Emiel Regis x Reader

Twenty-Seven

The cave felt like home.

As soon as you had stepped down the last step of the staircase the breath git stuck in your lungs. You gasped, your eyes widened, as your mind realised what was laying before you.

The cave was like an underground swamp. But it wasn't the muddy and slimy kind of swamp, that smelled of rotten flesh and dirty rain water. It was that kind of swamp, that held crystal clear water, that was home to beautiful fish and little toads, frogs and butterflies.

It almost did not feel real, as you dared to step fully into the cave and allowed yourself to look around for a moment longer.

It smelled of wet stone walls and dust. But at the same time there was the scent of flowers filling the air like a decent perfume. It almost felt like summer.

"What is this?", you mumbled to yourself, while trying to catch one of the blue glowing fireflies that were dancing around the ponds.

The water reached to your ankles, as you searched for a path through the other side, where a stature was waiting. It looked like a human but from the long claws and its sharp teeth, you could tell it was supposed to be a vampire.

How did the eldest never question that he was living right above a place that was obviously filled with mysteries and magic?

Had he ever been down here?

Did he even know that this place existed?

Of course. He must have. It would have been impossible to miss a place like this. An important secret had to lie dormant in these depths, a secret that would surely have interested a vampire like the eldest.

Carefully you stroke over the stony face of the stature. Joy was frozen on the face of stone. The vampire pointed upward, holding a human heart in his hand as the blood dripped down his arm. You knew that face. The man seemed familiar to you.

Confused you looked closer into his face, let your fingers wander over the whole stature before you went back a step in fright. This movement caused you to cut your hand on a sharp edge. Blood gushed out and immediately disappeared in the stone. It was as if the stature had just been waiting for this drop to drink.

Suddenly a stabbing pain rushed through your head, you stumbled and fell to the ground. With both hands, you held your head while images awakened before your inner eyes. It was as if a bright light blinded you, while voices and screams made your ears bleed.

"Ah, you.", a voice rose from the screams. "I remember you. You were... the only success. A disappointment but still a success."

With tears in your eyes, you tried to raise your head and looked at the person from whom the voice came, but you just couldn't. It was the most hellish pain you've ever felt in your own body. Like a thousand needles poking your brain.

"Who?", you asked in a hoarse voice.

Cold tears ran down your cheeks.

"You don't know me. Not my name, anyway. But it was I who created you. You're the fruit of my research."

"Ha! What... what kind of research? Argh!"

"Don't talk too much. The spell could burn your brain."

"Wha-what?"

"Hm. I think you should keep going. Yeah, I think I will let you visit me. Through the gate there, then down the stairs. Take the hallway at the very left. Then follow the path. I'll wait for you in the lab."

Then the voice disappeared and suddenly everything went quiet again.

Trembling, you lay on the floor for a moment, it felt as if the cold had eaten into every corner of your body. Your face was covered with salty tears. And cold sweat. Every muscle and bone inside your body felt stiff.

"Shit.", you cursed, trying to fight back the blackness, that was crawling into the side of your eyes.

Exhausted, you got back up, trembled and almost fell back to the ground. Your hands grabbed the stature, this time you did not cut yourself. But the touch of the stone was sending goosebumps down your spine.

Disgusted, you pulled a face and spit the thing right in the face.

What kind of fucking black magic was this?

Despite the disgusting feeling that spread more and more in your chest, you followed the instructions that the voice had given you. Of course it had been a light-minded decision, of course only an idiot would have believed the words. But you had to see what was really down there.

You had to know what the voice meant.

The sound of the voice had been familiar to you, the man had been an acquaintance. It was like you heard the voice of an old friend and had just realized hours after that it was your friend.

Your legs carried you so fast, you almost tripped and fell down the stairs. But just at the right moment, the vampire inside you woke up and you flew into the darkness.

Your eyes sharpened, the darkness became more tense and vibrant. As if it had realised that you were able to see though its dark body.

A room opened before you. It was almost like a place that looked like somebody would hold secret meetings that only the most trusted people were supposed to know of.

Carfully, you landed in the center of a circle and let your eyes wander around.

"More fucking statues?!", you asked in anger.

"Indeed.", a voice suddenly answered. "It's a riddle. A mechanism that is supposed to prevent unwanted visitors from entering. In case that the other mechanism fails."

For a moment, you held your breath. Then, slowly, you turned around to face the person.

"What are you doing here?", you asked confused.

Regis smiled sadly.

"I fear the answer won't please you (Y/N). I might be... part of your little misery. My apologies."