Deranged vampire? 

"It's a human or a vampire who has his body corrupted," Damien stared at the man in the cylinder with a bored expression as he had been seeing for many years now to not be bothered about his appearance. Unlike the pureblooded vampire who is affected by the corruption of the heart where the core lies. If a human's transition from the current state who is undergoing to turn to a vampire doesn't do well, chances are they get corrupted similar to the pureblooded vampires," he turned away to look at her, his eyes subtly checking her eyes if they were dilated. His eyes roamed around, taking in the vast room which held several bodies in an enclosed gla.s.s. 

"I thought it affected only the vampires."

"It does," confirmed Damien to say, "The problem arises only if a human decides or is forced to transform into the low level bred vampire. A vampire's bite can be helpful or repulsive where the body starts to make or break."

To add to this, Damien said, "This man was one of the few test subjects found in the land of Bonelake. His features are unique enough that Murkh decided to add him up to his collection."

Murkh laughed nervously, "Councilman Damien, this isn't a collection but subjects that have unique conditions. They are some of the value you could say," said the doctor wringing his hands together. 

The council laboratory was built and a.s.signed in a way where Murkh was the one who had been handling the work for years. Enough that three head council's had been replaced since his a.s.signment to the job. The interest he held in his word and the secrecy that was to be maintained here in isolation had turned the vampire less normal compared to the others. 

Every person in the cylinder in here was a type of species who was rare but that wasn't all to it. They were the cases that were bizarre and couldn't be solved by the councilmen. Most of the cases were always solved which didn't need to vacancy down in this room but once in every one or two years, cases reached the council that couldn't be explained. Bodies like those were placed in here, having a special spot where the soul didn't rest. 

Noticing Penny's eager looking eyes that were seeking answers, the doctor puffed his chest letting his tongue loose to something he was not supposed to go saying it aloud. 

"The case was closed by one of the elder head council a few years ago. Year 1754," Murkh glanced at the number plate that was plastered down on the metal before the gla.s.s encasing began, "He was an early corrupted human who was acquired buried deep down in the water with a stone that was tied around his leg," a mark that once had been red around the man's ankle now had turned dark and brown in time, "You see some things can be explained while some cannot be."

 Did that mean this one wasn't solved? Not questioning anything. 

As if s.h.i.+fting topic the vampire doctor said, "What do you think of the witch? She's half-witch and half-human."

"Burn her," was Damien's response to it. Damien walked towards a body that Murkh had only placed on the table who was deciding if he had to add the woman to his room collection or throw her away. 

Leaving the dead man in the gla.s.s, Penny walked behind Damien where she caught sight of another being. The face that had turned dark where the skin had turned to look scaly. A black witch, Penny registered it in her mind. 

"I found this one near the lake of bones. She was climbing the tree and the blood was oozing out from her fingers. I thought they were only rumours until I saw this," said Murkh tipping his head towards the witch who laid flat on her back. 

"Rumors are stemmed through something. Haven't you heard there's no smoke without a fire? I guess this is one work that I would love to look into," Damien smiled, tilting his head to look at the witches face, "Some of the witches have been trying to bring the humans to their side. Turning the humans to one of them seems to be one of the moves but like everything else, a human body cannot bare things. It is made of limitations. Write down the report on it. I will take it in the morning," said Damien before taking his leave from the room where Penny followed him back.

When they reached back the carriage, Damien said to the coachman, "Fetch water for the horses. We will be leaving after that," the coachman bowed his head, turning his back to walk towards the shed which was made to place some of the horses which the councilmen used. Once he was away, 

Damien said to her, "Get inside the carriage. Go on," he said, the look on his face which was serious, no mischief in his eyes which turned her worried. Had she done something she was not supposed to do? 

"I am not a white witch," blurted Penny in her haste as she inched closer to the carriage door. 

"Are you a hundred percent sure?" 

At his question, she gulped. She knew how much witches were hated everywhere. It didn't matter if the person was a white witch or a black witch. The bottom of the surface was that witches were all bad and were meant to die. 

"Get inside. We don't have much time," pursing her lips, she got inside the carriage and soon Damien followed her. When she took a seat, he pulled the door of the carriage close while also pulling out the little curtains of the window to a close. 

Penny wondered what was going on in his mind. Skeptically she asked, "Um, master Damien?" The next thing she knew, in a blink of an eye Damien had taken her hand that was on her lap to bite into her hand!