"Mirrors can't eat people!" exclaimed Victoria, her brows furrowed in disbelief as she stared at the mirror before her.
Susan, her longtime friend, sighed and shook her head. "Of course not. It's cursed, not alive. That's why we keep it up here in the attic so that no one else disappears."
Victoria crossed her arms, skepticism evident on her face. "I still don't believe it. More likely, she ran away from him. Your grandfather was notorious for beating his wives. What did he have? Five of them?"
Susan corrected her. "Four. Look, do you want to see it or not? If we're gone from the party much longer, someone might come looking for us."
Victoria rolled her eyes, but curiosity got the better of her. "I doubt it. Your sister is probably basking in the attention without you there."
Guided by Susan, Victoria maneuvered through the cluttered attic, her eyes scanning the dusty surroundings until they settled on a mysterious, floor-length object. It was covered with a thick blanket tucked between a grandfather clock and a mannequin.
Susan moved aside the old paisley sofa, revealing the hidden treasure. As she pulled the blanket, it caught on the corner of the grandfather clock, causing Victoria to quickly steady it, coughing as a cloud of dust filled the air.
With the blanket now on the floor, a breathtaking mirror stood before them. Its frame, crafted entirely in silver, boasted intricate carvings of mermaids, centaurs, dragons, and angels. The mirror exuded an aura of enchantment.
Victoria's gaze met her own reflection, and she noticed a peculiar glimmer right on the tip of her nose. Frowning, she spoke, "You didn't tell me there was glitter on my nose," her annoyance apparent as she tried to cross her eyes to catch a glimpse of it.
Confused, Susan replied, "What are you talking about, Vivi?" She turned toward Victoria, only to find an empty space where her friend had stood moments ago. "Vivi? Vivi?" Susan called out, her voice echoing through the now-ominous attic.
Victoria opened her eyes to a dim scene. Confusion reigned as she tried to understand what was going on. The last thing she remembered was Susan showing her a mirror. There was something on her face, and now she was…. She didn’t know where she was.
“Susan?” Victoria called. “Susan?” she yelled more urgently. “This isn’t funny!”
As Victoria surveyed her surroundings, her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room. Moonlight cascaded through a solitary window positioned high above, casting an ethereal glow across the space. Cold stone walls surrounded her and she sat on a metal cot, covered in rags. Besides the bucket in the corner and her cot, the cell was empty. Her cell appeared to be one of half a dozen, each separated by iron bars. The other cells were empty. The only way out seemed to be a wood door with a grated viewing hole. This was definitely a prison and not one with modern conveniences. She’d visited a French castle a few years ago on a trip and this place reminded her of the dungeons beneath the castle.
Victoria was surprised at how well she could see. Despite the absence of additional light sources, she could see clearly, adding to the surreal nature of her situation. It wasn’t natural.
“I’m definitely high on something,” she mumbled. “What did you do to me, Susan?”
As Victoria pondered her situation, she had a strange feeling, like there was something she was supposed to remember. Racking her brain, she caught glimpses of a place that didn’t make sense—a voice that told her to choose. Choose what? The word ‘status’ stuck in her brain for some reason. Thinking on it, a transparent table appeared. It had her name on it labeled as a level one vampire psionic. “It’s like a video game,” she muttered. At the word ‘game,’ she recalled something about her being a champion—one of many. “The one who reaches level one hundred first will control the world,” she said, surprising herself. How did she know this. None of this could be true.
Doubt gnawed at the back of her mind as she grappled with the reality of her circumstances. It seemed unlikely that this experience was merely a drug-induced hallucination or an elaborate prank. Yet, the idea of it being real felt equally implausible. Victoria's mind grasped for a rational explanation, considering the possibility that she had been drugged and transported to an escape room scenario. After all, escape rooms often contained hidden clues to unravel their mysteries.
