force and impact that she fell over, accidentally hitting the soccer goal. She lost consciousness...

When she woke up, she was lying in a small, white room. From the unpleasant smell that filled her nostrils, she sensed she was in the school nurses' office. She groaned, slowly opening her eyes. The harsh light that streamed into the room through the wide-open window hurt her. She quickly covered her face with a pillow. Only after a moment could she pull herself together enough to sit calmly on the bed and look around.

She froze when she saw Ahuran standing by her bed. But her expression didn't change, just as it hadn't changed throughout her entire time at school, and her eyes betrayed no emotion.

"It was my fault. I was serving," he said in a low voice.

She looked at him and ran her hand over her still aching chest. Then she looked at her backpack.

"Is school over?" she whispered.

"No. I got you a leave of absence. I don't think you're capable of studying anymore." It looked ominous.

"I'm fine.

" "It's okay. I'm heading toward Chestnut Avenue, and you?"

"Me too.

" "Do you live there?"

She looked at him, picking up her backpack from the ground, and nodded. Ahuran smiled.

"What a coincidence, me too."

They left the school while class was still in session. They were silent for a long time. Attis wasn't in the mood for conversation, and for the first time in his life, Ahuran didn't know how to behave around a girl.

"Tell me," he began, "why didn't you answer that serve?"

Attis walked slowly beside him, looking carefully at her feet so as not to show him how bored she was in his company. She was silent for a moment, taking her time to answer.

"I got lost in thought and reacted too late..."

"I was relieved when you opened your eyes," he admitted as they entered Chestnut Avenue.

"Nothing will happen to me so soon."

She glanced at the building number. He lived in the second. He climbed the concrete steps.

"See you tomorrow. Take care."

That was his farewell. Attis didn't reply. She headed toward her staircase... A deafening silence reigned

in

the empty apartment. To pass the time, which she had in abundance, the girl began cleaning first, then began cooking dinner. Although she wasn't a good cook, she liked to experiment, and sometimes she came up with something.

Suddenly, she heard what sounded like the splash of water. Startled, she stopped the knife over the table and listened. The rush of water continued. She slowly left the kitchen and found herself in the hallway. That was where the sound was coming from. Suddenly, her eyes landed on a tall mirror leaning against the wall, not yet hung. The glass rippled as if made of water! Attis froze in horror as she saw a dark silhouette walking toward her inside the mirror. Attis noticed an emerald ring, gleaming red, on one of his hands. She immediately guessed that this was one of the very useful rituals that allowed vampires to move freely from place to place solely using mirrors. This ritual was called the Mirror Gate in her clan.

Suddenly, the mirror, which had become as fluid as water, rippled violently, and Aeternitas suddenly entered the apartment, holding a beautiful girl in his arms. However, he immediately collapsed to the ground. Attis noticed he was semi-conscious. She groaned, kneeling beside him. The girl, whom he had carefully placed on the ground, was heavily restrained.

"What happened?" she moaned.

"Will you come with me?" he gasped, wiping dark blood from his forehead.

She didn't hesitate for a moment.

"Are you going back to London?"

He nodded, leaning heavily against the wall. Attis ran to the kitchen, pulled a duffel bag from the closet, and stuffed it with a few bandages, medicine, food for the girl, and a special container in which, thanks to the Blood Preservation ritual, they could store large amounts of blood just in case. Attis took it, even though she knew it might be useful to someone in her family. She scribbled a hasty note to her parents telling them not to worry and that she would explain everything later. Then she threw a few more of her clothes and a blanket into the bag, and knelt, panting, beside Aeternitas.

"I'm ready. We can go..."

The man looked at her uncertainly. He reached a bloody hand to her cheek and stroked it gently. His eyes darkened with regret.

"And I so didn't want to put you in danger..." he whispered hoarsely. "But I know I can't handle this alone, and I don't know anyone in this city except you."

- Don't worry about me - she touched his hand clenched on the bloody katana - I'll go with you...

Aeternitas got up from the ground and with difficulty lifted the unconscious girl.

"Do you know this ritual?" he asked, touching the now-hard mirror with his bloody hand, which immediately began to act like water again.

"Yes..." She nodded. "I have the ring...

" "I knew you could handle it." He turned to face her shortly before submerging himself in the liquid mirror.

Attis waited a moment, then cut her finger with a knife and touched the mirror with the hand that wore the emerald ring and her blood. The water rippled again, and now she too could journey into the unknown. If she hadn't repeated the ritual, the mirror would have cut her in half.

