Emiel Regis x Reader

Thrity-Two

In the dark, Regis could hardly see anything, even though a vampire's eyes were better than any other being. Only a dragon would have been able to see better than him.

And yet he was almost blind in that strange darkness. He could hardly see beyond a few meters, there were shadows everywhere and he thought he could see figures trying to sneak up on him.

His nails grew, as he let them firm claws in case he needed to defend himself.

He felt like he was being followed. So that's how people must feel when they couldn't see anything. It was a distressing feeling, as if thousands of eyes were watching him. But there was literally no one around.

Only the sound of spiders crawling around filled his ears and sometimes he thought there were other insects crawling between his feet.

He did not hate insects, there were many in his garden, helping his herbs and flowers to grow. But the thought of them crawling over his body while he was unable to see them was still disturbing to him.

Again and again he looked over his shoulder, not out of fear but out of concern that you might have noticed him disappearing. But behind him, everything was empty. Only darkness accompanied him.

It was a lonely companion who left one alone when trouble was on the way.

Despite the unusual blackness, he found the path he had once discovered. It was a narrow gap in a wall, so narrow that Regis only fit right through. If he had only been a little wider, he would have got stuck in the middle of the path at the latest. Fortunately, Regis was a narrow man. His shoulders were broad but not too broad, and he was neither very tall nor small.

He was just the perfect size to use the hidden path in the wall. What a coincidence.

One last time he glanced over his shoulder, secretly hoping that you would still come to accompany him.
But he knew it would have put you in unknown danger. And he definitely didn't want this to happen.

With the flexibility of a cat, he slipped through the crack, cold stone pressed against his back, while even colder stone was brushing against his cheek.

He could smell the walls that smelled like wet stone and dust. Just like you had described it.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face. At least he was on the right track.

For quite a while he pressed himself through the hole, the darkness spread the feeling of being crushed in him. It was tight, unbearably tight, and he just couldn't get rid of the feeling that at any moment a rock would fall from above and smash his head.

To make it all worse, somehow his vampire powers did not work. It was as if the cave forbade him to be a supernatural being and forced him to stay flesh and bones.
Regis was already nervous when suddenly a bright light flashed.

Terrified, he pinched his eyes, the bright light blinded his sensitive eyes and paused. Out of reflex, he expected an attack, a monster that would try to tear him apart and turn him inside out. Maybe he would get burned alive and would be trapped in a thousand hell fires.

To his luck, nothing of that happened.

Then, when the light finally got milder, he blinked briefly. Now the lightning had become a mild shimmer, lighting up the narrow gap in which Regis was stuck, as if a thousand candles were waiting for him to arrive at the exit. Carefully, he dared to get closer, glanced into the other cave, and finally left the rift when he was sure there was no danger in the vicinity.

With a loud sigh he wiped the dust off his clothes before he looked up and turned around.

"More fucking statues.", he sighed, remembering the exact words and facial impression you had when you had find out about the riddle. "Well, let's see if there is anything of use here."

With his usual thirst for knowledge, Regis approached the one stature in the empty cave. It stood right in the middle, as if its creator had been looking for the perfect place to create a work of art out of stone.

The stature was an old lady this time.

However, she did not look human, but had the ears of an elf and the nose of a dwarf. It was a strange sight if he  thought about that dwarves were small and dug and elves were creatures who put beauty and elegance above all else.

He calmly took the time to look at the stature from all sides, walked around it once and stopped before its stony face again.

"Interesting.", he muttered to himself and looked at the pedestal.

Maybe there was a hidden switch somewhere or a hint of some sort. Anyway, he was sure that the walled door behind the stature would open up a new path. However, he could not feel a passage behind the wall or a draught of air that would have indicated that something was hidden there.

Everything in this cave just seemed to have a meaning yet, there were no hints or anything that would have confirmed all of the possibilities that Regis had made up in his mind.

If he was honest with himself, it frustrated him.

How much he would have wished to have one of his ravens with him now. Those smart birds would have been able to find a solution in no time.

But Regis didn't need a raven.

Suddenly he had an idea.

Blood.

The stature was a cross between dwarf and eleven. The very first stature had been a crossbreed between human and vampire and it had been activated by your blood.

He needed blood, presumably mixed from both elves and dwarfs.

Good thing he came prepared. Filled with energy, he reached into his pocket, which, thanks to Orianna, was filled with everything the heart could desire, and pulled out two small vials of red liquid. He smelled it for a moment to make sure it was the right kind of blood and opened the small glass lids.

The sweet smell immediately moved something deep inside him, like a monster that had awoken from a deep slumber. But Regis fought against the desire to drink the blood.

Instead, he dribbled two drops of each vials on the stone, mixed it with the tip of his finger and stepped back.
Now, he had to wait.