Kai felt like his body was floating in the clouds. So light. He opened his eyes to find himself no longer in Vlad's large room. He blinked at the sunlight entering through the window.
Where was he? What happened? He quickly got up, rubbed his eyes, then looked around. The room was quite spacious, with comfortable beds and equipment, and high ceilings.
When he moved, the chain around his neck jingled. He was surprised to find himself in chains. He tugged at the chain to find the end. The chain was tied to the foot of the bed. But it was long enough for him to walk freely.
He felt his neck. Sore. There was a bandage beneath his collar. He repeatedly touched that part. What was this?
He remembered what had happened last night. Everything Vlad had done to him. His face flushed with Vlad's gentle touch on his cheeks. There were so many beautiful memories of the man he had been with last night. He hadn't been treated so tenderly and lovingly before.
Then he remembered Vlad biting him on the neck. He thought he was going to be fucked, but the bite was so deep that he could feel his blood being sucked out. After that, he felt his body lighten and everything became dark.
Kai's happiness was replaced by fear. His chest was pounding. Did he make a mistake again? He had fainted before satisfying Vlad.
Kai clenched his hand nervously. What had he done?
Oh, can't you just be useful for a day? he cursed silently. In an instant, he felt lethargic and grieved. How could he faint? What would Vlad do to him later?
Please don't throw me away, Kai prayed desperately.
"Are you awake?"
Kai was startled, turning his head. The figure of the boy from last night peeked through the door. He smiled brightly.
Kai was relieved, then smiled back. He nodded. He tried his best despite his inexperience as a slave.
The boy soon entered with a tray of food in his hands. "We haven't introduced ourselves yet. My name is Robby. But everyone has called me Obi since I was a kid," the boy said, placing the tray on the table next to the bed.
Kai stared at the cheese, bread, bowl of soup, and milk that looked so tempting. He was hungry.
"Your name is Kai, right? John told me," Obi continued.
Kai nodded again.
"Can you talk?" Obi seemed worried. He'd heard the slave speak after his bath last night, but this morning the slave was quiet and lifeless.
Kai nodded again, looking down deeply.
Obi pointed to the tray. "Eat. John prepared the soup. It's helpful to gain more blood."
Kai looked at the food, then turned to Obi as if the boy had just made a joke. He was silent for a moment before speaking. "This is... all for me?"
Obi nodded in surprise. "Yes, eat it. You must be weak. That's normal after losing blood. But in a week, if you eat well, you'll be revived."
Kai stared at the delicious food. In Omino, they rationed food every day with high nutrition, but they made it like porridge. He could never enjoy it, even though it contained highly nutritious ingredients.
Once, he tasted bread, cheese, and well-seasoned meat during the village festival. He knew such food was only available on special occasions and was considered luxury food for slaves.
And now he had it. For himself?
Kai hesitated to take the food, his gaze not moving from Obi, waiting for the boy to stop him. But Obi just stood and watched him carefully.
"You don't have to be afraid of me. You can eat as much as you like here," Obi said.
Kai couldn't hide his excitement. He broke into a smile and filled both hands with bread and cheese, eating it gratefully.
"Don't forget to eat the soup too. You need to be strong before Master takes your blood again."
Kai chewed his food, then realized what Obi meant. "My blood?"
Obi nodded enthusiastically. He seemed to have been waiting for Kai to be surprised all along, eager to explain his knowledge.
"Don't you know Master Vlad is not a human?" he whispered, sitting next to Kai.
Kai swallowed his food with difficulty. Not human? He stared in confusion.
Obi nodded. "He doesn't eat human food. He drinks blood," he continued whispering, waiting for Kai's reaction.
Kai blinked. He'd never heard of such a thing. Humans drinking blood? Was Vlad a monster?
"They say Master brings many slaves so he can eat every day. But you have to be careful. Many slaves have been eaten as well because they upset Master."
Kai gulped. He lost his appetite. Vlad eats humans? Instantly, fear flashed across his face. His face instantly paled.
Obi immediately tapped him on the shoulder, laughing. "Haha! I'm kidding! How can you believe that?" He laughed.
Kai gave the boy a puzzled look. "Master Vlad is human?" asked Kai, confirming his feelings and calming down a bit.
Obi still chuckled. "No, I mean Master doesn't eat humans. He just drinks their blood. But sometimes they run out of blood and die."
Kai was scared again. He stared at Obi in horror. The boy spoke casually and calmly.
Obi grimaced with pleasure. "You know, Master is hundreds of years old. Grandpa—my grandpa's grandpa—used to work for him."
Kai swallowed. How could humans live for so long? Hundreds of years? He stared at the ceiling, thinking of only one conclusion.
Vlad was an old man in a handsome man's body who liked drinking human blood.
Kai finished his meal, even though he was frightened by the information he had just gotten. But he didn't want to waste his food. It was so delicious.
"Do you want to go for a walk?" Obi asked.
Kai looked at him skeptically. He wasn't sure if he could leave.
"Don't worry, Master won't be out of his place this afternoon. We can walk in the park. I'll show you some places," Obi said.
Kai nodded, happy to hear that. He loved walking around. He quickly gulped down his milk and got out of bed.
Obi took loose cotton clothes from the closet and gave them to Kai, who was wearing nothing. He removed the chain from Kai's neck and left only the collar.
The shirt was loose enough to cover Kai's thighs. After that, Obi took him outside. The morning air was still fresh. The atmosphere was very different from last night.
The building was quite old, spacious, with many rooms and high ceilings. The carvings on the walls and pillars, as well as the furniture, looked neat and well-organized. Ancient paintings decorated the corridor walls.
Kai's bare feet felt the velvet carpet underneath. They turned the other way. Some rooms were open. Kai could see some slaves eating in their respective rooms. Some rooms were still closed.
How many slaves were there? Were they all slaves from Omino? But he didn't recognize their faces.
Arriving at the back door, they heard Gim shout in annoyance. Kai was startled and stopped walking, his heart racing.
Obi stood in the tall doorway, staring at Gim. "What's wrong, Gim?" he asked.
"I have told you, someone must be stealing chickens! Two chickens are missing again! I separated them and wanted to cut them up today! Damn it!" he shouted.
Kai frowned. He looked down in fear—because he was a suspect last night.
Obi paused and pulled Kai's hand to follow him. "You don't have to be afraid. He's a screamer."
Obi pulled him out into the garden, where they saw John hurrying towards them with a grim face. The man passed them by in a hurry.
Obi, curious, called out to the man. "Something has happened?"
John stopped and turned to Obi. "Laid has passed away. He lost a lot of blood. The doctor couldn't save him."
Obi was stunned, silent as he watched John leave. Kai just stood there, confused.
Obi immediately returned to his senses. He looked at Kai with shock on his face. "Sorry, Laid served Master last night before you came. He seemed to upset Master. I couldn't see his body because of too much blood last night. It was really horrible."
After a long sigh, he continued. "But he was such a dear friend. I really can't believe he died." The boy's voice trailed off, his eyes reddening before turning his attention away from Kai.
Kai saw Obi wipe his eyes before looking up at him and smiling. "You don't have to worry. You'll get used to the situation here. But don't get too attached to someone. You don't know when you'll lose them. It's very painful."
Kai looked down. Did the man who was taken out of Vlad's room last night die? Even though he didn't know him, he had heard his agonizing screams. What did he do to make Vlad torture him?