The first thing to do, then, is assess the tools available. Victoria examined the numbers and attributes on her status, attempting to make sense of their significance. While she couldn't fully comprehend their implications, she observed that her intelligence, willpower, perception, and charisma appeared to be notably high. In contrast, her physical stats seemed comparatively lower, although she lacked a frame of reference for comparison.
Her status listed several spells and abilities. She had access to charm, telekinesis, read surface thoughts, mind spike, and dark step. She had obtained two champion boons, one that increased mental strength, and the other that allowed her to summon spiritual creatures.
Name
Victoria Vanbelden
Race
Vampire
Level
1
Gender
Female
Class
Psionic
Height
5'9
Size
Medium
Weight
155
Alignment
0 (Neutral)
Fame
Armor
0
Speed
16.05/sec.
Health
50
Health Regen
1/sec.
Mana
180
Man Regen
9/sec.
Stamina
50
Stamina Regen
2.5/sec.
Carrying Capacity
115 lbs.
Evasion
1.75%
Strength
5
Intelligence
18
Dexterity
7
Perception
15
Constitution
5
Luck
9
Charisma
17
Willpower
17
Skills
You have no skills. Lame.
Spell
School
Rank
Damage
Charm
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Vampiric
1
N/A
Telekinesis
Psionic
1
N/A
Read Surface Thoughts
Psionic
1
N/A
Mind Spike
Psionic
1
16
Dark Step
Vampiric
1
N/A
Boons
Iron Will
Strengthen your mental fortitude, granting resistance against mind control and psionic attacks.
Spiritwalker
Open a connection to the spirit realm, gaining insight, divination abilities, or the ability to summon spectral allies.
Equipment
Ragged Clothes
No one would be caught dead in these. In fact, I think they were obtained from a corpse.
Summoning
Control Limit
3
Level Cap
1
Name
Type
Level
Special
Unnamed
Wisp
1
Emits light
She pondered the possibility of summoning a helper, specifically a wisp, despite her lack of knowledge on the subject. With a hopeful thought, she desired the presence of a wisp to aid her.
Synergy detected between class, race, and the Iron Will boon. Wisp has been upgraded to blink cat.
As Victoria focused on summoning a helper, a semi-transparent cat materialized at her feet. The feline shot her an annoyed look before a voice resonated within her mind.
"You've got to be kidding me. Nine lives gone already. They went by so fast," the voice lamented.
Victoria met the cat's gaze, realizing it could communicate telepathically. She responded, "That's what I was missing. A spirit guide for my high."
The cat scoffed at her remark, clearly unimpressed. "A vampire? Seriously? Did you drink some bad blood or are you just incredibly lonely in here? Get with it, chica. I'm assuming you summoned me to help get you out of this mess."
"Yeah, I don't think a dead cat is going to be much help," Victoria replied, slightly exasperated.
“I’m not just a cat,” the cat corrected her, “notice the extra word. Blink Cat. While you are trapped, I have the freedom to move outside this cell.” Before Victoria could respond, the cat vanished, reappearing in the hallway beyond her prison.
Unwilling to let the cat go so easily, Victoria called out, "Hold on."
The cat stiffened at the command, caught off guard by her assertiveness. Curiosity sparked within Victoria, and she decided to test her hypothesis. "Bite your tail," she commanded.
With a muffled voice, the cat reluctantly complied, its words tinged with annoyance. Victoria observed the cat's reaction and confirmed her assumption. "I see. You have to obey me. Cat, I can't keep calling you cat. What's your name?"
The cat grumbled, struggling to recall. "Yeah, that's stupid. My name is... I don't remember. Must be something that happened when I died that last time."
Victoria offered a suggestion. "I'll call you Leroy, then."
As if responding to her words, the cat's designation changed to 'Leroy,' solidifying its new identity. Victoria wasted no time instructing Leroy to search for keys or a jailor that could aid in their escape.
Leroy eagerly accepted the task. "On it. How about I look for some clothes too? I may be a cat, but even I can see that what you're wearing is showing all the places it shouldn't."
