While Rudy was walking through the passage lit by the blue fire torches, on the other hand, Jane was standing in front of the cloaked figure.

  Her body had frozen in fear, and words were stuck in her throat. She knew that running away from it won't do anything as it could effortlessly chase her in the vast desert. So she decided to confront it.

  She might be scared of the figure, but she was still one of the strongest vampires. She wasn't going to let anything overwhelm her.

  Even though Jane was standing right in front of the figure, she couldn't see anything other than its eyes. The figure stared into Jane's eyes with its blue eyes but didn't say anything.

  "W-What are you?" Jane asked. "What do you want from me?"

  The figure continued staring at Jane but slowly moved its staff and pointed it to the side.

  Jane looked to the side and saw a massive tree in the middle of the desert, which clearly wasn't there before.

  "What is… that…?" Jane looked back at the figure, only to see it kneeling in front of her.

  "……"

  [Welcome, your highness,] the figure said in an ethereal voice. The voice sounded as though multiple voices were speaking at once, and it was echoing on the inside. It was impossible for Jane to figure out whether the voice belonged to a male or a female.

  "……!"

  Even when the figure was kneeling down, it was still taller than Jane.

  [We have been waiting for you ever since your birth. The time has come for you to render your true powers. The power of the blue moon that shall bring an end to everything.]

  Jane stepped back after hearing that and made some distance between herself and the figure.

  'I knew it! This was all related to the blue moon!'

  "What are you talking about? I don't want to end anything. I have left everything behind and accepted that I am a cursed child. Even so, I am happy with what I am today."

  [You mustn't, your highness. It is not a curse but a blessing. You are the chosen one.]

  "What does that mean?"

  The figure stood up and began walking towards the tree that was a few meters away from them.

  [Follow me. You shall manifest your true form and harness the power that belongs to you. You shall be awakened!]

  Jane reluctantly followed the figure as she also wanted the answer about being a blue moon child and why the vampires called it a curse.

  What were they afraid of? What could have driven them as far as to kill an innocent child? Why were they treated in such a cruel way? What was the reason, and what exactly did the blue moon represent?

  Jane couldn't remember how many times she had asked herself the same question, but she never got an answer.

  The sole reason why she always entered the restricted areas and read the books was to find an answer. But she never found it. Throughout her entire life, she yearned for the answer, and now she was finally going to learn the truth.

  Jane and the figure reached the tree, but Jane kept her distance from both the tree and the figure.

  Just because she followed the figure didn't mean she trusted it. She followed it because she was curious.

  She looked up at the tree and noticed how unique the leaves were. It was unlike any tree she had seen.

  [Are you ready?] the figure asked.

  "I am not. First, tell me what this all is about. And why are you calling me your highness? What's the truth behind the blue moon? And most importantly, who are you?"

  The figure raised the staff, and it turned into a blue dagger that shined brightly. Then, it moved its hand from under the cloak and tried to touch Jane, but she jumped back.

  "What are you doing?!" She yelled. But that wasn't the reason why she jumped back.

  Her eyes widened after seeing the skeletal hand of the figure, which also had cracks on it.

  The figure stretched its hand even more and grabbed Jane's hand. It made a cut on Jane's palm with the dagger and closed a fist before squeezing it.

  Jane's blood fell to the sand and got absorbed. After a few drops, the blood traveled to the tree and entered its root.

  A few seconds later, the stem of the tree let out a weird, subtle noise, and the leaves changed their shape. Tiny buds emerged out of nowhere, and they blossomed into the beautiful blue flowers, which began glittering as soon as they sprouted.

  And a few more seconds later, they slowly turned into blue fruits that resembled the shame of the apple, which was also similar to the blood moon fruits.

  The figure plucked one blue fruit from the tree and bowed down before handing it to Jane.

  [Eat this, and you shall receive vast knowledge that surpasses all. You will also acquire prowess that is second to none. Nobody will ever dare to block your path again. Not even the despicable Lord be able to match your existence.]

  "……"

  The dagger turned back to the staff that shined even brighter than before.

  [Worry not; I mean no harm to you. I am but a humble servant of yours who has been waiting for your return for millennia, only so you could be once again awakened and return the world to its former glory. To show them who is the superior of all races and the true form of power.]

  [You have suffered enough, your highness. It is time to rise and shine as the Celestian Queen, to protect the worlds from the evil like the Lords and bring justice to them by any means possible!]

  The figure plunged the staff into the sand and asserted, [Eat it! Eat the fruit and become the almighty—!]

  "Begone!"

  ****

  Sick and sleep-deprived. Press F for RIP.

  =====

  Thanks, @Domfom, for the gift!