*** Tony ***

Have you ever felt like a country bumpkin? You know the feeling… Like encountering something so out of the ordinary that it expands your horizon, changing your perspective about the world to the point where it makes you wander how have you never thought about it before. Well, this is what I feel right now.

Domes. An idea that seems straight out impossible to put into practice, and still here I am, walking inside one. As the name suggests, domes are massive structures covering a wide area, in this case a whole city and the surrounding farmland, spherically, both above and below the ground, that is of course if what Madam April said is to be trusted, which I have no reason not to.

“The mana shield is modulated to be in sync with the cold of the Northern Desolate…” walking by my side, April explains while pointing towards the azure flickering light surrounding us all around. “This synchronization results in the rapid transformation of ordinary ice into arcane ice, which doesn’t melt and is an almost perfect isolator…”

Standing proof to her words is the Mediterranean-like climate inside, with temperatures averaging 30 degrees celsius and humidity far beyond anything I could have expected from this zone.

“On the other side of the ice barrier, a set of formations powered by the ambiental mana absorbs, concentrate and amplify the limited solar energy from outside the dome towards the farming area, allowing the development of perennial crops. As for annual crops, those require less maintenance and are planted around the edge of the dome.” In the distance, wheat and corn fields cover the horizon all the way to the blue edges that separate this heavenly corner from the inhospitable world outside.

As for the town itself, it’s just as wondrous as everything else around, raising even more questions in my already overwhelmed mind. From what I can tell, it seems like the buildings are arranged in a circular pattern, with radial streets concentrating towards a central plaza and going all the way out to the farm area.

“As for the weird-looking buildings,” seemingly expecting my questions, April continues her presentation “they are nothing more than entrances, the actual structure being situated underground in order to minimize the prime real estate above which is reserved for food production.” Pausing for a second, she continues in the same professional tone which seems far too distant to her weird touchy-touchy personality, which left even me petrified when I first met her. “Mirroring the town above, a similar series of streets can be found underground as well. This is also the reason the town seems to be deserted, as most inhabitants don’t travel aboveground unless they are tasked with taking care of the farms.”

Arriving at the central plaza, entrances to what I can only assume is the underground town are displayed with messages written in a language I don’t recognise.

Now that I think about it, I’m lucky that the spoken language is the same as back in the day. If it were to have changed during the ridiculous long period of time that has passed since I froze myself in the heart of that glacier, I would most likely be dead by now. Learning the written form of a language I speak fluently is going to be annoying, but not impossible. Using Basic Tier Rune: Concentration, I should be able to do it in a couple of weeks, a month at most.

“Just to confirm this, Tony, you do not know how to control your aura or modulate your mana, do you?” Stopping for a second in the middle of the plaza, April asks me with a dangerous look in her eyes.

Unfortunately for me, the answer is quite obvious… “The what and what?” Although I’ve read a bit about concepts like that, not being able to experience them until now makes them alien notions through and through.

“In that case, I’ll have to get some more reagents for the awakening ceremony and set up a barrier.” Looking at me from the corner of her eye, April asks in an uncertain and slightly worried tone, “do you think you can go to the Sanguine Academy and have them prepare the ceremony? You only have to drop Lucius’ name and his token and they will all dance in the palm of your hand…”

“Are we really that much in a hurry?” Although I can’t wait for myself becoming an actual vampire, I don’t think there is any reason to rush things this much, not to mention that I would love to see the underground city. If what is above the ground already blew my mind, what lays beneath might just send me on a trip of wonder and discovery the likes I’ve never encountered before.

“Your mana has already started to go rogue. Hell, a single trace of it almost killed me, most likely without your will… I can’t imagine what would happen if we were to let it unattended much longer.”

“Wait, what?” Unable to hide my shock from the previous statement… Or statements, as each one of them was shocking in its own manner, I direct my gaze towards April in search of answers which I’m not sure I really want to get.

“Don’t worry about it. Once you become an actual vampire, the rogue mana inside you will be tamed and bound to your will. Until then, avoid using that sanguine power you used when we first me through my familiar.”

‘Avoid using the strangely potent drop of blood? Easier said than done, considering it’s still circulating through my body, improving my vitality and changing me in ways I can’t comprehend.’

“You might not know this Tony, but mana is not just pure energy.” Going back to her sexy teacher mode, April explains to me while a small shadow ball of mana floats above her hand. “To begin with, mana represents to a certain degree a manifestation of the world’s will.” While explaining, the small motes of dark mana turn to translucent and start jiggling, struggling to escape her control. “We as living beings go against the world itself by seizing this power that was never intended for us.” In that moment, the ball of mana explodes with a poof, returning to the former shadow form. “And that can only be done through absolute domination and overwhelming control. Modulating, subduing and strengthening the mana are the mons basic concepts that you will have to learn in the following days and weeks.”

