The festivities just never seem to have an end. Our travels had led us to streets and districts far and wide, encountering new prospects, new sights to astonish on every turn.

It came to a point where we were stumbling upon completely new things hidden right under the old. To my surprise, there too also existed certain spots, undisclosed locations that went unmarked and uncharted on the map.

Like, who would have ever thought there was an actual den of vampires dwelling right under our feet this whole time just hanging around waiting for the blanket of night to wreak havoc onto the unsuspecting town?

A burrow beneath the floorboards - classic vampire hidey-hole technique. I give Adalia full credit for sniffing them out.

Takes one to know one, after all.

Par for the course, too. Went looking for a Princess and an Elf, ended up finding bloodthirsty vampires instead.

Anyway, they gave us some snacks and stuff to leave them well enough alone on their own. Pretty good bargain deal, I'd say.

Or how about an underground black market trading site that could only be accessed behind a passcode whispered to the ears of the local innkeeper?

Indeed, like every game with a hub space, you have to seek these secret places out on your own, and just like a game, your efforts are usually well rewarded.

As was the case for the next out-of-sight location we next uncovered.

Amanda was here.

And where was here exactly?

High. Very high. Like Rapunzel-in-a-tower high. In the belltower that encompasses all smack dab at the center of town, there she was… a distant figure of blond and blue perched atop the highest window, hidden all along in plain sight.

If it wasn't for the bell chiming at that exact moment, I don't think I'd ever have noticed her.

What was she doing up there? Where's Ash?

I made a beeline for the grand, giant, iron double doors with Adalia in tow. Made it as far as being directly underneath the building before -

"Halt!"

Spears again, guards again… two this time, crossing their weapons and barring off the entrance.

"None may pass," The one on the left said.

"Be off on your way at once," The right sternly informed.

That's gonna be a problem… because, um, they're in my way. No matter though, it's a problem easily sorted.

I lifted my badge, prompted Adalia to show hers. "Will these things change anything?"

Their spears stayed crossed.

"None may pass," The left repeated again.

"Be off on your way," affirmed the right.

That was… not what I was expecting. I thought perhaps they couldn't see too well with those narrow metal slits for eyes and I wondered if maybe I should get closer, but something about their demeanor kept me from putting that theory to the test.

I looked up, briefly, only to find Amanda gone and out of sight. She disappeared. Again.

So close and yet so far.

Guess whatever it is she has in store would, for now, remain a mystery. I suppose there's really nothing much else to do besides wait for her call.

After one last fleeting glance at the empty window, I spun us backward - onwards to a stroll without much purpose.

Until, in a twist, came a familiarly unfamiliar face… walking towards us at a steady pace.

A woman, a tired woman it looked… if the black bags under her eyes weren't just for gothic anesthetic that is.

Wait, shit, it's -

"You?" I pointed a finger, furrowed my brow… feeling as if my stomach had just deflated. "Don't tell me, he sent you?"

I know that weary expression, those stands of stress poking out of her hair.

Seriously, this convention had a population count that could rival a small nation, and yet somehow I keep running into the same set of people each and every time… and she was no exception.

"Of course he did," She feebly said, funneling her weariness with a sigh. "I'm his secretary, after all."

Oh, Leon. How are you distressing me when you aren't even physically here?

I sighed in return. "For real, how is it that you people keep finding me?"

She walked forwards, raised a hand, flicking a finger to a bell. "You ring a lot."

"What do you want?" I reached up to my head, stifling the bell that she rattled. "What does HE want?"

It was getting rowdy as all townships tend to and not wanting an unhappy vampire in my hands, I promptly moved us away, the secretary following close to my dismay.

"He hasn't seen you at the stage play," She called out from behind. "Nor does he see your Elf-friend anywhere."

I knew it, I called out, I guessed it, I predicted it. I'm Jesus.

Kinda…

"I'm a modern guy, and stage plays are just so last century unfortunately, not my thing," I said to her, winding the streets without sparing a single glance back. "That, and as you can see, the Elf's not with me right at this moment."

"Do you know where she is?"

I seriously can't believe this was actually happening. "And why does he need to know that?"

"You'll be doing him a favor."

"I won't be doing myself a favor."

"I think… he likes… her…" Adalia suggested, using those keen senses of hers to good use. "That's why… he wants… to know…"

"Wow, I'd never have guessed," I whispered beneath a breath, before raising my voice. "Look, if he wants her, then good luck finding her, cause I haven't a clue either."

"What do you mean?" She asked, her wavering breath struggling to keep pace.

