EDITED

 I let out a groan of pain when the mossy ground embraced my body. You'd think that I actually would get used to this feeling after a week, but I'm still not. Rolling on my back, I open my eyes and stare at the foggy night. Only the crescent moon was present at this cold, chilly night. A weary sigh escaped from my lips as I rose from the grass and removed a leaf from my dirty blond hair.

   "Lord Marcus, can we just take a break?" I whimpered, hoping to get mercy from him.

He scowled at my wrecked sight and after a minute of consideration, he finally gave in and said, "Fine. You need to learn other things anyway."

   I was grinning from ear to ear at his words. Thank god, I can finally rest from this 'draughting'! I thought. A quick look from Marcus showed that he heard my thoughts. The gap between my eyebrows ceased. I don't even understand why he had to be such an annoying, stalker-ish person! I earned another stony look from him.

   Raising my hands in mock defeat, I walked to his side and asked,"So, what are the other things?" Marcus looked upwards and muttered,"Things you need to learn for surviving." Dissatisfied with his answer, I ignored him and walked to the direction of the mansion. We were far away from the mansion but my instinct always turned right. 

   "I'm going to the town." Lord Marcus informed before draughting to the other direction.

   "Take care of yourself!" I yelled at him, cupping my hands around my mouth. Instead of draughting or running, I walked all the way to the mansion - although the distance is long and it's really tiring - An hour later, the majestic mansion came to the view. Wiping the sweat off from my forehead, I ran towards the building, eager for a drink. Maybe a glass of wine with blood in it would relief the pain.

   Out of nowhere, I detected an unfamiliar smell within our area. Other than the maids and Lord Marcus, no one had ever come to this place. Using my heightened senses, I followed where the scent was. Dried leaves crunched under my leather boots as I stealthily made my way into the backyard. My golden eyes flitted around wildly for any sights of a living thing.

   A cold gust of wind blew, making me shiver in the process. Tucking a stray hair behind my ear, I continued to search despite my lack of skills and terrible weather. "God damn it Artemis, act like a proper vampire!" I scolded myself, surveying the backyard. The wilted bonsai trees lined up on the wooden shelves. I remember there's a key for a door in the maze under the pots... I went to the decorative plants and searched for a key under the pots. After the last bonsai tree, the realisation came to me.

   Someone stole the key for the forbidden door in the maze.

Flashback

   "I saw a maze behind our house!" I yelled, barging into Lord Marcus's study room. With a sigh, he removed his spectacles and left them on the table before gesturing me to come closer. I obliged his command and waited eagerly for an answer.

   "Artemis, I want you to know that what I'm about to tell you now is a secret and shall remain as one until you die." Dumbfounded, I gave a small nod. "There's a door in the endless maze," He continued, in a hushed whisper. "But no one should ever enter it - a treasure lies beyond the door. Many tried to steal the treasure but were unsuccessful. How did I know? Don't ask. Currently, the key is hidden under the bonsai's pot."

   "But isn't that a little too easy for people to find?"

   He shook his head. "Of course not. First, who would have thought an important key would be hidden behind the backyard? Besides, I asked one of the greatest witches alive to cast a barrier around it. Unless the thief is someone from High Blood, no one will be able to even touch the barrier without having their life force slightly absorbed. So I don't want you anywhere near it. Got it?"

   "But - "

   "I don't want to hear any objections. Also, you don't have to worry about it." Lord Marcus smiled half-heartedly. "All you have to do is keep your mouth closed at all times about this matter and all will go well."

   "Alright." I gave in, looking downcast.

End Of Flash Back

   My hands turned into fists. Despite the fact that I'm just a fledgling, I couldn't ignore the possibility of a thief unlocking the sacred door. But Lord Marcus told you to stay away, my subconscious mind reminded. Well, I'm sure he wouldn't say that once he noticed the missing key. I debated with myself about entering the maze or not.

   Not to mention I could get lost.

   I grimaced at the thought of being lost in the huge, complicated maze during the cold night. My determination shook slightly. You know you can turn back... A voice in the back of my mind offered. Another gust of wind blew at my already shivering body, forcing me to rethink about my choices. But Lord Marcus is my step-grandfather...

   In the end, I took an empty pot before swerving around and jumped over the wooden fence. Clutching the pot close to my chest, my eyes surveyed the green maze. It reminded me of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire's maze. Endless and mysterious was the word for it. I gulped down the bile that formed in my throat before mustering enough willpower to move on.