The land beyond the mirror was extraordinary... A milky mist surrounded her everywhere. She felt eerie, unable to see the ground beneath her feet or any ceiling above her. A milky mist hung everywhere, lazily drifting in the direction she was walking.

Aeternitas was waiting for her; she joined him, and after a moment, they both set off.

"Do you know where to go?" she asked, a bit disoriented.

"Yes..." he nodded. "If I lose consciousness, you have to leave here yourself. Just think about your apartment, then you'll find your way. "

"I won't leave you here alone! " "

You don't want to die here, do you?!"

"I won't leave you here alone!" she repeated fiercely.

"I didn't think the Blood Bond ritual would bind you to me so tightly."

Attis walked silently for a moment. She didn't look at him as she whispered what she was afraid to say to his face.

"...It's not about Blood Bond..."

He seemed not to hear what she said, because he didn't finish. They walked for a long time, so long that the bag began to feel unbearably heavy on her, but she didn't want to say anything. She didn't want to be a burden, after all; she was supposed to help, not hinder! Her watch stopped, as if no time had passed. The mists, however, were still the same, so she had the terrifying feeling that they were walking in circles, or worse, in place.

Aeternitas said nothing. The journey was a real ordeal for him. Attis didn't know exactly where he was wounded, but she had no doubt that the wounds were very serious. She had an irresistible urge to stop him and bandage his wounds, but she knew he wasn't thinking about himself or her right now. His only thought was to deliver the girl to his employer at all costs...

Scene VI

S

They grieved for a long time, through this strange land of mists and utter, terrifying, and deafening silence, because even their footsteps seemed muffled by the mists that writhed between their legs. This silence was terrible, surrounding her and filling her. Attis was terrified of it. She wanted to scream, just to break the silence, even for a moment. But at the same time, she was ashamed, and she held it back with all her might. She couldn't do that to an already exhausted man...

Only when Aeternitas felt truly exhausted did he stop and look around at the milky mist that surrounded them.

"I don't sense any mirrors nearby," Attis said.

"But there's a lake...

" "Do we have to?

" "I'm terribly tired. I'm afraid I won't be able to hold on much longer."

In

an instant, the previously hard ground beneath them became soft, and they both slid violently into the water. Attis groaned as she felt the water envelop her on all sides, but at the same time, she was terrified to see Aeternitas, who had to take care of the girl himself and then swim to the surface.

By

some miracle, they managed it. They crawled onto the grassy, ​​muddy bank. Attis panted for a moment, exhausted beyond endurance, but Aeternitas was in much worse shape. She looked around. They were in a dark forest. The night was still, but the wind rustled through the branches of the ancient trees. On all fours, she approached him. He lay on the ground, facing the sky. He was pale, terribly pale, and utterly exhausted. Dark blood was dripping from his forehead. The girl he had tied up was just coming to. Attis wanted to do something, to help him, but she was so exhausted that she fell asleep instantly.

She

woke up to warmth on her face. She knew it was the sun. She groaned furiously and rose, kneeling on one knee. Aeternitas was still asleep, but the girl he had been carrying the entire time was awake and staring at her with large, frightened eyes. Attis sat down beside her and pulled the handkerchief from her mouth, preventing her from screaming.

"Try screaming at me," she hissed menacingly above her, "and you'll regret it..."

The woman nodded uncertainly, shivering from the cold. Attis helped her sit up, as she lay facedown in the mud. Then she looked around. The trees were enormous, with sprawling, enormous roots that climbed above the ground, creating strange tunnels. Some were so large a car could easily pass beneath them.

Attis dragged Aeternitas to the shade and quickly lit a fire beside it, using the Power of the Invisible Flame. Then she led the girl to the fire.

The vampire knelt beside Aeternitas and began carefully unbuttoning his black trench coat, then his shirt, and then he saw dark, sticky blood. She couldn't help herself at the sight of it, didn't want to, but her hands began to tremble so much, and her body leaned in toward it, that she finally began to lick the blood from his skin. At that moment, the girl let out a groan of horror, recoiled violently, despite the considerable distance separating them, and suddenly lost consciousness again...

It was a cut. Quite deep, but not life-threatening. She washed it with fresh pond water and then carefully bandaged it. Then she turned to his head, and when she was finished, she covered his almost naked body with a warm blanket she had thoughtfully brought with her. Fortunately, though her bag was waterproof, its contents remained dry. She hung her things on the roots protruding high above her head, then woke the girl with a sharp slap on the cheek.