Aware of her disheveled appearance, Victoria blushed and hastily adjusted her torn and dirty clothes, grateful for Leroy's observation. Her dress, jewelry, purse, and cell phone were all gone. Someone had dressed her in clothes that belonged more on a corpse than a living being.
"Yeah, make that the top priority. Saving my ass and my dignity. Hooray for you," she responded with a hint of sarcasm.
As Leroy blinked away, Victoria poked around the cell, searching for clues. She noticed a few loose stones in the walls but couldn't pry them loose. The stench from the cot made her hesitate to explore it. She lifted the corner with her shoe, and hundreds of tiny insects crawled out, causing her to scream.
Victoria kicked the bars of her cell, hoping they would give way, but only ended up with a hurt foot.
Leroy appeared on her shoulder, his claws digging into her shoulder. "Mistress, I found clothes and information. No key yet."
"Tell me what you found," Victoria responded, wincing at the discomfort from his claws.
Leroy spoke urgently, "Down the hall, there are spare clothes. Beyond that, there's a guard station. I overheard the guards talking. They know you're a vampire, but a priest has to verify it at sunrise. If your skin burns, they'll know and take you for beheading. The duke likes to watch, so they'll let you suffer until he arrives."
Victoria questioned Leroy, "Why didn't you take the keys from the guards? And what about the clothes?"
"Like it was that easy. Three guards against a ghostly blink cat," Leroy replied, his tone tinged with frustration.
Victoria persisted, "Can you at least try? And what about the clothes?"
Leroy shrugged, "Well, if I die, you can resummon me in an hour. I'll work on getting the keys. As for the clothes, you'll have to get them yourself. I'm a blink cat, and tiny claws aren't the best for handling clothing. Give me some time."
Concerned about the approaching sunrise, Victoria asked, "How long do we have before sunrise?"
"Three or four hours, I think," Leroy estimated.
"Alright, Leroy. Thanks. I'll be waiting," Victoria acknowledged, steeling herself for the challenges ahead and keeping a close eye on the time.
Victoria sighed, feeling a sense of time dragging on in the cell. Without a clock, it was hard to gauge how much time had passed. She anxiously looked for any signs of sunlight but found none yet.
She seemed to recall parts of a conversation that happened after she looked in the mirror. A female voice had spoken to her and offered her three choices; a race, class, and two champion boons. “They were all evil,” she muttered as she remembered snippets of a conversation.
"They all sound rather sinister and evil," she remarked, a hint of skepticism in her voice. “Demonic cambions, revenants, vampires, and dark elves?”
"You’re not here to take up knitting or gardening,” the voice replied tersely. You are in a game of champions, and killing is the name of the game. Each of these races possesses unique traits and abilities that make them quite proficient in that regard."
Traits and abilities, Victoria mused. She still didn’t know what was going on, but, until she had more information, she needed to work with what she had. Charm? No help. There’s no one here to charm. Telekinesis? Maybe.
She scanned the other cells, looking for something that could help her. In the movies, main characters often picked locks with small objects. As she looked for a suitable item, she realized it was unnecessary. She knew the basics of how locks operated. A key placed in the lock allows the lock to turn, which pushes or pulls a bolt to lock or unlock the door. Of course, the key needs to be the right one or the lock won’t turn. The right key matches the pins inside so that they are raised up to allow the lock to turn.
“Perhaps I can do it with telekinesis,” she thought. She began slowly, focusing on the bucket and tried to move it. With a little mental tug, the bucket slid an inch toward her. She tried shoving instead and the bucket slid back against the wall. Feeling more confident, Victoria turned her attention to the lock and tried her telekinesis again. The bucket could be clearly seen, but she couldn’t see inside the lock. Still, she knew roughly what it should contain. She imagined a force pressing the pins up and could almost feel them slide under her control. Next, she tried to turn the lock, but she lost concentration on the pins and they slipped back down.
Gritting her teeth, she started again. “Calm down. You can do this,” she reassured herself.
