Suta POV

Suta's naturally omitted a lot of the things he went through, of course, one of those being his meeting with the fishbowl head, those deathly oaths he swore upon as a result. His subsequent death, oh and of course, the fact that he was actually from another world, transmigrated into someone else's body. All the things that might somehow get him into more trouble.

But everything else he was glad to talk about.

Depressingly enough though, it didn't seem as though anything he revealed proved to move this scarlet-eyed figure one single bit. Ever since his dramatic narration began, that cold deadpan face only grew more mirthless.

'Damn it! Wh-what's his problem? Does he think I'm lying?' Growing panic started to fester, he could feel his fingertips turning clammy whilst his throat felt dry Those penetrating bright eyes beheld him with such coldness, so much so Suta could barely get his words free from his mouth at times. And just when he felt all hope slipping away from his control. A little voice erupted into the frigid air from behind him.

"S-s-ser Anak! Pl-pl-please spare him!"

Suta moved his gaze towards the childish voice. The little guy's entire body was shivering uncontrollably, but it's large clear eyes remained filled with an unwavering resolve.

"Hm? The faey?" He heard the grey skinned fellow mutter beneath his breath. He then took a deep sigh and smoothed his blonde hair over his head.

"So it was you three that brought him to my domain? Why is that?" The watery voice asked the little green-haired fairy in particular. The trio shared looks of concern, undecided between them on who should speak first. But Suta felt the oppressive aura around him lessening. At the very least, the little brave fairy had brought him some time.

"B-b-because... ahem... forgive us, Ser Anak, but this... creature fell... well, he..." The flustered fairy stammered unsure where to place its stare.

"He fell from the sky. And he's been... poisoned." The fairy with the red hair said

"Poisoned?"

Those cold eyes fell upon him again with a strange light flickering within them this time around.

"Y-yes... by the Lion's rot."

A sharp gust of wind moved past him, again a movement so quick Suta could barely keep up with it. Instead he felt his body being scooped away off the ground. He felt his equilibrium going haywire, before finding himself dangling against the air like a rag doll, now the sky was below and the ground was above him.

The slight problem was noticing he had been easily hoisted into the air by a single arm. Those dreadful predatory eyes locked onto him again. Yet this time, there was an unmissable look of wonder gathered within that pale mask.

'Heh-heh, finally realized my worth, did you? Sigh ... well, at least he isn't trying to kill me. Tsk- but why do I keep finding myself in these types of situations?'

These days, he was almost a magnet to these weird and near-death experiences. All he wanted to do was learn Arcane, but this world and its mysteries were hellbent on dragging him through the wringer. Anak wore a confused look against his cold mask. "He fell from the sky... I see." Suta nervously watch the slenderly tall fellow move those blood soaked eyes towards the fairies.

"You little ones should report this to your chief. Do not fear; the human is safe with me."

'Human?' Suta's attention was suddenly piqued.

'He knows what I am. at least.' He thought,

"Er-ah... a-are you sure?" One of the little fairies bravely asked, precisely the green-haired little one.

'Ah-he's sticking up for me, eh?'

But his chivalry wasn't shared by the others, who quickly rushed to cover his little mouth. "Ahem! F-forgive us, Ser Anak. If you say the intruder will now be your prisoner, we shan't question your decision. Excu-excuse us... we shall report this to the chief." The red haired fairy gave Suta a strange look before proudly turning his nose away at him.

'Damn-selling me out just like that.'

Suta could only watch on as the trio cautiously took their leave. Despite their haste to leave him, he could see each of their little faces showing muddled emotions whilst they kept turning around to look at him along the way. Eventually, they did fly back down the winding stony road. Leaving him helpless in the hands of this fellow they verbally referred to as the accursed one.

"Welp, guess it could be worse..." he sighed depressingly at his current plight.

The pale-faced figure finally drew his attention back towards him, his soothing and rather cold raspy voice then said

"Now then... human who fell from the stars? I assume you are human, yes?"

Suta gulped harshly, hearing that voice somehow felt like a shard of ice being lightly grated against the back of his neck. He gently nodded his head in response feeling slightly nauseous from being suspended upside down like this. No matter which way he chose to spin it, those blood-red eyes were absolutely terrifying to stare into up close.