"What's your name?" she asked, untying her hands.

The girl hesitated before answering. She knew there were certain rituals that could only be performed by knowing the victim's name.

"Anansi..." she finally whispered, her voice breaking with fear.

"For someone so powerful, you're very fearful," she observed, examining her closely. She was truly beautiful, her eyes large and steel-colored. Her complexion was chalk-white. Her hands were long and delicate. Her hair was black as night and long, reaching down to her ankles. Attis had to admit that more than one person would have wanted her...

She turned her head away from her when she didn't respond and sat down next to Aeternitas. Unfortunately, he hadn't regained consciousness yet, and she only guessed why. Perhaps it was the lack of blood loss? Had he been drinking for so long?

She grabbed the container of blood in which they stored their life-giving potion, but stopped at the last moment. If she opened it now, the blood would spoil quickly, and she wasn't hungry yet. Perhaps it would be better to wait, but now...? Now...

Without thinking, she pulled a heavy knife from a special compartment in her high, heavy boot. She looked with distaste at Anansi, trembling in some dark corner, and called her over. The girl was so terrified that she couldn't stand on her trembling legs. Only when Attis shouted at her impatiently did fear help her reach them.

"You will hold his head so that his mouth is slightly open," she said, looking commandingly into her eyes.

Anansi took Aeternitas's head in both hands and placed it on her lap so that his mouth was slightly open. Then Attis raised her wrist above it and, with a single swift cut, slashed her arm. Anansi flinched, startled by what the girl was doing. She stared blankly at the bright blood flowing directly into the man's mouth.

"Drink..." the girl whispered in a calm, yet commanding tone. "Drink... it's blood..."

Aeternitas must have heard her, because he slowly and painfully began to swallow the purple liquid. When, after a few minutes, Attis felt as if he'd had enough and wanted to pull her wrist away from his mouth, Aeternitas, to her surprise, violently held her hand. Attis didn't resist. She knew she needed this blood and that it would restore his full strength...

Several hours passed, and dawn was beginning to dawn when Aeternitas finally sat down on his bed. Attis dozed curled up next to him, while Anansi was still unconscious, huddled among the large roots...

The

man sighed heavily. He covered Attis with a blanket and began dressing in his dry clothes, which he had draped near the fire on the roots jutting high into the sky. He sensed no danger, so he took his time and after a while sat down by the fire again, for the morning was chilly. The air was heavy and settled in a sticky cloud on his face. He warmed his numb hands over the flames. He stared at them dully and unseeingly. And in his mouth he could still taste the sweet, energetic blood...

He involuntarily glanced at the sleeping girl. She was tired, he could see it in her. She seemed to be dozing, but in reality she needed sleep. Her complexion had taken on an unhealthy, bluish color, and her hair, spilling over her shoulders, was wet and stained with dirt.

Something gripped his heart as he looked at her. But why? He never cared about such things! He never cared about others! So why now? Why was he thinking of her in such a tender and caring way...?

The sun was already at its zenith when the kidnapped girl started and, with eyes huge with fear, looked at Aeternitas, who was sitting by the fire, poking at it with a long stick.

"Have you had enough sleep yet?" he asked her reluctantly.

Anansi nodded slowly and uncertainly. Aeternitas looked at her for a moment with his piercing, evil eyes, and then stood up. He did so abruptly that Anansi squealed in warning, backing away sharply. Aeternitas snorted something indistinct under his breath, then knelt on one knee beside Attis.

He gently stroked her cold, wet cheek. The girl immediately started, her eyes wide with fear.

"It's me..." he whispered above her.

Attis breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled at him, trying to reassure him, but unable to hide her exhaustion.

"We have to go..."

"All right," she rose, though her legs were practically buckling under her. Anansi rose too. Aeternitas packed a blanket into Attis's bag, and the three of them set off through the dark, mist-shrouded forest. Huge branches surrounded them on all sides, but there was no undergrowth at all. The treetops were too thick, stretching over them like a protective canopy.

"We're not in England yet..." Aeternitas said. "But now it's quite a trip, compared to yesterday.

" "Good. I'm glad..."

Anansi looked fearfully from her to him. She was afraid, it was visible in her enormous, steely eyes. Attis, as one of the Treemeres, sincerely despised all those who weren't strong, didn't fight, and showed their fear to others. The same was true for Anansi, for if the Prince was right, she must have possessed immense power. So why is she so timid and fearful? She could probably crush them without a problem, but she's doing nothing...

