Dot follows Justice and I, as John leads us up the spiral staircase that had just been revealed by a secret doorway. It's only now that I start to feel uncertain and a bit anxious about the day’s events. I try to take things as they come and live in the moment. However, now I am beginning to think about what I could possibly do to avoid disaster, if something were to go wrong…

I really hope nothing bad comes from my visit to this….Bibliotheca Vampiric…. It's not like I have anyone that I know I can trust here. I’m not counting on Justice for that kind of support, I barely know him and I get the impression that he is not very fond of me. Then again, have I ever trusted anyone other than my carefree self?

I decide to end my series of needless worries, as we seem to have arrived at the top of the staircase. John opens the door in front of us. He steps to the side, while holding it open to let the three of us file in. We enter a large room that I can only describe as looking as if it was decorated by a child, or maybe by a person who has no understanding of interior design…. No, I can’t imagine someone with an aesthetic sense of any kind putting together a room as ugly as this one!…

A few ragged couches are spread in front of a medium sized TV that looks to be an old model. On the couches there are a few cheap excuses for throw pillows, all of which are made from different fabrics. None of the patterns or colours match and everything looks outdated. The walls are covered with an interesting floral wallpaper that is eye-catching in the worst kind of way. The string of rainbow LED lights adds to the mood, however what this mood is, I’m not sure. And, is that a real lava lamp? Even I notice these things as a person who does not have much knowledge about room decor. I wonder, who on Earth chose the furnishings for this room?

John: “This is our lounge room. Take a seat anywhere you’d like. Make yourself at home.”

Justice: “Did some sleazy second hand store have a sale or something?”

John: “Yes, actually! I myself chose everything you see in this room. I’d never pass on a good bargain.”

Justice’s eyes narrow as he looks at John. I can only imagine what he must be thinking right now. This place is far from the luxury and modern comfort of Blackember Academy. Maybe I too will start missing the place…

Without expecting it to be very comfortable, I take a seat on one of the worn down couches. It feels as if I’m sitting on a bag filled with sand. Justice sits in a cushioned chair across from me. As he sits, his body seems to sink further into the chair’s padding. John and Dot sit down on the couch in between us. John crosses one leg over the other, and Dot sits straight while she maintains a content smile.

John clears his throat.

John: “Alrighty then….. We have Luke Warm here, and…….”

Dot leans over towards John’s ear and whispers.

Dot: “His name is Justice. He hates vampires. Can you believe that?!”

I notice how Justice’s expression changes. His eyebrows squish together like two angry, black caterpillars having a wrestling match, and his ever present frown tears further into his full cheeks. He obviously heard Dot’s comment about him…

John: “Okay then… Luke and Justice. Here, at the Bibliotheca Vampiric, is where you will be staying from today going forward. You’ve been told that this place is a training facility however, I personally disagree with this description. I look at it more as a business. Business isn’t very fun, now is it? That’s why I will promise you both only one thing, that while you are here you may not exactly be educated, but you certainly will be influenced. Understand?”

John gives me a brief look, then glances at Justice before continuing.

John: “As the library is officially operated by VLAD, I’m technically obligated to inform you both about any potential risks or danger that you could be exposed to while you’re here. It's really just a bunch of paperwork and contracts. A real waste of time, in my opinion. Instead, I ask that you place your trust in all of us, here…”

Justice: “Was that supposed to be reassuring? What do you mean, risks and danger? I knew it! Vampires are nothing but trouble!”

Justice huffs, crossing his arms. He makes an effort to turn away from us.

John: “Ehh!...Hold on a second, please…. Justice, I understand that you have some sort of predisposition in your opinions about vampires, but how I see it, you are simply misunderstanding things.”

Justice: “Misunderstanding? Not a chance! I saw it myself. Luke here nearly burned down my father’s school with the atrocious ability he possesses, not to mention he just about killed me too. If you vampires at this dingy place are any similar, then I want nothing to do with you! There is no misunderstanding in that.”

We all stay quiet, forwarding intense stares over to Justice…

Dot: “Gosh, you really need to learn to control your attitude. Are you finished now?...”

John chuckles.

John: “Huhuhu…. Justice, if you really don’t want to be here, then why don’t you just get up and leave on your merry way? No one is forcing you to stay against your will…”

Justice does not answer, and he does not take the opportunity to leave either. Instead, he makes a quiet grumble noise and looks at the floor.

John: “Oh dear….. Well, that was the introduction. Have any questions?”

