4. Heartless Monster

“Get change. There’s a place I wish to take you to.”

I stop short.

Callisto holds my gaze, his eyes cold as the ice in my juice glass. I almost looked away, but I needed to know what was inside his mind. After last night's scare, he disappeared, never to return to the room.

I nodded, grabbing the clothes a servant handed me. I ignored the way he follows me to the bathroom, which was uncomfortable. Callisto had to stay away from me.

“Stay out.” I speak the words. The list of mistakes I’ve accumulated the past days was getting longer. Soon they would make Callisto snap.

“Fine.”

I shut the door, turned around, and faced the mirror. Callisto is standing outside. How do I know? I can somehow feel it.

I take a step back and unfold the clothes. It was a set of uniforms, blue with stripes.

I undress, then take my dress and fold it neatly, laying it on the stool. With every minute that passes by, I hear more and more rustling outside. I close my eyes and change quickly before he bursts through the door.

Considering how on edge he has been since I woke up today, I could bet this was making him frustrated. I did not know what happened last night when he left with Darcy, but he seemed eager, desperate and it was scary.

I turned around, fastening the belt, then with one last glance, I opened the door.

I flinch. Callisto leaned on the door frame, his eyes wide, as if not expecting me. I don’t know why I am surprised. Maybe because he tends to be so composed, or has no reaction to certain things, but today he seemed more human than any other time.

“Good,” he said, eyeing me. “Come, we have to leave, now.”

It wasn’t an order, but there was that eagerness again. He grasps my hand. His fingers wrapping around my wrist in a tender way.

We headed out to where the cars were lined, waiting for us. My eyes move to the sky, rain. I felt a tug, looking at Callisto, who seemed, for a moment, hesitant. I had no idea what was happening, but I gave him a brief nod and let him guide me.

Once strapped inside the car, we leave.

I stared at each house we passed through. My brows are together as I notice something I hadn’t noticed before. The house we were staying in was the biggest of them all.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know.” My eyes veer to Callisto. Even now, as he speaks everything about his body language, to his face said something was up.

“Being forced to come here and live with you was already too much to even worry about the other houses I saw from my window.”

“Phi.” Callisto waits for me to calm down. With a huff, I leaned on the seat. “I’m… sorry.”

I sat back and stared, surprised.

“I know you are not happy but I need you to be, for—” A phone buzzes, Callisto pulling it from his pocket.

I should just let him think about whatever he wants. It’s not like I have any other choice. Being sentenced, literally tied to him, was already too much. A bit good if you see it from another point of view. Just being by his side protects me from other vampires.

Somehow, this just makes me feel a bit of relief. One I didn’t know I needed.

I lean my head on the window while he speaks in Korean. My hair hiding my face, which reflected to me. From the corner I saw him, his face scowling as if whatever they were telling him made him angrier.

With a sigh, I stared outside. We had left the area, and now we were in the worst part of the city. The place where everything got destroyed.

Buildings were destroyed by the attack. Cars are still burning from some who had tried to flee. The whole place looked barren, just an old shell left of what once was a beautiful place.

I looked up. The tall skyscrapers burned still from the bombs that were launched just to kill the vampires.

All this destruction tore my heart. There was nothing left here.

Carefully, I stared at the dead bodies that were decomposed between the gravel. I close my eyes, nauseated by the sight. Why did this happen to us?

Callisto was still on the phone, his voice louder as he shouted at someone on the other side. I flinched as his hiss vibrates through my body, submitting me. I know I shouldn’t do anything, but he was scaring me.

I closed my eyes, counting to ten. The fear I felt was like last night when he killed that maid without mercy. Not to mention the way he looked at me as the monster he was. Cold, heartless.

I opened my eyes and saw Callisto’s reflection looking back at me. He remained silent just hearing the other person speak. At least I could see he wasn’t that mad anymore.

Fear is such a strange concept, but we all carried it. I wonder if he ever felt fear before he turned into what he was now.

“Get it done.” Callisto spoke in English, his eyes still on my window. It’s as if he knew I was staring as well. “Also, I will need new clothes. Yes, get both sizes.”

As Callisto keeps talking, my eyes move to a crumbling building. One I recognized.

My entire body moved to the door. I stared at it, the mass destruction hitting me hard like a slap on the face.

This was my father’s building, the one he owned. Sensing something next to me, I jump into place.

Callisto had hung up and now he watched me with something close to sadness. He had unbuckled his belt and was now closer to me.

“Stop the car,” he ordered, and we came to a stop. Callisto shifts in his seat, grasping my hand and caressing it. It’s a little overwhelming, but I’m not complaining. “Do you wish to get down?”

