The Duke's Passion

I stood frozen before his cold, red eyes, glinting menacingly. I knew at that point I should've let him go, but I held on out of fear. If only I knew this would be the start of a tragic story, I would have definitely let go. No, I wouldn't have chased after him just to express my gratitude… if only I knew that day seven years ago would twist our fate like this, I would've chosen to get run over by that carriage.

****

"Let go or you'll lose your hands," He warned, and my eyes slowly dilated, but I didn't let go. His brows furrowed, glancing at my dirty hands before shifting them back to my eyes. 

He looked annoyed. "Your hand it is," He said, but before he could do anything, my words slipped past my lips, "Mister, will it hurt you if you listen to my gratitude?" I asked, and I slowly loosened my grip.

'He is a vampire! You have to run!' my mind panicked, but I didn't want it to show it on the surface. I need to be calm, I told myself as I held my trembling hands behind me, sporting a faint smile as I looked at him straight in the eye.

"Fool," He replied coldly as he placed his hood back over his head. I watched him in silence as he glanced back at me once again before he left.

When he was out of sight, all the fear I squashed down came rushing back to me until my knees couldn't keep up, and I collapsed on the concrete ground. I nearly died just because of gratitude. My mind found it hard to believe how many times I cheated death today.

"Am I supposed to really die today?" I mumbled under my breath, clutching my chest just to feel how my heart pounded loudly. 

I didn't know how I got up from that spot, but what I knew was that I stayed there for a very long time. When I had enough energy, I went straight home. On the way, I raised my head and set my eyes towards the pale tint of orange filling the sky.

"What am I even doing with my life?" I mumbled under my breath, sighing heavily as I trek back to my shack situated at the top of the hill. "I nearly died, and I won't be surprised if I died tonight as well." I kicked a pebble in annoyance.

Once the sun sets, vampires prowled in the dark. To think there would be a day I wouldn't be afraid of that tonight after knocking on death's door several times today. How can I be so unlucky? I thought, clicking my tongue as I reached my home.

From a distance, I stared at the flimsy shack which I called home. I let out a deep sigh as I marched my way towards it. When I was by the door, I announced, "I'm home," and frowned as I took a step back.

"Not yet," I murmured, closing the door as I turned around. "I don't care anymore." I walked around the shack, heading towards the back lot to where my father rest.

When I reached the back of the shack, my eyes immediately landed on the burial mound. My eyes softened as I pursed my lips, trudging towards it and perched beside it, my hand over it.

"Father," I called softly. "Will you be happy if I join you soon?" My voice cracked as my eyes welled up. "Today, I nearly got run over by a carriage and met a vampire. I… I was… scared." My breath hitched and tears rolled down my eyes.

"I was so scared…" I repeated in between my sobs, recalling how terrible my day was. "Why did you say I need to survive no matter what? Do you know how hard it is to live?" I asked, bending over as I rested my arms over the curved of the barrow, crying my heart out.

I had no one in this world. Even though the people in the field were all kind and treated me like their family, I always felt alone. Maybe that was the reason I couldn't move when the horses were galloping in my way. I was anticipating it.

I cried and cried, blaming my father for telling me to survive and wait for something good to happen. I remembered him telling me to survive until things would return to their rightful place. How could I do that, though?

How could I survive if the pieces of my heart kept falling day by day? In this world of dystopia… how could I remain hopeful? I only live once, and if I just am a bit more reckless, everything would be over. Right…

I dragged my upper body and sit upright, staring at the burial mound of my father. "I'm tired, Father," I whispered, wiping my tears with my arm as I took a deep breath. "Give me a sign why I shouldn't follow you," I demanded, determined to just end my sufferings.

"See?" I scoffed in ridicule. "You can't do anything since you're not here anymore. You abandoned me by dying first and…" I trailed off as a soft gust of wind blew past me. I raise my gaze and bit my lower lip. That wind felt as though it meant to comfort me.

Without realizing it, my eyes landed on the Duke's mansion from where the direction of the wind came from. "Is that your answer, Father?" I asked under my breath as tears rolled down my cheek.

"Am I really not alone?" I whispered, fixing my eyes on the Duke's mansion for reasons unknown. And then again, another soft blow of the wind blew past me. Ironic how the sun was about to set and yet, the wind felt warm as if someone was embracing me.

"Alright, I'll stay strong for you then," I promised, covering my eyes with my fist as I attempted to stop my tears from falling. "I'll wait for you and…" I choked, hiccuping, as I didn't know to whom these words were. 

"Make sure to welcome me home with apples and stew and meat! I don't want to come home with no one welcoming me, and you will not leave me again." I demanded, believing that Father would someday return, even though I knew it was a stupid wish that a dead would return to do all that. Still, I kept whining and demanding the things I wanted in life.

"If you leave, you have to take me with you even if it's hell, alright?! I don't care, I just don't want to be alone…"

****

"Give me a sign why I shouldn't follow you," she demanded, almost pleading with her tone.

"That's a tough request, little girl." Samael's consciousness replied, but obviously, she couldn't hear him as he was in his slumber and only had a small part of his consciousness active. 

He had never heard her say such words before. To him, she truly sounded desperate and lonely, and he felt sorry that she had to endure all these years alone. Samael could relate, as he couldn't wake himself up for now.

"See? You can't do anything…"

"Hush now," He whispered, trying to break the seal that put him in slumber. By doing so, a large aura enough to cause a wind to reach her exploded from the underground basement of the duke's mansion. 

It hurt his soul, obviously, as touching the seal within him was powerful enough to force him to sleep. But, when he heard her ask, "Am I really not alone?" touching the seal within him once again to give her a reply felt worth it.

"I'll stay strong for you then… and don't leave me even if it's hell…" Lilou started demanding and went on and on until she stopped crying. 

"Don't blame me if I take you to hell then…" he replied as he felt this strange relief, listening to her voice regain its liveliness the more she demanded.