It took a few more tries, but eventually, the lock started to turn. She felt the pressure ease from the pins, so she released her control over them and focused on turning the lock. Seconds later, the bolt came free. Victoria sighed in relief and pushed the cell door open.
She walked quickly to the next door and started the process again. As she was lifting the pins, a meow caught her attention, and Leroy returned, carrying a set of keys in his mouth. Victoria's face lit up with relief and gratitude. "Great job, Leroy!" she exclaimed, taking the keys from him and swiftly unlocking the next door. "Can you lead me to the clothes?”
"Sure. Follow me," Leroy responded, guiding her down the hallway, past more empty cells. Curiosity burning within her, Victoria asked, “How did you manage to get the keys?"
Leroy began to share his daring feat. "I watched and waited until one of the guards left for the privy. When he dropped his pants to do his business, I sneaked up and cut the loop from his belt, then blinked away with the keys in my mouth. I returned as quickly as possible."
Pleased with Leroy's resourcefulness, Victoria couldn't help but admire her new companion. “Very impressive, Leroy.”
As they turned a corner, she gasped at the sight. A basket filled with severed heads stood in the center of the room while lifeless bodies lay on the other side. The grisly means of their separation, a guillotine, loomed ominously in the middle.
Leroy, oblivious to Victoria's initial shock, spoke up. "Here are the clothes, mistress."
Perplexed, Victoria scanned the area, unable to locate any clothes. "Where? I don't see any," she replied, a hint of frustration creeping into her voice.
Leroy pointed toward the bodies. "Right there, on the dead folks."
Victoria recoiled, her stomach churning at the thought of taking clothes from the deceased. "I can't take those. It's... disgusting."
Leroy countered her hesitation. "Why not? They can't use them anymore, and you can't walk around in those rags."
Though his practicality made sense, Victoria couldn't bring herself to strip the dead. Overcoming her repulsion, she took a few hesitant steps closer, averting her gaze from the grisly scene. Among the bodies, two women wore stereotypical vampire outfits, as if they had just come from a costume store. One dress was crimson, while the other was black and red.
Victoria grimaced at the sight and the overwhelming smell, torn between the need for suitable clothing and her moral discomfort.
Summoning her courage, Victoria took a deep breath and muttered, "I can't believe I'm doing this." She approached the crimson-dressed corpse, its surface stained with blood. She knew the crimson dress would conceal the stains better.
Struggling with the task at hand, Victoria found it far more complex than she had anticipated. Her fingers fumbled with the laces, and the rigid limbs made it challenging to remove the dress. She exerted effort, grunting and groaning until she finally managed to free the garment from the stiff arms. Exhausted from the ordeal, she tore off a coat from another lifeless body and attempted to clean off the congealed blood as much as possible. Retrieving the corpse's undergarments, she resolved to make do with what she had.
Turning to Leroy, Victoria instructed him to face away as she swiftly changed her clothes, grateful for his presence and understanding. The shoes of both deceased women proved to be ill-fitting, so she opted to wear a pair of boots taken from one of the men instead. Adorned in her makeshift attire, she was as presentable as circumstances allowed.
With Leroy as her guide, Victoria made her way toward the entrance, mentally preparing herself for whatever awaited beyond the prison walls.
Victoria glanced around, hoping for an alternative escape route. Leroy's response was clear and straightforward.
"No, it's a prison. The fewer entrances there are, the easier they are to guard," Leroy explained, leading her through a few more halls. "We're almost there, but be aware that once you enter the final hall, they will see you."
Realizing the need for a diversion, Victoria proposed a plan. "Okay. I'll need a distraction. Think you can manage that?"
Leroy nodded confidently. "Yeah. Wait until you hear a commotion."
With their strategy in place, Leroy blinked across the hall and peered through the bars of the entrance gate. He waited for his blink ability to cool down, then blinked again to a ledge on the other side of the entrance, positioning himself behind the guards. After a brief pause, Leroy pounced, his claws scratching one of the guards' faces. The guard reacted by attempting to remove him, but Leroy swiftly blinked away.
