"In truth, I know I would not have won the battle against Rubik. Rubik was a smart man, and he knew he was not my equal in battle, so he found an ancient forbidden rune that would help him to even the odds and used a crafty trick to place this rune on me. It functions by taking away the mana and life force of any organism until that organism is nothing but a husk of its former self. I was already in the process of dying, but then that twisted slime Alexander appeared, and he killed Rubik. I refused to die at the hands of something so vile, so I placed myself within the [Cage of Eternity], and by doing so, I halted the progress of this rune while biding my time for revenge. I barely have one hour left before I die, Jason. I have used up all of my mana and life to make sure I gained revenge on my enemies, but I didn’t know if you would agree to help me or not, and that was why I had no choice but to take control of your mind the way I did. I’m sorry for betraying your trust, Jason, but I was literally running on borrowed time."
Jason’s hand squeezed into a fist as he stared at the rune on Gillian’s chest, and he turned away in annoyance and clicked his tongue. Jason hated the fact that Gillian had the nerve to try to make this into some sad story! Was she looking for sympathy from him? Or was this some attempt to make him think that what she did was reasonable? That was bullshit! Jason refused to accept that Gillian had changed the trajectory of his life forever simply because she was running out of time! He had given her freedom, and she tied him down in return!
"Ah, you have a look on your face that says you want to kill me at this moment. But you don’t need to worry, this rune on my chest doesn’t have a counter rune. It is more complex than the [Cage of Eternity], and before anyone can destructure the rune sequence, I will be long dead. My death is assured, so there is no need for you to feel conflicted. And since that is the case, I wish to give you another reward."
Jason turned to Gillian sharply!
"Another reward? You think what you did to me was some sort of reward? You think taking away my free will and making me into a slave that only serves your whims was some sort of fucking reward?"
It was taking everything in Jason’s power not to lash out in anger at that moment! Jason was not some fool who didn’t understand the implications of absolute loyalty! The Necromancer system had made sure that every single subordinate Jason had was completely loyal to him, and Jason was more knowledgeable about this than nearly anyone in the Primordial Expanse! Who the fuck did Gillian think she was to call something like this a reward!
But Gillian just raised her finger and gestured ’no’ to show that Jason was wrong.
"No, no, no, I never said that this was the reward, did I? You need to look beyond the normal and into the supernatural. Jason, what I have given you is more than just a transformation that makes your skin pale and your eyes red. I have given you power. Power beyond your wildest dreams and imaginations. Over the next few days, you will grow exponentially in strength. You were a TITAN rank II when this all began, but by the time your transformation is complete, I wouldn’t be surprised if you reach the threshold of the Primordials themselves. We Vympirs are powerful beings in our own right, so when we add that power to what you already have, then it becomes something great enough to draw the envy of the gods. This is not the end of your transformation. There is still one more step to complete before you can become a full-fledged Vympire, and that is the reward I wish to give to you..."
Gillian reached out softly and took Jason’s hand in her own. She brought his hand towards her chest and she placed it over her left breast just above her heart before she looked up at him and smiled kindly.
"I want you to kill me, Jason."
Jason’s eyes widened, and he could only respond with one word.
"Why?"
Jason knew that Gillian was already at death’s door, so why would she want him to be the one to take her life right now? Gillian’s smile turned sad, and she stepped closer to Jason and spoke in a low voice.
"This is my reward to you. My ember. This life, this heart of mine. I wish to give it to you before I leave. I... refuse to die at the hands of that accursed Rubik, so I think it is more fitting that I give this to you as a reward for your great service. The third and final stage of the Vympiric transformation is something only I can give to you, and I do not think there is anyone who deserves this as much as you do."
Jason was still on the fence about this, but the look he could see in Gillian’s eyes was one of resignation. It was obvious that she had finally given up on her future, and she accepted that she was going to die. There was definitely something more to this reward than what she was telling him, but Jason could tell that it was nothing negative or evil. As a Changling, Jason had gained a slight empathetic connection with Gillian that allowed him to predict her emotions. Jason was sure that it was a way for his Changeling half to serve the Queen better, but Jason could feel through that link that Gillian wasn’t lying. Jason closed his eyes and released a calm breath, and he felt a Dimensional Circle opening somewhere a few hundred meters away from him and Gillian.
Down on the ground, below the cliff where Jason and Gillian were standing, Gina and a group of Vympirs walked out from a Dimensional Circle and looked up! The moment Gina saw Jason, she called out to him, and she was about to head over to meet him, but a hand held her by the elbow and stopped her from going there, and Gina looked back at the male Vympire in anger! This was one of the Vympirs that had appeared in Riyad after Stella was injured! The Vympirs had approached Gina and Stella after Gillian left with Jason, and after reassuring Gina that they were not there to harm her, they had taken them somewhere safe to wait until the fight against the Machina was over. Stella was currently sleeping in that safe world, and Gina was comfortable enough around the Vympirs that she could speak to them freely!
"Why are you stopping me? Let go right now!"
"Please wait a moment. This is an important moment for all Vympir-kind. Your betrothed is perfectly safe, but we need you to respect the sanctity of this moment."
The Vympir spoke with such reverence and authority that Gina couldn’t even say anything in return! Gina looked up at where Jason was standing with Gillian again, and she narrowed her eyes as she watched them closely. What in the world was going on up there?