The order

Sophia POV

I entered the room and saw that the machinery for the procedure was already there, as well as Miriam and Claire, I went to help them and it didn't take long until everything was ready to start the process.

"Couldn't make the request, didn't see Lord Hyperion today." Miriam communicated with me.

“Well, I’ll be here anyway.” I went to the seat next to me. “If you could ask someone to bring my note, I would appreciate it.”

"Clear. If you see him, you can ask permission yourself. I am going home."

“Thanks, Mi, good sleep.”

“Hey, Soph… Take care, okay?”

"All good."

I found that end of the conversation strange, as I saw the two leave the room. I took my phone and started looking at the videos on TikTok, it didn't take 10 minutes and I could feel Hiperion's presence at the door, don't ask me how I know, I just know that I know.

“Good evening, Miss Sophia.”

I looked up at the man, the head of the family.

"Goodnight. It should take around 5 hours to complete this procedure.”

“I just ran into Doctor Miriam as I was getting off the elevator. She updated me on the information and also told me you had a requisition.”

I smirked, rolling my eyes. She was going to send him to me.

“I have an online event at 10 pm today, as I'm working an extra shift, I won't be able to attend from my house…”

“I see, well if it doesn't affect your work, you can attend the event right here.”

"Thanks."

I looked down and opened the messaging app.

[Oh, I want to kill a lot today, I don't even want to know… I'm going to take my explosives!] I

[AHahahaha! Did you get the authorization?] Vic

[Hey, who's going to deny my little angel face anything?] I

[Fallen angel right.] Claire

[HAhahahaha! Surely my place in hell is already reserved.] I

[Devil emoji This one is you oh.] Mi

[Absolutely!] I [Where is Dylan?]

[I don't think he left work yet.] Claire

[Blz, then I'll come back then.] I

I closed the cell phone screen and looked at Hyperion who had sat in an armchair right in front of me, on the other side of the room. He was staring at me, scrutinizing me.

“Your natural smile is way prettier than those politically correct ones.”

"Hmm. Thank you, I guess.” I arched my left eyebrow.

“Even now I'm trying to decipher who you are. While you demonstrate that you don't like the people on this floor, judging without knowing it, I assure you, you are also open to seeing beyond appearances."

I didn't say anything, just let him continue the conversation.

“I've had several reports that you and Alexander are getting along great, that you haven't complained about having a bodyguard.”

I tilted my head slightly to the left side, a habit I had when trying to make sense of a situation.

“But tell me why you don't like people as much as mine? As you said on our second date”

“People who think they rule the world and that money can buy anything. I don't like those kind of people and that's what you proved to be at first, I didn't expect you to do what I asked, but in times of desperation, desperate measures are called for.”

In the eyes of the people we found his soul and that of Hyperion was a mixture of fun and seriousness.

“Besides, I can't figure it out until now because I, I know I'm the head nurse, but Miriam is the head doctor at the hospital, she sure has a lot more qualifications.”

That man was quiet for a few seconds, thinking about what he would answer me, calculating his words.

“I agree that money can't buy everything, even many of those around me aren't bought by money, they do things out of honor and loyalty.”

His words didn't make much sense to me, I knew the world of billionaires very well and it wasn't like that, but I kept my expression neutral.

“I know you may not believe this, but it's the truth. We hardly mix the family with this known circle, my contacts are different.”

I took a deep breath, that conversation was going in a direction I didn't like.

"Some would say we look like mobsters, in a way we are, but don't worry there's nothing illegal about the family business and we despise that sort of thing."

I looked for some indication that he was lying, but I couldn't find it and my instincts said he was telling the truth.

“But when we're around here it's very normal to find people willing to sell themselves. So when I saw that you weren't like that, I was surprised and that's the best thing that's happened since I got here. To have found you.”

His words could be taken as a flirtation, a pickup line, but somehow I knew that wasn't what he meant.

Honestly, I don't have much to say to him, so when Claire walked in carrying my smaller suitcase with my laptop, I silently thanked whatever was upstairs.

“Hey, here it is! He just asks them to wait for me, it will take me around an hour to get home, I still want to buy popcorn and wine!”

Claire spoke excitedly and I turned to her smiling slightly.

"This will be funny. See Tremere play drunk!”

I commented with a low laugh.

“At least I'm not the pyromaniac La Sombra!" Claire rolled her eyes and let out a low laugh. "Only you can play a vampire who likes fire."

“What can I say? If I'm going to die with fireworks!" I commented as I opened the bag and removed the laptop.

“Well, at least you already gained fame for having killed that werewolf, rank 3. Who would have thought that to kill a rank 3 you only needed some C4 in paste… But you were crazy when you said you were going to fight hand to hand to get stuck the paste in his fur.”

