01: El Mezzanotte's Master

Thunder, lightning, and heavy rain make noise outside the vast greenfield of El Mezzanotte land. There was a barnhouse next to the hilltop castle where faint groans echoed as if there was a sick animal around. But beneath the barn house, there was a secret trap door leading to a basement filled with dust, dirt, and smoke from tobacco.

“What do you think, the Master will do with him?” a voice of man wondered even though he knew what the answer would be.

“Don’t ask since there’s nothing to talk about what will he do to a traitor like him.” another voice that came from a lady with a scoff beneath her breath as she smoked her tobacco.

The lights around the space were flickering and the wall was filled with stains of random bloods of animals or traitors. It was really like a haunted space but the further it went, the groans were getting louder and clearer pleas met torturing punches.

“Argh…please…stop…I…I’m sorry…” a broken voice of a man begged for his life. The man was chained up on a chair with a couple of bruises from the torture that his captors gave him. But he still lives and yet, badly wounded.

“Sorry, you say…but Master won’t let you slip away without paying for what you’ve done.” A pale man with grinning lips tauntingly chuckled as said those words to the tied man on the steal chair.

“I swear, I have nothing to do with it…” the wounded and tied man tried to reason.

“NONSENSE! I don’t think Master will let you go that easily even if you plead.” Another pale man chuckled before he gave the captived man a very hard punch over his stomach. It causes him to cough blood. 

“I’M TELLING THE TRUTH!” he groaned in pain as he screamed at them. They chuckled.

“Then who was it?” the only pale woman who had been smoking was the one who asked.

“I don’t know him…” he shivered over her cold gaze as he answered.

“You’re drying our patience low.” the wounded man’s torturer scoffed with warning beneath his tone.

“I think he needs more.” the same smoking pale woman told the men causing the wounded man to flinch in fear.

“NO MORE! PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU!” he begged as he cried for more.

“Then give us the name or else... these pliers will cut every part of you.” the first pale man who had been torturing him showed him the pliers before stabbing his thigh.

“NO!” he screamed in pain. 

“NAME!” the second pale man shouted.

“ETHAN! ETHAN ROBOSSO!” the wounded man answered in a shout when the first pale man took out the pierced pliers from his thigh.

As they were having fun torturing the man who betrayed their master and messing around their land, a snickering voice from another pale lady came into view.

“That’s stinky.” The pale lady reacted with a chuckle as she leaned over the staircase of the barn’s basement. It made the rest pale creatures stand down on their spot.

“Master is heading this way and I think you should hang him now.” She added causing them to nod.

“Oh, you really angered our Master.” The smoking pale woman shook her head while the others prepared the chains to wrap around the wounded man.

“What a pity.” The pale man who had been giving him a hard time gave him another blow to knock him down.

“Did you get the name?” the pale lady asked as she stood still on her spot.

“Yeah, and I bet Master’s head will hurt again from hearing the same name again.” The same smoking pale woman answered and blew her smoke.

“It's been a while since the last time he calmed down…I miss the old master…” a heavy sigh escaped from the pale lady.

“But what can we do when his heart was shuttered and became ruthless of all? He became the nightmare of everyone who wronged our land’s peace.” The same pale man who had been torturing the man added and started to lighten his tobacco after hanging the unconscious wounded man.

“And this man will taste it so don’t ask anymore. We all witness that.” The smoking pale woman said when they heard the voice of their master.

“Witness my ruthlessness?” a cold-firm and imperious voice from a man spoke that made the three of them stand up and politely bow at him.

“Master.” they all greeted him in unison.

“Apologies, Master. We're just talking...” The second pale man beside the smoking pale woman answered their master.

“I see…you can all go and clean the mess after I am done.” Their master waved it off and went closer to the captive man behind his men.

“Now, let me play with this traitor alone.” Their master said and waved her hand to dismiss them.

“Yes, Master.” they all left him to do what he came for.

The pale man was seriously emitting a dominating and imperious aura that could bring anyone to their knees. He folded the steel chair and harshly hit the unconscious hangman before him. The wounded man woke up from the pain and looked around until his eyes widened on meeting a very deep shade of amber eyes sternly looking at him.

“Y-you…” the hanged man stuttered as he knew who was the pale man standing before him. He tried to fight the fear that he was feeling but couldn’t. The pale man evilly stared at him.

“I know, right, surprise?” he taunted as his cold voice sent a shiver down the man’s spine causing him to pee on his pants.

“W-what are y-you going to d-do to m-me?!” he was totally frightened before the pale man was not a human at all.

