Even though the sun never rises in this place I know when I have to get up, I guess it's what's left of my mind helping me maintain a routine, although it's a somewhat trivial and meaningless routine, at the end of the day I'm just a skeleton surrounded by a bunch of monsters that live in the dark who either don't speak, or don't even bother to talk to me, even though I try to greet my neighbors; the family of zombies, none of them respond to me, yeah, I'm pretty alone in this place, every once in a while I run into the adventurer who goes through Corruption in search of some treasure from the old world, but mostly they are of the "shoot first, talk later" type and if they're not, we don't talk too much before they go off in search of their mission objective.
But I'm not complaining, rise from my grave, wander through the streets of the metropolis of Corruption, avoid being torn apart by monsters, avoid being assaulted by the undead, reach the edge of Corruption, watch the sun setting on the horizon, noticing how the light is not able to cross the perpetual night of the region and simply return when my mind feels tired and then continue the next day, it may be monotonous, but surely I do it to avoid completely losing my mind like my neighbors.
Although today is different, in my place dedicated to contemplating the sun there is someone else, she has an umbrella, she is somewhat small and seems to be dressed in white with pink details, she is also singing a song, I don't recognize her, but her voice sounds reassuring, well, as long as it's not hostile there should be no problem.
I walk until I am next to her and I look towards the horizon, the same as always.
─ The sun is almost setting...
The girl spoke first, stopping her singing, with her gaze still fixed on the horizon.
─ You won't need the umbrella anymore then
I turned my face looking at her with the empty holes where my eyes must have been a long time ago, she looked back at me with surprise with her eyes wide open.
It was the first time I saw her face, she had a round face with a pointed chin, the tips of his ears were pointed and stuck out through wavy silver hair, her face seemed to have elven and human appearance, but with skin terribly pale, yes, she was definitely a vampire, although what was most striking were her crimson eyes that looked at me attentively.
─ Do you speak? Aren't you one of those mindless skeletons?
─ Well, I'm pretty sure I don't have anything inside my skull, but I would say my mind is still intact.
─ And you don't plan on attacking me?
─ If you don't do it, I won't do it either, I only come here to see the sun go down.
Her gaze did not move away from me, in fact it seemed somewhat uncomfortable to me so I simply returned my gaze towards the horizon which was beginning to be painted by the orange light of the semi-hidden sun.
─ Oh, well... I'm Cassie by the way.
It was a bit of a strange interaction, I don't think either of us had talked to anyone in a while.
─ I... well, I don't have a name, call me whatever you want.
More than not having a name, I didn't remember it, I had forgotten it after so many years of monotony.
─ Well, a pleasure...
Cassie said as the sun finally finished setting, the sky now devoid of the orange light which was replaced by a deep starlit blue.
─ It's time to leave.
Cassie closed her umbrella while she put it in her small backpack, a backpack that seemed to fit more things than it looked like. I stared at her for a long time while I watched how she seemed to jump back and forth a couple of times while rubbing her cheeks.
─ Are you planning... to leave?
It didn't really seem like a great idea for a vampire to get out of corruption, especially since she didn't seem too... adjusted.
─ Of course, I decided that today I would start my trip, and there is nothing you can tell me that would convince me otherwise.
─ But, it's really not a good idea to go out, you will only be able to travel at night and most people will not be happy seeing a vampire approaching them in the middle of the night, besides...
As I spoke, her gaze seemed to grow sad.
─ How are you going to sleep? It doesn't look like you have a coffin on hand which means you'll have to find a cave to sleep in during the day or you'll get burned as soon as the sun comes up... and...
Her face already had a straight frown on it.
─ Do you even know how to defend yourself? You not only have to worry about adventurers looking for easy prey, but also wild creatures
─ Now! I get it! It was a bad idea, I shouldn't have thought about going out.
As she said this she turned her face quickly and put her hands over her eyes, covering them. I don't think she was crying, more like she was trying to stop herself from crying.
─ But... still, I have to do it, I can't continue here, no one smiles here, no one enjoys it here, there is only sadness, despair, stagnation, and I don't want to stagnate, I don't want to continue in this place where everything is gray and boring.
─ And monotonous...
─ Exactly! I have to go out and explore the world, here I will never learn to...
After saying this, Cassie stared at me for a moment.
─ Learn what?
I said curiously as she looked down and said in a low voice.
─ Learning to be an Idol...
I had never heard that term before.
─ A what?
─ An idol, I read it in a book, apparently they are people who sing, dance, dress pretty and do all kinds of things.
I stared at her for a moment in silence.
─ A bard?
─ Something like that...
Again, silence, this time longer than the last, it was Cassie who decided to break it again this time.
─ That's why I have to go out.
─ You will die if you don't prepare well.
─ So what is the solution? Stay here and wait for an adventurer to kill me thinking I have treasures to give?
─ I guess not
We stood face to face for a moment, I really wasn't sure what to think, unconsciously I was waiting for him to ask me, I still wanted to get out of my constant and perpetual routine, I still wanted to go out and explore the world, there was a reason he came to this place every day to see the horizon over and over again, because I wanted to get out, but I had forgotten, I had forgotten that desire, the desire to get away from this depressing place, and just as I listened to how Cassie spoke passionately about her own desire It was that I remembered how much I wanted to go out.
─ Come with me. ─ I can go with you.
At the same time, our voices intermingled, we were silent again for a long moment, Cassie again interrupting with her soft voice.
─ Shall we go then?
─ Right now?...
─ Do you have to prepare something before leaving?
I thought for a moment, I didn't have any property, maybe the only thing I can say is mine is my grave, but little else.
─ Not really
─ So... What are we waiting for? The night is not eternal and you have to look for one of those caves you mentioned to rest.
For me it was time to return to rest, but curiously neither my mind nor my body felt tired, on the contrary, I felt more active than ever, and ironically, more alive than ever, I took a step forward, leaving the semi-real edge that separates Corruption from the rest of the world, looking towards that horizon where the sun once was.
─ We'd better hurry then, it's better to secure shelter early.
Cassie was watching me with a warm smile on her face and she began to walk until she was next to me, looking at me carefully and simply telling me.
─ Thank you...