How did a Seer see the world?

What was it like to see possibilities?

What made them different from the rest?

For a moment as Lord Cassius Blackwell expressed that it was a shame that he didn't make Eleanor cry, she briefly smiled as her gaze flickered and then she was gone consciously.

Because she saw a scene–the very same time when they had first arrived in the manor and it was the Vampire Lord on his knees and in much pain and suffering.

Neither Rose or Eleanor didn't know what to do.

Instead, her friend simply grabbed her wrist and took the opportunity to escape the manor and the two of them ended up in the woods in order to escape him.

What happened afterwards was a confrontation with Sir Knight and his group–an arrow to the chest.

The look of surprise that flickered over the Archer's face before she died there. And the last thing she saw was the sudden explosion behind her–of a Vampire Lord that ruined the already fallen house.

The demise of both groups promised in that scenario.

At another flicker of her eyes, something else appeared before Eleanor.

She saw the Vampire Lord turn them away and chase them out of his abode and the look of what might have been shame.

He did not hurt them.

Various words left his lips, of something that made her confused–and yet there was an earnest expression that said much more than what he did now.

Rose was the one who received an arrow in the back at that point. Even the wind failed her at that moment and with Rose gone–Eleanor didn't quite care about what happened next.

In another path, the Vampire Lord would have been more upfront and spoke about what lay on his mind. At another time, Rose was already dead and Eleanor was captured, used as bait to bring down Averon Kingdom to its knees.

But by then, another group intercepted and it was–Eleanor felt blood in her tongue and in her throat, a sensation which she swallowed down as she winced.

The scenario slipped away from her grasp as she returned and regained consciousness.

"She's doing her Seer ability isn't she?" the Vampire Lord said nonchalantly to Rose. Or perhaps just to himself.

Right now, he was at a crossroads.

In between being human and fiend.

Neither monster or friend.

"Don't disturb her, Lord Blackwell–it's a sensitive time," Rose said and Eleanor heard the footsteps of Rose stepping in front of her.

Eleanor's head ached as the visions dulled and then she was back into seeing nothing but darkness. Colors faded away. Shapes disappeared.

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Once more, she was returned to the pitch blackness and for others–that might have been a prison, but for Eleanor it was a solace.

She'd only focus on the sound of their voices and reached out to touch Rose's hand.

The sense of touch and sound was safe and reassuring as she raised her head at the approximate position of the Vampire Lord, or hoped it was.

"Perhaps you'll be able to make me cry at another time," Eleanor said.

"Did your vision show that?" he asked, a bit of scorn in his voice.

Eleanor gave him a smile–and she knew it was unnerving when someone as her did it and stared down at a person.

Her siblings had once told her it was frightening.

"I cannot tell that to someone who prefers not to involve himself with my abilities... more than that, you do not wish me to speak up, if I am correct?"

A silent click of the tongue. The Vampire Lord's.

"Indeed. I have no use for you."

"At least now, but you wouldn't have taken us in for no reason, right?" Eleanor pointed out as she remembered the older visions she saw. "In another time, we would have been your... blood bag? That is how you referred to us... and in another time, we would have been used for far more explicit purposes."

"Your Highness, I will not let him lay a single finger on you." Rose's hand tightened around Eleanor's. Brave and earnest as always. "I do not understand how in another time this fiend actually succeeded, but know that he will only lay a finger on you when I'm dead."

"Which is perfect because I can do just that. Either way, I can use the two of you in both ways," Lord Blackwell remarked with a relaxed tone. "But the thought of doing it to someone like either of you is quite repulsive–I have my tastes, do not think of yourself that much, Your Highness."

"... I did not mention anything specific when I said explicit things," Eleanor carefully said. “You and even Rose seem to have thought of similar things.”

She knew that she got on his nerves… and she carefully tiptoed against death and access to his psyche.

"What else would you imply then with the term explicit?" Lord Blackwell scoffed. "I may not do anything now because I do not see either of you as satisfying partners–but know that you cannot fool me by speaking cryptically. The reason why you're here is to simply attract people from the Averon Kingdom."

"What? Averon Kingdom?" Rose's voice held surprise. "Didn't you kill everyone and turn them into Ghouls? I can imagine that people will start looking for them, especially because one of them is from the knight order–"

"He let one of them live." Eleanor answered at last as she remembered the face of Ashter Bouw. His name and presence. "It seems Master is more than confident that the Averon Kingdom will not be able to deal a blow to the fallen Blackwell Manor. He underestimates us."

"I know my capabilities," Lord Blackwell said. "I have encountered your small 'assassination' group and found them less than capable. More than that, I can easily kill that Bouw Boy if I wished."

"A long-ranged attack?"

Eleanor could already imagine the frown in Rose's face as she stared up at Lord Blackwell. She sighed inwardly and would have tried to see more possibilities if not for the headache that now afflicted her.

She couldn’t spend all her time using her Seer skills, she would suffer for it.

"I simply won't allow that boy to leave and not have something that will make the crown of Averon understand the power of Blackwell," he said. "Once he arrives and gives the message, he will die in a gruesome way that your kingdom has never seen for the last five hundred years."

Silence befell the hallway and Eleanor sighed softly, releasing Rose's hand on her. "You make plans, failsafes but even you know that unexpected things might happen."

"I do not know how you are aware of Vampires, but I presume it is because a princess' studies involve them–but when I encountered the group, they did not understand what I am. That will bring me an edge," he said and then finally clicked his tongue again.

Eleanor knew that he himself weighed his own actions on his own scale.

His voice was sharper now, vindictive.

"Not that I need an edge at all. In a full confrontation, I will still end up as the victor. Regardless, I do not have to explain any of this to you or waste more time with you two."

Eleanor didn't hear his footsteps, but based on how Rose sighed in relief–he was gone.