Chapter 57: Connection & Sensation

A week had passed, and I had grown accustomed to the presence of an angel living under the same roof as me.

Like a delicate porcelain vase, her existence demanded careful attention from the entire family excluding Rubi.

Yet, as time went on, I realized that Eloise indeed possessed the same innocence and simplicity of a regular child.

She never saw herself as an angel, being above mankind, unaware of her celestial nature. Instead, she embodied the genuine qualities of an angel while seeing herself as everyone else around her — a human.

Under Rubi's influence, she slowly began to affectionately refer to Cyro and me as "Brother," while addressing my parents as "Mother" and "Father," respectively.

I felt comfortable around her. Perhaps this was due to the fact that I never had to worry about any of her ulterior motives which made it easier for me to embrace her as a little sister.

'Only to a limit extent though,' I reminded myself as I carried her asleep body to the bed she now shared with Rubi.

"What's this?" I mumbled to myself as Diana rose from my lap, delicately using a handkerchief to wipe drool and blood from her mouth.

It was our usual routine, me providing her with the first dose of blood for the day.

But something strange suddenly gripped me the moment her fangs pulled themselves out of my flesh.

Diana turned around, having also felt that strange sensation, and pressed her hand against her chest.

'Is it today?' I pondered. My mind had been so preoccupied with training and our new family member that the countdown timer, a reminder of an incoming event, had slipped my mind.

While I had prepared for this day since I knew it was inevitable with the rate that she was drinking my blood, Diana, unaware of the side effects, appeared bewildered.

"Why... why can I... feel your emotions?" she inquired, confusion etched across her face.

"It's a side effect of consuming the same person's blood a hundred times," I explained. "A vampiric feature."

"Can you also... feel me?" she asked, her cheeks flushing crimson. The realization that her emotions were open to someone else seemed embarrassing.

I nodded, confirming her suspicion. A tinge of amusement played on my lips. "I can indeed."

"How do you know this?" she asked me, confused by my knowledge. "None of the textbooks mentioned this. No articles. No ancient texts. I've read them all. How?"

None of them mention this fact because most of the victims were sucked dry or turned into a vampire before the drinking sessions between the two parties could reach a hundred.

But that's not what I told her.

I just smiled and said, "I just do."

She rolled her eyes, realizing that I wouldn't reveal the complete truth to her. As she stared at me intently, lost in thought, she began to approach me with measured steps.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, concerned by her distant gaze.

"There's... it feels like there's something else within you," she stated.

"What?" I questioned, perplexed. This detail had never been mentioned in the novel.

"I... I don't know. It's like hidden behind all the emotions inside of you. It feels..."

"It feels?"

"...it feels eerie," she said, nervously gulping.

Drawing nearer, she practically stood inches away from my chest. My confusion grew as I peered down at her.

"Diana?" I called her name, but she was unresponsive. I called her name a few more times and she remained unresponsive.

Perplexed and unsure of what to do, I eventually grabbed her shoulder and nudged her away.

"Diana, what are—"

My sentence was cut short as I observed her state of complete detachment. It seemed as though she was lost in a world of her own, devoid of awareness, clearly having been caught in a trance of some sort.

Her unblinking eyes and dilated pupils indicated her detachment from the present moment.

"What is happening?" I muttered, gazing at the sky, hoping for some divine guidance. Yet, the shitty deity offered no response, leaving me to decipher the puzzle on my own.

Or perhaps, even the deity himself remained ignorant of the situation.

'That's likely the case.'

Carefully, I seated her on the toilet lid, her body compliant. Though her physical body seemed intact and working as if she was awake, her mind appeared disconnected from her vessel.

I scratched my head, reaching for my phone to inform Quentin of the delay caused by an emergency.

He responded me that it was acceptable to arrive late before warning me that he would intensify the training to compensate for lost time.

After waiting for five minutes, I called out her name, "Diana," hoping she would snap out of her trance.

Finally, her eyes flickered.

"What the—"

Her body weakened, collapsing toward the ground. I swiftly caught her, peering down at her face as she appeared to be sound asleep.

Since I sensed her vitality was fine, I didn't freak about this collapse but I was confused. I couldn't fathom what she had glimpsed within me, leading to such a reaction.

Retrieving her phone from her pocket, I unlocked it using her fingerprint. Promising myself not to intrude on her privacy, I limited myself to her text messages, specifically observing her conversation with her mother.

Mirroring her language and style, I informed her mother that Diana would be late returning home, as she was catching up with a friend.

Asking if the friend was a boy, her mother sought further clarification, clearly concerned about how her daughter was hanging out with.

The exchange continued through a few more messages until her mother seemed satisfied.