At one point, Anansi stopped abruptly. A quiet, warning cry escaped her throat. Attis and Aeternitas looked at her, stopping.

"He's afraid of something..." Attis said reluctantly.

Aeternitas walked a few steps forward, slowly closing his eyes and lifting his head. The girls knew immediately what he was doing. He was sniffing... Attis sensed strange vibrations in the air. They were starting to worry her.

"Aeternitas..." she whispered in a choked voice. "Can you feel it?

" "We've invaded the Sabbat Domain!

" "Ahhh..." they heard Anansi's terrified moan.

"Aeternitas..." her voice caught in her throat.

She screamed again briefly before several black-robed Vampires surrounded them and closed them in a circle. She knew immediately who they were. She had no doubt that these were Antitribu, or traitors to the Camarilla; that meant nothing good... Attis had never been so afraid in her life. Now, seeing the terrifyingly pale and emaciated faces of the Sabbat, it seemed as if all she saw were their eyes burning in the morning darkness. Her hands trembled, and she stared wide-eyed at the enemies surrounding them...

Suddenly, she heard the soft whisper of Aeternitas, who, with his eyes closed and Anansi in his arms before him, was uttering some unfamiliar spell. After a moment, she understood what he wanted to do. However, she wasn't sure if the ritual, called the Fireblood Ritual, could affect more than one person.

The results weren't long in coming. One of the Vampires began to scream heartbreakingly as his body began to heat up dangerously quickly. This was particularly true of his blood. In such a case, it would be best not to move at all, as any movement, even the slightest, causes excruciating pain to the injured person. Ultimately, such a ritual always leads to death.

Aeternitas cast a knowing glance at Attis, urging her to escape with him and Anansi to the pond, where they could cover the rest of the way via the Mirror Gate. At first, she wanted to accompany him, but as soon as she noticed that he had somehow managed to bypass the others, cleverly exploiting the gap that had opened in the circle around them, she stopped and fell limply to her knees.

"Attis!" he shouted, standing at the pond's edge, ready to jump in. "Attis!

" But the girl didn't raise her head.

"...forgive me..." she whispered softly, her voice catching in her throat. "...I have to do this..."

With a hand trembling with fear, she planted a small acorn seed and quickly covered it with earth so that the other Vampires wouldn't notice. It was a ritual that caused plants, under the influence of the Vampire's supernatural powers, to partially come to life and defend him. But Attis wanted to protect Aeternitas and Anansi. She closed her eyes tightly, concentrating on the ritual.

Then, suddenly, large roots protruding from the ground rose even higher like gigantic snakes and snared the Vampires in their tentacles, who then rushed after Aeternitas.

"Attis!" Aeternitas shouted one last time before jumping into the water with the girl, and then she felt a violent tug from behind.

She turned her head and looked at a tall, thin man with white skin and large eyes that seemed to burn with some otherworldly, distant, yet hellish light...

She was brutally shoved into a car with darkened windows. There she lay, bound and gagged, her arms aching. Tears streamed from her eyes involuntarily. She tried her best not to show how terrified she was of that accursed clan, but her fear was greater than her pride...

She

woke up to someone tugging painfully at her arm. She opened her reddened eyes and, with difficulty and trembling legs, stood up. Someone was leading her to a large villa on the edge of the forest. There were many dogs barking fiercely at them as they walked through the long yard, heading toward the ivy-covered veranda. A man in black already stood there, a woman standing arm in arm at his side, smiling at the terrified Attis with a devilish, unsettling smile...

The

interior was dim. Tall candlesticks with burning candles stood here and there along the nearly bare walls. In addition, in the largest room stood a large horseshoe-shaped sofa surrounding a glass table. Attis was led in and forced brutally to her knees. The confused girl, clearly feeling the lack of fresh blood and even more exhausted by the fight with Antitribu, looked at the man standing over her.

He was tall, slim, with pale blue skin, and hair as black as night that fell freely to his shoulders. His large, dark eyes seemed to burn in the darkness of the house. The woman who accompanied him to the terrace wore a short red dress with a low neckline. Her curly, red hair spilled over the cushions on the sofa. She picked up a large glass filled with the red liquid. Attis's nostrils filled with that sweet, wonderful scent that only blood could possess... She felt her thirst grow. Her head was spinning, and only a few tears were now streaming down her cheeks.

The man stared at her for a moment, as if she were a commodity he was about to purchase. Only then did he grasp her chin and tilt it upward, not very gently. For a moment, her eyes were tightly closed, but then she opened them, and he didn't see what he expected. Once again, only coldness and dryness filled her eyes. There was no fear in them...! This turn of events clearly irritated him greatly. Disheartened, he released her chin and knelt beside her.

