105. The Core

When the two women arrived at the sacred mountain, they placed the take-out food in the kitchen and then proceeded upstairs to the 3rd floor in Demetria's forbidden place. "Are you ready for the next step?" Demetria asked. Clarice was scanning the room. The 3rd floor has its own living room and several other rooms. "When I'm gone, you are going to inherit this floor as well," Demetria said casually. "Okay," Clarice replied. "What is inside those rooms?" she asked, pointing to the closed doors. Demetria responded, "Each room has its function. I'll explain them later, but the important thing is, you have to pass the test first. Let's see if the core will accept your blood..." Clarice gave Demetria a terrified look. "Does it hurt? What's going to happen to me during blood testing?" she asked worriedly. Demetria smiled. "Don't be afraid, dear. I will just make a tiny cut on your finger and let the core sip your blood. Let's see if it accepts your blood offering," she explained. "And what if the core doesn't like the taste of my blood? What's going to happen?" Clarice asked apprehensively. "Then you are not going to be my successor because the core rejected the quality of your blood and I have to find another successor," Demetria answered casually. A lump formed in Clarice's throat. "And what about me? What will happen to me after you find a successor?" she inquired, wanting to know what kind of fate awaits her after the core rejects her blood. She really wants to go home badly and the only way to do it is to become Demetria's successor. "After I find a suitable successor, he or she will be in charge of you. My successor will decide what is going to happen to you. I just want you to know that you are the first outsider of your kind that knows about this place, and you can't leave this place alive. You must die to protect the secret of this place," Demetria said in a serious tone. Clarice gasped. Her eyes were filled with horror and despair. "If you don't become my successor, you will remain a blood source or slave to the next guardian of this house. Unfortunately, I can't guarantee what my successor's decision will be when it comes to you. That part remains to be seen," Demetria elaborated further. Clarice sighed heavily. She wished the core would accept her blood so she could obtain immense power and go home to her family. She fears that the next guardian will not be as kind and considerate as Demetria. She fears that the next guardian will torture her and abuse her physically or worse, kill her. Demetria saw the distraught expression on Clarice's face. She patted her tense shoulder to comfort her. "Relax, dear. Don't worry much. I have a feeling that the core will love your blood just the way I like your blood," she said reassuringly. "I hope so," Clarice murmured anxiously. "Alright, let's get on with the test. Follow me to that room in the right corner. It is the room where the core was kept hidden," Demetria said, walking towards the door. Clarice followed Demetria into the room. The moment they entered the door, it was almost empty. No other furniture was present except for the table in the center of the room. A sparkling bright diamond the size of her fist can be seen floating in the air above the table. It's floating on its own. The precious stones shone brightly from the moment they entered the room. Demetria faced Clarice. "Dear, that diamond floating above the table is called the core. It's the lifeblood of this sacred house and mountain. Starve it and this house and mountain will fall apart, and the vampire beasts will escape their hibernation chamber and create havoc on earth." Clarice smiled in relief. She never expected the diamond to be the mysterious core. In her mind, she was imagining a scary monster hiding in the dark, ready to drink her blood. She felt better after the discovery. "I will give you another option. You can lie down on the table and the core will sip enough blood from your body to satisfy itself. Don't worry, it is an intelligent object. It won't drain all of your blood to the point of dying. It knows its limits, and it stops automatically once it gets enough of one week's worth of blood supply. I'm still alive now, so there's no reason to panic," Demetria explained in a calm voice. "That's good to hear!" Clarice felt relieved. Huge relief washed over her. She began to relax a little. Demetria continued, "The other option is that I will make a tiny cut off your finger and the diamond will sip your blood. Which way do you want it to be?" Clarice's brows furrowed. "How will it suck my blood?" she asked, confused. Demetria answered, "The diamond will release tentacles that attach to your skin and suck your blood." Clarice's eyes widened in fear at the mention of tentacles. She was scared as sh*t. "Whaaaat?" Demetria chuckles in amusement. "Don't worry, the tentacles won't kill you. They just want to drink your blood." "What do the tentacles look like?" Clarice asked apprehensively. "Are they scary-looking tentacles like those of a giant squid found in the sea?" Demetria shakes her head. "No. It's not as scary as it looks in your imagination. It's like a silver thread so thin you can barely see it," she explained. "If you are scared, I can put you in a deep sleep throughout the whole process so you can relax. I will wake you up after the blood test is done successfully," she suggested. "I like your suggestion better," Clarice agreed. "Um, how will you know that the core likes my blood and I passed the test?" she asked. "After the blood testing, the core will emit a bright reddish glow for a few minutes, indicating that it likes your blood, and you pass the test successfully. If it doesn't emit a reddish glow and remains the same, it means you didn't pass the test, and you are not worthy of being my successor," Demetria explained. Clarice fell silent for a moment. Her heart was beating rapidly in her rib cage. She is desperate to pass the test so she can go home. A spark of determination shimmers in her eyes. "Dear, are you ready now to take the blood test?" Demetria asked. Clarice nodded her head. "Yes, I'm ready. Let's do it!" she said bravely, walking to the table and settling down in a sleeping position. She looks at Demetria. "Put me to sleep now." "Okie Dokie," Demetria replied, placing her right hand on Clarice's head, putting her into a deep sleep. Clarice immediately fell into a deep slumber. Demetria raised her head, looked at the core and said, "Here lies on the table a woman named Clarice, my successor. Please check the quality of her blood. I hope her blood suits your taste," she said aloud. The diamond glowed brightly and released its thread-like tentacles, attaching greedily to Clarice's arms, sucking up her blood. Demetria stood beside the table, watching the whole process in silence, eager to know if Clarice's blood would pass the test. She really likes Clarice's personality despite her annoying headstrong personality. She believes that she will be a good guardian of the house and the mountain. It would be a waste if the core rejected her blood. Minutes quickly passed. The moment has finally arrived. The core's tentacles released their hold on Clarice's arms and retreated back inside the diamond. Demetria looked at the core. "What's your decision? Did Clarice's blood meet your requirements?" she asked, holding her breath, waiting anxiously for the result.