Chapter 47

~ Morgan Vale's ~

Following the waiter's lead, I trailed behind him through the labyrinthine corridors of the restaurant. Finally, we reached our destination, where Black Soul sat ensconced at a table, indulging in a meal of meat. As I approached, he glanced up, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

Taking my seat opposite him, I was met with a reproachful look. "You're late," Black Soul admonished, checking his wristwatch with a frown. "Exactly twenty minutes late. I'm disappointed."

I shrugged off his reprimand, feeling a surge of irritation at his arrogance. "There was traffic," I explained tersely.

His expression softened slightly, though the disapproval lingered in his eyes. "There was a Traffic? Is that the excuse you're going to give me?" he echoed incredulously. "You should have left earlier then."

I bristled at his condescension, struggling to maintain my composure. "I've been around for a long time," he continued, his voice tinged with impatience. "But I hate wasting my time, even for just a few minutes."

Unable to suppress my frustration, I shot back, "I don't see why I should adhere to your schedule."

Black Soul chuckled, seemingly unfazed by my defiance. "You still haven't adjusted to the modern world, have you?"

I remained silent, refusing to dignify his remark with a response.

Undeterred, he pressed on, gesturing toward the array of food laid out before him. "I ordered something for you," he remarked casually. "But I suppose you don't eat."

I scoffed at the notion of a vampire indulging in human food. "A monster vampire eating human food," I mused incredulously. "You can't even taste it."

Black Soul shrugged nonchalantly. "Tasting it isn't the point," he countered. "I have to blend in with this world of humans. It's not like the good old days anymore, when monsters like us could feast on humans in broad daylight."

His words struck a chord within me, stirring memories of a bygone era. "Monsters like us?" I queried, intrigued by his choice of words. "Are there others like us?"

Black Soul's laughter rang out, filling the room with its unsettling melody. "Gosh, no," he replied, shaking his head. "It's just you and me now. Somebody took care of the rest—a man obsessed with hunting monsters six hundred years ago."

I arched an eyebrow, intrigued by his cryptic revelation. "But he turned into one," Black Soul added with a smirk. "Isn't it funny?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his twisted sense of humor. "Why did you want to see me?" I inquired, steering the conversation back to more pressing matters.

Black Soul's demeanor shifted, his expression growing more somber. Leaning back in his chair, he regarded me with a thoughtful gaze. "I had a feeling you were searching for me," he admitted. "I didn't want you to waste your time. We ought to get along, considering we're both Imoogi Vampires."

"I scoff and say, 'You want to be friends now? After being strangers for six hundred years?'"

Black Soul took a sip from his cup filled with blood, his demeanor composed as I challenged him. "Were you busy chasing after her?" I prodded, unable to suppress the bitterness in my tone.

Setting down his cup with a delicate clink, Black Soul shook his head. "No, that's not it," he replied calmly. "Let's go over this. You weren't always a vampire, right? You were once human. So, you're an Imoogi vampire on the outside, but you're still human on the inside."

I narrowed my eyes, sensing a deeper motive behind his line of questioning. "What are you driving at?" I demanded, my patience wearing thin.

Black Soul leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Right, I noticed you don't drink human blood," he observed. Before I could respond, he erupted into laughter, his booming voice drawing the attention of everyone in the restaurant. "Gosh, that's amazing!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands with gusto.

I winced at the sudden outburst, shooting him a pointed glare. "Lower your voice," I hissed, acutely aware of the curious gazes fixed upon us.

Black Soul's laughter subsided, replaced by a more subdued demeanor. "How is your wound?" he inquired, his tone tinged with genuine concern. "I was rather hard on you yesterday."

Frustration bubbled within me, threatening to boil over. "That's enough of your nonsense," I snapped, my patience wearing thin. "Just get to the point."

I glanced at my wrist, feigning disinterest as I sought to change the subject. "I want to avoid rush hour," I remarked casually. "I've adapted, you know."

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Black Soul's lips, his gaze unwavering. "Where is the woman?" he inquired gently.

I shrugged, masking my uncertainty with a nonchalant demeanor. "I don't know," I admitted. "Why don't you tell me?"

Black Soul's surprise was obvious, his brows furrowing in confusion. "Oh, my," he murmured. "Why are you so hostile? I have no intention of fighting you. We're not enemies. She's our enemy."

I leaned in closer, my voice low and intense. "How do you know about that?" I demanded, my curiosity piqued.

Black Soul's expression softened, his features betraying a hint of sadness. "My goodness, why are you doing this to me?" he sighed, casting a wary glance around the crowded restaurant. "There are people here. I'm not here to start a fight with you."

With a resigned sigh, he rested his hand on the table, his demeanor shifting from confrontation to weariness.

"Fine, I'll tell you," I relented, my curiosity piqued by Black Soul's cryptic words. Eager to unravel the mysteries he held, I leaned in closer, awaiting his revelation with bated breath.

To my surprise, Black Soul's smile twisted into an unsettling expression of malice. "Or we can settle it right here," he suggested, his voice dripping with menace. "Everyone in here will die, and there will be a bloodbath. Can you handle the consequences?"

I recoiled at the implications of his words, the weight of his threat hanging heavy in the air between us. "What do you want?" I demanded, my voice tinged with defiance.

Black Soul continued to eat, unaffected by my agitation. "They are mere strangers to me as well," I remarked casually, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

He narrowed is eyes, struggling to decipher his true intentions. "That's great," he muttered bitterly. "You really lost a lot of your humanity."

He dropped his fork with a clatter, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. "Right, you did live a long time as a monster," he acknowledged. "But you are as old as I am. You'll get to know much more."

I scoffed at his arrogance, unwilling to accept his condescending tone. "Like the fact that there was a baby born with the Imoogi Vampire curse?" he continued, his laughter echoing through the room.

His words struck a chord within me, stirring memories of a forgotten past. "How did you know all this?" I demanded, my confusion mounting with each passing moment.

Black Soul's laughter subsided, replaced by a chilling calm. "I know the reason why you were cursed by that woman too," he revealed, his eyes gleaming with a dark intensity.

His words sent a jolt of recognition coursing through me, igniting a fire of determination within my soul. "You know the answer to all of that?" I inquired, unable to mask my intrigue.

Black Soul leaned in closer, his voice a low whisper that sent shivers down my spine. "Are you curious?" he teased, a sinister smile playing at his lips. "I can tell you. But in return, you have to help me destroy her soul."

I regarded him warily, grappling with the weight of his proposition. "Why are you trying so hard to destroy her soul?" I pressed, my voice tinged with skepticism. "You monsters used to live in the mountains, hiding and killing any humans you saw. She used to be your kind."

The mention of her origins seemed to strike a chord within Black Soul, his expression crumbling with a mixture of pain and regret. "My kind?" he echoed, his voice barely above a whisper. He turned away, struggling to contain the flood of emotions threatening to consume him.

I watched in silence.