Eternal Eclipse

Chapter 9

I, who had been silent for a moment after hearing Eli's words, finally opened my mouth to speak after observing my surroundings, "If I were lost in this vine maze, wouldn't you come find me and save me? I know you can do it."

Eli tightened his grip on my waist and pulled me closer to him, "I will if you ask me nicely."

"..." I simply pushed Eli away from me and shook my head.

We walked for a while before finally emerging from the vine maze. In front of me was a mansion with vines covering its walls, both beautiful and eerie, resembling an old mansion used in horror films. It was as if the curtains on the second floor of the mansion would open, and something sinister would stare out, staring at those who looked through.

"Come on in," Eli said, leading me to the mansion's large door.

I nodded and asked about the owner of this mansion. "Hey, is this relative of yours the woman with the blonde hair and pale face? Oh, and does she dress like an ancient noblewoman?"

Eli glanced at me and a small laugh escaped his thin lips. "Yes, you're very good at guessing. How did you know? Did sleeping with me give you the same knowledge about vampires as I do? Or did you watch too many movies?"

I punched Eli in the stomach quite hard and said angrily, "Damn it, you must be tricking me."

"Haha, no, no. The owner of this mansion is definitely not a woman, but maybe your description is true," Eli replied with laughter.

“Wow, it's so rare to see you laugh like that, Eli,” a woman's voice startled me, and I immediately searched for the source.

I wondered if this was the woman I'd been thinking about earlier, the owner of this mansion. Even though I searched everywhere, I still couldn't see anyone inside. The room was so spacious, but no one appeared before me, yet a woman's voice sounded as if it were right in front of me.

“Cecil, are you here too?” Eli asked, seemingly nonchalantly.

“No, I just heard you were introducing your partner after thousands of years, so I wanted to see him for a moment. Don't tell anyone else I spoke to you,” said the woman's voice, whom Eli called Cecil.

“Hmm, now you've seen it. Next time, come to my mansion to see him,” Eli replied gently.

"Yes, I've seen it well. I'll try, but Azazel's mansion is the safest place for me to go without anyone noticing my presence, and it's the closest, easier to reach," the woman named Cecil's voice was laced with sadness.

"I'm sorry," Eli said suddenly, startling me.

"It's okay, this isn't your fault. Father has always protected me, and you've all done your best to protect me." Although I didn't know what was happening, it seemed like Cecil wasn't in a good mood.

"Oh yeah, what's your name, human? My name is Cecilia, and I'm Eli's sister. Nice to meet you," I, feeling called out by Cecilia's question, immediately glanced at Eli.

"I'm Orion, Orion Conall. Nice to meet you too, Cecilia," I replied awkwardly, not knowing where to look.

"Oh, Orion? How old are you now?" Cecilia asked, as if there was something odd about her way of speaking.

"25 years old?" I replied, confused.

“Is your star sign Pisces?” Cecilia asked again, as if to confirm something.

“Yes, what is it about?” I felt confused but still answered honestly.

“No, it’s nothing. It’s just that I sense that you’re special, as seen from your name, which means ascending to the sky. You were born on a waning crescent moon, and I’ve read that people born at this time might achieve their goals and dreams later than others, making it difficult. Orion, perhaps what you’re going through right now is difficult for you, but life is a mystery, and you never know what the future holds. There may be things you can’t solve right now, and there may be things you can’t reason with, but that’s okay, don’t think too much about it. And Orion, you’re the right person for Eli. You can withstand all the darkness that comes, and no one will be able to stop you,” Cecilia’s voice grew softer and softer, making me feel like my ears were deceiving me, as I heard sadness in that soft voice.

"Sorry, I have to go. Eli, Orion, take care of yourselves. Hopefully, we'll see each other again in person," the voice faded away as if swept away by the wind, leaving no trace.

I glanced at Eli, who had been silent all this time, and finally opened his mouth, "You take care of yourself too."

Eli's voice was soft and gentle, his face not cold or gentle, but a hint of confusion loomed over it. I don't know what Eli was thinking, but his hand, which had been around my waist, tightened as if he needed something to hold on to.

"Eli?" I called softly.

Eli sighed and turned to me, "Nothing, let's meet the others. We've been here too long."

Eli spoke softly and quickly led me on, continuing the walk and then up the stairs to meet his other siblings.

We climbed the stairs one by one, and upon reaching the top, we saw a servant waiting for us. Eli and I were led into a large room that appeared to have several doors. The servant directed us into another room, "Master Eli, please come in. Master Azazel is waiting inside."

Eli nodded, and after the door opened, he wrapped his arm around my waist and whispered, "Don't be nervous."

I remained silent, focusing on the view before me. A rooftop with many vines adorning the area and yellow torches illuminating the area. In the middle were chairs and tables arranged, and by the railing, someone stood watching Eli and me arrive.