Giorgino yawned as he jumped onto his bed and crawled underneath the blanket. It was an hour past midnight. Earlier he had dropped by Grimelda's laboratory to drop off the ingredients before heading straight home. He did not even have time to properly shower—instead, he cast a cleaning spell to rid his skin of dust and sweat. It did not remove the body odor, but he dealt with it by spraying deodorant on himself. He could take a proper shower the next morning.

Giorgino opened his cellphone and checked his schedule for the following week. He had a project due by Monday, an alchemy assignment due on Tuesday, a light magic theory exam on Wednesday, an oral presentation on Thursday, and a mathematics exam on Friday. And, on top of that, he still had to mentor three teenagers and acquire ingredients for a panacea. He groaned. How was he going to keep up? Even after drinking anti-sleeping serums, he was still struggling with the load. If he drank any more, he could overdose. Thank goodness there's caffeine.

Beep. A message popped up on his screen. He opened it. Grimelda had sent him a text: Thank you for delivering the ingredients on time. Here's a list of what you should get next.

A long list of fourteen items lined up before his drowsy eyes, divided into seven sections. The ingredients listed in the first section had to be delivered by noon the next day. He glanced at the first bullet point.

Vampire blood. Giorgino bit his lip upon reading it. The last time he checked, vampires drank blood, not donate them. He would be lucky to find even a vial of it for him to use. Perhaps he could try acquiring the second ingredient? That might be easier for him to do. He glanced at the list once more.

The teeth of a footsbane. The footsbane was a wild, carnivorous plant. It had a large mouth that was attached to a thick and springy stem and was said to prey on any moving creature regardless of size. It would sit still as it listened for footsteps, its poison-lined leaves closed and flat on the forest floor. Once its victim wandered too close, it would leap at it, its jaw wide open, and then bite the victim's leg. Some said it was as quick as a cobra.

Giorgino gulped. Vampire blood was easier to obtain. But where could he get it? He did not know any vampires, let alone one who would be willing to become a donor. Maybe I can ask Master Zoë? Master Zoë was a healer-physician who treated people of different species, from mages and fairies to part-humans and other hybrids. She had probably treated vampires in the past as well. Perhaps she knew of a blood bank that he could visit to acquire the ingredient.

Giorgino set his alarm before placing his phone on his bedside table. He could think about it later.

***

Giorgino exited the elevator. He opened his phone and recalled the directions the hospital receptionist told him. Master Zoë's room was down the hallway, the fifth door on the right. He nodded his head and strode in that direction.

Though Master Zoë had her own office in the Gatekeeper base, like all other masters, she was seldom found there. She would usually be too busy tending to patients and giving consultations to drop by the Gatekeeper base. Giorgino's eyes paid close attention to the signs and plaques as he searched for her room. He had never set foot in that particular hospital before.

He soon came across a door which had a sign reading "Dr. Zoë Sanano" nailed to it. He peeked through the glass pane. Master Zoë was sitting at her desk, reading a document. Perhaps it was a patient's records. He knocked on the door twice.

"Come in."

Giorgino stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him. He made a short bow. "Master Zoë."

"Greetings. Please, take a seat," she said. "And you are?"

"Elder Giorgino Alunnori," he replied, sitting across her. "I'm one of Master Grimelda's students."

"Ah, so you're a brew mage! And what brings you here?"

"Well, um, there's this recipe for a panacea I have to brew and I need a little help with finding an ingredient."

He tapped on his phone and projected a holographic screen. He showed her his message from Grimelda.

"So I was told I needed to extract pure vampire blood"—he pointed at the first item on the list—"and, since you're a doctor, do you know a blood bank that has it?"

Master Zoë bit her lip. "Actually, the only way you can acquire that is to extract it yourself," she answered him. "I've never heard of a hospital or blood bank that has it."

"Not even the ones in Parafiso?"

"Nope. You see, most people have four blood types: O, A, B, and AB. Those with O blood can donate to all types, but can only receive their own type. AB is the opposite—they can receive all types but can only donate to their own. Vampires are like an extreme version of AB, in the sense that they can receive blood from any species, but can't donate. That's why they're never blood donors."

"Oh." Giorgino paused. Dejection curled his lips downward.

"If you want, I have a good friend of mine who might be able to help you," said Master Zoë. "Her name's Scarlet Karmozen and she's a master stationed in Gatekeeper HQ. I can message her so that you can go there now and extract the blood."

"Whoa, really? That would be great!" Giorgino said. "Thank you so much, Master."

"You're welcome. You better get going now—the portal to Parafiso is quite a distance from here."

"I will." Giorgino stood up and bowed. "Thank you."

"Wait!" She stood up from her desk and walked towards her cabinet. "You're going to need this."