I decide to speak up and ditch my uncertain quietness.

Luke: “Uh, yeah….. Sorry, I know I’m a vampire and all, but I just found that out today and I’m kind of confused… What exactly should my expectations be here? Dot said something about eliminating human and vampire conflicts… What does that mean? And, I’m sorry about Justice. I promise I didn’t bring him here, he followed me…..”

John: “Oh! No worries!”

John offers me a pleasant smile…. But, it does little to reassure me.

John: “Well, human and vampire conflicts have only really become an issue in recent years. As I’m sure you must have realized by now, kismets can be complicated. No offence Justice….. Ever since VLAD started operating as a sort of “government” for vampires, laws have been enforced to regulate the relations between vampires and their kismets. The Bibliotheca Vampiric was established to facilitate vampires that will work as agents for VLAD. If you ask me, VLAD is the reason there are people who think just like Justice here. Once things get too complicated and people lose their freedom, conflicts arise.”

Dot: “It really is unfortunate….. I wish vampires and humans could live in harmony, the world would be a wonderful place, then. I think the true purpose of the vampires would be revealed, if such a world existed. Don’t you agree, John?”

Dot clasps both of her hands together, as if she were reflecting in profound prayer.

John: “Oh, yes, perhaps it would…”

Luke: “What do you mean, vampires’ purpose? Don’t tell me vampires question the meaning of their existence too…”

John: “Well, yes, you could say that….. Since we’re on this subject, I think it's about the right time for an origin story. Dot, would you like to tell them?”

Dot: “Is that even a question? Of course I would!”

Dot practically leaps out of her seat in her excitement. This girl is fascinated by vampires….and she’s not ashamed of it in the slightest. I’ve never seen someone so passionate about anything else in my life!

John: “Go ahead!”

Dot stays standing as she begins to enlighten Justice and I. She nudges her glasses further up the bridge of her nose, then she starts speaking…

Dot: “It's only natural that all predicaments known to vampires began from their very own conception into this world. The story of vampires coming into being is said to have begun long ago, before humans even existed, in fact. The legend says that in the beginning there was only one original vampire. He is commonly known as the ‘Vampire Devil’.”

Dot: “He isn’t referred to as the Vampire Devil because he was evil, or anything. It's only because he resided in a place, not dissimilar to what humans know as Hell. And, Hell can be considered the informal name to what is actually the ‘Immortal Realm’. There may not have been anything “hellish” about it at all… Not back then, at least. The Vampire Devil is said to have resided in the immortal realm for many thousands of years, watching over the ‘Mortal Realm’. That’s where we are right now!”

Dot: “Unable to leave the immortal realm, as he had been trapped there by a form of barrier, the Vampire Devil is said to have witnessed the first humans appear in this world. The Vampire Devil is told to have been an incredibly observant being, only ever watching over the mortals for a very long time. During his study of the mortal realm, the Vampire Devil noticed something about the early humans. It was that these humans were missing souls. The Vampire Devil felt that these humans were merely vessels harboring life within; however they did not have souls with which they could flourish and evolve, making the mortal realm a world with more passion.”

Dot: “Seeing this as an opportunity to end his thousands of years of pondering, the Vampire Devil awakened his own supernatural ability for the very first time. The Vampire Devil used his power to give the humans souls. For the first time in their existence, humans were able to feel love, happiness, compassion, accomplishment and companionship with one another. The Vampire Devil felt proud of what he had done, believing that he had provided humanity with a meaning to their lives.”

Dot: “If the story had ended there, it would have been quite a happy ending, don’t you think? But of course, it gets much more complex from here. By giving humans their vital energy in the form of their souls, the Vampire Devil had also unintentionally opened a passageway between the two realms. Through this passageway, something else was unleashed down into the mortal realm. Perhaps it could be considered the exact opposite of vital energy. From within the immortal realm, a trivial energy fell into the humans’ souls. Whether or not it actually looked like this, or if the humans only felt this way, it is said that the trivial energy descended into the mortal realm like a black cloud of ash.”

Dot: “With their young souls now ashen by trivial energy, humans experienced rage, sorrow, envy, weakness and pain. With souls made from both vital and trivial energy, humanity as it is known began, and it is just the same today.”

