Chapter 303: Note to self, never ask a Vampire what stock to buy.

"He could have asked for my number, you know?

I usually don’t give it to guys, but I would have made an exception."

Lucian chuckled.

"How useful do you think that would have been after a century?"

Aurelia then asked a question and Lucian—

He paused.

How useful would a phone number actually be in the next hundred years?

It was an interesting question.

While Lucian did not see phones disappearing anytime soon, a hundred years was a long time, phone numbers might actually be obsolete by that time.

And...

If anyone would even think of considering that, it would be these people.

"Right."

Lucian slowly nodded.

He couldn’t help but feel the strange difference between him and the Vampires.

Of course, Lucian understood that Vampires were immortals. They considered a century-old Vampire a Bloodling, a child, he understood that.

But...

Understanding that fact and understanding how it changed the way they thought were two completely different things.

To Lucian, giving someone an absurdly valuable token because they might become important decades or maybe centuries later sounded... strange, far-fetched even.

To Silvian?

It was actually a wise investment.

’Note to self, never ask a Vampire what stock to buy.

Don’t want to be stuck with something that takes off a century later.

I want penny stocks that make millions in three days.’

Lucian nodded inwardly.

Then, he thought about everything a little more and asked more questions.

"What if I never use it?"

"The Blood Mark?"

"Yes."

"Then there’s nothing we lose."

"Ah right, since you didn’t actually give me anything. It’s quite a risk-free investment."

Lucian nodded in realisation.

Aurelia smiled.

"You are telling me all this rather openly."

Lucian pointed out.

"We have nothing to hide, Mr. Cross.

You are someone House Veyr wishes to befriend."

"And what about you?"

Lucian asked another question, looking into Aurelia’s eyes with a playful smile on his face.

"What does Lady Aurelia want? You did, after all, bring me to a room where you can have your way with me."

Those words made Aurelia stare at him for a moment, then she smiled.

"What I wish is a secret."

"Curious."

"Look forward to it."

Aurelia chuckled.

Then she turned around, ready to leave.

"Get some rest, Mr. Cross.

Tomorrow, I will introduce you to Vespera."

"The Arcelis undergoing the Ascension?"

"Yes."

Aurelia nodded.

"If you are going to remain until the ceremony, you should at least understand what you’re watching."

Lucian’s eyes brightened.

"I’ll look forward to your teachings."

Aurelia just chuckled and walked out of the door without saying anything else.

Once she left, Lucian chuckled as he stared at the closed door, then, he shook his head and observed the suite he was in again.

Vampires.

They were strange creatures indeed.

With that thought in his mind, Lucian took off his coat, his shirt, then he went to shower.

After showering, he changed into the clothes prepared for him and finally collapsed onto the bed.

It was ridiculously comfortable.

Lucian stared at the ceiling.

There were countless thoughts in his head, but the most important one was—

He picked up his phone and called Evelyn and Naomi.

He would think about the rest later, for now, he just wanted to talk to them and tell them everything that happened, then maybe tease them about how he was ’living it up.’

Though he doubted he would get much of a reaction out of Evelyn.

The call connected, he talked to them for about two hours, he could picture Naomi’s face when he mentioned Aurelia. Then, once the call ended, Lucian put the phone away, tried to empty his thoughts as he closed his eyes and minutes later—

He fell asleep.

...

The next day was strange.

If it could even be called ’day’.

"What the hell...?"

Lucian muttered out loud as he looked around.

He was... surrounded by darkness.

No floor, no walls, no sky, nothing, it was just... black.

’Where am I...?’

He wondered inwardly.

’Is this a dream?

Did I... drink something I shouldn’t have...?’

He looked down, he could see his body perfectly.

That made no sense at all, there was no light here, so...

How was he seeing?

"Hello?"

He spoke out loud, his voice disappeared into the darkness, nothing else happened, at least for the next few seconds.

But then—

"Leave."

Lucian heard a voice.

It was... weak.

So faint that he almost didn’t hear it.

"Who’s there?"

Lucian asked as he tried to look around, but again, other than darkness, he did not see anything.

"You shouldn’t be here."

The voice spoke again, only this time, Lucian felt like it was closer to him than before.

"Who are you?"

Lucian asked.

The voice didn’t answer.

Lucian waited for about a minute and seeing that the voice still did not answer, he assumed he asked the wrong question.

"Why should I leave?"

He asked again.

And this time, the voice answered.

"Leave, or you will end up like him."

"Like who? Who are you talking about?"

"The Vampire."

"Right, that narrows it down a lot, thanks."

Lucian answered in a flat tone.

And it seemed like the voice did not like the sarcasm because the moment Lucian said those words—

The darkness disappeared and he—

He woke up in his suite.

"What...?"

He blinked in confusion.

He looked around, expanded his senses, trying to understand what just happened.

Everything around him seemed normal, he could sense a few Vampires outside, the same Vampires he sensed before.

"A dream...?"

He wondered.

’Why would I dream about leaving...?’

He didn’t understand.

Then, he thought of a strange possibility.

’Is... someone trying to warn me?’

"How very cliché."

Lucian sighed out loud.

His mind, however, was now much more alert than before. However cliché or unlikely it was, he did not take the warning lightly.

His mind started thinking of everything that happened, the people he got close to and... the first name that popped into his mind was...

Aurelia Veyr.

A Vampire every other Vampire respects and fears, who got along with him strangely quickly.

It was... definitely suspicious.

"She... might not be joking when she brought me here to have her way with me."

Lucian gulped.

And without wasting any more time—

He called his teacher.