Absorbing the shadowy mana back into her body, April looks at me with placid eyes and pats me on the back. “Don’t worry about it. In time, you will understand. Until then, you just have to be careful.”

“Head that way.” pointing towards the north-east alleyway, April, with a serious look on her face, hands me a small cloth pouch. “You have 50 azure crystals in there, in case you need them. It will most likely take me by nightfall to prepare everything.” Turning around and heading towards a different tunnel, April walks in a rushed manner. “And don’t forget, whatever you do, don’t use your mana.”

Left alone in the middle of the plaza, my mind races in an attempt to formulate a strategy and prepare some contingency plans. The first thing I do is to take a small pocketknife from my belt and cut through the runes inscribed inside my attire. Initially, I prepared them as a method to deal with any unexpected situation, not that they would help much against another dragon, but this is all I can do right now, so no reason not to have them prepared.

Now looking even more like a country bumpkin, dressed in altered dwarven clothing, out of which most looks closer to rags that anything else and smelling a bit like cabbage farts, I am dreading the following encounter with the Sanguine Academy personnel… That is of course if things are still as I remember them to be.

Less than a quarter hour later, despite not knowing the markings displayed on top of it, I’m pretty sure to have reached my destination. The reversed cross and the subtle smell of blood give it away.

Before me, carved from granite and decorated with blood crystals, a ziggurat like structure far bigger than anything around, stand imposing, shadowing everything in its surroundings.

‘Sanguine Academy… I have missed this place.’

A couple of years ago, I attended an academy like this one as well. Back then, uncle Jeffrey was a ranker, a moloch recognised for his ability, wits, charisma and talent. Because of his influence and protection, the 4 years I spent in the academy were some of the best in my life. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever and with uncle’s fall from grace and later on getting picked up by the Grand Duke Luke and his bitch of a wife Vanessa, my fate followed a completely distinct path than what I envisioned, culminating with my current outrageous situation.

Walking through the gaping entrance, I’m surprised at the silence that permeates the place. From what I can remember, academies have anywhere between a thousand and a few tens of thousands of molochs and at least a tenth as many young vampires attending them at all times.

Still completely alone, I decide to push forward with confidence. In the centre of the giant construction, a spiralling staircase leads towards what I can only assume to be the underground city April mentioned.

Half the way through, a translucent barrier acts as a shield of sorts. Deliberating for a second, I ignore it and continue descending. The white membrane wraps around my body with no resistance as I pass through.

The moment I’m beyond it, a cacophony of noises assaults my heightened senses.

‘Ah, that’s more like it.’

This feels so nostalgic. Ahead, at the end of the staircase, there is a large room with countless students buzzing around.

‘Gray for molochs, red for vampires.’ From the looks of it, things are the same as millions of years ago. ‘Why change something that already works?’ That was one of Jeffrey’s favourite sayings. And this proves him right.

“Excuse me, do you have a se-…” Trying to stop a random moloch in order to ask for direction towards the matriarch’s office, I’m completely ignored. Honestly, I expected this. It was inevitable. I look even worse than a beggar. But… This is also an opportunity.

After my awakening, what I’ll need the most, apart from a source of blood that doesn’t taste like stinky feet, will be a prime, a moloch that will be by my side and help me deal with everything and anything.

The connection between a young vampire and their prime is the same as that between family members, if not even closer. Choosing a suitable candidate is mandatory as changing them afterwards can only be done in one way: by severing the connection forcefully, which can only be achieved when one of the two meets his end.

From what I can remember, on average, there should be about ten times more molochs than vampires at all times in an academy and over fifty times in the world. As such, being chosen as a prime, especially by a promising young vampire, is a true honour. Me and Jeffrey never had the chance to experience this.

Considering my position and Lucy’s influence, getting a ranked moloch as my prime should be easy… But that’s no fun. Not to mention that those guys, despite being the best among countless others, tend to be conceited assholes. Even Jeffrey was like that before he fell hard in his 9’th year at the academy, going from rank 71 all the way down to rank 3842. As an idea, I was always ranked above the 10.000 mark, which was actually somewhere in the middle with as many molochs above as below me.

April said that she would need at least another eight hours to be done with the preparations. An awakening ceremony takes only a few minutes to set up. As such, I can have a bit of fun in the meantime.

Putting my poker face back on, I go through the potential prime candidates in the way I do everything in life, with humility and respect.