Vladimir's POV
"Can you at least pretend just for a while," Cassandra started, as she sat across from the telescope.
She was already done naming all the constellations, stars, and galaxies she'd seen through the telescope. She got tired of blabbering while I just watched her.
Though, okay that's a lie.
I didn't just watch her, I talked to her and for the first time we actually found something that we could talk to. I always loved the universe and never found someone who loves it just as much as I do.
Earlier, we talked with sense, not that she's been talking nonsense since the first time I met her but this is the only time we had a topic that we both like. Weird, I've felt like I've seen through her soul.
She even told me all the stories of the constellations, each of them though I already know them. Hearing it from other people, from her, made me still listen. She even listed Andromeda and Cassiopeia as her favorite. I've got the chance to ask her about her family, to which she replied they are already in heaven. She must be lonely living alone then.
It was a long night, but it seemed like a second when she stopped talking. I saw the tiredness in her eyes. That's why I just let him close his eyes and rest. It took her minutes to speak those words again.
"Please!" She looked at me, with sincerity. "Just for a while. Just until you finish doing my bucket list. " She placed in front of me the bottle with seven folded papers.
"Please, just do this for me. The ones on my bucket list are easy, actually it's eight but you already did the first one which is to watch the universe with me, " she explained. "Please, please?" she pouted, which I found cute.
"Why me?" I asked. "Why of all people is it me?"
"Because I can blackmail you?" she asked to which she also answered with a laugh. "So, I can't find someone I like better than you. You are so handsome, sadly you just don't see yourself," She smiled. "Please, just finish it to be done. Besides, you're not busy trying to get a life so at least help me get a life," she said.
"Don't you want me to be your girlfriend? I'm so beautiful," she smiled cutely. Beautiful is even an understatement if I were to describe her. She's like an angel, her face is so serene that when you look at her every negative thing you've got will fade away.
"Please," she repeated when I didn't speak. "I promise that when you are done doing it, I will disappear in your life." She averted her eyes from me as she stood up before she let out the words, "... forever."
She got that magic that would make me say yes since the first time I saw her.
I know how to cook, but I never cook. Once, I tried going to a culinary school because I couldn't think of anything to do in that lifetime so I tried it even though I don't eat. I experienced eating before when I was still human and somehow I still have the memories of what food tastes like. Sometimes, I tried eating too but it tasted worse so I never did it again. Right now, it's my first time cooking again without tasting the food. I might use my sense of smell and let her taste it.
I picked the paper that says number 2 in her bucket list and she likes someone to cook for her everyday. I don't even understand myself why I'm doing this but I'm not doing anything and I used to be bored so might as well be good to her, after all my parents told me to watch over her.
They decided that it isn't the time for her to be reported to the council because she is not doing anything wrong and if she's a threat she would have said something about us a long time ago. Though, I also thought that she might be a spy but we wanted to make sure because we didn't feel she was a threat so they told me to go with the flow and as soon as she does something bad I should kill her. I hope it won't get to the point of killing her. Hopefully he has no bad intentions.
I went to school with a packed lunch for her. We usually walk while going to school. We have a car but we never use it, we only use it if we need it but most of the time we walk or we run.
I changed my way to school because I heard that there was trouble on the other street and I didn't want to linger and get stuck in the chaos so I went the other way not knowing that I would be able to see her. She's actually walking down the streets. She was wearing our uniform. I wonder what she would look like if she's not wearing our uniform.
I was about to call her when he suddenly stopped at church. She handed the paper bag she was carrying to the young beggars sitting on the side of the church. The children were happy and I even heard them say that they liked the food she brought last night. So, she brought the food she wrapped from home.
I smiled a bit.
I let her go and went straight to university. I saw Van and Via on their way to their classroom. I went into two subjects but I didn't see Cassandra. I was surprised because she was my classmate in almost every subject.
Where is she?
I left immediately after saying goodbye to the professor. I was about to go to Via to ask where she was when she suddenly appeared in front of me.
I raised an eyebrow. "Where have you been?"
"Hey, missed me?" she said jokingly. "It's only a minute since I --"
I didn't finish what she was going to say. I handed her the paper bag. I left quickly and ignored her call. She was no longer able to chase me because she heard the professor call her.
Annoying! I'm annoyed with her again for some unknown reason.
I decided to go to the garden and sleep. It was after an hour when I smelled her blood. This time, I looked up to make sure she was just in front of me. I saw her standing an inch away from me.
He was carrying the paper bag I gave her. I stared for a while then looked away. I just closed my eyes again.
"I forgot to tell you last night," she started saying. "The real reason why I wanted it to be you and not any other guy."
I waited for what she would say. I got curious and I felt my stomach circling again as if something was rolling on it. I don't know this feeling. I haven't felt it before. This girl made me feel things I don't even know how to name.
