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"So, not even a clue?"

"I never said that." Olivia turned to look at him. "There are theories of course. Some people say that with the ninth ring, the progenitor can make anything happen with the power of Authority. Others say it\'s a power tied to his throne. All agree that it is the ability to reshape reality itself."

"Who knows? The amount of vitality needed to reach the ninth ring is immense. Since the vitality needed for each ring increases exponentially, wielders of the ninth ring has to be at least a thousand years old. And as you know, they all died during the Death Wave."

Ezra sat back amazed, thinking about it. "Hey, Olivia. The more monsters you have, the harder it is to ascend, right?" Olivia nodded. "Wouldn\'t it be better for me to ascend without getting the chameleon tattoo?"

"No." Olivia stated. "Not getting the chameleon is just shooting yourself in the foot. Don\'t you wonder why all vampires get the chameleon?"

"To blend in?"

"Yes. But not just that. In the monarchy, you could live without the chameleon but in the new vampire Society, a chameleon is the difference between life and death."

Ezra raised both brows. "It can\'t be that bad, can it?"

"Three years after the founding of the council, a vampire was accused of breaking the Law of Secrecy. Did he really break it? I don\'t know. However, he was sentenced to death. Why? He didn\'t have a chameleon.

If he had a chameleon, he could\'ve argued about how he clearly took precautions to keep the secret but with no chameleon, he was already guilty. That is how important a chameleon is."

"Shit." Ezra sat, mind racing as he remembered accidentally flashing his red eyes to the security guard of the penthouse apartment building. "Does that mean anybody can accuse me of breaking the Law of Secrecy and I can\'t even defend myself because I have no chameleon."

"Yes."

"Shit!" Fuck! Thankfully, no one knows about the guard and hopefully, no one will ever know. Ezra calmed himself. There\'s no way a random guard would expose my blunder to the vampire authorities. Now, he had to get the chameleon. There was no other way for him to feel at ease.

"How do I get the chameleon tattoo?"

"Not so fast." Olivia raised her hands, a small smile tugging at her lips. "If it were that easy, I would\'ve had you get the tattoo the moment we had a chance. Tattoos don\'t work that way. You must master Valaren first before you get a new tattoo or both monsters will tear you out from the inside."

"Aren\'t they just tattoos?" Ezra asked, puzzled. "How can they have life?"

"Monsters are not just tattoos." Olivia sat, crossing her legs underneath herself. "First, the tattoos are made using blood ink or it wouldn\'t work. Haven\'t you wondered, why blood ink?"

Ezra thought about it. He hadn\'t wondered. It just seemed obvious to him. They\'re vampires. Of course everything must involve blood somehow.

"We use blood ink for one reason. Blood is the only substance best known for it\'s ability to store vitality." She paused, letting the information sink in. "The monsters are not just tattoos. They\'re artificial beings sharing your soul."

"Wait, what?" Ezra sat up. "The tattoos are alive?"

"What is your definition of alive?" Olivia asked. "If you mean can they think? Feel? Then yes. They\'re alive. The monsters are tattooed on our skin in order to give them access to our soul and bring them to life.

This means that you have to subdue your monster and claim your soul as yours or else, the monsters will take over your soul."

The artificial half soul that isn\'t even enough for me?! He felt Valaren in his gut. Always ready to fight. Always ready to rebel. He can take over my soul? "What happens if a monster takes over a vampire\'s soul."

"The vampire is erased from existence leaving a beast for the peacekeepers to destroy. If you lose your soul, that\'s the end."

Ezra swallowed.

"Monsters can only be as intelligent as animals but that does not mean they\'re stupid. They\'ve been given a facsimile of life. They\'re eager to seize it. You must show them who the monster is. Not them. But you."

Ezra sat wondering if becoming a vampire was really all that great. Yes, you get immortality, enhanced reflexes, superpowers, regeneration, beauty..... okay. I admit it. Being a vampire is really all that great. He sighed.

"It isn\'t all that bad. Once you conquer Valaren, you don\'t need to do that again." Olivia consoled him.

"How many monsters do you have?" Ezra asked.

"Just two. My chameleon and Polka."

"Polka?" Ezra grinned.

"That\'s my second monster. Let me introduce you." Olivia stood in a smooth motion and a bird burst from her back with a flap of its wing. For a moment, it hovered in the air and Ezra\'s mouth dropped open.

The bird\'s feathers were a pure white, adorned with iridescent spots that shimmer in hues of beautiful blue, green, and red. Each feather seems to carry a soft glow, making the bird appear almost ethereal as it hung in the air.

It raises it\'s golden coloured beak into the sky and gave a loud cry. Ezra melted in awe where he sat as it\'s melodic trill resonated with the vitality inside of him. He could see faint waves of colour spreading from the bird and weaving through the air like gentle tendrils of magic.

Ezra felt his eyes getting wet. The sound of it\'s song stirred up a deep sense of wonder within him. The bird flapped its wings and drifted down to it\'s feet. It gave a small trill as it nuzzled Olivia, standing as tall as she was.

"Ezra, Polka. Polka, Ezra." Olivia gestured, clearly proud of her companion.

"What the hell was that?" Ezra rubbed at his eyes as he surged to his feet.

"That\'s Polka\'s ability." Olivia laughed, a rare sight that had Ezra\'s jaw drop. "Polka can create sounds that can control the vitality within any being. Yes. It\'s just as powerful and dangerous as it sounds. Polka can\'t stay long." As if on cue, Polka faded back into Olivia in a sparkle of white light.

Ezra\'s shock just kept mounting. "Why didn\'t you use it when we were fighting for our lives?"

"I\'m ascending to fourth ring, Ezra. Ascension locks away a fair bit of a vampire\'s power. That is one reason why a lot of powerful vampires are killed just before they ascend."

"What the hell? So why don\'t you just ascend? What do you need?"

"Vitality and energy." Olivia sighed. "Man made energy. Vast amounts of energy."

Ezra stared at her, taking in her appearance. She wore a loose t-shirt that couldn\'t quite hide the swell of her breasts. He could tell she was wearing a sports bra as it strained against her shirt. His eyes went lower, taking in her curvy hips wrapped in a tight leggings, displaying her inviting body.

"I don\'t really know much about energy, but I do know a way to make vitality." He smirked. "Lots of vitality."