'Maybe, just maybe, if I can gain his trust... he might be able to help me in more ways than one.'

Still lingering in his daydreams, it wasn't until he heard the sudden tones of dark laughter that he felt his whirring thoughts falling silent.

"So... it is true... I see... Fufuh-heh-hehe-he-Buahahahaha!" The unexpected and rather unhinged laughter sent chills running down the nape of Suta's neck.

'Goodness, it wasn't that funny.' He grimaced in slight horror, wishing these strange characters could just be normal for once.

"Hahahah-good-good... I have waited an age for this moment." Anak snarled into the twilight air

"An age of silence and starvation... do you know what that feels like boy? Trapped beneath that dreaded never-ending golden moon."

Anak spoke these things, and Suta noticed those scarlet-colored eyes depressingly lifting towards the twilight air above.

Due to the way he was being held upright, quite embarrassingly. He struggled before he could finally twist himself ever so slightly towards his left side, now he was gazing at the starry skies. Following Anaks trail of sight, being upside down still failed to quell the deep shock he felt the moment he laid eyes upon the golden object lodged within the twilight air. Just behind the leaves of the towering oak. There was a giant golden half-moon, noticeably glittering like thousands of tiny stars, more peculiarly he could vaguely remember seeing that exact image within one of Granny Baba's books. If his memory served him correctly, judging by the countless golden particles shimmering off its surface. There was no doubt about what that could be.

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"Wh-why is there a... rune in the sky?" His voice travelled through the air.

"You know of the runes? Fufufuh, indeed, you are one of them, aren't you?" Anak spoke

Suta's brow twitched a little; after going through slightly similar experiences thus far, he could almost guess what Anak was about to say next.

"Lineage of dawn... right?" Suta softly spoke, feeling another headache on the way. And for the first time that night, it was not him who was shocked, but the one wearing that haughty stone-mask, hearing those words escaped through Suta's mouth.

'As I thought,' the boy sighed to himself.

That searing pain against his side wasn't too far behind, dutifully reminding him about his current plight. For Suta, at this point, the pain had gotten so problematic that he could only helplessly cry. However, his discomfort didn't go unnoticed by the cold-faced Anak.

"The poisonous Lion's Rotted disease. How peculiar. I thought we felled the last set of those accursed cubs five decades ago? Or has it been longer? I tend to forget these days... perhaps an incantation... hmm, human... which world have you tumbled out from?"

"W-wait-what are you-?" Suta blurted out, trying to piece together the fellow's jumble of words.

"How... how do you... know about... w-wait! Who exactly are you?"

That cold, expressionless mask finally showed a subtle look of emotion . The corners of his pale mouth slightly tugged upwards. Suta observed the defined features of this ominous fellow, almost finding himself lost in those blood-soaked eyes glimmering with intensity every time he stared deeply at him.

"Heh! Who am I? Kukukuh, is seeing me not believing enough, human? Rather, if memory serves me correctly, I believe your people have a rather unique name for my kind. Ah-what was it again...a strange name it was. He himself taught it to me-the same way he taught me many other things concerning the distant worlds... Yes-yes! It was that, wasn't it... Vam-pire he called my kind"

Suta could barely contain his surprise hearing that. "W-wait wh-what?" To suta this changed everything, if Anak truly was a vampire, then perhaps he held the key not only to curing this strange affliction. But also to unravel the mysteries surrounding Suta's sudden arrival in this realm.

"A vampire..." Suta murmured, his voice trembling slightly. "I... I never thought I'd encounter one, let alone in a place like this."

Anak's smile widened, revealing a set of sharp, gleaming fangs.

"Ah, but you have, human. And now, the question still remains: what shall I do with you?"

Suta swallowed hard, his mind racing to find the right words.

"Please, Ss-ser Anak or is it...accursed one?," he began, although the response he drew from the vampire was one less than impressed.

"Aha Se-ser Anak it is! Ahem! one thousand apologies. Ahem!"

His voice was steady despite the fear coursing through his veins. "I come to you not as a threat, but as a seeker of knowledge. If you truly possess the wisdom of other worlds, then perhaps we can help each other."

The vampire tilted his head, his glowing eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Help each other? And what, pray tell, could you offer me in return human?"