An hour later, Diana finally woke up. Because I didn't want to remain in the bathroom any longer, I brought her over to one of my nearby apartments.

As she lay on the bed, I positioned myself on the couch, patiently awaiting her awakening.

"Where am I?" she asks, surveying the room upon regaining consciousness.

"We're at one of my properties," I replied.

Her brows furrowed as confusion clouded her face. "Why am I here?" She quickly grabbed the blanket she was resting on and covered her body.

'Does she think I attacked her again?'

"Do you not recall? You saw something remember? You said that there was something beyond my emotions that hid within me. When you leaned in to investigate, you... well, I can't even describe it. You were in a trance," I reminded her.

"Yes, that's right," she murmured, recollecting the events.

She gazed at me once more, leaning her head forward. Suddenly, she recoiled, spun her head around, and gagged, as if on the verge of vomiting.

"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned for her well-being.

She nodded weakly. "I'm fine."

"So... what did you see?" I probed.

"I don't know how to explain it. When I tried to look at it again, it's like staring into an abyss, utterly empty," she responded, struggling to articulate what she had gazed into.

"Really? Hmm... perhaps it's best not to look into it again, considering the terrible effects it had on you," I suggested.

She agreed, nodding in accord.

"What about me? Do you see anything beyond my emotions?" she inquired, worried that it was in her as well.

Shaking my head, I gave her reassurance that she was fine. "Aside from being aware of your location, your emotions, and when you're in danger... nothing else."

"Wait what? Is that another feature of this... connection we now share? Knowing when the other person is in danger?" she questioned.

I nodded to confirm the question.

Curiosity gleamed in her eyes, hinting at her wanting to ask me more questions about how I knew all of this unknown information. However, she refrained from voicing them, well aware that my answers would remain unavailable.

"How long was I asleep?" she inquired, reaching for her phone, which I had left on the countertop.

"About an hour. Don't worry, I texted your mother, informing her that you were catching up with a friend and that you would be a little late," I assured her.

"You did what?" she exclaimed in panic, swiftly unlocking her phone to check the messages I had sent to her mother.

"Didn't you mention before that your parents wish to know your whereabouts at all times so that they no longer have to worry about your safety?" I questioned innocently. "Don't worry, I didn't intrude further on your privacy. I merely observed a few of your messages with your mother and tried my best to mimic your style, so there would be no cause for suspicion."

She seemed on the verge of scolding me, but after scrolling through her text messages with her mother, likely ensuring I hadn't discovered anything embarrassing or important, she looked back at me and uttered a grateful "Thank you."

"It's no trouble. Now that you're awake, shall I take you home?" I offered.

"Yes, please," she replied, rising from the bed.

As we descended in the elevator, she launched a question, her curiosity shining through. "Do you have any idea why that strange... empty... void exists within you?"

Her question sounded innocent, without a hint of impoliteness.

I shook my head, confessing my ignorance. "I haven't the faintest clue."

"Hmm..." she murmured, lost in thought. Her contemplation lasted during our entire journey to the car, throughout the drive, and even as she walked toward her house.

She pondered but refrained from revisiting the abyss within that she claimed to see, evidently fearful of the effects it stirred inside her.

Resting my chin on the steering wheel, I let out a deep exhale. It wasn't that I dreaded the impending ass-whooping I was going to receive as I was armed with two hundred healing potions.

Okay, I lied.

I was somewhat dreading the training sessions — just a tad.

"Come on, focus that mind of yours. Dodge it. Block it. Do something. Come on," Quentin urged, thrusting one dagger into my chest and using the other to deliver a blow to my jaw with its blunt end.

My earlier assessment was incorrect.

This was not an ordinary ass-whooping; it was a complete assault on my soul, mind, and body. The trinity was being relentlessly battered.

The sheer intensity of the beating nearly brought me face-to-face with the afterlife.

"What are you, a mere punching dummy?" Quentin taunted, firing a wooden arrow that struck my forehead, leaving a trail of blood as my head jerked backward.

"Shouldn't you know how to handle this? Isn't it your dearest companion?" he jeered, using the flat side of his sword to inflict large bruises upon my body.

He continued this relentless assault with every weapon he had in his possession. It was the most grueling training session yet, and my potions struggled to keep up with the damage inflicted upon me.

But still, amidst all the agony and my feeble attempts to defend myself from his relentless attacks, I noticed the slight progress in my reactions and movements.

"Slow and steady wins the race," I whispered to myself, groaning within the confines of my car.

Drained of all energy, I just wanted to lay on my bed and get some rest but I had an appointment with Diana.

"Hurry up and get here, you goddamn main character," I sighed, stepping out of the car and dragging my exhausted feet toward the bathroom.

Through our connection, I sensed her presence, waiting for me.

I rubbed my neck and entered.