Throughout the world, analysts have detected a steady rise in mana levels throughout Aetheria, contributing to the increased strength of monsters and mutations. Similar rises of energy in the world were noted in ancient records dating back to the Draconic Invasion. Although it is hard to predict when or what is coming, the mana levels are expected to peak over a decade from the date this report is made. Many religious cults such as the Omen and Fourth World Order have been spreading propaganda regarding the end of times and use it to recruit many to their cause.

~ A research paper created by Cei Villana

Peace.

For the past two weeks, Damien eased himself into a routine. He would wake up just before noon, looking for tasks to do and ways to help around the kingdom. At sunset, he would take a small break and enjoy the view on the palace rooftop. There was no stairway or second floor, so one had to climb up and scale the walls. The vampire got permission from Alda to prevent any sentries from mistaking him as an enemy and shooting him down. Then afterward, he would continue his training well into dusk and occasionally pause for a break. Jensen and Natalia frequently stepped in to train and he grew under their tutelage. On even rarer occasions, Alda and Chester would come as well. It made him into a well-rounded fighter with no significant weaknesses. His magic could sustain a spell-slinging fight, and the dexterity he displayed with a sword and shield made him a foe to be reckoned with.

Many people got a hold of the rumors, and foreigners trying to recruit the boy were frequently turned away. Even Cardinal Helen made an offer for the boy to be under her wing with several exclusive bonuses that equaled a king's ransom.

"Sorry, I'd like to wait until my journey is over before I make any commitments," Damien said apologetically. The Cardinal was a bit miffed, but she couldn't be overtly rude unless she wanted to antagonize a tantalizing prospect like himself, so she kept herself in line, much to Archbishop Romero's surprise.

Currently, the boy was taking his much-needed break on the rooftop with Maxwell, basking in the warm, orange sunlight. Although he was a nocturnal creature, the fact that he enjoyed the sun made him an outlier amongst his kind. Even Jensen and Natalia avoided sunlight whenever necessary, especially due to the fact it weakened them. The main reason the boy wasn't affected was due to the family heirloom on his finger.

RING OF THE VAMPIRE LORD

- Made from bloodstones and crafted by a master artisan, this artifact boosts any dark element enchantments.

- 10% boost to max HP/MP and regeneration.

- 15% boost to dark magic, lowers light elemental damage received by 15%

- PREREQUISITE: Only vampires can wear this ring.

- Weight: 0.1kg

For a moment, he could feel a wave of homesickness wash over his body. He missed his family and friends from home, regardless of the people and connections he made throughout his journey.

Idly scratching the canine behind its ears, Damien could feel something was amiss. There was no sound, but the feeling of being watched was especially prominent. He looked back and saw nothing, at least until he tapped into his mana sensory abilities.

"What're you doing?"

The invisibility quickly faded away, revealing a familiar mop of curly brown hair. His cheeky smile and narrowed eyes made the vampire's vigilance fade away. Chester was carrying a bag that smelled distinctly of food.

"I hit all the high-end restaurants for some grub. That Amethyst Braveheart is good for something, after all."

Damien rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe the highest honor granted by Welton was simply being used for free food. Nevertheless, he took a plate from Chester and began to eat. The food was always hearty and delicious.

Chester gave the boy a sideways glance. He was nearly unrecognizable from when they first met. Whether it was genetics, hard work, or both, the vampire boy looked straight out of a comic book. His frame had filled out and he packed on additional muscle mass that didn't make him look seventeen. Damien's face was still young, but it lost some of that naivete and was replaced by mature gentleness. His facial features had sharpened and the baby fat was beginning to disappear. Although his body was spotless, Chester could see the callouses on his hands formed by consistent training and battle.

"...Is there a reason why you didn't want to stay here with Alda?" Damien said, staring into the sky and mixing up the bowl of food in his hands.

That threw the illusionist for a loop. He didn't quite expect that question.

"How do you know about that?"

"Aunt Nat gossips a lot. You know, they have everything you could need here. Instead of putting yourself in danger going with me, you could've made a comfortable living here at Welton."

"Don't think you're getting rid of me that easily, brat." He tried to ruffle his hair jokingly, but Damien stopped him and gave him a serious look. Chester realized that the boy was looking for a true answer, and his face smoothed out into a blank expression. "You really want to know?"

The man went silent for a bit, trying to gather his thoughts and think of the right answer. Damien watched expectantly. He didn't want to put the man in needless danger anymore, especially when he had only tagged along on a simple whim from when they first met in Pesodonia. Seeing the illusionist at the brink of death made Damien determined to find out why he stuck around despite the countless amounts of dangers that came with it.

'He's always been about benefiting each other. But he gets nothing from coming with me. The life he could have here is much better than where I'm going.'

Chester didn't think the boy would understand without the proper context, so he prepared himself to tell a long story. A story of his past. He figured the boy deserved it.

"...In my world, I was an orphan. No parents, siblings, nothing. The only memory I have of my mother was telling me to play hide and seek before she left me in the middle of a city to fend for myself." That caught the vampire off-guard. "I learned very early on that those who went out of their way to help you were people with ulterior motives. Growing up on the streets had me fighting for food and shelter every single day. Nothing was easy."

