2. Not Everything is Real

I think I blacked out.

I must, since I couldn’t remember anything after I got taken away. Now I’m in a room, too luxurious for my taste. I had to blink a few times to focus on my surroundings that look too pristine, as if recently cleaned. Someone must have been here while I was passed out.

I close my eyes and count to ten. The usual panic stirs my heart, but I can keep it calm and be sure that whatever happens, then I will handle it.

“You are awake?” the familiar voice of the vampire asked.

I go perfectly still. To still even the surrounding air vanished, suffocating me instantly, as if strangling me.

“What did you do to them?” My question may seem rude, but I couldn’t help feeling this sense of dread tugging my chest.

“Are you hungry? I can ask someone to bring you food.”

“My family. What did you do to them?” I ignore the fact he just asked me something. I really wanted to die.

A small gust of wind behind me has me turning my head. Maybe this is what I so badly wanted. To see him.

To see those fathomless eyes again.

It must be. I can’t look at a bloodline without their permission.

“You’ve been crying,” he whispered, and his finger touches my face lightly. “I’ve made you cry.”

I gasped.

“I made you cry,” he repeats.

My skin is tingling where he touches.

Rage propels me and I slowly reached for his wrist, curling my fingers around his sleeve, tugging his hand away from my face.

“My family—”

“Dead.”

He lifts his hand with agonizing slowness until I feel it again on my face.

“Well, your sister, at least. I have already sent your parents to the compounds.” He responded.

I shut my eyes and feel the wetness from my tears.

Some sort of relief washed over me, which is strange. I shouldn’t be feeling like this. My sister is dead.

I opened my eyes, then lifted my chin. He was staring down, his face masked of any emotion.

“Why?” I whispered. “Why did you kill her?”

He stills. His hand leaves my face and something like a throb ache in my chest.

He turned, backing away from the bed where I was kneeling. I study him. He wore a white sleeve shirt with navy blue pants similar to a suit.

“I suppose I owe you an explanation, especially after what happened earlier,” he mumbled with his back to me.

His hair was on a tie and, for the first time, I noticed the blue pendant hanging from his right ear.

“My apologies. Your father got hurt, but he defied one of my subordinates. No human is to disrespect any of the Bloodlines. Not when they are ordered to do something. Your world is not as it used to be eight months ago, Phi, not when I rule.”

I blinked. Did he just use a nickname for me?

“Things have changed. Everything, except…” he turned but I’m already standing in front of him.

“Why am I here?” the question comes out before I can even register it on my mind. “You sent my parents away, but you left me here with you?”

A grin flashes, nearly knocking me on my ass.

“You are different,” he whispered, then runs his thumb on my bottom lip. “You…”

I slapped his hand away as I felt tears in my eyes again. Sniffling, I take a step away, then another, until I’m on my heels trying to run away from him. But before I could even reach the door, I bumped into him.

“Don’t run away from me,” his desperation halts my movements. “Don’t.”

I wish I could say something, anything.

“Phi,” he whispered.

“No!” I groaned. “My name is not Phi, it’s Yophiel!”

“I know, but for me, your Phi.”

My face flames and I hate it. I can’t seem to understand why I feel this weird curiosity about him. He is a monster. He killed my sister.

“No,” I ordered angrily. “Yophiel, my name is Yophiel. I’m nothing to you but a human. A human with no desire to stay here. So let me go to my parents.”

I kept my eyes focused on his chest, that didn’t move with each breath.

If I even glance up, regret or something else will get me confused.

“Your sister died because I so desire it that way. About your parents, they will be fine. I will call someone to help you get change and to get you some food.”

I don’t know what else I expected, but he left. He just left after saying that. I wish I could say I hate him. That would be comforting, but I didn’t. Instead, I felt like crying again.

---

“Do you need anything else, Miss Swan?”

I’m not in the mood to be grateful or even ask for something. I just wanted to be alone in my misery.

The door clicks shut after I didn’t respond.

It’s been a week since I last saw that vampire. He hasn’t come back since then, which I was grateful for. The least I wanted was to see his face.

I tried asking the two vampires who have been helping me around if I could speak with my parents. Every time I asked that, they hissed, silencing me on the spot. Even one of them tried to bite me. Sadly, he got disposed of away by the other vampire, who seemed to pay close attention to every little move I did.

I’m so distracted by my tumultuous thoughts; I don’t realize I’m not alone in the room anymore. The vampire next to me doesn’t even say a word until I’m looking up at her face.

