It’s quite short compared to Lily’s but that’s kind of to be expected since Cel was introduced later and I wanted to end the POV before they entered the beastlands. That would just turn into something boring if I went that far. It was just mostly to cover her meeting and impressions of Kenos. On the other hand I might create a new side chapter for both Cel and Lily’s impressions of the new MC but that’s still under consideration since it would be even shorter than this already short one.

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I was born in darkness. Raised in darkness… shaped… by darkness I’m a vampire. I was hailed as a genius of our generation because of my affinity to darkness magic. I was born as a vampire lord. But not everyone was happy with it. Most people weren’t. My parents were nobles in the vampire city we lived in. Unlike humans and elves vampires didn’t have a country but only hidden cities across the continents. One day my parents left for a trip to one of those other cities. I heard it was something about diplomacy but as I was young I understood little and just happily sent them off… but they never returned.

Thus… nobody was left to protect me. People openly abused me because of my better talents but as I was not old enough to learn magic I could not fight back. All of it was done in the darkness… by the darkness… that vile… VILE darkness. I was disgusted by the darkness affinity within me. I didn’t want to ever use it. Thankfully when it came to magic I was also gifted in water and wind as well. Though there weren’t many people that could teach me it. I learned enough to defend myself… at least a little. I still stood little chance against groups of people. After all in the end I only knew basic spells as the teachers found nothing more to teach me. All of them were after all… dark…

I wanted to get away… I wanted to leave… I wanted to go out into the light. Away from the darkness which haunted me… so I did. But it was no different. Even after I ran away from the city I was hunted down and caged to be sold. I tried to fight back but they were many and strong. Why did they insist on hurting me? Why did they insist on tormenting me? They didn’t use darkness magic… but they were still dark…

I was dragged around in a cage for a long time. Probably days before we reached a town and I was thrown in a different cage. There were other people there like me. Women and girls of all ages. I spent who knows how much time there until I was bought. Since apparently I had been bought by a representative and my actual “owner” was not present instead of a slave crest which required blood from the actual owner to be made I was locked up in chains to limit my magic and thrown in a dark cage once more. I had no choice but to cry and lament my destiny. Would I ever escape this fate of just being thrown from dark place to dark place and abused by dark people?

In my darkness. A single light appeared. I heard the door to the next room open and after a bit of time someone tried to open my door. Reluctantly I called out to that person standing on the other side. She reassured me that we would be saved. It was weird. It felt like she truly believed she would be saved… but she also seemed to regret it… so did I.

Only a bit of time passed before her reassurance became the truth. I heard everything. Probably better than the girl who had spoken to me. Vampires had much higher senses than a normal human after all. Then again… I don’t really know if that girl is human do I?

I heard the dying screams of so many people. So many were dying right here. But… that wasn’t important. What was important was the thing that was causing it. I could only call it a thing because no matter how I looked at it the darkness I felt from it was not something a living being should possess. But… for some reason… it didn’t disgust me… I felt as the darkness approached. AS it entered the room I was brought through to come here.

“Where is Lily?” (Kenos)

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

The voice was covered in darkness. No… it emitted it. It wasn’t just dark. It was the birth of darkness itself. But… it still didn’t disgust me.

“Wh- What? Who? (Shitbag)

“The girl you took today. Where is she?” (Kenos)

No… it didn’t disgust me at all. In fact… it felt… warm. It reminded me of the warmth of my parents. It caused tears to run down my cheeks as the memories of my family flooded back through me. Such a darkness existed? Why couldn’t I have known this darkness sooner? If I did I wouldn’t have rejected my affinity so greatly. If I did I would have been able to become strong.

I heard the one with the warm voice enter the room next to this one. I heard his conversation with the girl who had called out to me and given me light… with Lily. He opened my door and I finally saw his form. A face with sharp features. His hair and eyes both black and white.

He saved me from the cage and gave me clothes like it was the obvious thing to do. I wish other people were like this man… I didn’t want to leave him. He was so warm… so calm… so unlike everyone else. When he patted me on the head I was surprised but it was so pleasant I didn’t want him to move his hand.  He asked me what I would do from now on and I forced myself to say that I would like to stay with him. It was something difficult for me since the only interaction I’d had with people for a long time was nothing but abuse.

When I saw him and Lily getting into the same bed I was a bit surprised. What surprised me even more was that Lily offered for me to join. I was incredibly flustered and probably couldn’t even make a sensible sentence as I complied. If this is what it would take for me to stay with this person then I would do it. At least I had a feeling he would be gentle… But nothing happened. We just slept.

I silently laughed at myself the next morning for actually expecting something. On the other hand. It felt so nice to sleep next to Kenos as he had named himself. It was as if I was being engulfed by that warmth I felt from him and being protected by it. A sea of flames that protected me and hurt my enemies. That’s what it felt like.

When we traveled I felt a bit out of place at first. I was quiet. Unlike Lily I didn’t feel a reason to question Kenos too much and generally had little to say.

The highlight was when he asked me about magic. I told him only that I know a little about water and wind but he still asked me about darkness. It was probably known to humans that most of us are born with it. I told him I never trained with darkness magic so he offered to teach me himself.

I was reluctant but I accepted. I couldn’t deny. Now that I had learned that darkness is not inherently bad I shouldn’t have any reason to deny than just my own selfishness. I didn’t want to be selfish. I wanted to be strong. So that I would become the light to burn away the darkness which haunts me. I would work hard to become strong..

I started learning magic from him. Though he did not know many spells he thaught me something much more valuable. Mana manipulation is the art of not casting spells but controlling the force of magic through your will alone and he taught it to me brilliantly. He seemed to think his advice clumsy or bad in general but it definitely was not. It was simple but pointed me in the right direction. In the end for someone to achieve the art of mana manipulation you would have to guide them to yourutmost ability. And that is exactly what he did.

I so I learned. I would become stronger. To become a light. To burn away the darkness that would threathen the warmth of the man who saved me. I would become stronger. Even if it meant I would have to become dark myself I didn't mind. I was sure that this person would set me on the right path even if I did. I refused to leave him. I would rather die than do so. I don't know whybut he wanted to protect me. And I too wanted to protect him.