"How could such a wonderful creature find herself in our Domain?" he asked, bringing his face closer to hers, so that she could feel his cold breath on her face.

She didn't answer; she lowered her head to her chest, kneeling before him, but she had no intention of speaking. The man looked at her for a moment, then smiled to himself; he had guessed she would react this way.

"You managed to save him," he added. "But not for long. As long as we have you, he won't go far..."

Attis looked up at him. He realized she was sure he was wrong.

"Oh no, kitten," he murmured, lifting his lips so that she saw his long, snow-white fangs. "You are bound by Blood Bonds. He won't simply leave you in our hands...

" "Ahuran!" Hey, Ahuran! Asase, his friend since elementary school, tugged at his arm. "What's wrong with you? Are you coming?"

Ahuran looked at him uncertainly, as if waking up from some strange dream. They were in class. Recess had just started, and everyone had gotten up to go to another class, and only he was still sitting in his seat.

"What's wrong?" Asase looked at him uncertainly, leaning over him.

Ahuran looked back at the desk where Attis had been sitting.

"What do you think..." he began quietly. "Why didn't she come?

" "Who?" he followed his gaze. "New girl? I don't know, maybe she ran away..."

"She wouldn't do that," he replied, not taking his eyes off the desk. "Something bad must have happened.

" "But..."

Asase watched his friend jump up from his desk and briskly walk outside. A moment later, he was on the street, hailed a taxi, and hopped in, hastily giving the girl's address.

He stood for a moment before he dared knock. A tall, beautiful woman with very long, black hair opened the door. He would sooner have said she was her sister than her mother. Her face relaxed at the sight of him, though he couldn't read anything in her eyes, just like Attis's!

"I'm sorry..." he groaned, embarrassed. "But Attis wasn't at school today, and I thought I'd bring her lessons..."

It was a blatant lie, as he'd never taken notes in class before in his life, and he only had a few books in his backpack, but it was the only reason that made sense to him when visiting her house.

"Do you go to class with Attis..." she asked, opening the door for him.

Ahuran hesitated a split second before entering. There was something strange about the place. He couldn't see any ceiling lights, but candles were scattered everywhere on the shelves and tables. They were also tucked into tall, exquisitely crafted candlesticks. Everything he saw seemed so old to him... As if he had been transported back in time, to some entirely different country...

"Y-yes..." He nodded, looking uncertainly around the large guest room, where a wide, comfortable sofa stood beneath a wide, high window carefully covered with dark curtains. He sat down on it, still looking uncertainly around the apartment.

Suddenly, he shuddered. For only when a tall boy turned his head towards him did he see Brother Attis. He was incredibly handsome. He had never seen such a boy before. And even he, the one all the girls in the class were crazy about, had to admit to himself that he didn't reach his heels. For every movement of Ahriman was fluid and incredibly soft, as if he were looking at a cat! They looked at each other for a moment, and then Ahriman left the room without saying a word to him. Ahuran watched him to the door. Less than a moment later, he was alone in the room with its high brick walls and polished wooden parquet floor.

"It's nice..." Aitvaras, Attis's mother, began, "that you're worried about my daughter..."

"Is something wrong?" He watched as the woman placed a glass of juice on the table in front of him.

"No," she shook her head. "She'll go back to school, but I don't know when yet.

" "I was relieved when you said that. Attis isn't a very talkative girl, and I thought she was struggling in class."

Aitvaras was silent for a moment, staring at the juice sitting on the wooden table in front of the boy. Then she nodded.

"She's always been like this. I don't think she'll change. Just like no one in our family will... That's how we raised her.

" "Why? Maybe she's suffering now?! Wouldn't it be better if she could go shopping with her friends and have a little fun...? That's what all girls do...!"

Attis's mother looked at him for a moment, smiling calmly to herself.

"For some, loneliness is destined, and no matter what we do, and no matter what she does, she will always be alone. Loneliness is her only companion..."

Attis lay in the corner of a basement, shivering, surrounded by dampness and a terrible cold. She couldn't stop her muscles from trembling. Hunger tormented her more and more. The entire basement swirled before her eyes. Her heart was pounding mercilessly, but she couldn't calm down... With a desperate scream, she rushed to the door and began pounding on it with her fists. She felt no pain as the splinters pressed into her tightly clenched fists. She screamed until she lost control again and slumped limply onto the concrete steps leading to the exit. Tears streamed from her eyes. A moan of pain rose from her throat as Attis felt as if something were tearing her insides apart...

