“I wonder how long I'll have to wait? If that’s the afterlife, then it’s rather pathetic. No walls, ceiling, or even a distinct colour. After all, white isn’t a real colour; it’s just a mere combination of all of them. It’s pointless to walk around, because the surroundings won’t change. Nevertheless, I hope Hadar is dead. It’s unlikely, but that’d be quite nice. What should I do? It’s not like I’ve got a book or something interesting to do. I’ve been summoned to this area after I died. Therefore, there must be a higher being or beings, that is God or Gods. They may be a literal description, I’ve read about them, or just a projection of mana. Good grief…” said Denir, looking at the upper part of the white void.

  The butcher closed his eyes, wanting to fall asleep. His mind tried to escape to the dreamworld. Yet, his body disobeyed his will. He was way awake, just like he had drunk that awful-tasting coffee. The man was breathing slowly and controllably, wondering about the future. He started observing his hands. They were thin, rough, and cut by many foes. The man slicked back his hair. Then, he crossed his arms, placing his hands on his shoulders.

  “Ha! I’m looking like Prince Cula from the ‘Cula’ novel. Despite him being a vampire, I relate to him as a character. He was isolated all his life, ostracised by the mob, and hated by everyone. There’s one major difference between us. He lived alone, bothering no one. On the other hand, I bother everyone.”

  Vampire Butcher sat up. He took off his armour, leaving himself only in his longer grey boxers.

  “If there is the typical classification of heaven and hell, then I’m sure I’ll be going to hell. I’ve murdered many, lied to countless people, and committed other felonies. I’ve been alone for some time, I’m talking out loud rather than talking in my mind.”

  “Sorry for the wait,” said a figure behind him.

  Moodeen turned back, just to see a black silhouette of a man with quite a malicious, white smile.

  “I’m Will, you’d call me a God, I suppose.”

  “Am I dead?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Then, kill me.”

  “Huh?” the being replied, scratching his head.

  “If you’re a God, then you can kill me, can’t you?” he responded, dead serious.

  “Why are you so fixated on dying? Is it a fetish or what?”

  “I’ve got nothing to live for. Even if I return, I’ll die in seconds. Thus, I’d be grateful for unaliving me.”

  “I can grant you that, but why don’t we have a talk beforehand?”

  “Whatever.”

  The entity summoned two chairs, allowing them to have a proper conversation. A very subtle sound of a piano was coming from the top. The butcher, noticing the music, sat on the summoning. It was cold and somewhat similar to a polished white stone. Yet, the man made himself comfortable.

  “You don’t mind it that I’m in my undergarments, right?”

  “Not at all. So… What do you think the meaning of life is?” asked Will, glancing at his scarred body.

  “Can I not answer your questions?”

  “You can, there’s no punishment for that.”

  ‘Honestly, it doesn’t matter if I answer or not. I guess it won’t hurt that much. At least one person; no, one entity is willing to hear me out.’

  “There’s no meaning in life. You either create one or accept the one you were given. I created the persona of Vampire Butcher. I’d call it my life purpose, I suppose,” answered Denir, looking at the being.

  “I see. Do you think your actions were justified in any way?”

  “Subjectively, yes; objectively, no. I believe that it’s permissible to use evil to destroy the greater evil. If one is a threat to another, I’d execute it. I can take the blame and punishment, because there’s nothing I personally care about.”

  “Was that the truth for your whole life?”

  “No. When I was a kid, I believed everyone could change with time. My father destroyed my viewpoint. I murdered him because he strangled my mother. Soon after, she committed suicide. I was sent to the orphanage. People pitied me. ‘Look at him, he’s all alone’. ‘It hurts just to think about it’. At that point, I already didn’t care about their opinion. When I turned sixteen, I left that place, and I started working at the cafe as a confectioner. I had a steady job and somewhat normal life. When I thought that I was normal, a vampire attacked me. Then, Typhon appeared and such. You probably know the rest of the story, don’t you? After all, you're God.”

  “What about Liquid X?”

  “It’s a fake. There isn’t such a thing. If Typhon ever had existed, he somewhy lied to me. I’ve studied the anatomy of vampires, and there’s not a single thing that resembles that substance. It was the reason for the first kills, but then, gradually, I started executing my justice.”