Damien's eyes widened at the horrid childhood the man experienced. He was unexpectedly somber throughout the whole thing. Chester sounded tired. He showed a moving image of his experiences, and the vampire watched in stunned silence as the man's life played out before him. A world unlike anything the vampire had witnessed; full of sky-high buildings and vehicles made of metal rushing rapidly through the streets.

"I got good at taking advantage of everything around me. I'd sneak into schools for lunch, take a nap at the library, and pawn off stolen shoes on the streets for quick cash. But children got the worst of it. Too many people eyeing you up as easy pickings, so I had to learn how to fight as well. But sometimes, I took the path of least resistance." He said darkly.

Older women and men staring at a curly-haired child with nefarious intentions. Chester's point of view was being led into a bedroom. Dim lights and moving bodies were all the vampire could see. It was more than enough for him to realize what had transpired during the man's early childhood, and bile began to rise in the back of Damien's throat. It skipped to a scene of the boy counting a stack of paper and placing it into a bag. Chester quietly explained that it was their currency in the other world, a place called America.

"Eventually, I got older. I had more control. My situation changed and I learned the trade of committing crimes just to get by; petty theft, scams, and sometimes full-on robberies. My life was way better compared to how it was back then. I had more control as an adult. I even met some people I could consider acquaintances or even friends. But I never stuck around long enough to know them."

Several transitions occurred. One of which was Chester meeting with a family of three including their dog. The thief stared at Damien for a moment, gauging his reaction and seeing whether he would react to the memory, but no luck. Maxwell visibly perked up once it saw a glimpse of the vision. The illusionist didn't know how to feel about that.

"The one guarantee I had in my life was that nothing was certain. The money would go, police would come knocking, and before I knew it I'd be packing my bags up to the next city, The longest I ever stayed in one place was maybe half a year. That fucks with your mind, Damien. I was always used to being uncomfortable. Having it too good for too long makes me antsy, and I'll find some reason to get out eventually."

"...I'm sorry I brought that up. But I don't understand why you're not staying here." Damien said quietly. He knew that despite Chester's antics, there was always a sign that he held a lot more things hidden behind the foolish facade he created. Those times when he thought nobody was looking and he could drop the act. Damien knew there was something beyond the surface, but he didn't expect so much from the easy-going thief he had traveled with for months.

"This is the first time I feel like I could be myself, Damien. Feel like I'm safe. But I'm not good for Alda. I'll end up hurting her in some way or another, and I'd rather keep things short and sweet rather than cling to a dream and let it turn sour. Don't think I'm going to Garbrandt just for you; in a way, it's for me as well. A way of life."

It was the truth. Chester traveled constantly out of necessity, but now it had become his way of living It was escapism that allowed him to avoid any obligations and accountabilities for his actions. Fleeing to the safety of the unknown had always been his first course of action whenever trouble occurred. His brain had quickly adjusted itself into a state of wanderlust, and it would take a long time for him to settle down.

Damien wanted to ask what would happen after they were done. Once they separated and the vampire returned home. Would Chester follow? Or would he continue his days, traveling across the world until he found everything there was to discover? For some reason, the boy didn't think Chester would have an answer and stopped himself from asking.

All these words and hidden feelings came out of the man in a slow, deliberate voice. He stopped cracking jokes after noticing Damien hadn't laughed at any of them and focused on making sure the words he said were as concise as possible. He continued to talk for hours, and the vampire decided to listen quietly and gave the man all the time he needed.

"Sorry, I thought I got over this. But, uh-" Chester's throat was tight. It wasn't easy unraveling decades' worth of trauma. "I never really got the chance to tell anyone about this. They don't cover therapy for undocumented immigrants, heh."

It was an unexpectedly pessimistic side of the thief he had never seen before. Quiet, introspective, and sad. It was words he had never associated with the man he fought alongside with.

So he patted the man on the shoulder. No words were exchanged, but that simple act made Chester breathe a little easier. He appreciated the boy's company. Even though he was young and they had their fair share of arguments, the vampire proved himself to be dependable and honest beyond relief. Something he couldn't quite say for himself.

Throughout his life, he had always wished for something. It was something he had given up on finding. But when he fell into this world, Chester saw a glimpse of it in Damien.

A person he could trust unconditionally.

"So, for making me open up to you, I get a free pass, right? That makes it three now. Maybe even four, because I nearly died protecting this place. I got stabbed in the neck, after all."

Damien sighed. Of course, the man found a way to ruin their bonding moment. Deciding to play along, he nodded and rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever."

"I'll be using three of them just to say that I broke open into the Vault. I just blamed it on the invaders who happened to go at the same time I did. God! That feels so awesome to admit. I'm such a badass. A genius. You wouldn't believe how long I've been holding that in."

"WHAT?!"

"By the way, I'm really going to miss this food. We should look into recruiting a chef in Garbrandt. I hate dried rations." Chester inhaled the rest of the food and quickly began to get up, patting his stomach to show just how satisfied he was with the meal. "We're waiting on Joseph, right? I wonder if he has any news about Elric and the others?"

"Don't just speed past what you said! GET BACK HERE!"

Chester immediately began to run for it, but there was still a smile on his face as Damien and his canine chased after him. During their pursuit, they were cheered on by the local populace. Most of them enjoyed the chaos brought upon them by the saviors of their kingdom.

The two heroes(?) ran around the city of Welton. Only time could tell what the future had in store for them.