Shire turned to look out the window. The night was overcast, dark clouds obscuring the moon and stars, leaving everything outside pitch-black. The vampire from earlier had long since vanished.
Shire carefully closed the window again and secured the latch, then drew the curtains. He returned to the desk and sat down wearily, his expression fitting both the role he was playing and his true feelings.
"Hm?"
Just as Shire was about to close his eyes and rest for a moment, he noticed an extra book on the desk. It had a red cover patterned with bloodlike markings, looking deeply mysterious and a little unsettling.
Remembering what Mulan had said, Shire realized this was probably the so-called Book of Esoteric Arts!
In other words, it was a book detailing a professional path! Not the sort of vampiric zombie that grew stronger simply through endless bloodsucking and transformation!
I need to show my worth and talent, but I can't seem too eager!
Recalling Mulan's repeated reminders, Shire told himself to stay calm, then picked up the book, still feeling a little excited.
When his hand touched it, Shire felt warmth and a faint pulse, as though those veins were not merely decorations, but had blood flowing through them.
It made Shire feel slightly sick, but he slowly opened the book anyway. Its name was written on the first page: "Book of Blood."
"Blood is the fluid of life, the source of strength. Different bloods are like varied fine wines, rich and fragrant."
The Book of Blood possessed a strange magic of its own, and it had already begun beguiling Shire as he read. What the departed vampire had not told him was that reading the Book of Blood could very easily turn someone into its slave. Only those who could resist