  “Right. Now, I’ll give you an offer. You can either learn the truth and go back to the living, or go to hell right now without knowing the reality. What do you say?”

  “Can my fate change? That is, can I go to heaven? Also, what awaits me in heaven and hell?”

  “Heaven is a place with no fights or arguments. The dead exist peacefully. Everyone can wish for anything, and their desire will be granted. Hell is similar to heaven; the only difference is the people. They argue, and they’re constantly angry at each other. There’s no torment given by me to anyone, but only the one given by others. Unlike most religions say, so-called salvation isn’t related to your deeds or faith. The factor I value the most is something vastly different. I won’t reveal it to you, because you’ve got a chance to change your fate.”

  “I see. If I go to the living, can you guarantee I’ll be able to at least survive for more than ten minutes?”

  “I can.”

  “Give me a longer while. I have to think about it.”

  “Go for it.”

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Denir closed his eyes, thinking about the possible outcomes.

  ‘If I die now, I’ll be dead, and the suffering of my flesh will end. If I learn the truth, I’ll have to fight for more than ten minutes. Dammit. Is the knowledge really worth that pain? Okay, I’ll gamble on it. If he says an odd number, I’ll fight; if the number is even, then I’ll go to hell,’ thought Moodeen, opening his eyes.

  “Do you read in my mind?” the butcher wondered.

  “I can, but I don’t do it. I mostly limit my powers. I like to see how things unfold on their own. During our whole meeting, not even once have I used my abilities.”

  “Pick a number between one and ten.”

  “Nine.”

  “Then, I’ll see the reality.”

  The white smile flinched a little with excitement.

  “That’s nice. Okay, I’ll put it as shortly as I can. Every single time you felt a strange force pushing you, it was me. When you killed your dad, jumped to the arena, or even the very time your father strangled your mother, it was me. Typhon never existed, and there was no vampire that evening. The creatures you remember were a false memory I’ve implanted in you. Instead of that, a band of thugs robbed and then drugged you. There were your first victims in your experiments, though you were unaware of it. Their hearts were transplanted to three dead vampires. Of course, it was a total fluke.”

  “W—Why have you done it?” asked Denir, putting his hands on his mouth. The man felt like the floor fell apart, and his body was falling into the abyss. His head hurt like hell, and he experienced nausea. The butcher experienced trauma greater than he had ever experienced.

  “Because you wanted it.”

  “Huh? How? Why?”

  “In five minutes, you’ll allow me to do these things.”

  “Huh? How’s that possible, if that’s the first time I encounter you?”

  “Time works differently for me. The room you’re in is beyond it. Therefore, you can say I experience the past, the present, and the future altogether, at once.”

  “Oh… But what if I disagree, and I won’t allow you to interfere with my past?”

  “There’s a timeline where you exactly did this. Do you want to know what happened?”

  “I suppose.”

  “Your father didn’t strangle your mother that night; he did it three days later. Her body was rotting in your living room. Neighbours, noticing the odd smell, notified the police, and they imprisoned him. You were taken to the orphanage, yet you never made it out alive. When you turned sixteen, you hung yourself in your room. You had no friends, family, or anyone to rely on. You said, ‘it’s no use to live if you have no reason to’. That’s the reality you’d face if you don’t allow my interference.”

  “Okay… So, what happens now?”

  “Do you allow me to intervene in your past?” asked Will, extending his right hand.

  “Yes,” the butcher accepted the offer.

  The Marks of Knowledge illuminated white, and the pact was sealed.

  “I’ll grant you a fraction of my power. You’ll be able to finish some of your business.”

  “Right. Before I leave, I’ve got one last question. Why do I have self-hatred, self-harm attacks, and that odd bloodthirst?”

  “You’ve got post-traumatic stress disorder. Since you’ve killed your father, your body demands constant experience with blood, not to go crazy. That's a rather unusual coping mechanism. It is why you wear the mask of Vampire Butcher. You may wonder why you weren’t affected in the orphanage. The reason is the care of other people. Despite your ignorance towards them, they somewhat suppressed your urges for a while. At the end, I want to say one thing. From all the timelines, you’re the version of yourself possessing the strongest will. The will is proportional to the strength of one. Your will is worth a thousandfold. That’s something you should be proud of. That’d be it. I’ll send you to the living, are you ready?”

  “Yeah, see you.”

  Denir was fading away from the room.

