(It is an illustrated novel; Each chapter consist of original artworks and sketches)
Chapters with illustration.
[24/25]
Chapters w/o illustration
[25-26]
-----------------------------------------------
Allyson Bluestone; a young woman that is det...
A twisting creature materializes back to its original form: wispy shade for legs, a body stretched into a bowling-pin shape, two sets of large purple eyes, and a scattered pink-hue shell across its amorphous body.
"A doppelganger?" I asked, slowly walking away from the Fake Kleid.
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"Yes. To make things easier to grasp, it works like my familiars and can briefly take on the appearance of anyone," Alexander replies. I noticed he was panting as if something had been chasing him.
I looked back to see another doppelganger looming, cornering us with the help of the other. I could feel myself smiling in pure distress, blinking as tension rose.
"Oh, behind me?" Alexander spoke like it was nothing worth noting.
"I tried to check downstairs only to meet one of the culprits, Heival, who was also a doppelganger."
"They are capable of speech but do not realize the implications of the soundproof barrier coating the entire mansion; that gives it away," he briefly explained.
I returned my focus on the Doppelganger in front of me. A sharp and frightening tendril pops out behind its back.
"Listen very closely, Bluestone, and follow my lead."
Alexander walked in front and cleared his throat. Then out of nowhere, he ran quickly and slid past the Doppelganger. "Run for your life!"
Hold on.
"Don't leave me here!"
I ran and evaded the entity as it chased us through the corridors. I never looked back and focused on running. But I'm curious about one thing...
"Can you defeat it? You know? Rip them to shreds with your..uhh, vampiric strength or something?" I asked Alexander whilst on the run.
"Are you nuts?! Those things are similar to my familiars. They won't die that easily even if they're pulverized. That's how some malison works!"
Malison... familiars... I'm trying hard to understand concepts I vaguely knew about.
"Is there even a weakness to it?" I asked.
He glanced back, and I could see it in his face that it does NOT look good behind us. He look at me then shouted.
"Silver!"
"A Malison is weak against silver and sunlight," he replied.
I did notice back at Mt. Mitchell, that kid, Calvin, used a piece of silver to burn off a Phantom's leg. It was burning like it was an acid. But where could we even find silver in this mansion? I don't think vampires are supposed to bring such a dangerous material into their world.
