Hearing their daughter's serious tone, desiring to hear the part of their story regarding their connection to Rudolf Strange, the couple looked at each other before sighing, smiling softly.
"Let's get back inside and then tell us what you already knew about him," Edrico said, letting his wife lead them back inside.
"From what I've discovered so far, he's an outstanding and prestigious doctor from the Cross clan and got married to Sophia, who was once his patient." Skylar started sharing what she knew about Rudolf while taking a seat on the couch again before proceeding, "But he changed when Sophia got into an accident. He got worse, neglecting Sophia in the process, and somehow, he got obsessed with you. Some said that Mom was the only one who kept rejecting him; however, Sophia had had enough after learning the truth about your relationship and had nothing to do with his obsession. She later cursed him, and Mom hid her remains away from his grasp."
"You learn most of it." Frances, her mother, commented about what Skylar learned so far.
"Then what's your side, Mom, Dad? How did the two of you get involved with him? I mean, really, how did the two of you get into their lives, in his life?" Skylar wondered firmly, curious about their involvement with Rudolf.
"Rudolf was once my personal doctor consultant, but due to his outstanding remarks, rumors and envious men started, pinning him into the corner when he had nothing to do with any business matters or underground transactions. He's just been my doctor since before I met your mother, and I easily got sick as my body can't handle stress or overfatigue." Edrico shared about his connection with Rudolf.
"And you've got your father's workaholic side." Frances inserted quickly, making Edrico chuckle while nodding.
"And because of my men, I had to transfer Rudolf to the newly built clinic, Avalon Medical Clinic, which is now called Avalon Orphan Medical Clinic." Edrico continued his side story.
"That's where he met her and changed his life," Frances added quickly, sighing, and Edrico squeezed her hand for support.
"His life wasn't filled with work anymore. Sophia gave him something that he didn't realize that he needed in his life." Edrico smiled sadly, finishing his side story. "I'm happy that he started to have colors whenever Sophia was around him."
"Okay, how about you, Mom? How did you get involved in all of these?" Skylar asked her mother seriously, since she had a very deep connection between Rudolf and Sophia based on what she learned from Sophia's soul.
"Rudolf Strange was indeed a captivating man for anyone. He's talented and outstanding in the medical field, but I don't like him for Sophia, and yet, I can't do anything since they were mates. I could only give friendly advice and warnings, but in love couples won't easily listen to it until it starts hitting them." Frances replied with a nostalgic tone, making Skylar frown, curious about the entire story that her mother knew.
"Okay, then tell me, how did everything start before it fell apart?" she asked, filling with a firm demand, making Frances sigh.
Frances took her time staring at her daughter before sighing heavily once more and snapping her fingertips, making the entire background shift into a dark void. They were still in the living space, but their background was pitch black, which later began to be filled with black and white images. It was like they were taken into a space where an old movie plays.
"Then, let me take you to the time before they met," Frances answered, taking them in her old memories that she buried a long time ago until fate brought Skylar into her life.
In the past, when Skylars hadn't met yet, young adult vampire lady Frances Saison was facing back and forth at the emergency room's waiting area. She was covered with blood and panicking for a friend's life inside the operating room.
'Young mistress, you need to change.'
'It can wait. I need to be here with her.'
'Frances, what happened?'
'Mom…it's Sophia…she's being stupid again. I told her not to try anything alone because I knew this would happen to her. I knew she was an excellent vampire and apprentice, but trying it alone, doing it without considering the backfire effect if she breaks the limitation. I knew it was fine to exceed a limitation, but she needs to be prepared for its side effects. Now, look what it did to her. I never forget to warn her, but she's…so stubborn.'
'Just like you.'
'Mom…'
'I know you care a lot about her. She's like a sister to you, and she's like my daughter after her parents died and were killed by nomads. But you have to believe in her. Like you said, she's an excellent vampire and apprentice; you have to believe that even though she's stubborn and reckless in trying something by exceeding her abilities.'
'But Mom, she's facing death and I…I don't know if I could live with it…'
'You're not mates, but your bond is almost like that. It's an unbreakable bond.'
'Mom, I need her alive.'
'She'll be. She'll never leave you feeling sad. So, stop crying and stand strong for her.'
"In that moment of her accident, she was too stubborn to practice something new with her growing powers that she's been learning. She's good with nature, healing, but blood curses were something new, and she was not ready with it, causing it to backfire, putting her in bed for a month and a half." Frances explained clearly which scene in the memory lane was shown in the background. "That's when Rudolf came into the picture, whose presence around the hospital stirred Sophia to wake up. I may not like him, but I'm grateful for what he did for her."
'Morning, I'm her newly appointed doctor to supervise her health, and my name is Dr. Rudolf Strange. It's a pleasure to meet you all.'
'M-mate…'
'Oh no…please don't say that to him, Sophia…'
'Sorry, what did she say?'
'Mate. You're my mate.'
Hearing that word and the claiming tone from Sophia, Rudolf, for the first time in years in the medical field, finally looked at his patient's eyes. At the moment, everything began clicking like a piece of a puzzle that found its perfect fit, and Sophia's eyes softened with joy, while Rudolf's heartbeat made him alive. He tried to hide it and professionally did his job, but whenever his shift ended, he started visiting and checking Sophia's status as an excuse.