"Damn cat! It almost took my eye. You'll pay for that!" the guard exclaimed, giving chase to Leroy.
The other guard spoke up. "I gotta see this. Can you mind the entrance for a sec, Barney?"
Barney nodded, agreeing to keep watch as his companion pursued Leroy.
Taking advantage of the commotion, Victoria confidently walked down the hall, using her charm spell on the remaining guard. She approached him, turning on her charisma.
"Hey, how'd you get out?" Barney asked, seemingly perplexed.
Victoria flashed a charming smile. "The door wasn't locked. I just woke up, and I'm very thirsty. Could you please get me a glass of water?"
Barney seemed taken aback. "Water? Vamps don't drink water."
With a twinkle in her eyes, Victoria responded, "But I'm not a vampire. You'll know the truth at dawn. Please, get me a glass of water. I'll be sure to return the favor once I'm cleared of the charges."
The guard hesitated, seemingly intrigued by her words. He weighed his options and eventually agreed, leaving momentarily to fetch the requested water.
As the guard turned to walk down the hall, Victoria seized the opportunity and swiftly tried the keys in the gate's lock. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, she finally found the right key, and with a satisfying click, the lock opened. Closing and locking the door behind her, Victoria pocketed the keys just as the guard returned, holding a wooden cup filled with water. Seeing her outside the prison seemed to break the charm's hold on him. Reacting quickly, he drew his sword and lunged at her.
In a moment of fear and instinct, Victoria shrieked, evading the guard's attack by jumping out of harm's way. As he passed by, she instinctively leaped onto his back, sinking her teeth into his vulnerable neck and beginning to drink.
The taste overwhelmed her senses. It was an intoxicating sweetness she had never experienced before. More satisfying than the finest wine, more nourishing than a hearty meal, and sweeter than any confectionery delight.
The guard attempted to dislodge her from his back, but Victoria held on tightly, reveling in the consumption of the life-giving fluid. Moments later, the guard's strength waned, and he collapsed under her weight. She continued to drink until her fangs could take no more, her thirst quenched. To her surprise, the system announced that she had absorbed some of the guard's abilities, with her strength increasing by 1/8th and constitution by 2/8ths.
Reality set in, and Victoria was appalled at her actions. She realized this was not a mere prank but a genuine game, as the voice had described. To cope with the guilt and confusion, she repeated to herself, "It's a game. It's a game," hoping that the repetition would somehow ease her conscience.
Realizing that time was of the essence, Victoria quickly searched the guard's body, hastily taking his coin purse and a ring from his finger before making her escape. She knew she couldn't afford to linger, so she fled the prison, running along the wall bordering the castle and the cliffside. As she turned a corner, Leroy materialized in front of her, the shouts of the pursuing guards growing closer.
"This place will be crawling with guards soon. Follow me," Leroy urged.
Without hesitation, Victoria ran alongside Leroy as they descended the wall toward a wooden door. "In here," Leroy directed, his voice filled with urgency.
Victoria flung the door open, the guards hot on their heels. She swiftly threw the bolt, securing the door, and dashed down a hallway. She deduced that they were now inside the castle walls. Following Leroy's lead, they arrived at a room that reeked of feces. Confused, Victoria looked around and spotted two familiar bowls. "A bathroom? Why did you bring me here?"
"It's the only way out. Just jump down the hole," Leroy explained, his tone resolute.
Victoria peered into the toilet, realizing the seat was positioned above a deep hole that descended at least forty feet. Apprehension filled her, fearing she would break her legs upon impact.
"I'll break my legs if I jump down there," Victoria protested, her voice laced with concern.
Leroy countered, "The waste will cushion your fall to some extent. If you break something, your vampire healing will take care of it quickly. I can see you're already replenished with blood. Just do it. There's no time to waste."
“Was that a joke? If so, it was horrible.”
Victoria took a deep breath, her mind racing as guards stormed through the nearby hall, frantically searching for her. Time was running out, and she needed to make a decision quickly.