Suddenly,

the door swung open, letting in the dim light of a candle. Attis narrowed her tearful eyes, for even the faint light of the candle was painful. She sat motionless on the ground. A man with a white, typhoid face, more like a mask than a face, pulled her painfully upwards and pushed her out. Attis staggered against the wall, feeling her legs give out beneath her. She slowly walked through a dark corridor with stark walls, pushed repeatedly by the Vampire who was escorting her. Finally, she stopped in a dark room, the body of a girl hanging on one wall. She was a Sabbat Vampire, she knew that from her aura. Her heart began to pound even harder in her chest. She struggled to push aside the thought that she could be his potential victim.

She turned her head sharply toward the man, who was clearly the Prince. He stood beside her like some great, black shadow.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, smiling ironically at her.

Attis glanced at the unconscious girl and swallowed hard, clenching her trembling hands into fists. She didn't answer him.

"You're our guest. I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable here, so I brought you the girl; she's yours." He gestured to the unconscious Vampire, hanging by both arms on the wall.

Attis stood before him, her head bowed low. Her shoulders rose rapidly, then fell again. But she didn't move for a moment.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" "The Prince asked. "But her blood is yours... You can drink it, all of it... you hear... all of it...

" "So it's like this..." she thought desperately, feeling her dark side rebelling more and more. "So not only do you want to bind me to you with the Bond of Blood, but you also want to force me into Diabolism!?"

She looked at him again. He saw determination in her eyes.

"If that's so..." he shrugged demonstratively. "You'll be begging us to give it to you. You'll see...

" "Attis is a very proud person," Aitvaras continued. "She won't let anyone get in her way. She always did what she truly wanted. Even we couldn't talk her out of certain things. But we are proud of her.

" "Aren't you afraid that one day she'll do something that could harm her, precisely because of her pride?" Ahuran asked uncertainly.

Aitvaras looked at him.

"No... I completely trust her... She knows what to do..."

Scene VII

Meanwhile, Attis sat in the corner of the damp cellar, her legs drawn up under her and her knees wrapped in her arms, sobbing silently. She felt terribly cold, not only from the chill in the room, but also from the lack of blood. Blood always warmed vampires' bodies, which were usually very cold. And now, deprived of the life-giving fluid, her body stiffened and convulsed with every nerve and muscle, demanding warm blood. Over time, the pain became increasingly unbearable. Attis moaned quietly, clenching her fists so hard that her nails pierced her skin.

Suddenly, she heard a strange sound. She slowly opened her eyes and looked into the dark corner of the basement. Of course, as a vampire, she had no trouble orienting herself in the dark, so now she was staring directly into the large eyes of a large rat, sniffing and looking in her direction.

Attis's heart raced. Her muscles tensed even more. Instinctively, she forced her aching body and senses to hunt for prey. In a split second, she lunged at him and grabbed his neck, preventing him from biting her.

The violent effort she had to make in her desperate state left her panting, kneeling beside her victim, clutching it tightly in her trembling hand. She was breathing loudly, hoarsely. Her chest heaved in painful spasms.

"No..." she thought fearfully. "No... I can't... I can't... I can't..."

But her other hand, against her will, closed around the struggling rat's head, and then, gripping it tightly, twisted it, ripping its head off. Warm blood flowed onto her hand. She could smell it, invading her nostrils. A

terrible cry of despair escaped Attis's throat as she lifted the rat's dead body to eye level. "So much glorious blood! So much blood wasted because she had waited! And then, that unique drive, the drive of self-preservation, forced her to drink blood greedily...

"

Exhausted and mentally shattered, she threw the rat's body away from her. She curled up, rubbing her trembling arms with her hands. She couldn't believe she'd done it. But now she felt much better. The pain immediately subsided. Her head was buzzing, and she slowly lay on her back, allowing the warm blood to seep into every nook and cranny of her body. She lay there for a long time, closing and opening her eyes, turning her head frantically left and right, as if defending herself against some invisible enemy.

Aeternitas stood for a long time in the strange, misty space that was part of the Mirror Gate, the ritual that had saved him and Anansi. What was he to do now, now that Attis had been imprisoned by the Sabbat? Go back, or perhaps stay and return to London with Anansi...?

He looked at the girl kneeling at his feet. She was terrified, trembling. This irritated him, and in frustration he grabbed her arm and yanked her painfully.