  “I’m not sure if that’d be soon,” replied Will, distancing himself. The entity slowly emerged from the never-ending white void.

  “General, are you alright?” a vampire asked, looking at the demolished house.

  “Yeah, I’ve got only a couple of scratches. That guy was smart, but he lacked the strength. We did our job, let’s join Sloth,” replied Hadar, cleaning debris off his grey armour.

  Suddenly, all of the vampires felt a strong mana emissions bursting underneath the ruins. The general distanced himself, raising his battle axe. The second troop stood behind him, watching the scene. A hand came out of the sandstone. Soon after, the second one followed. Tshh! The cracked bricks flew in every direction. A silhouette of a supposed dead sorcerer emerged from the depths of the destroyed building. The man stood up, cleaning off his armour. His face, as well as most of his body, had been healed. The only thing lacking was his eyes. His hollow eyesockets gave them shivers. Their emptiness was malicious and concerning at the same time.

  “So you’re not dead after all,” said Hadar, preparing himself to attack.

  “...”

  “Did you forget to regenerate your tongue, too? That’s bad, I won’t let you live this time.”

  Tshh! The undead rushed at him, taking a swing with his axe. Yet, Denir didn’t move a bit. The weapon got closer and closer, and suddenly it stopped. Moodeen punched the blade out of his way. The foe was quite surprised by such a defence, but he couldn’t care less. How could a blind man kill him? The butcher threw a right hook.

  “Fire Shield invocare.”

  The shield appeared, intercepting the trajectory of the punch. The general relaxed a bit, but it was a mistake. The man didn’t stop the offence, and the hit connected. The vampire went flying for a metre or two before landing near a wall. He glanced to the side. It was the first time in thirty years that a punch actually landed on him, injuring him. The blood slowly poured down his cheek.

  “I shouldn’t have neglected you,” he muttered, reaching for his weapon.

  Tss! A snake grabbed the battle axe and threw it to the side. The vampire flinched at the sight. He glanced at his opponent. Denir’s right arm transformed into a snake. It was at least six metres long. Its skin was covered in dark green and grey scales. It had four fangs, two larger in the top of his mouth and two smaller ones at the bottom. The oddest thing of it all was that the animal was armoured in the same material as his gauntlets. Before the undead had a chance to comprehend reality, Moodeen threw his dagger at him. The blade missed him by centimetres, slashing his face. The butcher retracted his unusual arm. Then, he ran at Hadar, boosting himself with his snake arms. The general was sitting in total shock, yet it didn’t stop the confectioner from stopping his attack. He was throwing punches at him, and the vampire summoned the Fire Shields, but they didn’t stop him.

  ‘How? The flame is hot enough to make steel ductile, but he attacks me with his hands through it? I can’t stop him, I seriously can’t. I thought that poison didn’t hit me, but after I grew exhausted, I started losing my senses. I can’t feel pain anymore, that’s bad. Dammit. After fifty-three years of training, I wasn’t able to defeat a mortal. My life was a cruel joke…’ thought Hadar, accepting his fate.

  Denir pinned him to the wall. The second troop started to prepare to attack him. One vampire rushed at the butcher, but soon he was halted by another.

  “You can intervene when I die. Now, I’ve got a battle. If anyone dares to attack him, I’ll personally kill him,” the general declared, frowning.

  Suddenly, his left eye was ripped out.

  “Aargh!”

  Blood slowly dripped out of his hollow eyesocket, down his rough cheek. A single tear came down his right eye. The butcher, using mana, transplanted the organ to himself. Hadar, even if he wanted to, couldn’t have done anything. He couldn’t feel pain, yet his flesh reacted on its own.

  “Aargh!”

  The second one was also taken out. The butcher blinked twice, glancing around the area. The second troop was fuming, preparing to launch an attack. The general was sitting down, awaiting death. His face was covered in bruises and crimson stains.

  “I knew your eyes had a slightly better field of view, but it really makes a difference. Thanks for that. I’ll kill you now with that dagger. Any last words?” Vampire Butcher said, grinning.

  “See you in hell, bastard.”

  “Reserve a place for me, Hadar.”

  Tshh! He cut open his throat, causing haemorrhage. Hadar died one minute later.

  “What’re you waiting for? He’s dead. Come at me, bastards,” the man reluctantly declared, opening his arms.