Chapter 17: The Ferris Wheel

When I woke up the next day, I was still pillowed on Gareth’s arm. Only then did my heart settle as I dressed and got out of bed as quietly as possible. By the time Gareth rose, I had already prepared breakfast and was waiting for him.

After breakfast, Gareth washed the dishes while I went to the study and turned on the computer.

Where the cursor blinked, I hesitated for a moment before typing the word "Vampire" and clicking search. One must know oneself and one's enemy to be victorious in every battle; I had to find out why I had turned into a vampire, and I had to find a way to turn back into the original Rory.

Then... I could live together with Gareth.

Looking at the search results that popped up, my mouth hung open slightly—it had found 19,700,000 records... Were vampires really this popular?

Filled with curiosity, I clicked on a forum. The posts inside were bizarre and covered every imaginable topic.

I found a thread titled "What do vampires look like in your eyes?" and opened it. I saw words like "elegant and lonely," "mysterious and noble," and "bloodthirsty and cruel." Thinking of Alastor, who slept with absolutely zero decorum, I couldn't help but laugh; that guy didn't sleep like a vampire at all... he was more like a somewhat willful child.

A child? I curled my lips strangely; he was hundreds of years old.

Looking further down, I saw "How to turn a human into a member of the Blood Kind." I paused and quickly opened it. I had no memory of how I had become a vampire. If it was just from being bitten, why was that woman at "Night Charm" bitten to death by me? And why hadn't I died back then?

"For a human to be transformed into the Blood Kind, they must first undergo the 'Embrace.' The Embrace involves having one's blood drained by a vampire and then immediately receiving the vampire's blood. When the two bloodlines fuse, they transform into a newborn of the Blood Kind. The process of the Embrace often involves intense sensations, a mixture of agony and ecstasy... According to the Camarilla traditions, vampires cannot turn progeny at will, and every vampire must be responsible for the actions of their offspring..."

So that was it...

My thoughts suddenly raced back to that day—the burning pain like being consumed by fire, the feeling of something about to burst from my body, and those demonic red lotuses growing wildly as if from hell...

I stared blankly at the computer screen. It turned out that simply because I had bit back out of spite that day, I had turned myself into what I was now. But what if I hadn't bitten that guy? Would I be dead now? Dead in my little attic with no one to even collect my body...

Wouldn't that be even more tragic than the Little Match Girl? At least she was found by people on New Year's morning, frozen to death by the roadside. But if I had died in that attic, it’s possible no one would have noticed until I turned to dust.

And... I would never have seen Gareth again.

"What are you looking at?" Gareth was standing behind me. I startled, and it was too late to close the computer.

"Just a bit curious about vampires." I smiled, seeing my own pale face reflected in the window glass. The smile stiffened slightly on my lips.

"Mhm, curious about what?" Gareth sat down beside me.

"Tell me... if a person turns into a vampire... is it still possible for her to become human again?" I asked instinctively, then chuckled at myself. How could Gareth possibly know?

"It is impossible."

I looked at Gareth blankly. "How can you be so certain?"

Gareth smiled. "Why the sudden question?"

"Just... curiosity."

"Don't look at it anymore, let's go to the amusement park," Gareth said, bringing his hand out from behind his back with a smile.

He was holding a paper bag. I opened it curiously; it was a white coat.

After I changed my clothes, Gareth took my hand and we went out. This was my first time in an amusement park; before me was a colorful world that looked like a fairy tale.

Gareth held my hand and took me to experience everything one by one.

The pirate ship, darts, the carousel, the seesaw, the cable car...

"Rory, look over here."

I had just bought hot drinks and was looking for Gareth in the crowd when his voice rang in my ear. I instinctively looked toward the sound.

With a "click," I froze, looking foolishly at Gareth smiling at me from a short distance away, a digital camera held in his hands.

He remembered what I said...

Under the sun, in the crowd, I smiled like an idiot.

I rushed forward to snatch the camera from Gareth's hands and took a few steps back.

"Smile!"

"Here, look over here..."

"Try to look a bit cuter!"

"Click, click, click..." I held the camera up, happily snapping away.

"Mr. Clown, could you take a photo for us, please?" I grabbed a staff member standing nearby wearing a clown mascot head and asked with a smile.

Mr. Clown gave an "OK" gesture.

I quickly pulled Gareth over to stand with him. At the moment the shutter clicked, I wished so much that time could stop in that instant.

After resting on a bench for a while, I became excited again. "What’s that?"

"..." Gareth glanced at me and, unusually, did not answer.

"What is it?" I became even more curious.

"A roller coaster."

I caught a flicker of emotion in Gareth's eyes and gave a mischievous smile. "I want to ride it..."

"Rory..." Gareth pursed his lips, the smile on his face beginning to falter.

"Could it be that Gareth is afraid?" I leaned closer to him, baring my teeth in a grin.

Holding my hand, Gareth ended up accompanying me onto the roller coaster after all. Amidst the continuous screaming, Gareth gripped my hand tightly, his lips turning a bit pale.

When we got off, his footsteps were already a bit unsteady.