"If you possess such great power, then do something to save her!" he hissed furiously, bringing his face close to hers. "Do something to save her!"

But Anansi only widened her terrified eyes and couldn't utter a word, even though her lips were moving as if she were about to answer him. The devastated man pushed her away with such force that the girl fell to the ground again, sobbing silently.

"And what was the point of all this? Just for her? Just for her...?!?" He clenched both hands into fists. "What now...?"

And

Hurran returned to his stairwell in a gloomy mood. Attis's mother was, admittedly, very kind, but she said such strange things that he couldn't connect them.

"We're afraid of each other...?

What did this have to do with Attis, what was she trying to tell him?! He looked up at the sky, star-studded with millions of stars. The blood-red disk of the enormous moon illuminated the dark branches of the trees, swaying lazily in the ever-increasing wind. The first rain clouds were gathering on the horizon.

Suddenly, someone stood beside him. He turned abruptly and saw a girl with curly blond hair beside him. Her eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. He smiled shyly at her.

"Do you know anything about Attis?" the girl asked in a low voice.

The boy blinked as if he didn't understand what she was asking. The white-skinned vampire repeated the question quietly.

"...Do you know anything about Attis..."

And

Attis didn't know how long she had been held captive by the Sabbat in the dark and cold basement. She knew, however, that the blood she had drunk from the rat was beginning to wear off when the door suddenly opened. Attis groaned, covering her eyes with her hands. Only after a moment did she feel small hands on her shoulders.

She looked at the girl with curly blond hair. Her breath caught in her chest. She gasped, pulling away from her.

"Don't be afraid, Attis," she said. "I came to help you... Aeternitas is already waiting downstairs...

" Attis squeezed into her corner, shaking her head.

"Leave me... leave me..." she moaned. "I'm not going anywhere... Leave me...

" "Attis..." the girl tilted her head uncertainly, looking at her with concern. "I'll help you. Come with me.

" "No, no, no... I won't drink her blood... I won't drink her blood..." she moaned, rocking back and forth. "Leave me... I won't drink her blood...

" "Attis..." the shocked blonde repeated. "We don't have time, I want to help you. Don't you remember me!? We've met before!"

Attis raised her eyes hesitantly, glazed over, as if looking into the eyes of a doll. Terrified, she tugged firmly on her arm. Attis rose, her head hanging low. She saw her hands, scratched raw.

"Attis..." she moaned, pulling her outside. "Come with me... Aeternitas is waiting... come..."

They emerged unnoticed from the villa, where a man was already waiting. He was dressed in a black cloak with the hood pulled tightly over his face. When he saw the semi-conscious Attis, he ran to her and wrapped it around her, enveloping her in his arms.

The girl was breathing raggedly, exhausted from running. She was exposing herself to great danger; if her betrayal were discovered, there would be no safe place for her in the world. Aeternitas looked into her eyes. Sabbat would pursue her until she died a brutal and painful death. Her hands were trembling, betraying her tension.

"Thank you..." he whispered, feeling how terribly cold and stiff Attis's body was. "Thank you for leading her out..."

"Run now. There..." she pointed to the park nearby. "...there's a pond, if you get there, you'll manage to escape...

" "And you? What's wrong with you?"

He didn't hear the answer, because suddenly the furious barking of dogs was heard. Aeternitas looked in that direction and saw the Antitribu running towards them with terror! The blonde looked at him hurriedly.

"Run! Run, quickly!"

He was about to start running when he saw that she wasn't following them at all.

"What's wrong with you...? What's wrong with you!?" he groaned.

The vampire stood for a moment, looking at him with his large, shining eyes. Then he smiled sadly at him.

"This will be the first and last thing in my life I've done right... goodbye..." she whispered before the large dogs tackled her to the ground.

All he heard was her soft, broken scream, and then he ran. He knew only the Sabbat were chasing him now. He quickly drew his large knife and slashed his wrist with it. Blood gushed from his veins. He closed his eyes, standing at the edge of the lake. He heard the furious voices of the Antitrib behind him. For a split second, he had to concentrate, just for a split second! He held his hand out over the water, allowing the blood to mingle with it. And when it turned a strange color and rippled unnaturally, he jumped in with it. Only one of the Antitrib plunged after them into the depths, almost certain he would make it, but as soon as he was halfway submerged, his body was cut in half...

Aeternitas crouched on one knee in the misty land. He felt exhausted from running. But it was Attis who was in trouble, not him. He wrapped his cloak around her even tighter and rose from his knees.