   You're not such a great vampire after all! My inner voice snickered.

   "Sometimes I wonder if there's another person living inside my brain," I muttered under my breath while turning a corner. Sparing a glance at my wrist, it was only then I noticed that I forgot to wear my Guess watch. A string of profanities left my lips out of habit. Other than the sound of dried leaves crunched under my boots and my occasional comments, it's basically dead silent. Pictures of ghosts filled my mind. Scumbag brain.

   The night grew longer as I walked into another eerie passage. The lack of life and light started to make me nervous when I caught the sight of a moving person out from the corner of my eyes. I swallowed a lump down my throat before stalking him. It looked like he was in a hurry. I was about to turn to another corner to track him down when a familiar voice spoke from behind.

   "What are you doing here?'

   "Eeek!" I squeaked, swerving around to see the owner of the voice. "Lord Marcus!" I exclaimed, stumbling backwards.

   "Let me ask you again," he repeated, his expression went unreadable. "What are you doing here?"

   "I was... um." I trailed off, staring at his nose guiltily. "Taking some fresh air."

   His expression remained unfazed at my lame excuse. "I told you before - "

   "Yeah, yeah." I raised my arms in defeat. "Sorry."

   Marcus stared at me silently as if he was trying to find any form of betrayal or guilt. After a long awkward silence, he gave in. "Fine."

   "Lord Marcus - " I said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I saw someone earlier... In the maze."

   "You need to sleep." was all he replied before turning on his heel and left.

   "Wait!" I exclaimed, not wanting to get lost.

   Before I know it, my legs collapse below me and everything became black. I struggled to peel my eyes open but to no avail. Help... A dying voice at the back of my mind said; too exhausted to produce any noise from the vocal cords. The last thing I heard was the rustling of the leaves before my senses left me in utter darkness.

   Where am I? Groaning, I rubbed my temples in an attempt to lessen a throbbing headache. The room seemed to spin around me as I struggled to shuffle around the sheets. I must be on a bed since there's sheets, pillows, and bolsters. The bed curtains were draped all around, providing unnecessary privacy. My hands reached out to the table lamp and hovered over it before turning the light on.

   The brilliance of it forced me to cover my eyes momentarily. My head was like being hammered non-stop by a super mega huge hammer and not to mention there's endless ringing inside my ears. "Make it stop..." I mumbled; mostly to myself. Groggily, I left the four poster bed and stood unsteadily on the floor.

   My golden eyes skimmed the bedroom; it's mine.

   "It looks like you woke up, Picasa." a disembodied voice commented. Surprised, I turned around to see the person. A gorgeous woman dressed in a French maid dress stood by the door and her eyes appeared to be emotionless. What kind of person says 'Picasa'? I wondered. Avoiding her scrutiny stare, I noticed her jet black waves of hair barely reached the shoulders; a complicated looking braid stood out from the rest.

   "N-Nice braid." Thankfully, she stopped staring at me and fingered the braid, a smiling slowly making its way to her flawless face.

   "Master braided it for me, Picasa." Unsure of what to say, I scratched my head before offering her to enter. She gave a quick nod and stepped in.

   "What's your name?" I inquired, plopping on one of the chairs.

   "Picasa, Picasa." she said simply, mimicking my actions.

   "So... why are you here?" I questioned, quirking an eyebrow at her.

   "Master, Lord Marcus, commanded Picasa to guard you and also steer you away from danger. Master also informed me that I am no longer any use for him and told me to have you as my new master. He said that you are new to this supernatural world and I should act as your tutor, teaching and show you the basics of becoming a real, proper vampire. Master - "

   "Wait, wait, wait," I interjected, furrowing my brows. "Does that mean I am weak and stupid?"

   After a brief moment of hesitation, Picasa answered. "In a way, Master, Picasa."

   "I don't need a tutor!" I objected, shooting up from the chair so fast it nearly toppled over.

   "It is not your choice, Picasa." Great. Just freaking great. Just because I suck at draughting and hunting, that doesn't mean I need a tutor whatsoever! I stormed away from my room like a child and headed to grandfather's study room. He's always there and he would have a piece of my mind.

~~~

A/N

Sorry for the late update! I was busy the whole week and I have an important exam next week so yeah... Hope you understand and please wait for moar! :3 Do you think I deserve a vote? Or maybe a comment? :) Thanks for reading and support!

P.S: I know this chapter have terrible grammar etc; I'm in a rush

~Jen