"What’s that?" I pointed toward a high point with great enthusiasm.

"..." Gareth was silent again.

"I know that one, it's a Ferris wheel, right?"

I pulled Gareth into the cabin. As the Ferris wheel slowly rotated upward, Gareth's grip on my hand grew tighter and tighter.

"Gareth, are you afraid of heights?"

"No..." Gareth took a breath, his usual elegance momentarily missing. "Yes."

I leaned in and gently kissed his lips.

Gareth froze.

"I heard that if two people who love each other ride a Ferris wheel together, they will eventually part, but if they kiss when the wheel reaches the highest point, they will stay together forever."

"Stay together... forever?"

"Mhm." I nodded emphatically.

By the time we got off the Ferris wheel, it was getting late. I held Gareth's hand as we walked a long way through Happiness Street. When it was completely dark, I interestly dragged him to explore the night market.

My senses, which had become exceptionally sharp after turning into a vampire, detected a chilling aura. Someone was following us!

To be precise... it wasn't human.

"Gareth, let's go home." I tugged at Gareth's hand, instinctively wanting to avoid the coming chaos.

Gareth smiled and patted my hand gently, but he continued forward at an unhurried pace, eventually leading us into a dead-end alley.

"This woman looks quite delicious..." The footsteps drew closer, and a malicious voice spoke.

Vampires!

Vampires as stupid as Alastor, unable to recognize that I was one of their own.

I instinctively stepped in front of Gareth. With my back to him, I glared at the three vampires emerging from the shadows of the streetlamp. There were actually three of them!

Had City A really become infested with monsters...

What should I do!

"I want the woman!"

"Then I'll settle for the man." They cackled wickedly.

Even though I was also a vampire, I couldn't help but feel disdain for them—Alastor was much better looking! Being a vampire is unfortunate enough, yet they had to look so hideous...

"Gareth, leave first." With my back to him, I clenched my fists. I couldn't let them hurt him.

"No one is going anywhere..." One of the vampires couldn't contain himself and lunged toward us at high speed.

I instinctively raised my hand to block. To my surprise, the vampire let out a scream and was mysteriously repelled, crashing to the ground. In a few moments, he turned into a pile of ash... scattering with the wind.

Seeing the remaining two vampires with ferocious glares, waiting for a chance to move, I blinked, feeling a bit dazed.

Uh... when did I become so powerful?

A warm, large hand pressed gently on my shoulder. I turned and saw Gareth stepping out from behind me. The yellow streetlights reflected off his glasses.

I couldn't see the expression in his eyes at that moment.

"Miserable undead, in the name of the Father, I grant you liberation." His beautiful lips parted slightly, and Gareth spoke slowly with a face full of compassion.

"The Inquisition..." The two vampires' eyes widened in terror. Before they could finish their sentence, a white light flashed, and they turned to ash.

Looking at Gareth's back, I froze in place.

"Rory, it’s time to go home."

After a moment, Gareth turned with a smile and reached his hand out to me.

Under the dim yellow streetlights, those large hands looked incredibly warm.

"Mhm." I placed my hand in his palm, smiling with narrowed eyes as if nothing had just happened.

When we got home and I had bathed, I lay on the bed staring at nothing, still unable to process what had happened. Suddenly, I remembered Alastor's meaningful words from before.

Alastor had said: "Are you sure I even could hurt him?"

Looking at it now, it was indeed hard to say.

The Inquisition—what did that mean?

Gareth was taking a shower, and listening to the sound of the water, I rolled over irritably. Then my eyes widened; I jumped up and threw open the window. "What are you doing here?! Go, quickly, don't let Gareth see you!"

Alastor slipped into the room with his usual elegance, leaning down to plant a light kiss on my lips. "Are you worried about me? My dear Princess."

I pushed him with a frantic expression. "Go! If Gareth sees you, you won't have a life left to play with!"

"I am here to rescue you, my Princess..."

"Just go! Stop acting!"

"As you command!" Alastor smiled and wrapped me in his arms, preparing to jump out the window.

"Hey! Let me go!" I growled in a low voice.

"You're not coming?" Alastor looked surprised.

"Mhm."

"Do you know what kind of person he is?" Alastor looked at me with rare seriousness.

"I don't want to know. I only know he won't hurt me," I said softly, looking away.

"Aren't you even curious why you're fine standing in the sunlight?"

Suddenly thinking of that perverted vampire Sol, my heart skipped a beat. I vaguely had an answer, but I greedily hoped my suspicion was wrong.

"It was Sol who placed the curse on you. It lasts for ten days. After the tenth day, you will be cast back into the darkness. Your Gareth surely knows this."

Ten days... ten days... ten days...

"Hehe, it’s okay. Today is only the second day." I curled my lips and looked at Alastor with a smile.

Ten minus two—there were still eight days left.

Eight days...

There were still eight days; how wonderful.

Gareth wouldn't hurt me, I knew it.

He would definitely not hurt me.

I knew.

Even if the whole world didn't want me, even if the whole world abandoned me, Gareth would stay with me, no matter what I was.

I... believe in him.