To pass the time, Elara and Alvin continued to talk; it was mostly Elara speaking and Alvin asking questions from time to time.
They mostly talked about what vampires were like. Elara cleared several of his misconceptions about vampires—silver was fatal against vampires, but the stronger a vampire is, the more difficult it is to kill them with such means.
His greatest relief came when he learned that, due to Elara's lineage, he would have some immunity to the sun.
Alvin also asked how she was able to survive the fire before, to which she replied, "It wasn't strong enough to harm me. But at that time, I reacted on time and used something to protect myself, or my clothes would have been burned."
Alvin realized she was more concerned about her outfit than the fire itself.
It was then his mind went to what she was wearing—an elaborate, traditional Japanese outfit. Why would a vampire wear something like that on a regular day? Even Rin, who had deep ties to Japanese culture, refused to wear such attire unless absolutely necessary. She called it a hassle.
Yet, in the end, he decided against it.
Noticing Alvin had gone quiet, Elara raised an eyebrow. "No more questions?"
She did not mind his endless curiosity. If anything, she understood. He had lost the only people he cared about, and his life was about to change forever—all in a single night. She was happy to keep him distracted for as long as it worked.
Alvin sighed, turning his attention to the distant hum of the streets below. "Even if I learn all of this… it's still too much."
His voice grew quieter. "No amount of knowledge will prepare me for what's to come."
A moment later, his hands clenched into fists.
"I have to change. No—" he exhaled sharply, resolve hardening in his voice, "—I will adapt."
Elara studied him, her crimson eyes dark with unreadable emotions. "Are you afraid of hurting humans?"
She had never been human herself. She didn't fully grasp their differences—their fleeting lives, their fragile bodies, their easily broken hearts.
Alvin hesitated. "No… I'm not sure." He looked up at the night sky, exhaling softly. "I guess I'll find out when the time comes."
Elara remained silent.
He was saying goodbye!
Not just to the people he lost, but to the person he used to be, to being a human.
She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, something flared to life before them.
A flash of light. A magic circle glowing at their feet.
Vanessa had returned.
The young woman stepped out of the magic circle; her long maid outfit with a frill maxi skirt swayed under the strong wind at the top. Her striking ruby-green eyes gleamed in the dark. A golden outline traced the edges of her irises, making them shimmer with an ethereal glow. She blinked once, tilting her head.
"Did I interrupt something?"
Alvin blinked in shock, still in shock from her sudden appearance. On the other side, Elara's expression darkened slightly; she was more than familiar with the fake innocent expression of her maid.
She chose not to acknowledge Vanessa's comment and strode towards her.
Alvin, still looking at the scene with a tilted head, recalling the woman's effortless entrance, muttered, "So that's how we got here..." under his realization dawning upon him.
He knew moving him would result in his early death, but by using something like 'teleportation,' it seemed possible.
Elara gestured toward the maid, "This is Vanessa. She has been my aide since I was young."
Despite the annoyance with which she glared at the woman, her voice held an unmistakable fondness. Alvin could tell that they had a deep bond between them that went beyond servant and employee.
This made him more assured about his future with Elara.
Vanessa, unfazed by her mistress's stare, smiled warmly and performed a graceful bow. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Waiter. I am Miss Elara's maid, Vanessa."
Both Elara and Alvin felt their eyebrows twitch. Mr. Waiter?
Her bow was lower than necessary—whether intentional or not, it gave him a good view of her cleavage. Alvin quickly averted his eyes, unsure whether she was simply teasing him or simply unaware.
"...Nice to meet you." His words came out more strained than he had hoped.
Vanessa straightened, her eyes twinkling with an amused glint.
"My name is Alvin," he added, afraid she might continue to address him similarly. "It would be great if you addressed me as such."
Vanessa chuckled, clearly entertained. But before she could push further, she caught sight of Elara's darkening expression from the corner of her eye.
"As you wish, Mr. Alvin."
She then turned to her mistress and handed her a small velvety pouch. "These are all the materials we had available. It should be enough for the ritual."
Elara took the pouch from her, and her fingers tightened around it before she shifted her gaze back to Alvin. His face contorted from time to time in pain.
She took a step closer. "Alvin. Can I call you that?" Her hands absentmindedly fiddled with the pouch in her grasp.
He gave her a weak nod.
"The ritual we are about to perform is called the Eternal Night Ritual."
Alvin watched as her slender fingers dipped into the pouch—deeper than should have been possible.
He was sure she was not playing any sort of pranks on him once she pulled out something from her pouch.
The first thing she brought out of the bag was a long, skeletal spine—still attached to the skull of the animal it once belonged to. Fresh blood dripped from the bones, forming a small pool of blood on the rooftop floor.
Alvin's face paled even more than it already was.
"What is that?" He had known such a magical ritual would not require ordinary 'ingredients.' But they were certainly 'unique.'. Seeing a freshly pulled-out spine and skull bone—it sent chills through his broken bones.