The door swung open, and the stranger entered Xyn's scope proper.

  Xyn felt himself instantly attracted. Yet, not in the way one usually was. She was not his cup of tea looks-wise, but her style and demeanour? Now, those did something for him.

  The stranger was the opposite of traditionally feminine with her angular features. She was as tall as a standard spear and stood just as straight as one. Her body was muscular, her jaw was pronounced, and the usual curves and bumps were extremely modest.

  She wore a black tank top, shredded jeans and brown military boots. A white and black fur coat wrapped around her broad shoulders and extended just past her knees. Her person was filled with tiny details that one could lose their attention on. Most eye-catching of the bunch was the sheathed rapier gripped in her left hand.

  It was mundane. He had confirmed with a sweep of his magical senses. Meaning, she was carrying for style's sake alone. That was something he could appreciate. She was cool. Rain slid down the membrane of Ki that shrouded her.

  The presence of the sword also highlighted a rather obvious fact. She was a fighter- a confident one. She had reasons to justify her stance. The stranger had veiled her Soul Shroud as he did, but Xyn could see straight through it. Her mana output was significant, a tad larger than his own.

  Xyn stared at her with a blank but friendly countenance. He wanted her to speak first. She seemed to have the same intention, but gave in after a few seconds of awkward silence.

  "Well met, stranger."

  At the address, Xyn's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't been struck by one of Cupid's arrows, though. His internal shock was mirrored in the outside world, resulting in a chuckle escaping the stranger's lips.

  "Aaa, never seen a vampire before, huh?"

  The Void Prince ironed out his facial features. "Yeah, it's a first for me," he said in Macheon. His words got a head tilt from the stranger, but he ploughed through, "What brings you to this place?"

  "That's my question. Being this deep in Manx is insanity. I thought I was seeing things when I spotted your lodge. It's quite nice by the way."

  "Thanks."

  "So..."

  "I asked you first, no?"

  " That you did. Mine's a long story."

  "What a coincidence, so is mine. Why don't we share our stories?" Xyn did a half turn and gestured to the open doorway. "If you can spare a moment, let's trade words insid- wait, if I don't invite you in, are you barred entry?"

  The stranger's lips quirked up. "Nope. Those rules don't apply to Third Blood like me."

  Xyn's eyes gleamed at the tidbit. "Are you at least immortal like the legends say?"

  "I am."

  "Good, then you have more than enough time for a friendly chat. How about it?"

  The vampire grinned. "Sure. I have things to do, but they can be put off for a bit. Strange encounters are the spice of life, and I believe this will be one."

  Xyn stepped aside, and the stranger took the invitation after she stored away her weapon. After seeing her inside, the Void Prince followed, and the door behind them shut.

  "Nice and cosy," the stranger said, looking around. She wasn't shy about taking a couch, plopping down like a graceful sack of potatoes.

  Xyn smiled as he took the opposite couch. The table between them became filled with beverages and delicacies. His guest swept her gaze over them but made no move toward them.

  Understandable, Xyn thought. Or maybe she only drinks blood? She is a vampire, after all.

  "Introductions. Let's start with those. It's only proper."

  Xyn nodded at the proposal.

  "I'm Cynthia Albeneez." Saying this, the stranger, Cynthia, watched Xyn's face intently. Not finding what she was looking for, she showed a smirk. "You don't know me, do you?"

  "Should I?"

  "Well, I'm not as famous as a Warlord or Radiant Knight, but I am rather well known among Adventurers, which I assumed you were. Now, not anymore. Since you don't know me, I'll give a proper introduction. I'm Cynthia Albeneez, an A-Rank Adventurer who goes by the title, Bloodless."

  Xyn digested the words in silence while wearing a blank expression.

  The female vampire's mental cogs were no less vigorous despite her easy-going look. Studying him, she reached a bizarre but reasonable conclusion. "Your turn...is what I would say, but thinking about it, I have a strong hunch about your identity."

  "Oh." Xyn's mood smashed into a wall at the claim. "That would be surprising, shocking even. Go ahead, take your shot in the dark."

  An edge crept into his voice. In his mind, her next words were predictable. My next victim...something along those lines. Ha, I thought she was a good apple. He expected another bloodbath, and his vibe switch reflected that.

  "Just don't miss."

