Vampire Reincarnation

“I couldn’t exactly see what she looked like, there was a lot of light and her voice was distorted but… I could tell she was… nice?” Kai stuttered trying to find the right words to answer Orphelia, who kept asking wilder and wilder questions. Her expression changed to one of reverence and awe, and her eyes sparkled with glee while nodding and probably making a mental note of everything Kai said, causing him to frown slightly.

“Orphelia why don’t we… stop for now? I think our food’s ready to be served, and… we’ve been whispering for twenty minutes now, I can feel their gazes burning my back.” He said, pointing toward the adventurer group who eyed them with curiosity as they chuckled among themselves.

However, the gleam within Orphelia’s eyes only grew brighter, completely ignoring what Kai had said. “So, what did she tell you? Stop being vague, there’s no way she met with you for no reason. She didn’t even show herself to me-, I mean, she doesn’t show up for just anyone, why are you so special?”

Her voice trembled slightly each time she mentioned Lumiera and her flushed face turned even redder as her pupils constricted. Heavy pants escaped her lips and her demeanor seemed to have changed completely from a few seconds ago, almost as if she had become a completely different person.

“I-, wait. Why didn’t you ask me before? I should ask you the same thing, how did you know she wanted to meet me?” Kai retorted, finally asking the question plaguing his mind but didn’t feel right to ask, however, seeing Orphelia being so weirdly insistent, he couldn’t help himself.

Orphelia’s expression froze on her face, gulping slightly as an awkward smile manifested on her face. With quivering lips, she tried explaining herself, however, the words got stuck in her throat as thoughts raced through her mind. Crap! I got too excited… The Goddess rarely sends me oracles and… argh! This is frustrating. I worship her so much yet… yet… She didn’t show herself to me once! But does it for Kai, I’m so curious about what they talked about but…. She yelled internally, and let out a heavy sigh as her lips parted. “You’re right I went too far, forgive me.”

Kai let out a light, internal sigh, his curiosity about Orphelia still present, however, as long as she didn’t inquire about more private things, he could suppress it for the time being. Plus, I have a small idea from all these anime and video games I watched and played… hmm… I don’t remember any of their names though.

Eventually, they turned their attention toward the table, doing their best to ignore the other’s gazes as they waited patiently for the food to arrive. A short moment passed, and the kitchen door slammed open, followed by a line of waiters whose arms held around three plates each. About half of them stopped in front of Onyx, placing the food on the floor as the Obborik waited patiently for them to finish setting them all up before digging in.

The amount of food ordered proved to be too much for a simple table, so the group quickly brought two others and put them together. The waiters finally placed the plates in front of the adventures, Kai and Orphelia. Hans and the others didn’t stand on ceremony and immediately began digging in, with the dark-skinned man-eating while standing up. Kai, on the other hand, took his time to admire the plate before him.

The hot air seeping out of the golden brown piece of chicken achieved through a seemingly perfect frying technique that ensured a crispy and inviting exterior caused Kai to hesitate to touch them. However, the temptation was too much as the coating was covered in a few herbs and edible flowers, and the light danced upon its surface. The generously sized chicken pieces had irregularly shaped and slightly ragged edges, giving them a rustic charm.

Reaching for one, Kai carefully grabbed the small piece and dipped it in the provided sauce, which lay in a small tray to the side. Carefully lifting the mask and bringing it to his mouth, his eyes widened in surprise as the flavor exploded on his tongue.

Delicious! I haven’t eaten anything this good since… mother’s food… He sighed inwardly and enjoyed his meal. The people’s chattering, laughter, and joyful atmosphere put his mind at ease, and the sight of Onyx devouring the several plates of food filled his heart with warmth.

…

As the sun finally settled and the moon took its place, the dining room that served as a bar began to empty as it closed down for the night. The customers either made their way home or joined their friends for another round of drinking at the night bars.

Just outside the inn, a beautiful yet modest carriage waited outside, this time reigned by a strange, bird-like beast. Frank and his group laughed as they chatted, their cheeks flushed a mix of pink and red as the alcohol circulated within their blood. Kai sat next to them, along with the Obborik and Orphelia, their conversation quieter than the adventurers. Hans turned to Kai, a bright smile adorning his face as he said, placing his hand on Kai’s shoulder. “Little Brother, it was great meeting you. One day you’ll make a great adventurer, I’m sure of it!”

The smell of alcohol smashed against Kai’s mask, causing his eyes to tear up slightly. “Thanks, Hans. I’m still not sure about that though but I’ll think about it.”

“Haha, it’s alright, it’s alright.” Hans laughed as he turned away, joining Kraft, Razvan, and the dark-skinned man. Frank walked toward Kai as well, his expression serious as he knelt in front of Kai. “Kid,” he said, his deep voice a pitch higher due to the alcohol. “I’m sorry for earlier, I was a bit rash. I’m also sorry for your loss, your parents were great, in my eyes they were heroes. They still are. I’m not sure where you’re going or what your goal is, but if you ever need a party, there’s always a spot for you. We usually stay in Acolyte, it’s a fair distance away, but close to the capital.”