I stared. “Yes.”

The door from my side unlocked, then two vampires opened it, standing with an umbrella. It was raining.

Callisto let go so I could get down. The first thing I saw was the ruined company name that no longer could be read.

I moved closer, my eyes on the surrounding destruction. Everything that once belonged to my father was nothing but dust.

I felt my eyes blur from tears that formed, ready to fall.

Getting rid of my tears, I sniffed. Why am I fighting this sadness?

“I’m sorry, Phi,” he murmurs.

“Did it feel good destroying all this?” My hands curl into fists. The vampires who stood near us slowly backed away, letting the rain fall over us.

I turned. Something felt wrong with me.

“Did this satisfy you? Killing humans, destroying what they had? What I had?” This time, I turned to face him. “It felt amazing, right?”

I released a shuddering sob as the rain washed my tears. Instantly, Callisto is standing in front of me. “It’s not what you think.”

“Then what is it? Tell me, was this just for fun, then?” I yell as the rain gets stronger.

“Looks like we should head back to the car.” He reaches for my hand, nearly getting me. “Phi, don’t do this.”

“Why?” I asked, sobbing. “Scared I will get sick? That your dinner will get ruined? Is that it?”

Callisto’s face twists. The cry of a human clings to me, making me flinch. With trembling lips, I turned to where a human was being torn into pieces by the vampires that accompanied us. That didn’t bother Callisto, who still had his eyes on me.

The cries of that woman sickened me. I pressed on my ears, desperate to silence her screams. It took less than a minute for it to go silent. Uneasily, I opened my eyes. Callisto blocked my view, but he didn’t need to. I knew what they had done.

I could keep peppering him with questions, but the truth was he would never answer me with honesty. Callisto would never open up to me. Not when he was a heartless man.

I dropped my hands, then pushed him out of the way, heading back to the car. Defeated, I buckle my seatbelt again. I was drenched, but at least this would hide my silent tears away.

---

“We’ve arrived.” I forced myself to open my eyes and then face Callisto, who was staring at me with cold eyes.

I had no idea where we were, but as I looked around, my entire body froze.

Callisto whispers something in Korean, letting his men open the doors. I blinked, then another of those slow blinks.

I tilt my head up.

The building is tall and so different from any of the ones we had in the city. It was at least twenty-five floors, if not counting.

“You don’t have to understand me, but I want you to trust me. On my words.” He takes a step towards me. “What you will see will make you confused, even troubled, but I need you to trust me. Tell me you will trust me, Phi.”

I didn’t understand anything he was saying. And yet I can’t stop feeling this strange curiosity about what he was going to show me.

My hands shake as I nod without looking at him.

We are guided to where a mass of vampires worked. They barely paid us attention as we made our way into the foyer of the place.

The advance in technology of this building had left me stunned. Lamps floated midair. Tables that I recognized with screen on them laid on sides were vampires in lab coats stood in groups speaking about whatever they were searching on and humans.

I halted, feeling Callisto abruptly stop as well. His fathomless eyes were searching for my face, waiting for me to ask questions.

I gulped the lump and lowered my head, continued walking.

We stepped into an elevator way too luxurious. Black walls covered the space, which had lights that switched color every four seconds. Their soft tones bathed my skin as the thing moved up silently.

“This is Darcy’s lab.” His hands brush mine. “You shouldn’t feel scared.”

He thinks I’m scared?

The elevator door opened with a swooshing sound, allowing us to step into another foyer, this one emptier than the one below.

We passed through security doors before we stepped into a clean and pristine hallway. There were no doors, none that my eyes could see. We walked side by side, guided by another vampire. The rest of our group stayed behind, heading somewhere else.

Once we reached the end, I looked around. There wasn’t a door.

A sudden clicking sound has Callisto standing in front of me. I felt a cold breeze pass by, making me shiver.

With a sigh, he moves and I’m eyes wide, staring at the room inside.

The blood in my body freezes.

I couldn’t see past the enormous cylinders that stood on both sides of the vast room. There were at least twelve of them, full of blue liquid, empty.

I reached out, startled to feel Callisto’s hand linked with mine. “It’s alright.”

“Is it?” Darcy’s voice spoke behind us. Knowing Callisto, he would stand blocking me from Darcy and as expected, he did.

I peered over his leaned shoulder. Darcy’s crimson eyes met mine, a smile splitting on his face.

“Nice to see you again, Yophiel.” He had a British accent.

Maybe because last time I’ve been so surprised at meeting him but hearing him speak made me aware he wasn’t American. He had that British accent, even his features looked so European.