"Exactly what I mean," I whirled us a sharp turn right. "My best guess is the tower over there, and that's all you're gonna get."

"The tower?" I heard her say, sounding distant. "But no one's allowed up there until the final - "

The rest of her sentence was lost in a scramble, too many people, too many noises around the next bend.

"Until the final… what?"

I spun around, looking, seeing many faces, but finding none familiar a single bit. Gone.

Great, the one time I didn't wanna lose her… oh well, at least I won't be bothered, until of course, someone else familiar finds me again.

"Ash has… an admirer now..." Adalia remarked, her vacant eyes suddenly not so vacant. "Maybe… a lover… also…"

"Don't even…" I looked at her dull. "Were you always this interested in romance?'

She stared unfazed. "I am… now…"

"Well, don't count on any happenings anytime soon," I began to move us again, one large aggravated step at a time. "He's not gonna get her, not a chance."

"Why…?"

"Because, well… because I say so."

"Why do you… say so…?"

"Because I won't let it happen."

"Why won't you… let it happen?"

"Because - !"

I stopped the loop, but not because I ran out of 'becauses" for my cause but because I just wasn't able to say it.

Not out loud anyway…

"Love seems… like a very troublesome… emotion… to deal with..."

Yeah, you can say that again. I keep having to deal with it and I might just end up having greyer hair than you.

Alas, however, from the look on your face, it doesn't seem like you're at all too troubled by the prospect anyhow.

"Even still..." She continued, her eyes deep in wonder. "I think maybe… I might like… how it feels…"

Well, well. "Seems like the vampire's curious…"

"I… am…"

"Well, you do know what they say about curiosity."

"No…" She frowned, glancing up at me. "What do they… say… about curiosity?"

"You guys don't have a saying like that in Kronocia?"

"Sa...ying?"

Guess they don't, then.

"Y'know, curiosity kills the cat."

"It… it... does…?"

She sounded shocked.

"And I thought Ash was the literal one," I muttered, smirking, later explaining. "It just means that being curious can sometimes be a dangerous venture and that you should always be careful to - "

Speaking of curiosity… speaking of cats….

Adalia made a little noise, probably wondering why I stopped. But I didn't care to explain that, I didn't have time to explain that.

I moved further forward, snaking through people at a dozen, my eyes kept forward, focused.

Why, you may ask?

I just saw something else familiar. A little glimpse of violet fluttering in the crowd.

I kept moving, I kept looking, until finally, I saw it again… clearer this time, closer this time.

"Sera?"

She saw me too, spinning those familiar bright amber eyes towards me.

Unlike with Adalia, and unlike with Ash, she didn't seem all that relieved to see me standing there before her.

She also seemed to be faring a whole lot better too. Calm, cool… just standing there unmoving in front of a rather large building.

"Where were you?" I asked.

Her hand moved, curling, a single finger poking out of her baggy sleeve, and pointing down at her feet.

"Here," her finger spoke. "I was here."

"The whole time?"

She nodded.

That begs the question, then.

"What were you doing here?"

That same finger responded, pointing forward towards the dark timbered walls that fronted her.

Paper. Wait, no - a parchment, a poster… a

"Advertising?" I squinted my eyes at the yellow-tinted page draped over the building. "Didn't know they do that in fantasy land…"

But they did, and they have… illustrations drawn by hand in ink, words calligraphed bold, black and stylistic.

I felt my heart sink reading the first few letters.

"A play..."

Then I felt it rise again seeing the sketch that occupied most of the canvas.

It was a familiar sketch.

A mysterious figure, a petite figure… cloaked in robes and a veil, with only her piercing stare staring back at yours.

I look back at Sera, my thoughts and hers one and the same.

"A play about you."

She nodded.

And indeed, reading the rest of the text at the bottom end of the parchment made it plainly clear already in case I was still uncertain.

I heaved a breath, staring back at her. "I'm guessing you wanna go see it."

Another nod. An eager nod.

Sure, I'd immediately say. Why not, I'd ask myself. Sounds like fun, I'd convince myself.

Then after that, with a hop, skip, and a jump I'd bring us there and stuff us into the best seats possible with popcorns on our lap.

I would have.

But the poster didn't just end there. Just right below the title, in an even bigger font, in an even more ostentatious style, was the name of the leading actor of the play.

Take a guess who was the star of the show?

>

Oh well… I suppose we have time. Amanda hasn't come ringing yet, and Adalia looked as if she could do with a comfortable place to sit.

Alright, guess it's time to go put that backstage pass to good use then.

Fingers crossed they kill him off early.