Suta took a deep breath, his gaze never wavering from Anak's. "My story, my experiences... err-I...wh-what do you want?"

For a moment, Anak remained silent, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he lowered Suta to the ground, the air of release Suta felt was heavenly. He finally felt order returning to his mind again also. And just for a few moments, he couldn't help but exhaling fourth a relaxed breath in response.

'I thought my head was going to explode.'

"You fell from someplace rather close by, didn't you? A certain land covered in bright singing little horrors, a large blue castle, and a night sky marred by two moons?" Said Anak as matter of factually.

'Oh? He knows about Candy? of course he does, but why does this feel slightly...' Despite his reservations, Suta gently nodded in response. He saw an almost menacing smile crease against Anak's pale features before he continued.

"Good! Then there is something you can do for me." He said,

From which Suta felt a cold sweat creeping down his spine. Anaks pale face drew dangerously closer to his own without warning. Suta shuffled back.

"You will help me take that castle...human kukuh!"

That revelation was perhaps the last thing racing through Suta's mind at this point, naturally, his eyes widened in shock as he processed those words before asking a few of his own.

"T-take the castle? You mean... Candy Castle?" he stammered just to make sure he heard him correctly. A predatory glint sparkled within his scarlet eyes now glowing with a strange wildness. Anak creased a wide smile and said.

"Indeed, human. That very same castle, with its glittering blue walls and its legion of singing horrors. The castle that has long been a thorn in my side."

Taking Candy Castle? He thought about it to himself. On one hand those singing sunflowers and talking animals were a pain in his side, but somehow the thought of usurping them felt rather...wrong

"B-but... why? Why do you want to take the castle? They are pretty much harmless from what I've seen so far if you ask me" He explained, thinking about that talking lion still annoyed him. But never was he filled with that much hate to hurt the fellow.

Meanwhile Suta wasn't sure when Anak had leaned in closer, his cold breath ghosting over Suta's face.

"Because, human, within those walls lies a power that I have long sought. A power that could grant me the freedom I desire, the freedom to break free from this accursed golden moon." He said raising a slender grey finger towards the twilight skies covered in stars above them.

Suta's mind whirled with the possibilities, If the vampire was telling the truth, then perhaps this task could not only grant the vampire the redemption he craved but also...

'Help both me and Demoria find our way home!'

'But at what cost?' he thought, a sense of unease settling in the pit of his stomach by those wild eyes awaiting for his response.

Taking a deep breath, Suta met Anak's gaze, his eyes filled with a mixture of determination and fear. "If I help you take the castle... you will heal me...but also, there is one other thing I need?" an air of seriousness moved around Suta now. He finally arrived at that place again, where a mixture of his own self and the world's luck afforded him a possibility.

Anak's smile turned cruel, his fangs glinting beneath the strange moonlight glow.

"And pray tell what that may be? He spoke in a chilling tone. Of course Suta not missed by Suta, who tried his very hardest to remain composed.

"Home, I need you to help me get back to my old world. You promise me that and I'll drag out every last one of those damned furry animals out of there myself!" He spoke with a cold conviction. He never held no true allegiance to those strange folk when he thought about it, and if this was his only chance of getting both he and Demoria back home. He would burn that entire castle to the ground if necessary.

"Oh-ho...interesting. Well...You have my word, for whatever that may be worth to you."

Suta nodded, his jaw set in grim resolve.

"Then I accept your terms, Ser Anak. I will help you take Candy Castle, and in return, you will grant me what I seek." The vampire chuckled, a cold, mirthless sound that sent shivers down Suta's spine. "Excellent, human. You have made a wise choice." With those ominous words, Anak released his grip on Suta's arm, allowing the human to stand on his own two feet once more.

"Now then, let us begin our preparations. We have much to do if we are to succeed in our endeavor."

Suta took a steadying breath, his heart heavy with the weight of the task before him. He knew he was walking a dangerous path right now, one that could easily lead him into deepening waters

'But what choice do I have?' he thought, his mind filled was constantly in a strange flux, plagued with the images of Demoria, his Mom, his Dad and Ringo. Walking into that portal with a broken smile.

With a final nod, he staggered gingerly behind Anak into the depths of the forest, their fates now intertwined together as one.