Stay in Your Lane, Kid

So, it turns out Milia used to be a lackey for Elisabeth, the ‘Queen of Blood’ herself.

She started spinning this yarn about the good old days when vampires basically owned the night. Back then, Elisabeth was a total powerhouse, even compared to the other Progenitors. Vampires treated humans like an all-you-can-eat buffet, hunting them for sport and treating them like literal livestock. Some of them even set up their own Vampire Kingdoms where they ruled the roost. It was a total Golden Age for the bloodsuckers.

But Elisabeth was the odd one out. Even in a world like that, she hated killing more than she had to. She only took what she needed to survive and refused to take lives needlessly. Naturally, that made her about as popular as a vegan at a steakhouse. Despite being crazy strong, she didn't have many followers.

Then the tables turned, and the Dark Age hit.

It was a total nightmare for the fangs—humans started hunting them for a change. It started with the Vampire Kingdom getting trashed, and before long, humans everywhere were rising up. The vampire population started nosediving.

During all that chaos, Elisabeth and her crew were acting as border lords for some tiny human kingdom. They were actually tilling fields and fighting monsters side-by-side with the locals. In her territory, vampires didn't look down on people, and people weren't terrified of vampires. The secret? They’d gone cold turkey on human blood.

Now, everyone knows a Vampire can’t survive without drinking blood. That’s just common sense. But Elisabeth decided to prove common sense wrong by sheer force of will.

A Progenitor’s Vampiric Impulse is like, dozens of times stronger than a normal vampire's. The agony must have been off the charts—the kind of pain that makes you want to gnaw your own arms off—but she pulled it off. And her subordinates, being the loyal types, followed her lead.

Sure, the vampires who quit blood eventually lost their mojo and became about as tough as your average human, but they got a pretty sweet deal in exchange: they could walk in the sun. They got to live in a world of light just like everyone else. Plus, they actually found some inner peace. By ditching the blood and soaking up the sun, their urges faded until they were basically human in spirit.

Elisabeth was the only exception. Even without blood, she stayed terrifyingly strong.

The sun still turned her skin into a blistery mess, so she couldn't go out without her Black Parasol. She didn't turn to ash, but then again, most Progenitors have a high tolerance for light anyway. And no matter how long she fasted, that maddening Vampiric Impulse never truly went away.

Even in that constant state of torture, she’d carry her Black Parasol and go about her day with everyone else. She’d gather her people and say stuff like, “Let us create a Land of Rest here. A place where vampires and humans can live happily together.”

She started taking in vampires who’d been chased by humans, adding them to her ranks—provided they quit the red stuff, of course. If any of them tried to act tough or look down on her, she’d exile them with this heartbreakingly sad look on her face. If they didn’t take the hint, she’d handle them personally.

Before long, vampires from all over the world were flocking to her. The population boomed, the locals and the fangs mixed, and the territory actually prospered. Between her strength and the country's protection, even vampire hunters steered clear.

For a while, that ‘Land of Rest’ she dreamed of actually existed. She really believed she could make everyone happy.

But the dream went up in smoke in a single night. A night when the ‘Red Moon’ hung in the sky.

Elisabeth had been cooped up in the castle, trying to suppress an impulse that was getting worse by the second. At the time, Milia was her Number 1 executive, and this guy Crimson was the Number 2. They took turns bringing her meals, and that’s when Crimson pulled his stunt.

He spiked Elisabeth’s food with human blood.

Normally, she probably would’ve smelled it. Heck, even if she’d eaten it, she might have been able to keep her cool. But it was the night of the Red Moon. She’d been fasting for way too long, and the blood pushed her over the edge into a total Frenzy. That’s when Crimson and his buddies staged their coup.

Apparently, some vampires just couldn’t wrap their heads around the idea of humans being anything other than snacks. The ‘Land of Rest’ was just a fairy tale to them.

It only took a few hours for the frenzied Elisabeth and Crimson’s crew to slaughter everyone in the territory. The peaceful vampires who’d given up their power were totally helpless; they were butchered like sheep.