My hands fly to the knife on the table, but she is faster than me, yanking it quickly from my hands.

“Habits,” she whispered, then met my eyes. “Mr. Ashide orders you to get ready. It’s time for you to move to your new home.”

“Ashide?” I frowned. The vampire in front of me arches a brow, incredulous.

“Yes,” she hissed. “Get change into a gear. I will be outside waiting for you. You better hurry. He is waiting.”

With a glare, she turns walking out of the room. I wiped my sweaty hands on my pants and move to do as she has asked.

Just as she mentioned, she was waiting for me outside the door. A few other vampires made their way into the room, ignoring me on the way out.

“Stay quiet and follow me,” she ordered. I nodded.

We walked down a hallway I didn’t recognize. A line of vampires stood close to each other in front of some doors. As if blocking whatever was inside from escaping.

I watched them, each wore a special suit while others wore formal attire.

A beeping sound makes me glance to where the vampire stood. It’s the same code as last time, 456525.

The door opens and to my surprise he is there, standing in the middle of the elevator. I belatedly notice he’s wearing fitted pants tucked into combat boots. A jacket zipped up that matches his pants, which looked similar to the special suits they wore under the sun.

“Phi,” he offered his hand. I turned my head, wondering if we would travel together, or he was only here to say goodbye.

I heard him sigh when unexpectedly he yanks me into the elevator. Even as I cursed myself, I looked at him.

He was smiling.

I’m aware his arm is around my waist, just like last time. He presses me a bit more when I try to move away.

We rode in silence. I counted all the way down, desperate to just get out of the elevator.

When the door opened, I sighed in relief.

I pulled, but he kept his firm arm around me and started walking with me by his side. Not that forceful, but I could feel it, the small warning clawing up my back.

Once in the car, they shut the door, and the lock clicked in place. If I wanted to escape, then I would be out of luck. We were alone.

There weren’t any good options in this scenario. It all fell to me dying if I even try anything like escaping.

I eased up and leaned on the seat in defeat.

“I hope you like the house,” he whispered. “I made sure everything is to your liking.”

“House?” I wasn’t expecting that.

“Yes,” he turns to look at me. His long fangs touched his chin. “Our home.”

That startles a laugh out of me. Is he insane or something?

“Our home?” I emphasize the word.

He gives me a wolfish grin.

“Yes.”

He dragged his finger against my hand so suddenly I startled.

“You are afraid of me,” he whispers, more to himself. “I don’t want you to be afraid, Phi.”

“Not to be afraid?” My hand gripping the armrest. “You killed my sister! You sent my family away. Why am I the only one to remain by your side?”

His eyes flickered to mine, assessing me.

“I said it before. You are special.”

“I’m not special,” I groaned. “I’m a fucking monster!”

He contemplates my words as if they were so hard to process. With an angry groan, I looked away, preferring to focus on something outside the window.

“I had to kill your sister. Why is it so hard for you to understand?” he strokes my hand as if calming me down. “She hurt you. She disfigured you.”

“That’s none of your business.” I choked. “You don’t even know me!”

There’s silence. A deafening silence. And then he is over me, caging me against the car seat.

“Everything about you is my business. Keep that in your thick head. Whoever fucking touches you or has done something to you, Phi will die in the most awful of ways. So don’t come and order me how I should deal with stuff. I am the one who rules here. Everything goes under my approval and if I desire to burn the world, then I will burn it down. Are we clear?”

He leans forward. A vein pulsed against his forehead.

“Good,” he bares his fangs and takes a seat back. I’m render speechless.

The rest of the ride was in agonizing silence. On a few occasions he spared me a glance, something as worry crossed his eyes, but I tried not to pay too much attention to it since it was none of my business.

Distantly, the cars in front of us came to a stop and so did ours. I shifted my eyes out and whatever sad thought I had vanished.

“You like it?”

I try to straighten up in my seat.

“Let’s get down. I want to show you around.” He gets down as a group of vampires surround him with suits and umbrellas, thick and black, giving enough shadow for him to walk without issues.

Another vampire opened my door. I looked up at the sky. The sun was setting. Soon the night would greet us.

I glance as he comes around. Something around his mouth softens, and I’m greeted with a smile.

I lowered my head and followed him until we were inside the enormous squared mansion which had the same design as the ones back in the city.

“Are you hungry?” he asked, standing by my side. “The cook can do anything you want.”

I scoffed.

“A vampire knows how to cook?”

“A human,” he responds. I laughed in his face.

“You have a human chef? What then you’re going to tell me the maid there is human as well?”