Dot: “Instead of attempting to find a solution for his mistake, the Vampire Devil did not regard the trivial energy as being much of a problem at all. What happened next was the creation of vampires. The vampires were created from the same energies as the humans were, but they fell from the immortal realm, just as the burning ash had done before. However, still to this day it is unknown what the Vampire Devil’s true intentions were when he left humanity’s souls, tainted as they are. The same goes for the purpose of the vampires and later the manifestation of their human kismets. It was later discovered that the vampires’ interactions with their kismets granted them greater power in their abilities, but the reason for this is still a mystery.”

Having finished the telling of the story, Dot sits down again with a smirking expression on her face. She is clearly proud of her execution…

Justice: “Wow….. That blew my mind, just now!...”

I am about to make a retort to Justice’s sarcastic comment; however I am interrupted as a neatly dressed gentleman appears in front of us with a vacuum cleaner in hand.

The man begins his work with the vacuum, completely oblivious to any of our existences. He directs the vacuum over the area rug that lays below us, repeating his motions a couple of times. This gentleman looks to be slightly older than John. He wears a brown tartan pattern jacket over a white knitted sweater. His fashion sense is definitely unique, but at least it's not a mashup of cheap garments like John’s sad excuse for an acceptable outfit.

The unknown man even uses the smaller attachment on the vacuum to capture the dirt and dust off of Justice's clothes. The dirt is probably from when we got startled in the alleyway…

It seems that only now the man notices our presence.

Man with a Vacuum: “Oh! Hello there! It's a pleasure to meet you. Deepest apologies for the mess…. I tried getting some cleaning done before you got here, but mister Jackdaw failed to give me enough time notice. I hope you aren’t too bothered by my being here. The mess just keeps coming back! You know how it is!”

The man smiles as he greets us. Now I realize more how well groomed he is, with his sleek hair combed back. And, I notice the small mole under his eye. There seems to be an undeniable friendliness to his appearance and attitude.

John: “Luke, Justice, this is Edwin Butler. He’s the maintenance worker here at the library. This place would be a bird’s nest, if it weren’t for him. Oh, you should tell Edwin what your favourite foods are. He loves to cook!”

Luke: “Uhh… It’s good to meet you!”

Justice: “Hello sir, I’d like you to know that if you’d ever be interested in leaving this dump, Blackember Academy would gladly offer you a job as a maintenance worker!”

Luke: “Justice, don’t say that! It's rude! Didn’t those elite nerds teach you any manners, growing up in that school?! Apologize! Now!”

Edwin: “Oh no, there’s no need for an apology. I only ask that you don’t call me ‘sir’. I’m quite fine with just ‘Edwin’. I appreciate your offer, but I am happy to be here at the library. It's my duty to look after the trainees here!”

Edwin seems to emanate a certain warmth while he speaks with us.

Edwin: “Well then, if you don’t mind, I have much more cleaning to do. I will also prepare a dorm room for the both of you!”

As Edwin leaves, Justice and I direct our attention once again to John and Dot.

Luke: “Ehh…I noticed that Edwin is not a vampire. John, is Edwin your kismet? I hope it's okay for me to ask that…..”

John: “No, Edwin is not my kismet. But, he is the kismet of Miss Manx. I understand why you would ask, as the Bibliotheca Vampiric is a secret organization. Except for Dot here, the only humans who know of our establishment are kismets…..”

Luke: “I see….. Who is Miss Manx?”

John: “Oh, Miss Manx is the librarian, of course! I thought you two have met her already.”

Justice: “Manx. You mean the cat? That cat is the librarian?!”

John: “Yes…. Miss Manx is our librarian. She is a vampire whose ability is similar to mine, as she can transform into another creature. However, there has been a slight problem as of recently….. Miss Manx has not been able to turn back into her vampire form…. We aren’t sure why and we don’t know how to get her to change back, but I haven’t heard any complaints from her. She must be fine with being a cat at all times, for now at least….”

Justice: “Are you kidding? You say that you think she’s fine with being stuck as a cat, but how would she have been able to tell you?! You vampires really don’t take responsibility for anything…. Do you?”

John: “Hmmmm…. Actually, now that you mention responsibility, I think it's about time that we start heading over to the location of the incident. Alright, I hope our little conversation here has made things a bit clearer for you both….. Dot, go open the garage, please.”

Dot: “Sure thing, John!”

Both John and Dot stand up, ready to leave.

Luke: “Wait a second! What’s happening? Where are we going?”

Justice: “What do you mean, location of the incident?!”

John: “Since it's your first day here, I thought it would be beneficial for you to get a feeler for your first mission….. And, could you please hurry up, there are already other trainees there waiting for us.”