It's been two days since they placed him in this small shabby room somewhere within the College. The room he was given to rest on was cramped, bricked with bronze, and bright candlelight kept his room from becoming pitch black. He was too injured to move his body or leave the room.

Doctors tended to him day and night, and his luggage and identification was safely returned. No doubt that Fiona was making sure he was more than comfortable in Vollimere.

Not even a warm bath could get that painful memory out of Theodore's head. The brutal imagery of the burning forest and the corpses of the Wolves was still freshly ripe in his mind. Just imagining it was enough to make his wounds sting, even though they've been stitched shut by now. He splashed his face full of water before he stepped out of the bath.

Speaking of Vollimere, the city itself was a behemoth more than the other cities he's visited before. The city was surrounded by a massive wall that stretched for miles, built with black bricks and spikes formed around the base. It was too tall even to scale, no wonder it hasn't been penetrated for so long, not even the Shadow's Claw could perceive to breach it.

Inside the wall, a multitude of various buildings and houses littered each nook and cranny of a territory the size of a small ocean. The streets were always busy, even at night where the city lights felt like stars on the ground.

As he sat alone, admiring the nightly view from his window, the silence gave Theodore a lot of time to reflect on past events. It struck him that he hasn't heard "that voice" for the longest time before the forest. Taunting him when he was so close to becoming the very monster he was sworn to kill.

Has it been a while since he was able to let his bloodthirsty inhibitions loose? Theodore asked himself. The entire time he slaughtered those demi-beasts, he found himself relishing under an intense pleasure that nearly overtook his mind.

"Time is running out, Theodore," the monstrous voice called out to Theodore as a dark shadowy figure instantly appeared behind him. Though he was alone, he could see its form from the reflection of his mirror.

Its entire body was painted in blood, a perfect imitation of Theodore in the aftermath of his battle with the Claws. Its hair was disheveled, and it wore a crooked smile from ear to ear.

It was a phantom of his likeness born from the demon's curse, looking to torment him and cloud his judgment. With his special glasses broken during the battle, Theodore

"Your strength is waning. It won't be long before you lose control for good, and I take over your precious body."

"You heard that apprentice, yes?" Theodore said to the phantom. "There is a cure, and Fiona found it. It will be mine after I complete their task."

The phantom giggled horribly. "And you believe her? So soon? Poor little Theodore... You're so desperate to become something you'll never become, that you're willing to side with the one that betrayed you."

"I'm not taking any sides here. I'm just strictly here for business, as usual." Theodore retorted. "But I will tell you this, demon. If this cure turns out to be a farce, I'll let you decide what to do with Fiona."

"Attaboy..." The phantom hissed. "Admit it. You enjoyed slaughtering those poor beasts in that battle. They never should've left their poor cages, don't you think?"

"No, it doesn't." Theodore stared at his reflection, as the phantom set foot just behind him. "They were fighting for a cause, and they died bravely."

"You keep telling yourself that," it fondled his neck. "But let me remind you. If it weren't for me, you would've been dead a long time ago. Remember the witch?"

"All too well." Theodore knew the demon was right; had it not been for its help, the witch would've overtaken him sooner or later.

Theodore's conversation with his phantom was then interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door, followed by the scent of roses and grapes, and a familiar voice.

"Now might be your cue, demon," Theodore told it. "Now leave me alone with my guest."

The phantom chuckled again. "I'll see you soon." And disappeared from the reflection as quickly as he came.

Theodore draped his overcoat over his shoulders. "Who's there?"

"It's me. Did you miss me?" Yvette's voice responded.

"Hardly. Come in."

Yvette let herself in and greeted Theodore with her signature smile. Her long hair was hanging freely down her waist, she simply wore a dark green dress and her black gloves were still wrapped around her arms. Not a single speck of makeup on her round rosy face. She was still holding her cane, which she needed as she's got a limp.

"I haven't heard from you in two days. Did that little spectacle leave you THAT exhausted?" Theodore asked.

"That spectacle took a lot of mana to conjure." Yvette sighed as she sat on the bed. "And yes, I was bedridden for a day. I couldn't lift a damn finger."

"That must have been painful. Would've been hilarious to see." Theodore blankly commented as he slurped on a cup of milk.

"Very funny," Yvette snickered, before dropping her bubbly act in a second. "I nearly forgot to thank you, Theo."

"For what? And don't call me Theo."