Milia was the only survivor. To get enough strength to stop her master, she’d had to do the unthinkable—she’d wept while drinking the blood of the dead.

She chased Elisabeth out of the territory, but she couldn't stop the momentum. Within a day, the tiny country Elisabeth had protected was gone, and the kindhearted King was torn to pieces. Milia didn't make it in time. She could only beg for forgiveness while crying over the bodies of the King and Queen.

The Frenzy lasted three days. Three more countries were basically wiped off the map.

Milia finally caught up to her on a night when everything was already over. Elisabeth was standing there, staring at the ruins of the country she’d destroyed, crying her eyes out.

“Make sure I never make this mistake again... Make sure I never come back. Throw my ashes into the sea...”

With that, she drove a sword into her own heart and collapsed. She was supposed to turn to ash right then and there.

But she didn't. The sword had missed her vitals by a hair.

She wasn't breathing, and her heart had stopped. She looked dead, but she was still technically alive. A single drop of human blood would bring her back to life in an instant. Conversely, one little shove of that sword would turn her to ash forever.

Milia couldn't do it. She couldn't kill her master, but she couldn't go against her master's final wish to stay dead either. So, she hid the ‘Sleeping Queen’ in a coffin and swore to guard her for eternity.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

MILIA

“It was a stupid choice,” Milia said, giving me this weak, miserable smile. “I didn't have the strength to protect her after giving up blood. Now Crimson’s snatched her, and he’s going to use her all over again. I have a thousand years of guilt to pay back, and if she goes into a Frenzy again... I don't even know how I’ll look her in the eye.”

“It’s fine. Seriously,” I told her. “I’m in the same boat. I think I have Possession.”

I told her about the Black Bruise that used to be on my back and how it cleared up out of nowhere. If that really was the curse, I’m basically a ticking time bomb. “That’s why I was so bossy about getting my brother into the Knight Order. I wanted him to have a future before I... you know. But then I let him get kidnapped the second I looked away. If anything happens to Cid, I’m the one who won't be able to apologize.”

Milia went quiet for a second. “I didn’t know...”

CLAIRE

“Look... I don’t think your ‘Land of Rest’ was just a fantasy. Mistakes happen, but they don't have to repeat. Can’t you just try talking to Elisabeth again?”

Milia just shook her head. “I can’t go against my master’s will anymore.”

“Fine, then I’ll do it. We’ll grab Elisabeth, wait for the Red Moon to go away, and then she won't go into a Frenzy, right?”

“Probably...”

“Great. Then when it's over, I'll use my blood to wake her up. We’ll talk to her then. Things will be different this time, I’m sure of it. Besides, I’m doing this because I want to, so you’re off the hook, Milia.”

“But... I don’t want her to suffer anymore.”

Milia looked down, clearly having a mini-existential crisis.

“Let’s just try one more time,” I said, leaning in so I could see her eyes. I gave her my best confident smile. “Ending it like this is just too depressing. For you, for her, and for all those people who died.”

Milia’s eyes wavered. Deep down, she didn't want it to end this way either. She was just scared. Scared of messing up again, and scared of hurting her master.

“The ‘Land of Rest’ you guys were aiming for wasn't a lie. I really believe that. So let's just win this and end it with a smile, okay?”

Milia finally looked up and nodded. “I’m sorry... I’m such a burden.”

“Don’t worry about it. Like I said, I’m doing this for me.”

MILIA

“Also... sorry for being a downer earlier. About how Possession can't be cured. My old comrades actually have a Hidden Village of Vampires. They might know something, so I’ll ask around.”

CLAIRE

“Don't sweat it. And thanks. Now, let’s go kick Crimson’s ass and kidnap ourselves a Sleeping Queen.”

“Yeah. And I'll help you save your brother too.”

I felt a vein pop in my forehead. “Excuse me? I’m the one saving Cid. Stay in your lane, kid.”

“Oh... right...”

“Just focus on supporting my beautiful and brilliant rescue mission.”

“...Got it.”

With that settled, the two of us started our climb up the tower.