  Cynthia barked out a laugh. "Aiyai, you're as prickly as one would expect, oh Void Prince. Or should I say, Xyn Del Estarosa?"

  Xyn's eyes widened to their limits. Absurd. No, a mind reader? Are you reading my mind right now?

  While the young psionic was experiencing a storm, Cynthia was a volcano amidst an eruption. Laughter escaped her writhing form as she drank in Xyn's reaction. A pillow toppled to the floor in the commotion.

  "Ah, I was right. This is indeed a spicy event."

  "Answers, now," Xyn cut in forcefully. "If you know my name and title, you should know my temperament and capabilities. How did you come to learn about me?"

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Cynthia felt the threat in his words and not words, but her smile didn't fade an iota. "I do know of your strength, Void Prince, and know that I'm almost certainly outclassed. I'll answer your question. Questions, even, so get rid of that death glare and that murderous intent. We came to talk. Let's do that, yeah?"

  Xyn wasn't happy to comply, but he did. He reclined back and relaxed his facial muscles into a neutral mask.

  "I learned about you from a newspaper. More specifically, a column in Verity."

  The Void Prince's forehead creased. Instead of voicing his incredulity, he summoned the Truth Stone and tossed it over.

  The vampire caught it without a hitch and had it light up. "I learned about you from an article in Verity, the newspaper."

  She was telling the truth. Xyn's frown deepened.

  "Verity is like any other newspaper, except for one column, the one under the vice-president's management. It's called Drazal Thoughts and it is just that. Random stories and opinions about random things, events and people, across the multiverse. Most articles concern nobodies and insignificant activities, but every now and then, Drazal will cover a story about significant events or people in the multiverse."

  "And I'm one of the people he covered?"

  "Yes. You appeared in an article some two years ago. It was a special print, much longer than normal. Your story made the rounds. Universe 6 remains shrouded in shadows to this day, so people ate up the story of the Void Prince. You're fairly famous over here."

  "Do you have the article?"

  "I don't. They are easy to acquire, though. Pretty much every library will have a catalogue of Drazal's Thoughts."

  "Noted. So, you used this article to deduce my identity. Did it come with a picture?"

  "There were no pictures provided, no. Drazal's descriptions were fairly detailed, though. Beautiful as a doll with fair, flawless skin, and eyes and hair the colour of the blackest night. His outfit is dominated by black, white and silver hues in that order. It is a variant of the uniform worn by the United Army soldiers when they first did battle with the bothanians."

  That was a short battle, Xyn couldn't help but think. Humanity stood no chance against a civilisation several tiers above them.

  "That alone wasn't enough, but it was one stone on a tall hill. Your mana is the most obvious giveaway. It is fairly unique in Machaeverosa. Most would assume it's just a Quirk of yours, but I'm familiar with a psionic's mana."

  "You've met Electro? And Quirk?"

  "I have, yes. I know his mana signature. Yours is similar. Quirks. That's the name we give to magical mutations that give rise to unexpected effects. It's said that one in ten people in Machaeverosa has a Quirk. They are mostly useless and harmless. Like this."

  "They glow?" Xyn uttered, staring at the crimson flashlights that Cynthia's eyes became. "Nothing else? No lasers?"

  "Nope. That is the extent of my Quirk.”

  "Interesting," Xyn rubbed his chin. "Continue with your explanation. What else gave me away?"

  "Psionics are rare in Macheaverosa. You could count them all on your hands and feet, that rare. I know all of them by name. I didn't know you. Then, I recalled the article, and the description matched what I was seeing. Frankly, even without it, I wouldn't be uncertain. The phenomenon that brings others to this realm prioritises the powerful, and you're easily the strongest in your universe...according to the article. I am surprised, though, Drazal made you out to be more impressive. Are you holding out on me? Oh, you were. Excellent veil. Still..."

  "Still?"

  "Hmm, no, it's still underwhelming. Drazal painted you as one who could take on the rest of your universe and come out on top. How? It doesn't square. Psionics are nothing special as a whole, but they have advanced technology that can vaporise planets and stars, no? The Void Empress can shrug off that, but that shouldn't be the case for you."

  To the statement, Xyn shrugged. "I don't know this Drazal fellow, but he did not exaggerate. I'm capable of at least that much."

