Author's note: this is from Seraphina's point of view

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"Father!", I shouted when I saw Aldus curled up on the floor of the living room.

I dashed downstairs and stopped one step away from him, unsure what to do when I realized that his whole body was twitching violently.

I know some first aid, but a spasming vampire was definitely not in the area of bandages and antibacterial ointments.

Is there such a thing as a doctor for vampires? I understood that I am on my own here.

If he is human, I would make sure he doesn't swallow his tongue, but as a vampire, Aldus can't choke and it's not wise to stick my hand in his mouth anyway.

His body was in a fetal position and his eyes were vacant.

I reached for the phone with the intention to call Mitch. The driver should be nearby considering that he drove Aldus home. Or so I thought.

"I'm... I'm OK...", Aldus stuttered as his body shook.

"Oh!", I exclaimed and gave up on making the phone call.

I got on my knees next to Aldus and noticed that his spasms reduced to small shivers.

"What did Vesper do to you?" I was confident that Vesper was responsible for his sorry state. "I will get her for this!"

He smiled weakly and pushed himself into a seated position.

"I'm back, Serina..."

My two days-long tension was gone as relief washed over me. Aldus is back and he is fine.

I have no idea if I hugged him first or he was the one who initiated it, but we were definitely hugging.

"Welcome back, father."

"It's good to be back.", he responded, and I could hear that he was smiling.

I awkwardly broke the hug and visually examined his face. "Why did Mitch leave you here if you were not well?"

"I saw Mitch last time two days ago."

I was confused. "How did you get home?"

"I walked."

"Eh? In such a bad shape?"

He shook his head. "I guess you killed the twin angler a minute ago."

"Yes. Did you feel the anti-magical effects?"

He looked at me with a complex expression for a second before changing the topic. "Help me up. I want to shower again and change clothes."

I picked up something unusual. "Did you say that you want to shower AGAIN? What exactly did you…?"

My words were interrupted when Aldus tapped my forehead with his index finger.

"Stop asking questions and help me up. Call the staff to come to my room. I'm starving."

He said to stop asking questions, but I still had a few that were itching to get answers. "What about Vesper?"

"What about her?"

I scolded myself for a fleeting thought that Aldus killed her. "Did you settle things with her?"

He hummed in confirmation and responded with a smile, "You will see her in the morning."

Aldus refused to answer any other questions, but I was not angry as the only thing that mattered was that he was back.

…

Just as Aldus promised, after breakfast, I went to meet with Vesper.

I was surprised that Aldus didn't join.

Mitch was driving. We picked up Vesper and I watched as the car moved along the streets of Paris.

"We are not practicing in your apartment?", I asked the obvious and noticed Vesper glaring at me. What did I do?

"You are ready for the final test. In the field.", Vesper responded curtly.

Panic swelled inside me. "What? What if I can't control it? Does my father know about this?"

She gave me a crooked smile which was more like a grimace. "Of course, he does. Do you have your measuring device?"

"Uhm… yes."

"Good. Keep it handy." She rolled her eyes. "Why are you so flustered? I thought that you are eager to get out of the dark room and see the world."

I realized that she was right. This is what I was waiting for. Aldus wouldn't leave me on my own if he was not confident that I can do this.

Vesper and I walked for the last stretch, leaving Mitch behind with the car.

"Where are we going?", I asked while trying not to show how nervous I was.

Being outside without Aldus was nerve-wracking. It would help if Mitch stayed nearby. But then I remembered issues with my pheromones, and I concluded that the safest thing would be if I am on my own.

"Patience…", Vesper mumbled a response.

We passed by a few shops and there were a bistro and a bank.

The more we walked, the fewer people were on the streets, and I was not sure if I was imagining that this area does not look safe or if that was due to clouds that started accumulating in the sky.

We took a right turn onto the deserted dirty street that didn't seem welcoming. The pavement was in a bad shape with many cracks and holes, and alleys on the left and right were reeking of stench caused by piles of trash and who knows what else. Stray dogs and cats dug through the bags, hoping to find their next meal.

"We are here…", Vesper said while gesturing toward a suspiciously looking bar whose big window was plastered with all kinds of ads, barely leaving any space to see inside through the smudgy glass.

I tried peeking in, but Vesper pulled me back. "Behave. No one likes when someone stares at them."

I frowned. "Why are we here?"

"Focus on the device and try not to stir trouble. If it shows more than fifteen, you failed. To pass, you need to keep it under eight all the time.", Vesper said and opened the door.

Gingerly, I walked after Vesper while processing her words.

I understood that this is part of my training and I hoped that this is the last step where I will get to experience something unpleasant and I need to control my pheromones to stay under fifteen.

If I pass, that means I can have my espresso in a bistro on the street. I wondered if Aldus will join me. And then we can go to London, and I can see Duke for real... my heart fluttered at this thought.

The stale stench of alcohol and cigarettes dissolved my happy thoughts in an instant.

The inside was worse than what I imagined while looking from the street.

First, it was reeking inside. This bar was not ventilated in ages.

Second, the place was dark, but I could see worn-out bar counter and tables with knicks and scratches on the surface. As we walked between the tables, I could see the layer of dust. These were not used in a long time.

Third, three patrons stopped their chatter and were staring at Vesper and me. Two muscular guys with tattoos on their necks openly grinned and wiggled their eyebrows, while one tall and skinny guy was licking his lips lecherously. Even the bartender was giving us funny looks.

Another scary thought hit me, are these guys humans, or…? Oh, God! I hope they are not werewolves!

"We will be using the back room…", Vesper told the bartender to what he responded with a stiff nod.

Part of me was relieved to see that we are leaving this area, and part of me was nervous about where we are going. I had a strong hunch that it will not be a sunny garden full of butterflies. For this training, I need to experience fear.

I followed after Vesper, feeling lost and insecure.

I quickly checked the spiky device which was in my purse. It showed seven.

'Breathe, Serina, breathe… you can do this…'

I glanced at the device and I saw that it went down to six. Not good enough, it should be five.

I believed that if things get out of control, Vesper can help me stabilize myself, but I also knew that if it reaches that point, I failed.

What will happen if I fail? Will we abandon this field training and try again later? What if Vesper decides to leave me behind?

Aldus always told me to be wary of her, yet now he allowed Vesper to take me out. Aldus trusted Vesper by leaving me with her, should I trust Vesper as well?

We stopped in front of a heavy wooden door that opened without us knocking.

A hooded person observed us. I could see a pointy nose and a sharp chin as all other features were hidden in the shadows.

"We are here for a passage to the Misty Forest.", Vesper said and handed a golden coin to the hooded person who accepted the coin and gestured for us to get in.

The adjacent room was separated by a heavy dark brown cloth that covered the doorframe.

The hooded person extended his hand and I saw dark green skin. My eyes widened as I wondered if that is human or something else.

Lights started dancing in the air as they shaped into runes, creating a familiar ripple in space and I knew we are about to enter a portal.

Somehow, my biggest concern was if Aldus will know where I am. I wanted to ask Vesper if Aldus approved of her taking me to this Misty Forest location, but I knew that if I ask, I will also reveal how dependent I am on him.

Krob's words echoed in my mind, "You need to push yourself, or you will disappoint Master... You can thank Master for protecting you...", and I steeled my resolve because I refuse to be Aldus's weakness.

Vesper gestured to me to go first through the portal, and I hesitated for a second before stepping in.

Aldus said that I am his daughter, and I accepted him as my father.

Seraphina Mezzanotte is not a scaredy, fragile girl, and I will face whatever is coming with everything I've got.

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