Yvette's smile was now genuinely sincere. "For saving me. Normally when I unleash my full power, it would drain too much of my life force and well, I'm about as good as a vegetable for a while after that. But I heard that you carried me out of that forest. And for that, I couldn't be more grateful for you. Now I owe you a great debt of gratitude, Theo."

"You don't want me owing you anything." Theodore shook his head, unconvinced. "But I am curious about something."

"About what?" Yvette asked.

"I saw how well you danced alongside the fire," Theodore recounted. "You were dancing so strangely. Like you were channeling the flames with every step, but you also seem as if you're in a trance. I could sniff out in your aura back then that... it's not you."

Yvette began to shiver upon hearing that. She leaned closer to Theodore and touched his chest. "Vengeful ghosts with unfinished business tend to have a stronger essence than those without. Their essence... I find them to be a great source of power. And you have so many of them, permanently tethered to you by a thread tied by bloodshed. So that night, we were cornered and I... couldn't resist."

It began to click in Theodore's mind. "You absorb these ghosts and use their essence to fuel your magic?"

"Correct," she answered. "But by doing so, I absorbed a part of the ghost into my very soul. For a moment they take over my body and... do whatever they can before they lose and completely assimilate into my very being."

Even Theodore was appalled by this discovery. But he had one more question left in mind. "Does it… Does it hurt when you absorb them?"

She stared at him, her eyes sparkled with unsung agony. "A lot," she said sadly. "More often than not, fragments of these ghosts find their way to recombine themselves and try to take over permanently. The power I get from them is quite enriching, but every day becomes a struggle, being able to perceive them, being able to... feel their anguish. I find it to be both a blessing and a curse."

Theodore could only manage a sigh. "A damned soul. Just like me then."

He quietly allowed Yvette to lean over his shoulder. As she did, Theodore felt the begrudging fury stemming of his collection of ghosts surrounding him through the cold chill.

"Anything else you want to tell me?" Theodore picked up a glass of warm milk from the table.

"Oh. Lady Fiona has just cleared her schedule. She sent me here to escort you to her study to speak with her and the Headmaster."

Theodore wiped the milk mustache off his upper lip. "Took their bloody time." He muttered. "I need to get out of this shabby room anyway. Too much of this depressing energy is going to rile up these ghosts, don't you think?"

Yvette managed a chuckle. "You're damn right, Theo. Let's get out of here."

"And don't call me Theo. It's annoying, so stop it."

At once, the duo left the tower and made their way through Saint Lucille's College of War. The corridors in the building were structured with high arch ceilings, rows of wide stained windows occupy the left side of the hall while elaborate paintings of the city's history fill the right. Columns decorate each corner of the corridors with candelabras attached to them.

The courtyard was the biggest that Theodore had ever seen. The garden held a wild assortment of various plants, flowers and trees exotic to the continent of Fericire.

A golden fountain with a statue of Saint Lucille stood at the center. Everywhere they went, Theodore simply admired the architecture and he didn't care that the Keep was an elaborate maze of corridors.

"So what does this school teach, other than war?" Theodore asked.

"Well, aside from being a war hero in the Crusades, Saint Lucille is also an influential alchemist. She's the one who revolutionized the art of transmutation, which is now being used to create better medicine, potions and such." Yvette explained.

Theodore simply nodded along. "And where do the students sleep?"

"They should be asleep by now in the dormitories on the west wing," Yvette answered. "But today, the Headmaster has asked for a strict curfew to return to their dormitories immediately before dusk."

"For what purpose?"

Yvette stared into his eyes, as hers saw a bright deep crimson gazing back at her. "I think you know, Theo. It was Lady Fiona who proposed the curfew to the Headmaster, after all."

Theodore lost his glasses at the battle. The Hollow's mark he bore was completely exposed.

The courtyard was the biggest that Theodore had ever seen. The garden held a wild assortment of various plants, flowers and trees exotic to the continent of Fericire.

A golden fountain with a statue of Saint Lucille stood at the center. She was depicted as wearing a scholarly robe, with a sword on one hand and a flask in the other. Around her neck was a necklace with several emblems of alchemy symbols chained upon it.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Everywhere they went, Theodore simply admired the architecture and he didn't care that the Keep was an elaborate maze of corridors.

"I've never seen such excellent craftsmanship." Theodore observed.

Yvette's face gleamed with pride. "I'm glad you're enjoying your time here, Theodore. Now then, the study should be this way."

"Actually, why do we have to go to Fiona right now?" Theodore said to her. "Why don't you give me a tour of the whole keep while we're here?"