His eyes flashed to Callisto, then to me. I hold his gaze and make a note of his looks. Long blonde hair that reached his shoulder with a touch of silver strands. A mole in his left eye, thin lips, a slim nose and a lean body with the perfect muscles here and there. He was Callisto’s height, which made him more intimidating.

There was something particularly attractive about him. Not like Callisto, but there it was, something that pulled me to him. But there was also something perverted about him that kept me on edge.

Just like Callisto, he had an earring, except his was a white diamond instead of blue.

“Great, you two came just in time. Follow me,” he encourages us with a push. Callisto kept his hold. My body leans towards him more than to Darcy.

I look up and find Callisto staring already. Likely, he’s too aware of what I’m thinking. Despite my efforts to hide my discomfort, I can feel Callisto pulling me closer to him.

“Here.” Darcy touched something on the wall, letting an invisible door appear. “Both of you will love this, especially you, my dear Yophiel.”

I shudder. What was that supposed to mean?

A faint smile reaches Callisto’s lips. He looks excited now.

I’m not even aware that we had reached another door until I heard screams.

My body comes to a stop, mindful of the danger I feel stepping into this place.

Darcy looks at us and gives that slow smile that stood the hairs on my back.

I’m going to faint.

Humans laid on tables, strapped, as needles on their body pushed down a greenish liquid almost black into their system. Some screamed, others recoiled as if they were in pain.

I observed in horror as another human wriggled on the table while a thick tube pushed something like blood into his mouth.

My hands fly to my mouth as bile threatens my upset stomach. All this was disturbing in all the ways possible.

“Would you like to look around?”

He had to be fucking me.

“Phi,” Callisto reaches but before he can lay a hand on me, I take a step back, unable to hide how sick I felt. I barely turned when I started puking on the white floor.

I heard Darcy say something before they handed a towel to me.

Just like that, I’m in Callisto’s arms and out of that place. I panted, shutting my eyes and counting to ten.

The way Callisto held me close to him soothed me.

“I shouldn’t be doing this.” He mumbles. “You are not ready.”

I’d say he is joking, but the way he’s looking at me isn’t for someone who is lying. He was serious more than Darcy.

“You want me to fucking see this?” the words come out harsh. “You think I want to see this? What you are doing to them?”

He curses, then stops. I rested my head on his shoulder, clutching his shirt.

“I hate all of this,” I voiced. “You are killing them.”

There was a deafening silence. Callisto clears his throat. “Those are the humans who decide to become one of us.”

I’m not naïve enough to know that maybe one of them was forced to. That’s not how we function. If they had chosen, that was because they were left with no other choice.

“Callisto…”

He leads us to a room. The door shutting back in its place and hiding from us as if there was never a way out.

This time, I don’t bother letting go. He just sits with me on his lap. I felt too weak to even argue. Even if I want to push him away, I can’t.

“It may seem gruesome, but this is a way, just one of many, Phi. And the reason I brought you here was for you to see. We don’t hurt you against your will.” I arch a brow. “Unless you defied us.”

“Like my father did?” I threw at him. A ghost of a smile tug on the corner of his lips.

“You are like him,” he whispered. He reaches down my face, and I lean to it.

Gosh, I seriously was hopeless.

“Are you telling me or complimenting me?” I can’t help a smile.

His hand was still on my face, which made me look up. Even though he couldn’t breathe air like us, he still took a deep breath, then let it out with a chuckle.

I eyed him, surprised to see him laughing. “You look so human.”

“I wasn’t trying to, I am.”

I make a face.

“That’s not entirely true, you know. You are anything but human.” He chuckles again and leans his forehead against mine.

“You pull the human out of me.” He smiles softly. “This is why you are special; you make me feel alive, again.”

It took me a moment for my mind to connect the pieces. I thought I’ve seen something strange about him and now I understood a bit. Callisto was trying to act human for me, but why?

That’s not how vampires’ function: They were heartless, cold, monsters pulled out from your worst nightmare. They didn’t breathe nor have a heart. There was nothing human about them.

“Please don’t feel bad for what you will see here. You are strong, so use that strength.”

“That’s not exactly comforting,” I mumbled, head down.

“I wasn’t trying to be comforting. I know this is too much for you.” He backs away, his arms now wrapped around me. “But I need you to be open mind.”

“Why?” I asked, feeling my heart thump faster against my chest.

He stays silent, just watching me with those fathomless eyes. I don’t know how long we remain like this before he sighs.

“It’s the first day, Phi. Let’s see how this day goes, and then we can talk more about it.”