“She is,” he shrugged.

What am I supposed to think? No, why is there even a human maid here?

“I want my room,” I claimed. “You are leaving, right?”

“Phi,” he hissed. I tried to stop talking but I couldn’t find it on me and I don’t know why.

“Stop it, stop calling me Phi! My name is Yophiel!” I yelled. “Yophiel!”

The air around us drops, and I go still. One second, I’m standing in the foyer, the next I’m being pressed against a wall.

“Phi, Phi,” he clutches my jaw, making me whimper. “You test me and I don’t like it, yet I find it refreshing.”

His eyes are edging towards black, which distracts me for a second. He seemed to forget because he loosened his grip on my face.

I let out a trembling breath before he finally set his hands on the wall instead.

“Callisto,” he mumbled.

“Excuse me?” I frowned.

“My name… it’s Callisto.”

“Then who is Ashide?” I stupidly asked. He chuckles and locks his eyes with mine.

“My name is Callisto Ashide. But you can call me Callisto, Yophiel.”

He holds my gaze, but I look away, fear clawing my chest. He was the head of the bloodlines. The most feared one amongst all the other bloodlines.

My face must have meant something, because he backs away from me, slowly, until he is only two feet away from me.

“Let me take you to your room.”

My hand clutched onto the pants I wore as I stood staring at the room, we were in.

The things inside it bother me to the core.

Hastily, I looked away, hating it all. Callisto seemed to notice it, so he stood blocking my view.

“You hate mirrors,” he whispered.

“I hate you,” I muttered, knowing this could get me into trouble.

“No.” The only move he makes is to stroke my face. “You hate yourself because of how you look.” My head jerks up.

I blink. He was dangerously handsome. He has been since the first time I saw him standing in that room.

“You don’t know me!” I spoke. “Stop saying things like you know me!”

“I may not know you, but I have been by your side these past few days and I think I know more about you than what you know about yourself. Especially how much you despised yourself for what your sister did.”

I make a face, but I know he is right. How can I argue that back?

“What?” I snapped, knowing he was staring.

“You need to eat,” he turns.

“So you can drink my blood later?” I said, turning to follow him.

“That’s the idea.” Callisto’s icy gaze flickers and I halt abruptly.

There it is again, that odd look he gives me before he masks his emotions.

“You’ll enjoy yourself. Trust me.” He turns on his heels.

“I don’t trust you. I never will!” my hands curl into fists as Callisto glances over his shoulder.

A flash of fangs and a bright smile makes me shudder.

“You will come to trust me. For your own sake, you will.”

I take a breath, then another until my head lightens from the suffocating pressure, I felt around me.

---

I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

The horror.

My reminder.

For a long moment, I stared at myself, then slowly at the rest of the room where drapes lay over the enormous wall mirror.

Callisto sent word earlier that he would have someone change the wall into something more convenient, especially since I hated it.

Maybe he was right. He knew me well.

I sighed, then stood walking over to the open window that faced the few houses in the distance.

Just like the city houses, these were the same. Built in a square structure, with walls covered in solar panels to absorb energy and gates high as the house, blocking any sort of invasion from the outside.

They were supposed to have protected us before all this happened eight months ago, but how useless they had been. The government implementing new things in our daily lives did nothing but get us killed.

Now the technology did help, but it helped them, the vampires. We all knew that the one to manage the world of technology was no other but the head of the shifters, Darcy Tudor. He was the genius one.

I leaned over the window when glass shattered, and in the distance, I think I heard a scream.

It was already late for us humans, so it meant a vampire was causing problems.

Another cry, and I moved to the door. Hand stilled on the knob. Was it unlocked? I did not know; I had not tried to leave the room, and Callisto never told me anything.

“Damn it,” I whispered and turned the knob. It opened.

I don’t know what I expect, but it’s not like I won’t die soon, will I?

My head peers to both sides down the hallway. Empty. Time to move.

I feel like I’ve been walking for hours, but I might be on the right track. Probably because I am naïve and stupid, but a hunch tells me I will regret coming down.

I turned to the corner when something loomed over the opposite wall. They were shadows in a strange position. My feet freeze.

The only reason I am here is to help whoever is in trouble, although I could get myself killed for spying.

I make it five steps and my hands fly to my mouth.

Over a metal table laid the human servant from earlier, embracing someone. She moans, and I take a step, knocking something behind me.

I cursed myself when I stopped hearing the sounds and o so slowly lifted my head. A vampire with red eyes stared straight at me. He didn’t move, he just stood there. The maid was still on the table.