Yvette was appalled by such a mischievous thought. "We can't, Theodore. I'm under strict orders and we don't have the time."

"Well, it doesn't seem like Fiona is going anywhere right now. And I want to take a good look at the College while we're still alone." Theodore attempted to smile slyly, but his muscles struggled as though he lacked practice doing so.

"It can wait, Theo. We don't want to keep Lady Fiona and the Headmaster waiting now, do we?" Yvette reaffirmed.

"Hmph. You're no fun."

"Huh. I didn't think you'd be fond of fun."

Theodore and Yvette pressed on to the study, and goodness it was massive. It was a labyrinth of shelves containing a great collection of books and scrolls of many subjects and categories. The chandelier was shaped like a solar system, with the sun as the very light of the room.

The Headmaster and Lady Fiona sat on a long table next to the fireplace. The headmaster of the College was still in his nightly robes, hidden under his red scholar's cloak. His face was gaunt and wrinkly, he was balding with a bushy beard over his chin, but he managed a comely smile upon Yvette and Theodore.

Lady Fiona wore an elaborate golden escoffion headwear, covering her hair and neck underneath. Her diamond-shaped face was painted in white, with a single black stripe on her lower lip. Her ornate black gown was fashioned with crow feathers layered over the fabric.

Despite such an elaborate outfit that made her nearly unrecognizable, Theodore can always tell her by the sharp concentrated look in her violet eyes. She gazed at him as he did with his own eyes that made the Headmaster shake in fear. But she didn't flinch at all.

"Headmaster Martin, Lady Fiona." Yvette bowed before either of them. "I present to you in person, Theodore Barclay."

She turned to Theodore next. "Theodore, I introduce you to Lord Martin Gardener, the Cardinal's chief alchemist and the Headmaster of our esteemed College. And Lady Fiona..."

"You already told me plenty about her on the way here." Theodore raised his hand. "That should be quite enough."

Yvette turned to him. "Please don't disrespect Lady Fiona right in front of-"

"Yvette, it's quite alright."

"My word, It's an honor to see you, lad." Lord Martin mustered up the courage to offer Theodore his hand. "You're Lady Fiona's nephew, right? I've been told stories of you and your... affliction. But nothing could prepare me for actually seeing it in person."

"She talks about me? Quite unnatural of her." Theodore shook his hand.

"And on top of that, you're a Barclay." Lord Martin remarked. "Why, the Barclays are always welcome in the Cardinal's city. Your father, poor sir Henry, was an incredible alchemist just as he is a powerful magician. He was the one who sealed the enchantress Dorottya away twenty years ago."

"Is that so?" Theodore was bemused to hear that, glaring at Fiona for a moment. "I didn't know about that. To be frank, I never bothered to learn anything about my father. He died long before I was born anyway."

"Oh, you poor thing." Lord Martin had a mournful look on his face. "Sir Henry was of great help to the city when he last came here, and we haven't been able to repay him for his kindness. I could quite see a lot of him in you, lad."

"Enough," Lady Fiona snapped. "Martin, you can sing your praises later. We have important matters to discuss with my dear nephew, don't we? Please, take your seats."

And so, Yvette took a seat next to the Headmaster while Theodore sat across from Lady Fiona.

"I take it that my apprentice has already told you the basics of our current conundrum?" Lady Fiona asked.

"Quite so. An ancient vampiress from myth has come back from the dead, declaring war on the city. She is in league with a rebellion of demi-beasts that I quelled two days before with the assistance of your apprentice." Theodore reported. "I suppose that's the gist of it, but I would be quick to assume that there's more to that?"

"Calling her ancient is an understatement," Headmaster Martin remarked. "She was alive way back when Vollimere was still ruled by kings, not by lords or cardinals like today. Even then, she was just as despicable as she is now as a vampire in a lot of ways."

"Enlighten me," Theodore replied.

"Dorottya was responsible for the constant plagues and disasters that nearly led the kingdom into starvation and ruin. She lured innocent children away into the mountains, where she would tear their bodies apart as ingredients to her potions." The Headmaster then gulped. "But they couldn't compare to her most despicable crime."

"And what would that be, sir?" Theodore asked.

The Headmaster smacked his lips together. "Dorottya seduced our first king, Roderick, into falling madly in love with her. She bore a child with him out of wedlock, and then proclaimed herself as the Queen and her spawn as the rightful heir to the dynasty."

"I take it that everyone back then wasn't too happy with that?" Theodore guessed.

