Aselia’s heart sank listening to Frila’s words and she felt their burden sink her low, she wanted the ground to open and gobble her up because she had betrayed all of them when all they had done was take care of her.

"I am sorry, Frila. I apologize for my actions. Have it in your heart to forgive me, and I want to talk to Carios as well," Aselia replied apologetically as she took Frila’s hands in hers. "I promise I will make it up to you guys someday, and I will never hurt him again."

Frila squeezed her hands and replied: "Yes, that’s all I request. Please, don’t hurt Señor, he already has a complicated life. And I don’t think it will be a wise decision to talk to Carios, he is not a forgiving type when it comes down to Señor."

"Please! Frila, it’s my request, Xiran won’t be here for an hour or so. Take me to Carios, I might not get a chance again, he won’t let me out of his sight," Frila was apprehensive but pleading in Aselia’s eyes made her call Carios into the dungeon hall.

Both women got up and left for the hall, reaching it a fresh gust of memories hit Aselia. All those moments that had taken place here raced in her mind and she sighed before composing herself.

This place held too many memories. Good and bad. The very first time she had met Xiran was here, in this very hall, and it was also here that he had tried to make her jealous by using another woman.

Aselia sat down on the sofa and waited for Carios. Five minutes later sandy-haired vampire descended the stairs looking for Frila, who had called him to meet her there. But he was a bit taken aback to find Aselia sitting on the sofa with her. The smile on his slender face disappeared and was replaced by revulsion.

"Hi, Carios. I wanted to talk to you, can you have a seat?" Aselia inquired nervously.

"What do you want, Aselia?" He remained rooted to his spot with his hands in his pockets. The stern look on his face told her it wouldn’t be easy to seek his forgiveness. His blue eyes held animosity and she was sure he wouldn’t even talk to her if not for Xiran’s orders. She had hurt too many people.

"I would like to apologize for betraying your trust. I know you are the one who hired me and approved my papers and you must be holding yourself accountable for what transpired. I am truly sorry for the trouble I caused," Aselia offered her sincerest apology with a thudding heart.

"Trouble? You made a fool out of us all, you made fun of our hospitality. We trusted you, Señor trusted you. He opened his heart to you, he never does that, and what you did in return. I am sorry, I can’t forgive you," Carios had heard everything Xiran had told Rivan on the plane, and although he was sitting in a separate area, he could hear them talk and he despised Aselia now.

Carios remembered the day Xiran had saved him. Carios’s parents worked in a leather factory. One day the factory caught fire and his parents were among the 15 workers who died.

Carios was only 10 years old at that time, his whole world crashed down. He cried for days sitting along his parent’s graves but knew they wouldn’t come back. Having no real relatives who cared for him, he moved from city to city, looking for small jobs to earn a living.

He finally arrived in Fritez City and began to work in a butcher shop. He had nowhere to sleep so he mostly slept in shelters set up for the homeless. One day as he was returning from his work at night, he crossed paths with three drunk vampires.

Seeing the kid was alone and an easy target the vampires trashed him. Little Carios was terrified to death and begged them to let him go, but they were drunk and his scent intoxicated them.

They took turns drinking his blood in a dark alley and before they could end his life, something flew out of the sky and snatched the boy from them. They couldn’t comprehend what was happening as their heads were separated from their bodies and fell into the dark alley. Blood was splattered all around the walls and on the ground below, tainting it with their filth.

Xiran then flew away with the boy in his arms and with a grim expression on his face. Young Carios’s heartbeat was so low that Xiran knew he won’t survive and he couldn’t see such a young soul die in his arms. So before the boy could breathe his last, Xiran opened his mouth and fed him drops of his blood.

Carios died with Xiran’s blood in his system but soon woke up as a vampire. This was a quality he had inherited from his wretched father. He could turn someone into a vampire as his father belonged to a special bloodline of vampires, so he had a bunch of special powers.

Carios grew up in Xiran’s care and considered him his everything. This all had transpired 20 years ago, so their relationship had solidified into one of trust and loyalty and Carios wouldn’t let anyone hurt his Sire.

Back to reality, he didn’t understand why Señor would bring back the girl who had betrayed and hurt him.

"I understand your point, Carios I can’t erase my past and my actions but I can reassure you I will never hurt him or you people, again," Aselia confided to them as Frila and Carios watched her.

"I don’t have a big heart like Sire and Frila. They might forgive you but I will not. You don’t exist for me Aselia, I can barely stand you and only do that because of Sire. What I can’t comprehend is the fact what you have done to our Sire, that he can’t see past your vileness. If it had been in my hands, I would have ended your life for hurting him."

His venomous words stung Aselia and she flinched because of the hatred they contained. Frila clasped her mouth with her eyes wide at the words he had hurled at Aselia. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"THAT’S ENOUGH CARIOS," Xiran’s voice thundered from behind them as the door of the dungeon was thrown open and he entered in all his blaze.