Helsing

       

They made me stand in front of the three of them. Atlas locked the library, not letting anyone in unless she gives permission for the other servants to come in. Count Vlad leaned his back on the table, staring at me with his curious eyes, searching my wholeness as if he was trying to think of something  he couln’t summon in his mind. 

“I know I look different. It must have been the…um…It must be because of the food…” 

Gerber sighed, “Really?Because of the food? Is that all the answer that you can think of? “ 

“Have you seen yourself in the mirror lately, Lady Sol? Atlas told me that you have been locking yourself in your chamber. Care to tell me, why?” 

Atlas glanced at me before steadying her focus on the book in her hand. I answered lightly, “Um…yes, I don’t like what I look. Is it puberty?” 

Count Vlad’s shoulder fell on his side, showing how disappointed he was by my question. Well, I have read it somewhere so maybe, it really is puberty. 

“No, it’s far from puberty, Lady Sol.” He forwarded, marching towards me. He began describing how I look, “ Your once milk and freckled skin is now as white and as clear as porcelain. Your features are heightened. You look more like a mature woman than a 19th year old girl. Your black eyes are now blue. Your hair is longer…God, just what happened to you?”

He began checking me with different tools that I had no idea what the hell they’re called. With the help of Gerber and Atlas, they made sure that everything is well checked, not letting one spot in my body left unknown. It took for them a long while to realize that I am perfectly fine and this could be normal transformation. 

“I can’t explain, really, on what’s happening to you…” Count Vlad sighed, his shoulders fell behind him in disappointment upon finding no answer from his research. 

“This could just be normal…” I tried to defend myself from his doubts. 

“Could be. I don’t know, muffin.” He flinched to Gerber who was busy cleaning the tools he used to search me and said, “ Gerber, you are sure that her eyes are black and not blue, aren’t you?” 

Gerber slammed the steel bowl on the table, “Of course! I took care of her for weeks now. I can’t just forget about her appearance just because she sulked and locked herself in her chamber for days!”

“Calm down, woman. I was just asking.” He glanced at Atlas, doubting if he’s going to keep on advancing his questions to her but dismissed the thoughts in his head by smiling at me. Count Vlad leaned on the book, “I study medicine and the atonomy of all living  creatures in this small, palm-sized but I haven’t such a case before. It could be genetic though.” 

“Genetic? You mean, it’s hereditary? Who are your parents, Sol?”Atlas asked. 

I want to feel bad when I heard her said it. But I shrugged it off when I realized that she actually don’t know anything about me including Gerber. None of them does. Maybe, except for my master, Lord Minir. 

“I…I don’t have any — I mean, I don’t know them.” 

They stared at me, processing the answer I just laid in front of them. Gerber broke their connecting thoughts by accidentally dropping one of the spoon-like tools. It was a very awkward silence as we watched Gerber picked up the spoon. 

“But you know that you are a helsing, right?” 

I nodded, having no idea what’s the connection. Count Vlad looked at me for a long moment before he broke it by looking away and picking up his book on the table. 

“Then, shall we call it a night? “ He went straight to the door and said, “I will come back tomorrow to tutor you. By the way, muffin, I brought the books you requested on our last session. It’s on the small office inside this library.” 

I nodded slowly, “Okay…Thank you…” 

Gerber escorted Count Vlad out of the mansion. Atlas got back on her chores while I was left inside the library, searching for the door to the office that Lord Minir was talking about. As I was strolling through the wide shelves, the smell of aged books mixed with dust the lingered in my nostril. None of them must have used the library that’s why it’s this dirty. The cobwebs are untouched, sleeping in their own homes in the corners of the shelves, covering some of the books, on the walls and on the ceiling. 

It took me a long while to find the only office in this big, spacious room reserved for books, archives and papers only. I always wanted to visit places like this. It was just a dream that I have longed to have but now, it’s all in front of me and it’s free! On my way to the office, I took some books from the shelves in case I might be needing some to read in my chamber. 

Entering the room that Lord Minir asked me, a pile of gold embedded books revealed themselves to me in a room with bookshelves as the walls. There was a chair inside, the only chair in this room, perhaps. But the room felt a little bit different than the whole library itself. The ambience was calm, far from the chaotic world that I grew up. 

“So pretty…” I commented, taking a seat on the only chair, breathing in the peace that surrounded me now. 

The first book on top of the pile had it’s name carved on the leather cover, painted with gold and designed with small gems that shines when the light hits them. At first, I found it hard to read the letter but the more I stare at them, the more I seem to get it. It reads, 

“The Helsings: Protector of the Kingdom of Doria…” 

I opened the book, and oh, it was empty. Empty. Like really empty! Confused, I began flipping the pages only to find nothing but an empty pages, a thick empty book. 

“It was told by the librarians that only the Helsings can read their books. One of the many reasons on why they were exiled because of their secrecy. “ 

It was Count Vlad, silently revealing himself from the shadows. 

“I…thought you already left…” 

“I changed my mind, Lady Sol. You are quite interesting.” 

I shrunk on my seat when his height towered me even with the pile of books and the table between us. 

“If you are really a Helsing, then maybe, you can read this..”