Bound between worlds

7

Liana

I woke up screaming and trashing around.

Before I could even properly take in my surroundings, I jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom, where I vomited.

After several minutes, my stomach had finally calmed down so much that I could get up and brush my teeth. I was still so shaky on my feet that I had to support myself at the sink.

The nightmare had been pure hell. Quietly crying, I rinsed my mouth and brushed my hair briefly before going back to the bedroom.

There stood Adrian. His worried look spoke volumes.

"Is everything okay? I felt you through the bond." He must have run here from his office.

At his words, I just shook my head and before I knew it, I found myself in a hug. Sobbing, I buried my face in his shirt.

"I have ... I dreamed of the dungeon ... partially. But that wasn't all," I whispered in a rough voice. My vocal cords were slightly bruised. Fortunately, they had completely healed since the time in the dungeon.

Adrian slowly led me to the bed and brazenly lifted me onto his lap. Sighing, I snuggled back into his arms.

So much for getting to know each other before getting intimate. On the other hand, I just needed this moment and he could probably feel it through the bond.

He waited patiently for me to continue talking.

"I read the book 'The First War' yesterday ... It described how people are kept and treated nowadays. I dreamed that I was in one of these ... breeding facilities and there-", a shiver ran through me and I broke off. Adrian silently pressed me to him. My trauma had mixed with what I had read and created such a terrible nightmare that I was still nauseous. But wasn't that the everyday life of the women in these facilities? A horrible thought.

"Is it really like that? That women are permanently raped there? Are the men so horny that they don't mind?" my voice dripped with disgust.

Adrian cleared his throat slightly. He seemed to be uncomfortable with the subject. Oh what.

"Many men are actually as 'horny' as you put it, that they just do the act. Others need medical ... help with drugs and stimulants. The men are requested by mail to appear for an ... appointment. The whole program is strictly regulated and monitored," he replied quietly. My stomach rebelled again.

"What then happens to the men and women who are not biologically able to father children?" I was almost afraid of the answer. Adrian pressed me lightly.

"They are typically kept as sex slaves, which usually ends in death after a few weeks. You don't want to give people a reason to sterilize themselves, so the fate of an infertile person must be as unpleasant as possible," he muttered. I started crying again. What kind of world was that? These people weren't at fault for their infertility.

"What happens to the babies? Can the mothers keep their babies?"

Adrian shook his head. "The babies are taken away immediately after birth and the women have to pump their breast milk daily. As soon as the women have physically recovered from childbirth, they are impregnated again."

I stared at him completely disturbed. Those people were mere cattle.

"What happens to the children?"

"They come to nursery stations, where they are cared for by pregnant women under the supervision of vampires. Care is taken to ensure that the women don't come into contact with their own babies but only foreign children so that they take equal care of all babies. Each woman cares for three infants. At the age of three, the children move to dormitories where they continue to be raised by vampires. There are ten children per supervisor. From primary school age they come to school dormitories, where they live together with the teachers. From the age of fourteen, the girls are transported back to the breeding facilities and the boys are taken to an all-men's dormitory, also under the guidance of the teachers, who teach the young people from then on. At the age of sixteen, the young are physically examined and based on their DNA, they remain in the same city or are transferred to avoid inbreeding. When the boys finish school, they move into the barracks to pursue an apprenticeship and work," his statement was honest, for which I was grateful. He didn't lie to me to spare me or sugarcoat his world.