"Not quite," the Headmaster continued. "The King was so bewitched by her charms, that he called off an arranged alliance to Princess Loretta of Creston to make Dorottya his queen instead. Of course, Roderick's council did not take his decision kindly and decided to have her killed and bring sense back to the king before she assumed control completely.

"There was only one way to rid the King of the charm: the heart of the witch itself. And so, the council hired a group of hunters to track her down in her domain somewhere in the mountains. The band of hunters chased her all the way into the heart of the forest until she grew exhausted. They cut out her heart and left her dying body to the mercy of the maggots and the wolves."

Theodore nodded along, seeming unvexed by the tale. "And what of her child?"

"A monster's spawn. Malformed, and hideous when the hunter found it. It was said to have prickly scales instead of skin, pus instead of blood." The headmaster carried on. "It shrieked so horribly when it cried that it shook the entire province awake. The hunters dashed the poor bastard against the stones and threw the carcass beside her.."

"And the King Roderick?"

"Cured of her spell by a concoction made from her heart's essence. He went on to rebuild the kingdom that the enchantress nearly brought to destruction, and wedded the Princess, further strengthening their alliance with the other kingdom."

Theodore adjusted his collar. "An interesting tale. But we know this wasn't the end of her. She became a vampire, did she not?"

"Indeed, this is not the first time she struck at Vollimere as a vengeful vampire." The Headmaster explained. "Twenty years ago, what started as small ambushes on merchants and the common folk turned for the worst as Dorottya delved deeper into necromancy. Slowly she amassed an army of monsters, and began marching her way toward the city, slaughtering anyone who comes in her way and turning them into her undead slaves.

"She also took it upon himself to bewitch some of the nobility over to her side, further strengthening her forces. She was almost victorious in storming the capital itself, when death finally came to her in the form of a powerful magician..."

"My father, I presume?" Theodore asked once more.

"Yes," Lady Fiona butted in. "As the situation worsened, the Parliament sent forth two of their best magicians to deal with Dorottya's insurrection. Your father Henry, and myself. Henry took it upon himself to slay the vampiress once and for all while I helped the Cardinal's army defeat her loyal subjects. In the end, Henry couldn't defeat her so he imprisoned her in a magical seal instead, and imprisoned she remained."

"Lady Fiona and Henry helped rebuild the city in the aftermath, too." The Headmaster intervened. "For twenty years, we've enjoyed quite a long period of peace that we thought would last forever..." His expression darkened. "That is until a few weeks ago."

"The attacks from the Shadow's Claw, and the fact that Dorottya has returned to wreak havoc on the province yet again?" Theodore adjusted himself in his seat.

Lady Fiona nodded. "Precisely. The circumstances of how she escaped the seal is unclear even to me, but she has indeed returned to bring about her vengeance once again. But it is clear that she made an unlikely alliance with the Claw to help bring the Cardinal to his knees."

"What good does Dorottya get with an alliance with a bunch of demi-beasts?" Theodore inquired yet again.

"Theodore, the Claw are full of demi-beasts who were cruelly mistreated by humans when they were formerly... slaves." Yvette spoke, her face cringed as she said that last word. "They brought down the Province of Pellazar five months ago, their numbers growing by the hundreds."

"So those bandits we killed along the road were simply...?"

"A fraction of a bigger army. Despite how different their species are and where their loyalties lie, Dorottya and the Claw are bound by one goal and one goal only; the destruction of Vollimere entirely."

Theodore straightened himself up in his chair. "And how is the situation going right now?" He asked after a moment of silence.

"Raids in several villages, each having only one survivor to tell the tale," Lady Fiona elaborated. "To avoid general panic, the Cardinal had them silenced. Not a word about Dorottya's return shall reach the public's ears. So as far as the rest of the city knows, the Claw alone is responsible for the recent attacks. The Cardinal sent his army, led by Sebastian le Roy, to scour the region and make a good example of the Claw."

"And this must be where I come in?" Theodore stared at Lady Fiona, dead in the eye. "You want me to kill her?"

"It's an order, not a want." Lady Fiona replied. "I had you in mind for this mission, because I have something I know you've been chasing after this whole time."

"Show me, then." Theodore sternly ordered. "I can't just simply abide by your words alone and do your dirty work without question. Show me proof that you have it, Fiona, or you will never see me again."

Yvette and the Headmaster, who were quietly snacking on a bowl of biscuits, turned to Lady Fiona as she unveiled a rolled-up piece of paper. It smelled like old scented candles and the paper seemed very old. Lady Fiona unrolled the paper and passed it on to Theodore's hands.

