𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 {𝐀 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜} [1] ✔️

12. SIMON

THE DOOR SHUT WITH A SOFT CLICK, as if it had a mind of its own. I sauntered down the corridor, taking in the familiar scarlet rug and the cool stone floor beneath my feet. But something was different. The walls were adorned with regal purple wallpaper, embellished with intricate golden patterns.

I couldn't help but think that a little redecorating was in order.

I turned left and walked ten paces to the next door. It was a magnificent arched walnut door, with four squares - two at the top and two at the bottom. A single word was etched onto the door, in what I assumed was Latin. "BIBLIOTHECA".

Definitely Latin.

I placed my hand on the doorknob and pushed it down. The door creaked open, revealing a vast library. Books upon books lined the shelves, and there was even an upstairs room overflowing with literature. A large window sat in the corner, casting a warm glow over the room. And there, in the midst of it all, sat Simon.

His head was bent over a book, his golden eyes scanning the pages intently. As the door closed behind me, he looked up and flashed me a smile.

"Salutations, Violet," he greeted me with a nod, acknowledging my presence in the grand library.

"Hey," I replied nonchalantly as I strolled through the vast aisles of books. "This library is quite impressive, isn't it?"

Simon looked at me with a perplexed expression. "Is that a rhetorical question or are you genuinely surprised?"

I stumbled over my words, "N-No, I mean, I knew it was big, but I didn't expect it to be this massive." I paused by the table where Simon was seated.

"So, what have you been up to today?" He inquired curiously.

"I spent my day conversing with Gabriel and Joseph, learning about their past experiences," I explained with a hint of intrigue in his voice.

"So, Gabriel told you about the Volturi?" he asked and I nodded. "And Joseph told you how he met him?"

"Yeah, and that got me thinking," I said. "How did you meet them?"

With a gentle thud, Simon closed his book and pushed it aside. His eyes lifted, gazing up at me with a curious intensity.

"It was a bit of a long story," he began. "It was a long time ago. I was born in a rich Walton family in 1589. I had a good childhood. When I was twenty-five, I joined a hunting group as rumours were spreading about witches and demons harming the village back in my time. I was married to a young woman named Josian and have a son, Arthur.

"One day, in 1620, in the afternoon, a vampire named Alistair attacked me and, close to dying, he turned me. After my transformation, the hunting group came in my direction and I killed them one by one with my strength and drank their blood. I haven't returned to my family since that day.

"Forty years after my transformation, I was discovered by Gabriel and Joseph in the woods after they were bringing a few deers to their home. I asked them what they were doing with the deer and Gabriel explained the diet of drinking animal blood.

"I found this diet interesting and decided to go with them and try it. After practising the diet for five years, I stayed with them and Gabriel made me a third co-leader of the coven."

As I delved into the story, I was pleasantly surprised. The tale of Gabriel and Joseph was a sombre one, but with Simon, it was different. Though his transformation into a vampire and subsequent demise at the hands of this Alistair vampire man was undoubtedly tragic, there was something about him that made it all seem less sorrowful. Perhaps it was his demeanour, or maybe it was the way he spoke of his past. Regardless, my mind couldn't help but wander to thoughts of him and Alana.