The knowledge of what he is doing sticks to me and I turned to run. I barely made it to the stairs when I crashed into someone, hard.

“Fuck!” My curse turns into a groan. I opened my eyes and this time I couldn’t stop the shriek that was leaving my mouth.

“My apologies.” Callisto arches a brow.

I have a distant thought that Callisto is anything but happy I am here. A sound behind me makes him flicker his eyes away from me.

I peered over my shoulder and saw the same vampire from earlier standing with a smirk.

“Leave,” Callisto simply orders, and the vampire blurs away. “I thought you were sleeping?”

“I heard a noise,” I stuttered without looking up. “And I can’t sleep in a new house. It’s hard for me.”

Why was I even giving so much of an explanation to him?

I get up when Callisto moves, picking me in his arms. I realized I had wrapped my arms around his neck as he blurs us away and we reappear in a bedroom I can’t recognize.

“You can stay in my room.” I looked at him, stunned. “I won’t do anything to you, Phi.”

He walked over to an opened glass window that faced the forest and garden of the mansion. It was stupid to think I could trust him, but he surprises me once again.

I turned to look at the round bed, neatly tidy, as if it hadn’t been touched.

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes.

“What?”

“For what you saw down there. That won’t happen again.”

I feel my face tingle from a thought that rolls into my mind.

“Where they…” I shut my mouth.

“Are you curious to know?” he asked, turning. The shadows of the room hiding half his face.

Those fathomless eyes stared back with something like a flicker of curiosity.

I covered myself with my arms when I felt him in front of me. He inhales and slowly, oh so slowly, an animalistic snarl escapes his lips. He’s barely preventing himself from touching me.

Despite my best efforts, I still look up and to my surprise, there’s a sadness etched on his face.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispers. His hand is a feather touch against my skin. “The most beautiful one.”

I feel the heat of my face.

My heart beats kick up and I want to feel more to his touch. But it’s all a lie. Vampires are masters of lies.

I want to stay silent, but I can’t.

“Don’t lie,” I choked, feeling the threat of my tears. “Stop lying to me. I’m ugly.”

“No.” It’s hardly more than a sigh. “You are what everyone will envy.”

I raised my eyes and scowl at him.

This time I can’t stop the scream of surprise. A moment we are just standing, the next he is over me, pressing his body hard against mine.

I’m too shocked that all I feel is his cold body against mine.

One of his hands moves to my hair, curling a strand in his fingers. It may seem stupid, but it feels so intimate to be like this.

“Wait!”

“I won’t hurt you.” He silences me. “I won’t do anything can’t you understand?”

“But you’re a vampire, a bloodline. You kill humans.”

I close my eyes, take several deep breaths.

“You’ve been killing us. So what do you mean by saying you won’t hurt me?” I opened my eyes and saw the hurt expression cross his face.

I gasped. I’m an idiot.

“Yophiel,” he whispers.

I should leave. Should get him off me and leave before he changes his mind. I’ve been testing him since we got here.

A sound cuts through my thoughts. Callisto, in a flash, moves to the door and steps out, shutting it behind him.

I exhale slowly. There’s nothing I can do now. I can’t leave because he is outside. Now I must wait.

I sat up, feeling the cold, so I walked over to the windows and shut them close. The desire to curl into a ball and cry is stronger than my desire to leave this room.

Why?

I slowly turned, leaning on the glass window. The room smelled like lavender, like Callisto.

God, what am I even thinking?

One glance at the door and I know they are outside. Their whispers filled the room occasionally.

The fact they are standing there means I won’t be sleeping in my room tonight. With no other choice, I headed back to bed. A pillow curled under my head and another against my chest, I close my eyes until I feel sleep take over me.

---

A ticking sound wakes me up. In a panic, I looked around and remembered where I was staying. My hand flew to my forehead, that was sweaty.

I felt someone next to me so I turned my head. Callisto laid on his draped arm. A smile tugging the corner of his lips. I lowered my eyes to where he was stroking my hips, then looked up to find him smiling at me.

“You were having a nightmare.”

I frowned, confused.

I slowly clutched the bedsheet that was draped over me. Did Callisto do this?

“Lay back down. It’s still a few hours before sunrise.”

“I thought you vampires didn’t sleep.” I cleared my throat.

I still don’t understand what’s his deal is with me. Why does he insist on keeping me here?

“Tomorrow someone will come to check on your health.” His eyes flashed to me. “The normal routine.”

“Yes, the one they take my blood.”