Theodore's eyes widened as he read through the torn page. It was the first page of a chapter simply titled “Caeleste Metamorphoses, Purgatorio Magnae Daemonis Exsecratio”. He felt the demon inside him quiver when he spoke that sacred language.

“The Heavenly Ordinance, the Purging of the Great Demon’s Curse,” Theodore translated.

There were written instructions on how to conduct a great ritual in the shape of the pentagram, meant to exorcize the most grueling of curses out of the afflicted body whereupon the expelled demon will die at the touch of sunlight. Alongside it was the prayer incantation needed to activate it. Theodore was just about ready to know more, only to find the prayer cut off where the page ended.

It was a miracle, yet Theodore hardly believed in miracles. He looked toward Lady Fiona with bewildered eyes. “This… how did you get this?” He asked.

“Rumor has it that Dorottya is in possession of a grimoire written by Anasterion de la Torre, a magician who was said to have seen and went to Heaven with his own eyes, and was taught in the holy arts of the Angels. He documented this forbidden wisdom which he was bestowed, into a grimoire that never saw the light of day. I sent a group of magicians to her domain, hoping to steal it from her.” Lady Fiona recounted.

“But they were discovered and Dorottya picked them off one by one. Only one managed to survive and escape to the city, with a handful of pages torn straight from the grimoire itself. When I found this page among those she took, I knew I had to find you. So I sent Yvette here to seek you out and bring you here.”

Theodore simply bobbed his head up and down. “But it’s only just the first page. That would mean I have to go to Dorottya’s domain to get a hold of the rest of it.”

“Yes, unfortunately.” Lady Fiona could muster such a reply.

“Fun,” Theodore said, his face was the exact opposite of what he uttered. “Though I fail to see how I’m going to fight an ancient vampire queen and an army of demi-beasts at the same time.”

“You don’t need to worry about that, Theodore.” Yvette spoke. “I'll accompany you in your journey."

"I didn't ask for your help."

"Of course, you didn't. Lady Fiona said I had to. Besides, I owe you a lot for protecting me."

The Headmaster stood up from his seat. "That's settled then. I shall see you, Lady Fiona. And Theodore, it's a pleasure to meet you. As of now, you are an esteemed guest of the College. You are welcome to use any services in the College that can assist you in your hunt." He turned to Yvette. "Child, take me to my quarters. All this talk has made me sleepy."

Yvette took the Headmaster by the hand and escorted him out of the chamber. But before she discreetly winked at Theodore, who blatantly ignored her. Now, Theodore was all alone with Lady Fiona in the study. He was just about to rise from his seat when she raised her hand.

"Before you leave, I want to give you something." Lady Fiona said, pulling out a small wooden box from under her sleeves. "Open it."

Theodore opened the box and found a pair of round glasses. The lenses were tinted in sapphire blue, and thickly rimmed in obsidian. An iron chain was attached to both arms. It was a near-perfect replica of his old glasses, which he built as a way of concealing his crimson eyes, the one he lost in his battle with the Wolf.

"I had your glasses fixed by the alchemists of the College during your recovery," Lady Fiona told him. "You'll find it handles the same but with a few adjustments. I chose a specific lens that improves your eyesight and I enchanted them to see through optical illusions. The alchemists also chose a metal for the rim that makes it impossible to break."

Theodore held the glasses in his hands. It wasn't too heavy or too light. He wore them and it was just as Lady Fiona described; he saw faraway objects a lot clearer now.

"I didn't expect you to be this generous." Theodore took them off and placed them back into the box delicately.

"Consider it a gift from me." Lady Fiona coldly smiled.

"Surely, this isn't going to make up for the day that you abandoned me," Theodore said so callously.

"Of course not," Lady Fiona simply replied, staring at him with such empty violet eyes. "It's more of thank you for accepting this task. Not just from me, but from the entirety of Vollimere. So it is in your best interest to just accept what you were given."

Theodore sat up from his chair, the box in his hands. "I'll be retiring for the night. I shall start my hunt tomorrow in the earnest. Farewell, Lady Fiona."

"And farewell to you too, Theodore." Lady Fiona also rose up from her chair. "I've placed a large bet on your survival, so don't disappoint me tomorrow."

She winked at him, the same cold eye like Yvette's, and disappeared in a shimmering smoke, leaving Theodore alone in the study with her gift in his hands and the torn page on the table.