Chapter 35: An Uneasy Start (Part 1)
The soft clink of porcelain echoed through the Agares manor's study hall as Volundr stirred a spoon through a cup of herbal tea. The scent of spiced citrus lingered in the air, but his thoughts were elsewhere—tethered to whispers that refused to be silenced.
He first heard the name "Gasper" spoken in hushed tones during a passing conversation between two minor noble sons after the Glasya-Labolas gathering.
A joke, it had seemed—something cruel, masked in casual laughter.
"You hear the Vladi family's still got that freak locked up?"
"The Dhampir boy? The one that froze the garden staff in place for half a day?"
"Would've made a fine scarecrow if he didn't make time itself weep."
Volundr hadn't reacted outwardly, but inwardly, a spark had flared. Dhampir. Sacred Gear. Isolation. The pieces fell together too quickly for him to ignore.
Now, seated before a quiet hearth, he reread the names and titles scribbled across parchment—fragmented notes gleaned through hushed talks and careful inquiry.
Gasper Vladi. Half-vampire. Forbidden Sacred Gear.
His fingers tapped the desk, mind parsing through every detail.
Hours earlier
Volundr had visited one of the Agares estate's knowledge halls, requesting clearance to read archived entries about off-record Sacred Gears and Dhampir anomalies.
The attendant devil, robed in House colors, looked surprised.
"That's obscure material, young master. May I ask why?"
"Academic interest," Volundr answered smoothly.
"Mutation and balance are subjects I wish to study deeply."
Permission was granted—his status gave him that much leeway—but even the books spoke cautiously.
Gasper's Sacred Gear, Forbidden Balor View, was barely documented. The few notes that existed only described "temporal freeze and perception dislocation" in archaic terms.
And then there was the detail that changed everything:
Subject currently believed to be held within the Vladi sub-estate bordering Tepes territory. Status: Isolated. Considered unstable. No known peerage affiliation.
Volundr's jaw tightened.
A Dhampir kept locked away. A Sacred Gear the family doesn't understand. Rejected, feared, discarded. They fear what he is… and what he could become.
Back in the present, he sighed and stood from his seat, pacing toward the window. Snow blanketed the trees lining the outer edges of the estate, cold and pristine, untouched. It reminded him of Gasper—isolated, forgotten, locked away where no one would dare follow.
His hand slowly closed into a fist.
"This system," he muttered, voice low, "casts away anyone it doesn't understand. But monsters don't appear from nothing—they're made when the world chooses fear over guidance."
Volundr moved to the nearby shelf and retrieved an aged tome on Dhampir physiology.
He flipped through until he found the page on hybrid blood resonance—how spiritual strain could cause psychological instability in young half-bloods when they're denied proper care or training.
"No wonder he spiraled," Volundr said, more to himself than to anyone else. "They feared him. So they left him alone with his fear."
Later that evening, Seekvaira knocked on his study door.
"Still awake?" she asked, peeking her head in.
"Yes," Volundr said, closing the book with a quiet thud. "Something caught my attention."
"Let me guess. Forbidden knowledge again?"
Volundr gave a faint smile. "Perhaps. Tell me, what do you know of the Vladi family?"
Her face shifted—just slightly. Seekvaira was sharp, and even in jest, she didn't let such topics slip past her.
"The ones near Tepes territory? They keep to themselves. Old blood, no political reach. Why?"
"I heard something about a boy," he said carefully. "A child with a dangerous power. Isolated."
Seekvaira crossed her arms, tone suddenly more serious.
"We don't speak about that boy, Volundr. Not openly. They say his power is tied to time itself—that he once froze an entire wing of his estate by accident. Some say he's cursed. Others say he's... broken."
Volundr didn't respond right away. Then softly, he asked, "But what do you believe?"
She hesitated. "I believe any child left to rot becomes dangerous eventually. That much, I've seen."
He nodded, appreciating her honesty. "I plan to find him."
"Why?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "Out of pity?"
"No," Volundr replied. "Out of purpose. I see value where others see threats. I see potential. If nurtured correctly… he could become more than they ever imagined."
Seekvaira exhaled through her nose, as though unsure whether to argue or be impressed. "Just don't lose yourself playing savior, brother."
As the fire dwindled and night pulled deeper, Volundr opened a new page in his journal and began to write:
Subject: Gasper Vladi
Likely location: Vladi sub-estate, edge of Tepes region
Status: Isolated, feared. High-risk Sacred Gear: Forbidden Balor View
Lineage: Dhampir—potential weaknesses: instability, sunlight sensitivity, lack of support
Goal: Observe. Infiltrate. Stabilize. Build trust.
He paused and looked over the notes, then added at the bottom:
"He's not a curse. He's a key. I will not let the world break him before I reach him."
And underlined it twice.
End of Chapter 35