Having said that, he walked away, joining his party as they slowly disappeared into the night. Kai’s breathing quickened a bit, hearing his parents be labeled as heroes still felt unnatural to him. Their loving image remained fresh in his brain, and the idea of his father being a cold-blooded killer, a demon hunter, was hard to accept.

Orphelia listened in on the conversation, slightly confused, but decided not to pry. “I’ll accompany my father to the capital to celebrate the first day of Solstice, and also visit my little brother. That reminds me, he’s around your age… well, two years older.” She said, a soft smile creasing her lips. “I’m leaving tomorrow morning, what will you do next?”

Kai stood in silence, his contemplating gaze fixated on the stone floor for a moment before answering. “I’ll go where I planned to, there’s still a lot left to do. Frankly, I’m not sure what’s going to happen going forward but… I’ll continue walking.”

His tone, unfit for a child his age, accompanied by the hopeful, yet insecure words sent a shiver down Orphelia’s spine, her sapphire blue pupils trembling slightly as the words rang clear in her mind. “I see, in that case…” She paused briefly, hesitation evident on her face, nevertheless, she said, “Won’t you accompany me? The capital is a good place to meet new people and opportunities, I’m sure you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for.”

Behind his mask, Kai looked with confusion at Orphelia, surprised by the sudden invitation. Although she did the same before, her motives definitely had something to do with Lumiera but now… what’s her reasoning? Did she take pity on me? She’s double my age, so there’s no way she fell in love, if so. Why?

“May I ask, why the invitation?”

Orphelia’s gaze paused on the ground for a moment, before turning toward Kai, saying in a confident yet endearing tone. “Besides the fact that you saved my life? You remind me of my brother, although he’s a bit older, you two have a similar look in your eyes.”

Ah- I completely forgot about that… Kai thought, feeling quite ashamed for looking past that. “What… what kind of look?” He asked, fidgeting with his fingers as curiosity got the better of him,

“Hmm… how can I put it?” she thought for a bit, gazing at the night sky covered in shining stars. “It's a look of determination," she finally began, her voice carrying a soft, nostalgic tone. “Both you and my brother have this unwavering resolve in your eyes as if you're constantly reaching for something just beyond your grasp. You share a hunger for the unknown, a thirst for

adventure, however… your look carries something else, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

Kai’s pupils widened, his mouth slightly agape as her words rang in his ears. He remained speechless for a while, his unfocused gaze staring straight at Orphelia. It does sound a little like me…

“Kai, are you alright?” Orhpelia shook Kai’s shoulders, awakening him from his daze.

“Yeah, I was just… surprised, is all.” He said in a low voice, fidgeting with his fingers as he continued with a sigh. “Thanks for the offer, however, the capital is too far from my destination. I’ll just walk to the next city. Summer has just begun so it should be nice enough outside, right?” To think that the seasons here are the same as those on earth, this Goddess was lazy when designing the world….

A light laugh escaped Kai’s lips toward the end of his sentence, and a confused expression manifested on Orphelia’s face as she asked, “Why are you laughing?”

“Nothing, nothing. Just, I had a funny thought, I couldn’t help it.”

“Right… anyway,” Orphelia said in an awkward tone. “I have to go, my father is probably waiting for me to get home by now. Kai, it was a pleasure to meet you, truly. Maybe we will meet again in the future…”

“Mhm, it was a pleasure for me as well. This experience was… eye-opening to say the least.”

…

Kai watched quietly as Orphelia stepped inside the carriage, giving him one last final wave before gently closing the door. The sounds of the beast’s claws echoed in his ears, eventually disappearing as the night swallowed its figure. “Well, boy, it’s just the two of us again,” Kai said, petting Onyx’s head as he made his way into the inn. Walking to the register, he apologized to the red-haired man before going into his room, which now had no door to speak of.

He sighed as he looked at the door frame, bits of it missing where the hinges once stood. “You did a number on the door. Sorry for that, we should order some more food before actually leaving. I’m tired of dried rations…”

Gathering his belongings from the room and stuffing them inside his backpack, he made sure to leave some space for actual food before flopping on the bed. He let out a heavy sigh as he turned on his back, took off his mask, and closed his eyes.

Today was… interesting. Shocking even… to think my parents are such legendary figures… also now that I think about it, the appearance Frank described didn’t look like them at all, how did they do that? Disguise magic? Then how come I could see their true appearance? Argh, this is frustrating! Whatever… that old book probably has the answer I’m looking for.

The bed suddenly rocked, but he needn’t open his eyes to know who it was that joined him. “Onyx, since you broke the door, you better guard it well while I sleep, alright?” Saying that he yawned as he turned on his side, falling asleep at the sound of Onyx’s agreeing bark.