Amara paused for a moment, lowering her gaze as she continued speaking. “And… thank you. Thank you for saving me and for welcoming me into your… home.” The word “home” came out in a doubtful tone, and instinctively, she glanced around.
The walls were covered with strange tools, intricate mechanisms, and peculiar objects that looked more like inventions than furnishings. The entire place felt more like the laboratory of a mad scientist than an actual home.
She couldn’t help but let a faint smile escape, amused by how surreal the situation was. She looked at Zelodio, who was watching her with an amused expression, as if he had read her thoughts.
A month passed since that day, and Amara, under Zelodio’s patient guidance, had learned the language of Vindantia, the only tongue spoken on that world. The vampire was an extraordinary teacher: his explanations were as precise as they were creative, and every lesson was enriched with practical examples and, often, curious demonstrations with his strange machinery.
Amara had learned to read and write in the new language, memorizing the days of the week—seven, just like on Earth—and the twelve months that made up the year, each with exactly thirty days. Zelodio had explained that the calendar’s regularity was due to the perfect harmony in which the world had been designed—or so said the ancient legends.
One day, as Amara curiously observed one of the many inventions populating the laboratory, Zelodio stopped beside her and pointed to a transparent tube pulsating with a blood-red substance. It was the same gas Amara had noticed throughout the house, which had initially unsettled her.
“This,” Zelodio began, lightly touching the tube with a gloved finger, “is the vind. It’s the very essence of Vindantia, the heart that moves everything.”
Amara looked at him, puzzled. “Vind?” she repeated, trying to get used to the sound of the word.
“Exactly,” he confirmed. “A unique gas, infused with pure energy. It’s harmless—you can breathe it without issue. But inside the machines… well, that’s a whole other story.” He gave an enigmatic smile and gestured to one of the nearby gears, which seemed to move with a life of its own, powered by the flow of the vind.
Zelodio explained that the gas was present in every corner of Vindantia, both in natural springs and in artificial conduits created by the planet’s inhabitants. It was the core of their technology and the essence of life itself on that world.
Between lessons, he also shared bits of geography. Vindantia was vast, with lush lands, rugged mountains, and endless deserts, home to extraordinary creatures. In the kingdom of Sinchero, where they lived, most of the population consisted of vampires like Zelodio, but there were also humans, dwarves, and even a few elves and goblins.
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Zelodio often spoke proudly of the vampires, describing their culture as refined and ancient, though not without dark secrets. He said the dwarves were unparalleled craftsmen and inventors, while the elves were rare and mysterious visitors, often traveling for unknown reasons. Goblins, on the other hand, were a despised minority, though occasionally surprisingly ingenious.
Listening to him, Amara realized how incredible this world was. Every detail Zelodio revealed made her want to explore more, to uncover every secret of Vindantia. And yet, despite everything, she couldn’t shake a certain unease. She didn’t know if it was homesickness for Earth or a strange feeling that this world, with all its beauty, hid something dark.
The last week of Pirne, the final month of the cold season, passed slowly in Zelodio’s laboratory. The vampire was busy perfecting one of his complex inventions, a conglomerate of gears and tubes filled with pulsating vind. Amara, sitting on a nearby stool, watched him with curiosity. She was fascinated by the dexterity of his hands and by the focused, absorbed expression that seemed to erase all other thoughts from his face.
At one point, Zelodio paused, removing his brown leather gloves. He fixed his gaze on Amara and, with his usual calm and almost musical tone, announced some news.
In a few days, he would need to travel to the kingdom’s capital, Corvintia, at the invitation of the noble vampires Reto of Aurivell and Quina of Aurivell. That family was one of the oldest and most influential in Sinchero, known not only for their immense wealth but also for their passion for cultivating the arts and sciences. Zelodio had received a formal invitation to attend the birthday celebration of the Aurivells’ youngest son, an event that promised to be lavish and full of social expectations.
Zelodio, however, didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about the event. His tone was more dutiful than joyful, but as he explained to Amara, declining such an invitation would have been unthinkable. Moreover, Corvintia was the capital, the kingdom’s beating heart, a place where every journey could open new opportunities.
After finishing his explanation, the vampire looked at her with a probing expression. “I’ll be away for a week. I don’t know if you’d prefer to stay here, at home, or if you’d like to come with me.”
Amara remained silent for a moment, surprised by the proposal. The thought of staying alone in Zelodio’s large and mysterious house, with its strange machinery and tubes of vind that seemed to pulse like living veins, unsettled her. It wasn’t that she was afraid, but the idea of spending entire days in that deserted place didn’t bring her any peace.
In the end, she answered that she would like to go with him. She tried to speak calmly, but her enthusiasm slipped into her words, making her blush. She tried to adjust her tone, justifying her choice by saying she didn’t trust herself to stay alone, surrounded by machines that, with the slightest mistake, could explode.
Zelodio smiled at her words, amused by her reaction. “I see. Then we’d better prepare everything we’ll need.” He gestured for her to follow him, leading her to a small room next to the kitchen, where he kept some suitcases and trunks.
Amara realized that the idea of traveling with Zelodio was far more exciting than she had wanted to admit. Not only would she get to see the capital in all its majesty, but she felt this journey would open the door to something new. She didn’t yet know what, but the thought alone made her tremble with curiosity.
Meanwhile, Zelodio was already immersed in the preparations, with the methodical and precise skill that characterized him. Somehow, even this simple task—packing for a trip—seemed to transform, in his hands, into an art.