"I want you to remember me."
"What?" I opened my eyes and looked at her. "Who are you?"
"Don't you really remember me?"
"Are you the same girl who appeared in my dream?"
She did not answer my question. She never answers directly everything I ask her which really made me irritated. I get annoyed when I don't get an answer because I need something to explain why I am feeling this.
Why, why do I feel this?
Why do I feel my heart beating everytime I'm with her? Why, why... I hate it! I don't even know if I'm just imagining it but I'm feeling alive every time she's there with me.
"Thank you for the chicken soup. It's my favorite. " She dropped the paperbag on my side. "Can I request brownies, then add more, please?"
"Why," I asked, desperately. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"You quite deserve it," She plainly smiled. "Anyway, please the kids at the church earlier said they like brownies. Please, you saw us earlier, right? Make some, at least just for them and not for me. Thank you!!!"
"Why not make it for them? Why ask me?"
"Well, I don't know how to make one. And one more thing, I am very sure you can't say no to me."
She walked away and left me alone, stunned. Damn, why, why are you so sure that I can't because I can't even explain why I really can't say no.
Is she a witch?
I stood by what I thought. She could be one. I've met witches before. They can disappear through spells, and they can make people obey them too with spells. As far as I know, they are great friends with vampires. They help us win the ancient war with the half-bloods. She could be one of them.
I went fast to the admin office and asked Stan about it. I remembered he had an affair with a witch before and the witch covenant did not allow it so they parted ways to prevent war between us.
"Cassy, ​​a witch?" he said, using the nickname Via gave. Stan used to talk to her too, because of Via. Via and Cassandra are so close now like a sister that sometimes I wonder if they knew each other before. "That's, wait I never thought but she could be," he thought.
"I remember my long-lost love," he said with bitterness. "Mira," he was silent for a moment. It's been a hundred years but he still can't forget her. Maybe that is love, he said before that Mira made her feel alive again that when they parted ways he felt dead again, until now.
Love, could it be.
"I sometimes wish she didn't come from a powerful covenant, at least maybe we could arrange it," Stan sighed.
Mira Gemini came from the most powerful covenant of witches. They rank the highest which doesn't allow them to mate with other covenants and another clan because they want to keep their power and name just like us vampires.
"Going back, she doesn't look like a witch."
"How would you distinguish a witch in a modern world, Stan?" I asked.
You can not. You can't even distinguish vampires now from other humans because we dress, live and act like humans.
"I don't know, but hey ..." He flicked his finger. "I remember Mira saying that each witch of each covenant has a birth tattoo marked on their back for them to distinguish where they came from. And the tattoo can't be removed no matter what spell you use. It is actually engraved on their backs connected to their hearts, which means when you try to remove it, you will die," he explained.
"To make sure, you need to see if she has a tattoo on her back. Mira's tattoo was a Gemini twin because she came from Gemini Covenant. And in Mira's story, there are only twelve covenants of witches in the world named after constellations."
Hearing constellations really made me think. She loved constellations. She loved the universe. Not so, she feels like home whenever she sees the universe because she belonged to one of the covenants of witches?
"Wait, is there an Andromeda or Cassiopeia Covenant?"
"They go together," Stan said. "Peiameda but Cassiopeia is the symbol they use. Yeah right, her name is Cassandra. They may have derived it from the two constellations. " Stan said.
I thanked her and asked him again to monitor Cassandra.
I looked for Via. It's only Via who could do it. I can't look at it since it would raise suspicion. She was wearing a uniform, and she also had long pitch black hair. Via could do it, it's up to her since they're both women. I'll just be suspicious or maybe she'll think badly of me if I try to do it.
I told Via all the details and she told me that she would take care of it.
I saw Cassandra on my way to the gate. She said goodbye to her companions. I even heard someone say to be careful of me because I might do something bad to her. She just smiled and went straight home.
I followed her out. I plan to follow her so I can find out where she lives and get some information. I just followed her straight when she stopped in the pedestrian lane.
"How far do you intend to follow me?" she asked.
"I just want to make sure you are safe. I am your boyfriend, right?"
She turned to me. "It's okay. I can go home alone."
"No." I insisted. And if she still complains I will still make a way for me to find out. She seems like she doesn't want me to know her house. Is she hiding something? She didn't do anything when I followed.
She was just quiet, she was walking slowly. Her way is different from my way home and it's a bit far as well. I didn't even notice that we were walking far until she stopped at the middle of the crossroads.
Cassy stared at the setting sun to her west. "Where do you live? Where is that Heaven Street? There is no such thing as— "
"Oh, why?" she laughed. "Yes, that's where I live," she answered.
"Where is that?"
"Over there," he pointed to the left so I turned to look.
"Where, the crowd—" I stopped.
The smell of his blood disappeared.
She disappeared as soon as the sun set.