"Wait a little longer..." he whispered in her ear. "Just a little longer..."

And

Nansi sat in a nearly empty room, empty except for a hard, uncomfortable bed and a table with a hard chair beside it. There was also a mirror in the room, through which a man walked, carrying Attis on his shoulders. Anansi jumped up from her chair and ran to him, looking at the unconscious girl. The vampire laid her carefully on the bed, feeling fear and despair growing within him. He covered Attis with a blanket and sat down heavily in a chair beside the bed. With a sharp knife he had taken from the table, he slashed his wrist and pressed it to the girl's mouth. But to his horror, Attis refused to drink.

"Drink, Attis... drink..." he whispered in her ear, pressing his hand to hers.

"No..." Attis whispered, trying to push his wrist away with trembling hands. "...no..."

"Attis, it's me, Aeternitas... I beg you... you must drink... Attis!" His voice broke.

He gently stroked her hair, but when she still didn't respond, he began to lose hope. He slowly placed his heated forehead against her cheek.

"Attis... my little Attis..." he moaned in despair.

At the sound of his voice, her eyes snapped open, but the sight terrified him even more. They were eyes full of madness and fear. He saw despair and an insatiable thirst for blood in them... She seemed to be looking at him, but not recognizing him...

"Attis!" he whispered hoarsely.

She didn't answer him. Anansi sat at the foot of the bed, watching them with horror. She felt the girl's body scream for blood, but she also knew Attis wouldn't drink because he thought he was still in Sabbat's hands.

"So what am I supposed to do?" he groaned softly when she told him.

"You must... you must prove to her that it is you, sir..." Anan-si whispered in a quiet, breaking voice. "She must feel that it is you, sir..."

Aeternitas looked at her with horror, then shifted his gaze to Attis, who was feverish and convulsing under his touch. After a moment, he leaned toward her and brought his lips close to her ear.

"Attis... Do you remember that rainy night when you came to me...? Do you remember how together in my room I allowed myself to be carried away by the desire I felt for you... Do you remember how I whispered in your ear how much I wanted you and that you would be mine forever? Because I still can't forget... I still think about you... and I remember your request, and if only it would be better for you, I will fulfill your wish, Attis... You just have to drink my blood... then it will be bet-ter for you..." He squeezed his eyes shut, leaning even closer to her, then whispered those two most beautiful words in the world, "I love you..."

Then the girl shuddered. She stopped struggling and looked uncertainly at the man. Her eyes lit up for a brief moment as she regained her composure.

"A... Aeternitas..." she whispered softly.

He grabbed her in his large arms and pressed her tightly against him, wanting to warm her with his body.

"Drink, my love..." He moved his head so she could bite into his neck. "Drink...

" "Aeternitas..." she repeated before wrapping her arms around his stomach with the last of her strength and sinking her teeth into his skin...

Episode VIII

When

she woke up, she was lying in a warm bed, nestled in Aeternitas's arms. The vampire was sleeping peacefully beside her, but she could feel the cold of his body and his very faint aura beneath her fingertips. For a long time, she lay still beside him, unable to react. The memories returned very slowly, and with each passing moment they grew worse, until finally she jumped out of bed and stood in the middle of the room, clutching her head. She was trembling with terror and despair.

"Attis..." the man moaned softly, sitting up in bed. "My Attis... you're okay..."

He smiled sleepily, but she saw the depths of darkness in his eyes. He was approaching the dangerous edge, where he could meet his beast.

"Do you need blood..." she moved toward the door. "Wait here for me...

"

After a dozen or so minutes, she pushed a small child inside. It screamed desperately and fearfully, but neither Attis nor Aeternitas paid the slightest attention. The man caught up with the child and quickly dug into its neck. The girl desperately flailed her arms, trying to free herself from him, but Aeternitas was too strong. Soon, the girl's tiny body slumped limply to the floor. Attis sat on the bed, staring at the man with a strange fondness. In her eyes, the murder he was committing wasn't at all evil, but merely a means to an end, to eternal life. Aeternitas sat on the ground for a moment, intoxicated by the blood, then sat down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. They were silent for a long time, reveling in their closeness and the energy they had gained from drinking fresh blood. It was a captivating, distant, and almost indescribable feeling...

"We're already in London..." Aeternitas finally said. We'll be leaving for Prague soon... just like you wanted...

- Where is Anansi?

- She's in the monastery. She's waiting for the Inner Circle to arrive...

- So your mission is over?

- Not quite yet. Now the most important part awaits me...

to be continued (someday)