She pulled out one of the drawers and retrieved a small, sturdy cloth bag. It had a small strap sown onto its top which served as a handle. She handed it to him.

"A blood extraction kit," she told him. "It has a needle, cotton, alcohol, everything you need."

Giorgino received the kit with both hands. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now go, and good luck!"

And with that, he left. Giorgino opened his phone and checked the bus schedule. The next bus headed to the Nitea-Parafiso portal was scheduled to arrive in ten minutes, and the bus stop was just a five-minute walk from where he was. He still had a little time left. He rode the elevator to the ground floor and embarked on his journey.

***

Giorgino tugged at his sleeves as the chilly Parafian air blew past him. He had just arrived in the realm, with nothing but a string bag hanging from his shoulders. He could make out the city from a distance. Parafiso was vastly different from his native realm. Glass and metal skyscrapers rose from Nitean soil, reaching even higher than the clouds dared to soar. Buildings built from brick, concrete, and stone sprawled throughout Parafian territory, their roofs not straying far from the ground. Colorful lights and billboards would bedeck the Nitean night, whereas only street lamps would light the Parafian streets after sunset. Giorgino recalled some human Gatekeepers saying that Parafiso felt like an Earth city, though he did not remember which one they were referring to. All he knew was that it was somewhere in Europe. He gave the city one last look before he trod towards Gatekeeper Headquarters.

The Headquarters was a fortress that rested atop a hill, overlooking most of the city. Giorgino felt his breath taken away once he saw the imposing structure. Its tall walls towered over everything in its vicinity, shielding the compound from unwanted eyes, forming a crown on the hill it stood on. The only entrance he could see was a massive metal gate. He trod uphill as he neared the Headquarters. Two Gatekeepers, both clad in dark cloaks, guarded the main entryway. Humans, he thought. Human Gatekeepers always wore cloaks, enchanted to protect them from curses. Part-humans like him never needed them.

Before he could say a word, the gate opened. The two guards let him through.

"Elder Giorgino Alunnori," one of them addressed him, "welcome to Headquarters."

"How did you know it was me?" Giorgino asked.

"I have psychometry. I can tell." He gestured. "Welcome."

"Uh, thank you."

Giorgino passed through the gate. The compound was even larger than he thought it to be. Brick buildings occupied the premises, the largest one located at the very center. The main building. He tugged the straps of his bag as he paced towards the main building. Its entrance was a sliding door, one that opened automatically using magic rather than sensors. He set foot inside the building.

The interior was warm in temperature and color. His skin could already feel the difference between the Parafian wind and the heat coming from the indoor vents, while his eyes tried to adjust to the dim, yellowish lighting. Giorgino approached the reception desk.

"Excuse me," he said, "I'm looking for Master Scarlet Karmozen?"

"Master Scarlet?" The receptionist repeated. "She's currently expecting someone. Do you have an appointment with her?"

"Um, I think so. Master Zoë Sanano from Nitea told me to go here and meet with her now."

The receptionist returned his focus to his computer and typed on his keyboard. He looked up from his monitor a few moments later. "Are you Elder Giorgino Alunnori?"

"Yes, that's me."

"You do have an appointment with her. Follow me."

Giorgino followed the receptionist to Master Scarlet's office. He glimpsed the area. The corridors were dimly lit with warm, whitish-amber lightbulbs. In contrast, the interior of the Nitean base was kept bright thanks to the white fluorescent lamps. He initially thought that it was because the lights needed to be replaced, but soon backtracked the idea. He was at Gatekeeper Headquarters. They should be able to immediately replace any broken lights. Perhaps they preferred dim corridors.

After what felt like a short walk, they halted in front of a small wooden door. The only thing attached to it, other than a brass doorknob, was a small metal plaque that had "Master Scarlet Karmozen" engraved into it. The receptionist knocked thrice before opening the door.

Giorgino nearly widened his eyes upon seeing Master Scarlet for the first time. She's even paler than Eddie. Eddie's skin could be likened to porcelain, while Master Scarlet was whiter than paper! Her jet black hair and midnight black eyes contrasted her pasty complexion. Her plump lips were a vivid shade of red, and he did not know if it was because she wore lipstick or recently drank blood. Though he did not see her fangs, he knew that she was definitely a vampire—or at least partly so.

"Master Scarlet, this is Giorgino Alunnori from the Nitean base," the receptionist introduced him to her.

She glanced up from her desk. "Ah, thank you for bringing him here," she said. The receptionist promptly left. She gestured to the seat in front of her. "Come in."

Giorgino carefully closed the door behind him and sat at the table. Master Scarlet pulled out her phone and browsed through her messages.

"I received a message from Dr. Zoë," she began, her eyes still glued to her phone, "she said you need vampire blood in order to brew a panacea, correct?"