“What can I say? I laugh in the face of danger!”

“Turned into Simba now, huh?”

“At least you get the reference… But seriously, it was epic, I came out barely alive and almost got blood bonded to stay alive.”

“It was epic! I hope to have more scenes today, after all, it is the last session.”

“I hope so too, after all, we are going to invade that Caern once and for all and spread corruption!”

“Man, when you talk like that, I even miss face-to-face meetings.”

“Me too, but go home soon!”

"Yes ma'am!" Claire reached down and took my hand and kissed it. “Thank you for releasing me, my countess.”

“You are released, servant. Now go fulfill the mission, who knows if you come back I'll let you drink some more of my blood." My tone of voice changed to a huskier and more serious one, the same one I used for my character.

“Heavens! You do not know how to play! You already want to increase my blood bond, right?”

“Hey, what to do? That way I'll always have a servant available. Besides, your character loves my blood.”

“Of course, because you bought that perk there: Addictive Blood.”

“Hey! I had perk points to spend, it's not my fault you guys bought other stuff."

“I know, you naughty bitch.”

"For sure! And with pride!”

Claire rolled her eyes and then left the room, I smirked and took a deep breath, looking at the PC screen on.

“Should I be concerned?” I heard Hyperion's question in jest.

“Oh no… I only kill virtual people. It's a roleplaying game. Today we're going to finish a Vampire the Mask campaign, a very famous game even. In this case, I'm playing with a 9th-generation vampire, let alone an old one, La Sombra, which is one of the clans, and which has the pyromaniac defect. Our mission is to invade a Caern, which is a place with great magical and pure power, so to speak, these places are usually protected by Werewolves, who are divided into tribes and within the tribes there are packs, which can be mixed or pure. In this case, my group of Vampires that enter this place, reach the center, carry magic power and transform it so that we can use the magic energy and no longer the werewolves. If we succeed, I'll probably become the Prince of the city. Prince is the title for those who run the city.”

I explained it as simply as I could without taking my eyes off my laptop screen, opening all the applications I needed to play.

“That is if no one betrays me…” I got serious. “If one of them betrays me and I stay alive, then I will take revenge. Nobody messes with Alana Lafai!” I smirked. "Anyway, it's something cool and also helps to distract me from the day-to-day."

I finished packing for the game and looked up at Hyperion, he seemed immersed in his thoughts. I turned my face and saw that there was no change, I took the tablet and wrote down the information, I needed to do this every half hour, I set the alarm clock on my cell phone.

“But, I don't like playing Vampire: Masquerade that much, I much prefer playing Werewolf: Apocalypse, because there's nothing better than turning into a 3m tall animal to beat enemies, or anything from Cthulhu. Insanity is my middle name for sure.”

There were still 20 minutes left to start the game, but the crowd was already entering the site for us to play, I put the phone in my left ear only and left the microphone off.

"Hmm, didn't know there was such a thing." Finally, I heard Hyperion's voice.

“Games, this style is called tabletop RPG, which is playing a character, you can be anyone, thing, being, etc… It has everything. I prefer to play online or go out for drinks. Although going out for drinks at a nerd/geek bar is pretty cool too.”

I know my eyes are bright and I can hear my excitement talking about it, it's one of my favorite hobbies, whenever I could I would bring someone to it. Maybe that was one of the things that put me off Joshua, he didn't like to gamble.

“Interesting, very interesting. Who creates these games?” I could see that Hyperion was genuinely interested.

“Look, many, because the theme can be as varied as the human imagination. It's like asking who creates the movies we watch, there are hundreds of directors, just as there are hundreds of system creators. Someone imagines some scenario, creates the rules for it and then puts it to the test. I hate creating systems, but I love creating stories, especially horror stories.”

“I see, but have you ever thought if any of these stories are true?”

“Every myth has a grain of truth, the human brain does everything to protect itself, I've seen people arrive at the trauma ward with their whole body cut because someone decided to do that to them, but instead of the brain processing it like another being human hitting another, it registers as a monster with claws. I see, for example, that those who live close to forests usually say that there are werewolves there, but I think it's just a way for the collective to keep children and adults from getting lost. Simply speaking.”

“It makes sense, logically your explanation makes perfect sense.”

"Yeah, I know." I smiled sincerely at him and then I heard my name being called through the phone. “If it gets too loud, the phone will let me know.”

“Hmm… I was going to ask you to turn it up loud so I could hear it.”

“Better…” I grabbed the other pair of Bluetooth headphones and tossed them to him. “So you also listen and we don't disturb your child. Just don't be scared, sometimes there's screaming and stuff.”