Chapter 175: The Young Old Man

Olivia paused as she reached the private residence.

The small private stood gracefully like a maiden in the middle of the residential neighborhood.

At the front, a set of ornate iron gates marked the entrance to the property. The gates were designed with beautiful and intricate scrollwork and motifs. Nestled between the designs was a symbol that she would recognize anywhere.

A vast gnarled tree with its branches spread around.

The symbol of the progenitor.

This had to be the place.

She nodded in satisfaction as she studied the villa intently.

Flanking the gates were sturdy stone pillars, each topped with elegant lanterns that provide a warm, welcoming glow in the evenings.

The exterior walls were covered in soft, pastel-colored stucco, giving the villa a vintage appearance.

The villa was surrounded by a meticulously manicured garden, enhancing the sense of seclusion and tranquility it emanated.

Beyond the gates, a cobblestone driveway curved gently towards the villa, leading to a small courtyard. The courtyard featured a central fountain, the soothing sound of falling water adding to the villa's peaceful ambiance.

That had to be the Ascension well.

Olivia strode to the gate, pressing the button fixed on the pillar. She could hear a faint buzz coming from inside the villa.

She could pick up the sound of someone shuffling inside the house. She waited for a few moments before she saw the distant door of the villa click open. Sёarch* The NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

She stumbled back in shock as she saw the person who emerged from the house.

"Ezra?" She whispered to herself.

The teenager who walked out of the villa looked exactly like a younger Ezra before he became a vampire. The same black hair and brown eyes. The same intelligence in their eyes. The same confident demeanor.

Olivia struggled to regain her composure as the boy walked closer. She studied him, the impression of a younger Ezra growing stronger as he came nearer.

The teenager was wearing an oversized leather jacket that engulfed his frame, giving him a slightly rugged and rebellious look. The jacket hung loosely over his shoulders, with sleeves extending past his hands and the hem reaching down to mid-thigh.

Underneath it, a simple T-shirt peeked out, its color barely visible through the open jacket. His jeans were well-fitted and slightly faded with a few stylish rips at the knees.

The teenager's look was completed with a pair of scuffed sneakers. He ran his hand through his hair as he walked closer, a confident and relaxed smirk pasted on his face.

As he got closer, Olivia couldn't shake off the feeling that his eyes saw more than it possibly should. She was using her chameleon tattoo to hide away any evidence of vampirism but his eyes seem to see past all the layers to the true face underneath.

The teenager stopped a few feet away from the gate, staring hard at Olivia. He tilted his head, before his smirk morphed into a knowing smile.

"Ah." He breathed. "You must be here for the well."

"Is it here?" Olivia's focus returned with that statement and she took a step forward.

The teenager gave a weary sigh, before pressing a hidden button, causing the gate to swing open. "Follow me." He turned and began walking back to the villa.

Olivia watched the teenager as he slowly walked away before stepping inside and following him. When she got to him, the kid began speaking.

"First things first, you're late." He crossed his hands behind his back as he walked towards the fountain in the middle of the yard. "Just like I told the young man who was here before, the well is gone."

"Young man?" Olivia frowned.

"What was his name again?" The teenager paused to think on it, forcing Olivia to also stop. "Veran?"

Olivia's brows rose in surprise. Veran was the young man? That didn't matter. What mattered was the fact that the well had been here.

"Where is it now?" She asked. "The well."

"That, I do not know." The teenager admitted with a shrug. "When Itachi moved it, he didn't tell me the new location."

Olivia could feel her surprise mounting. This kid new the City Lord personally?

"I mean, when you think about it, isn't that rude?" The teenager mused. "Because technically, the well belongs to me."

"Wait, what?" Olivia blurted out before she could stop herself.

"Yeah." The teenager grinned at her. "Before you all started fighting and searching for it, I was already in charge of it."

Olivia ran through the implications in her head. This means... She turned to the teenager.

"Yes." He said with a soft smile at the look on her face. "I'm older than most of the living vampire population, child."

Olivia schooled her expression, taking a deep breath to restore her calm.

The teenager- no. The old man chuckled and resumed walking to the fountain. "The Ascension well. The fountain of youth. The pool of Bethesda. It has many names.

Do you know why?" He asked.

Olivia shook her head mutely as she joined him on his stroll once more.

"Simple." He grinned at her. "The wells are not purely vampire constructs. In fact, they were never meant for vampires in the first place. You see, the wells are one of the few things still surviving to this day that were brought over to us by the progenitor from the abyss."

"And like most abyssal artefacts, they can be used by all. Whether Vampire, human, wolfskin or animal."

They finally reached the fountain, stopping and watching the gentle flow of the water.

"Yes," the old man admitted, "I was once human. But now, I am neither human nor vampire. However, just like vampires I also have eternal youth. All I did was drink from the well."

There was a moment of silence as they watched the ripples in the fountain.

"How do I find the well?" Olivia asked.

The man chuckled. "That's the question I've been expecting. I'll give you the same advice I gave to the young man."

Olivia listened intently at his words.

"The well is dying, child. That is why you will find it among the dead."