  Cynthia's face warped with scepticism. She tossed the Truth Stone over, only for Xyn to toss it back a second later. The vampire flashed a toothy grin, having her doubts settled.

  "This article you've been referencing, tell me about it. Start to finish."

  "I can't repeat it verbatim, but I'll give you the gist. It starts with your Aberrant mother, her passion and grand goal. The greatest artist in your realm's history grew tired of paintings and sculptures. She desires to create a different form of art. Thus, the thought of you was conceived."

  Unbeknownst to Xyn, his expression began to harden the more Cynthia spoke. The vampire recognised this change but didn't change her easy-going cadence.

  "The natural way didn't suit her goal, nor her nature. A sperm bank was pursued, and the genes of a centuries-dead psionic were chosen. Her eggs were fertilized and you came to be. While in the womb, she gave you nutrients as any mother would, but also mana. She smothered you in her enchanting magic, moulding your infant self to her desired end. Then, nine months later, you popped out, her magnum opus, the first manufactured Aberrant in history. Of course, this wasn't confirmed until three years later when you awakened. The youngest to ever do it, a prodigy, beating out even Rose. It was no cause for celebration, though."

  It wasn't, Xyn thought, bitterness swirling in his heart.

  "Your awakening was violent. Destructive darkness exploded out of you in the form of countless tendrils. Along with half of her estate, a total of fourteen people perished. Six were badly injured, one of them being your mother, who lost a literal arm and leg.

  "Yeah," Xyn uttered listlessly, confirming the fact.

  "That incident drew the Council's attention, and you were deemed too dangerous to allow to roam free. You were put in a special facility, called the Silver Lining House, where you would be trained and conditioned to control your powers."

  Xyn's lips twitched as objections gathered on his tongue. He didn't voice them. Nothing said was outright false, but there were important details omitted.

  "It was a practice in futility. At first. Being separated from your mother made you erratic, and that caused the space around you to become an invisible blender. No one wanted to be around you. Automatons filled your surroundings while human faces could only be seen through monitors."

  By now, a dark cloud had settled on Xyn's face. Human faces, not humans, he corrected.

  The Void Prince later discovered that they were as lifeless as the automatons around him, fashioned through technology. That finding didn't go over well with his much younger self.

  "Over the years, your temperament improved, and by the time you were double digits, you had perfect control over your mana. You stayed at Silver Linings House for another four years before taking a stab at high school. It was your first real contact with other humans since the awakening. The government worried about you integrating with others, but you were a natural. A social butterfly."

  Wryness played across the Void Prince's expression. Some part of him didn't want to hear more, but he muted it. He would not run from himself - he couldn't.

  "You made fast friends and were on your way towards a fulfilling teenage saga. But then, a week into your schooling, out of nowhere, your true identity as a Void-wielding Abberant and history was leaked to your fellow students. From there, it spread to the wider universe, and before the day was up, the Void Prince was hot on everyone's lips. The result was a total switch-up by your classmates. Once enlightened, they viewed you as an object of fear and kept their distance. You dropped out days later and...vanished from the radar. Drazal stated that you travelled, but did not specify any places. What were you doing these last few years? Also, did they ever discover the identity of the person you leaked your info?"

  "That is still a mystery," Xyn said, his tone a jagged knife.

  He had done a thorough investigation into the matter. Nothing had turned up. He suspected one of the Grand Elders and "interviewed" them one by one. That became a memorable experience for them.

  "As for where I went, here and there. I explored the Rose Union and the planets and stars beyond."

  "I see. The article is from two years ago. Drazal ends it with a morbid prediction. He thought that your upbringing and isolation would lead you toward a dark path. Did that come to be, Void Prince? Have you become a villain?"

  "That's debatable," he said, glancing away and scratching his cheek.

  Cynthia laughed. "An answer enough. You're adorable. I can't believe you're the nightmare of Universe 6. When did you arrive? It must have been recent."

  "It was. Less than a week ago."

  "That recent? But you're speaking Macheon - how?"

  "I learned it. Along with several other languages yesterday. I'm a genius."

  The vampire chuckled. "The article did stress that point."

  "We've spoken about me more than enough. I'm vain, but have my limits. Let's talk about you now, Cynthia. You know why I'm here. What about you? Is it business or pleasure that brings you to this forest of death?"

  "Both, in a way. Before I get into it, I should ask. How much do you know about the multiverse?"