"Uh, yes."

"I see." She put her phone down and made eye contact with him. "I texted my husband a few minutes ago and he agreed to let you extract his blood, but he can't come here since it's still daytime. We'll have to go to my house if that's fine with you?"

"That's fine," Giorgino said. "Do we leave now?"

"Yes. Please follow me."

The two of them stood up. Master Scarlet reached for a crimson cloak that was hung on the back of her chair. She donned it, letting its hood hang from the hem, and placed her phone in her pocket.

"You also wear a cloak?" he asked.

"Only mages don't wear cloaks," she said. "I'm not part mage."

"Ah." He nodded his head in understanding.

Giorgino opened the door, for he was standing nearer to it, and let Master Scarlet exit the chamber ahead of him. The two of them then strode down the corridors, Giorgino pacing a couple of steps behind her, and made their way out of Gatekeeper Headquarters. A zephyr greeted him as soon as he stepped outdoors. He glanced upward. The sun was blinding and unobstructed by any clouds, yet the wind's breath was frosty. It puzzled him.

The two sauntered down the hill where the Headquarters were located and headed towards town. He glanced at Master Scarlet. Judging from her facial features, he thought her to be about his age. Not a wrinkle or crease was found in her smooth and supple skin, and her irises beheld a youthful sparkle akin to silver stars against a backdrop of darkness. Perhaps she was twenty-five.

Suddenly, Master Scarlet turned her head to face him and chuckled. "You really think I look twenty-five?"

Giorgino jerked his head back. "You can read my mind?"

"Yup, I'm a telepath," she revealed. "I'm sixty-three years old by the way."

"Sixty-three?" he exclaimed. She let out a laugh.

"We age quite slowly compared to everyone else, especially humans. Anyway, what's your species?"

"Um, I'm meta-mage from my dad's side and human-mage from my mom's side. And you?"

"Vampire-psychic from my dad's side, and human from my mom's side."

"Wait, your mom's fully human?" he asked, his voice hushed.

"Yeah, why?" she said loudly.

"I thought we can't marry humans."

"We can, as long as they're Gatekeepers," she said, winking. "You didn't know that?"

"No."

"Well now you do."

Giorgino chuckled. Master Scarlet was not as intimidating as he first thought. The two wove through the streets of Parafiso as they walked towards her home. Spacious suburbs and gated communities occupied the outskirts of the town. The two entered one of the gated communities and, unlike the modern and inviting homes he had seen in Nitea, the houses inside the compound appeared gothic and forbidding. He could not imagine anyone willing to live there. He then remembered that he was visiting a vampire's home. Perhaps that was the kind of architecture they preferred.

They approached one of the houses and stopped in front of the front door. Master Scarlet retrieved a key from her pocket and unlocked it. She swung it open. Giorgino raised an eyebrow, for the door led to a narrow chamber that had nothing but another door!

"It's to prevent sunlight from coming directly inside the house," she explained. "We enter first, close the first door, and then open the other one."

"Oh." He nodded his head.

The two entered the antechamber. Master Scarlet closed the first door and locked it before opening the second one. They then entered the house. Giorgino heard her closing and locking it behind him.

The interior of the house was pitch black. Giorgino felt relieved that he possessed telekinesis, or else he would not be able to see in the dark. Fwoom. Goosebumps ran down his arms and back as he felt every inch of the house, scanning it to make a mental map. He could detect the presence of a person, presumably male, resting in the adjacent room.

Flick. Giorgino cast a glance at the left side. Master Scarlet had switched on the lights. They barely illuminated the area, as though they were in desperate need of replacement.

"Sorry the lights aren't that bright," she apologized. "Nocturnal people like us prefer dim lights."

"Oh, no worries," he said. "I can see well."

"Phew. Anyway, you can wait on the sofa. My husband's probably asleep."

She glided across the room and disappeared behind the door. He sat on the sofa and glimpsed the room, fiddling with his fingers. He could not spot a single object in the room that was made of wood—the door was built from plastic, the floor and walls were made of concrete, and the furnishings were molded from gold or copper. Of course. Wood was their weakness. He stared straight ahead of him. Opposite the sofa was a framed painting that depicted a couple. He recognized the woman as Master Scarlet, and so assumed that the man painted next to her was her husband. The man was considerably taller than her, with the top of her head aligned with his chin, and he had the same waxen skin tone. His short, slick hair was a dark blend of brown and black, and his hooded eyes were colored blood red. The sharp tips of his upper canines protruded over his thin, bottom lip. Giorgino turned his head, for he felt uncomfortable looking at the portrait.