'Back here again?'
'Just checking.'
'Really checking…I don't believe it.'
'Fran, please, don't be jealous.'
'Me? Jealous? Of him? You've got to be kidding me. I don't do jealousy. I don't like him for you, but since you're a mate, I'll shut my mouth about it.'
'And I thank you for that. But please, let him be my mate. Let him do it, please…'
'Argh, fine. Just…I just don't want anything bad to happen to you again.'
'I'll be fine.'
'I'll take care of her. You can trust me on that.'
'Alright. Fine. But Rudolf, hurt her once or twice, I'll make sure you see her again.'
'Then I'll try my best not to.'
'See, he deserved this chance.'
'I love you.'
'I love you too.'
'Oh, c'mon, not in front of me, guys.'
'It's just a kiss.'
'Find your mate, Fran.'
"I let them be and had their life. Sophia focused on her job serving the Saison family while being Rudolf's wife. They had a nice and peaceful marriage, which made me relaxed, thinking he won't hurt her, but it didn't last." Frances said sadly, her eyes started glistening, and the scene changed when Sophia filled with a quiet storm.
'Sophia, are you okay?'
'Yeah, I am…'
'You don't look like one. What happen? You can tell me, I'm here for you, you know that.'
'Really? Or you're with Rudolf?'
'Sophia, you know that I don't do third party, and for the record, I still don't like him for you. But I want you to be happy and be with him. So, tell me honestly, what did he do to you?'
'You seriously don't know? He's been cold to me and talking about you lately. So, Fran, tell me, what happened between you two? Please.'
'Hm, let me think…oh! I remember.'
'Remember what?'
'Remember your second accident because of your stupidity again.'
'I'm not badly hurt, but what about it?'
'Seriously, you think you're not badly hurt back there? Rudolf had to save you from dying twice, and for the first time, I saw him panicking, shaking, and crying, but luckily, he still did.'
'Then why did he suddenly fall into you? I don't understand.'
'Into me? I had no idea what you were talking about…wait, a minute…hold on a second…when did he act like a jerk to you?'
'FRANCES, JUST ANSWER ME PLEASE! I beg of you.'
'Then answer me first, when did you notice this?'
'Not sure, but I think after three days of my accident…tell me what's going on? I felt something was breaking and I…'
'FUCK! SOPHIA!'
Sophia collapsed on her knees, quivering, but something else was happening to her body. The mate mark on her neck became visible. It was an angry and bloody, but slowly turning dark like a poison spreading slowly on her body. She gasped for air, making Frances hold her in her arms.
'Sophia, you're curse mark...turns your mate mark…dark…'
'No…'
'Do you know what it meant?'
'Corrupting. Failing. Breaking. Falling.'
'No…no…you're not leaving me…'
'Don't cry. It is I who is supposed to be crying, not you.'
'But because of him you're in this status…'
'Tell me, Fran, what really happened that you're not telling me?'
Frances carried Sophia to the couch, letting her rest, and with a gentle caress on Sophia's mark, somehow, the dark veins slowed down from spreading. It turned back normal as if nothing was poisoning Sophia's body.
'Fine, remember when I admitted that I hated him? I didn't hate him without a reason. I hated him because I knew somewhere in the future, he would hurt you and make you leave me. I had a vision before about him hurting you. It was hazy, but I knew it was about you. I could feel that you're falling apart, and it was because of him. I may not be sure the reason back then, but now, I think I do.'
'Then tell me. Please, make it clear, I don't want to hate you.'
'You got into your second accident, and during your recovery, I started to notice his presence lurks around me more than around you. I started to distance myself not only because of you, but because my husband was very territorial despite being a human. I had been doing that around him, pushing him away, making sure he never gets close to me and forgets his existence whenever I'm with you. I'm focusing on my life, taking care of you along in the process, then this happened.'
'What do you mean?'
'This poisonous mark on your body is the proof that my vision has been happening already.'
'Fran…'
'Don't go home, please…I don't want to lose you because of him.'
'But he's my husband. I'll try to bring him back.'
'But I'm worried…he's triggering something without knowing it…'
'That's the thing, he doesn't know and he won't if he can't come back to me.'
'What are you saying? You knew?'
'No, not until I started feeling my cursing ability spike up. I understand now…I clearly understand my family's cursing ability, and this is one of them.'
'No…are you saying…'
'This is my cursing ability, Fran. I had been mastering it, but it was too late to realize that I should be enhancing it with him. My cursing ability is between mates, and I called it Mates Curse, cool right?'
'Sophia, don't joke about it.'
'I'm not, I'm telling you about it. You had the right to know since we've been training and polishing our vampire abilities together. So, hear them out, please.'
'Fine, I'll listen.'
'Thanks, okay, about my Mates Curse, it symbolizes a warning about a mate bond falling apart, failing to be a mate, and being corrupted with darkness. And it goes in two ways: the dark mark you saw earlier is like a dark poison, and the person who has it is the one who's receiving the pain, which I called Death's Mark.'
'Why name it like that?'
'Isn't it obvious?'