Since the attack, the bloodlines decided harvesting blood was in their interest. True, many humans remain alive, maybe 60% but yet they were at the risk of staying without food.

“Phi.” Callisto’s hand slipped to mine. “Nothing is real. You are misunderstanding us.”

“Misunderstanding?” I clenched.

He withdraws his hand long enough for me to feel an ache. I consciously reach. Just like that, we were holding hands again.

“Yes, you don’t know what really happened. You’ve been living in a house for the last eight months. This world—”

“Enough,” I choked, feeling myself crying. I really should stop feeling miserable every chance he says something.

I abandoned that thought of thinking and pulled my hand from his, placing a distance between us.

“Once you see, you will understand. Not yet, a time will come.” He whispers.

I inhaled slowly, fumbling with the bed sheets.

“You haven’t told me the reason you are keeping me here.”

I don’t know many things. I don’t even know his intentions.

Callisto barely waits for anything else when he pins me under him.

I looked up to find him watching me as if I could disappear at any moment.

“When it’s the right time, I will tell you.” His voice is slightly whispery.

“Let me go,” I choked as tears slid down my face. “Just let me go to my family.”

“Don’t cry—”

“It’s your fault.” I leverage myself up just to be close to his face. “Your fault I feel like this.”

“That’s enough!”

“Is it?”

Callisto shuts his eyes. Tension winds around us, tighter, suffocating me.

“Would you like me to kill you?” The question takes me off guard, but I don’t hesitate to answer.

“Yes.”

Just like that, the tension bleeds out and I’m alone, staring at nothing.

I blinked. Where did he go?

I kneeled in bed, looking around the room and clutching the sheets to my chest.

“Callisto?” I don’t mean his name to come out as a question.

“I… can’t stay away from you.” He sounds hurt, like he is speaking the words forcibly.

My body moves, one step at a time. Closer and closer to him. Is like something within me pulls me to him; I can’t fight it.

It’s only then I noticed his hands curling on his side. Long claws piercing his flesh.

“Tell me, why? What’s the reason?” I asked. I dragged a breath. “Why are you keeping me here?”

Callisto jerked his head. The muscle in his jaw twitched. I don’t even remember reaching for his hand.

He cursed and then yanks me hard against him, plastering us against the glass window. It feels like an attack, but it’s not scaring me at all.

“Tell me to stop and I’ll do it.”

I shove my hands to his chest. Nothing. It felt hard, like a wall. No rising because of his breath, no thumping coming from his heart. It feels weird.

His hands land on my hips. He doesn’t give me time to register what he does next when he takes my mouth in a savage kiss. Sharp pain makes me jump as he stills against me.

I twisted on his arms, aware his fangs were out in their full length, ready to bite me. With a groan, he loops an arm around my waist and hauls me away, switching places with me.

Breathless, we stand there. I felt so small against him.

I get a glimpse of his almond eyes. The Korean gene gave him more beauty than what he already had.

“I can’t stop, if you don’t stop me.”

Fuck.

This is bad.

I swallowed my fear.

“Phi.” He is moving us back, slowly, until I feel the bed right on my knees again.

I turned my head but stopped when pain flared into life. I instantly looked down where his nails clawed through my nightgown.

Slowly, he released me.

No, I need more. This is not what I want.

That seemed to make Callisto realize what I was thinking. I can’t quite make my body obey. Not when I crave something different.

Callisto chuckles and carefully slides his left hand around my neck, clutching my hair. His lips lowering, touching my neck.

I moaned.

I swear I didn’t want to make that noise. But all of this was becoming overwhelming.

“Stop me, Phi. Stop me now.”

I struggle to think straight. His big hands that touched me made me lose any rational thinking.

I don’t make note of how he is pressing me hard against him. Possessing me.

This is nowhere okay.

It would be easy if I stopped him. Push him away until he is out or I am back in my room. Or I could let him do whatever he wants.

I’m a fool if I think I can’t die here tonight. This can end with me getting dried up as a branch or getting torn into shreds like a piece of paper.

“I can’t.” Callisto voiced out, then let’s go completely.

My legs buckle, and I fall on my bum. The soft bed catching me. I wouldn’t have thought it possible that a bloodline like him could control himself. Not sink his teeth and kill me.

“Tomorrow you will see how things truly are. You will see my world, the one I have created for you, Yophiel.” My arms fall limp to the side.

Callisto flinches, a barely perceptible move I only catch from the corner of my eye before he vanishes out of the room.

“Why did you leave me alone?” I bend my knees up and rest my face over them.