“Drain you and sell your blood to the hospital since you don’t deserve it anymore.” He coldly answered.

“Wha-!” he was about to say something when he appeared closer to him and grabbed his chin with cold but penetrating amber eyes glaring at him.

“Don’t speak as I never ask anything of you but...let’s have fun with your blood. Shall we start?” he coldly said and the next thing that happened was a cursing pain spreading throughout the hanged man when he struck his sharp claws over its body.

The groaning, pleading, or even the scream finally died down from echoing around the haunted barn's basement. The pale man around his 40s was indeed covered with blood as he was monstrous and killed the man who causing havoc around his land.

"Lifeless body is now fully drained. Let's benefit from your blood since it's very clean upon tasting it." A cold and imperious tone from the pale man commented after licking his fingertips from killing his prey.

The wounded hanged man was indeed lifeless as it was covered with bruises and claw marks as if it was hit by rapid wolves or bears around the area. He likes the view but recalling what the man had done to his subjects around his land, it was an unforgivable one.

"Rizal." the pale man called someone that he trusted. 

"Yes, Master Morbius?" Like a wind, it appeared behind him with a respectful bow at him.

"Clean this up and make sure his blood is put to good use." the pale man named Morbius Draven answered in his usual cold voice and started washing his hands that were fully prepared for him.

Morbius Draven was not aged and still looked in his 40s as he was a vampire duke in his own land called El Mezzanotte. He cold and ruthless vampire of his own land. He was not afraid of tainting his own hands with blood, especially when his subjects were on the line. He can be anyone's notorious nightmare in their lives.

"Understood, I will get our family doctor to check it before sending it off to the hospitals." Rizal, his head butler bodyguard politely responded before handing a clean towel to his master.

"That will be a great help. Anything else, to update me with my schedule today?" Morbius coldly asked his butler while drying his hands with a towel.

"About that...I am not sure if you are willing to meet them again..." he sighed since he knew that his master wouldn't like to meet them again but it would be his decision.

"Oh them...vampire council in my doorsteps again..." Morbius coldly reacted.

"Yes, Master." Rizal clarified it.

"What a pain..." His master sighed coldly before leaving the premises of the barn as he let his men clean the bloody mess that he created there.

Doing the usual deal that Morbius has around his property, he never forgets to check his subjects' well-being as well. He might be cold and expressionless but he was still a caring master of his land. But he has to go back to his castle.

"Jace, drive home," Morbius commanded his driver-bodyguard as soon as he got near his super-tainted black Mercedes Benz.

"Understood, Master," Jace answered politely before closing the passenger door and heading to the driverseat to head back to the castle.

With the thought of heading home, he needed to prepare himself to deal with the same topic with the vampire council. He was checking his phone while from time to time checking every field that they were crossing until their car stopped.

"Master, we're already here." Jace politely said as soon as he opened the car door for his master.

"Let's deal with them," Morbius told to himself and head inside the castle.

He was warmly welcomed by his servants and he just gave a cold look before waving his hand to dismiss them. They all headed back to their assigned tasks around the castle while he went to the meeting room. He entered with coldness and the vampir council around shivered while some were annoyed with his rudeness.

"Do tell me what brought you here again and I hope it was not the same topic since it will be the same answer. NO." Morbius went straight to the point as soon as he sat on his chair.

"Morbius, you know that you can't handle the land alone, so please..." one of the vampire councils and the most caring among them said but he raised his hand to interrupt her.

"Rude." one of the vampire councils reacted and Morbius's ears twitched but he must remain calm in front of them. Even though, deep inside he really wanted to kill them all for bothering him with the same topic.

"I have something to say and you all know that I'd rather rule my OWN LAND with or without a wife beside me. All know what would happen if we married based on wealth or money." Morbius went straight to the point at them once again but it seemed it was not being heard at all.

"Nothing is wrong with it." another one speaks but Morbius sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Maybe some can handle it but I respect love when it comes to me again. I don't want to be tied to someone who's not meant for me. you all should know the effect of mates on us you are all vampire council for nothing unless you're just using that title." He coldly countered causing them to look at each other to wonder who what he was referring to.

"What are you saying that some of us using it?" the same vampire who called him rude asked for confirmation. 

"I didn't say anything like that but who knows...." Morbius just shrugged his shoulders as he did not give them any satisfaction from hearing the real reason why he got that idea. It was surely saved only for his knowledge and not them until it was time.

“...maybe something else going on behind your backs without you knowing it. Or maybe you're just letting it slip whenever it happens." Morbius indirectly informs them making them wonder about that topic.