And then he saw him. Standing as still as a tree in a windless forest was a statue of the man in the painting. He seemed even larger in person, his head nearly brushing the ceiling. Or maybe it was the ceiling that was low. A deep red glow emanated from the eyes, which seemed to pierce Giorgino's soul. He found it peculiar that anyone would have a statue of himself to display in the living room.

All of a sudden, the lips opened slightly and a deep voice resonated through them. "So you are the one who will take my blood?"

Giorgino nearly jumped out of his seat. That was not a statue—that was Master Scarlet's husband! "Uh, y-yes," he said with a shaky voice.

"Edin, you're scaring him!" Master Scarlet said, soundlessly entering the living room. She smiled at Giorgino. "Sorry, we don't often receive guests."

"Oh no, it's fine."

Master Scarlet's husband took a seat next to Giorgino, his face frozen in an impassive expression. Giorgino gulped. He had never taken blood from anybody before, let alone someone who consumed it as part of his diet. Giorgino reached for the kit. He retrieved a piece of cotton and some medical alcohol.

"Can you roll up your sleeve, please?" he asked.

The man rolled up his sleeve. Giorgino dampened the cotton with alcohol before dabbing it on his shoulder. Once done, Giorgino retrieved the needle. He assembled it, sliding the tube into its holder. All he had to do next was pierce the person sitting next to him, gently extract his blood, and then slowly remove the needle. His hands trembled slightly as he handled the tool.

"Your heart is beating hard," the man said. "I can hear it."

It only made his heart beat harder. "This is my first time," Giorgino said, trying to calm himself down. Besides, what was the worst that could happen? Well, they could pounce on him without warning and then drain him till he was drier than a desert. Or they could let him live, but lock him up in a cage and milk his blood as if he was a dairy cow. Nonsense, you've got nothing to worry about. Master Scarlet was a Gatekeeper. She would not marry a drainer nor a murderer.

Giorgino placed the tip of the needle on the man's shoulder and angled it before piercing his skin. He was taken aback. The man's shoulder was not made of soft muscle, but hardened flesh. Almost like stone. Giorgino pushed with a little more force. Hope that didn't hurt. He stopped once three-fourths of the needle had already sunken beneath his skin. Crimson soon flowed into the vacuum tube. Once he had extracted a sample, Giorgino gradually removed the needle. He stowed the equipment while he plastered a band-aid on the man's shoulder.

"Thank you very much," Giorgino said.

"You're welcome," the man said, smiling faintly. "You know, I've never donated my own blood before. This is a first for me."

"It was also my first time taking blood," Giorgino said, forcing a laugh.

The man chuckled. "Anyway, since I did you a favor, I was thinking if you could return it."

Giorgino's heart stopped for a split second. "Return the favor?" he repeated slowly.

"Yes. I've heard that mages and humans have very delectable blood"—at this point, his fangs extended—"so perhaps you would be so kind to donate some of your own."

Every single hair on Giorgino's body stood on end. Is he going to bite me? His eyes darted towards the man's hand. He turned out to be holding a needle of his own, hidden behind his fingers.

Of course.

"Edin!" chided Master Scarlet. "That was not part of the deal!" She then turned to Giorgino. "Look, I'm sorry, but you can leave now—"

"Actually I don't mind," said Giorgino. "I-I know that you don't do this often, so I can return the favor. It's the least I could do."

"Are you sure? You can really leave now if you want."

"Oh no, it's fine. I'm okay with it."

He only said that because he was scared of the man next to him. He was sitting right next to him and was not keen to find out what would happen if he refused. At least he's using a needle instead of his teeth.

Giorgino rolled up his sleeve before he used his telekinesis to dab alcohol onto his shoulder. As soon as he had finished cleaning his skin, the man then inserted the needle without warning. Giorgino held himself back from wincing as the syringe pierced and drew blood from him. The man could have been gentler with his approach, but he was too afraid to utter a word.

It took a while before he was done. Giorgino glimpsed the syringe only to find out it was thrice as big as the tube he used. He wondered if the man had planned to use it once he knew that Giorgino was visiting, or if he had been waiting to use it long before.

The man smiled. "Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome." Giorgino tapped the band-aid on his shoulder. He stood up and packed his things. "Once again, thank you for agreeing to be a donor. I'll get going now."

"Do you want me to accompany you to the portal?" asked Master Scarlet.

"Oh no, it's okay. I can find my own way."

They exchanged a few more words before Giorgino bade them goodbye and walked out their front doors. He scanned the neighborhood. Once he was assured that there was nobody spying on him, Giorgino bolted out of the area as fast as his legs could carry him.

✧ ✧ ✧

Parafiso definitely has a different vibe to it than Nitea 😅 out of all the other realms we've visited so far, which one do you like the most?

If you found this chapter intriguing, please vote for it by pressing the star on this chapter! I'd also love to hear your thoughts through the comments section 😉