Ivan von Astae was a figure known by many as the king of the underworld.

If you needed to get someone murdered, you'd go to him.

A relic of the past, an item stored in a museum, anything you desired. For the proper amount of money, he'd set a team to get it for you.

His richnesses' and fame allowed him to live a life of luxury, entangling himself in a lustful and fancy lifestyle without caring for those around him.

But one day, certain news befell on his way.

Inside a room, an old man trembled from head to toe, sweating from his forehead, "I'm terribly sorry sir Ivan."

Without losing his composure as he smoked a Cuban cigar, he exasperated, causing a mist to befall the worried and frightened doctor in front of him, causing the man to lightly cough.

"Time left?"

"L-less than a month."

"That so," he inhaled as deeply as he could, causing the cigar to become a tad grey on its tip.

And then slowly as if breathing for the last time in his life, he let it all out.

"Even I can't escape death," he chuckled, causing the security bulky man by his side to pour two drinks.

"A shot of vodka doctor for all your services and your silence," the man in black placed the small cup on top of a black case.

"Thank you sir," he wiped his sweat off, gulping the vodka at the same as Ivan.

A few moments later, the wealthy man was inside a bulletproof grey car.

"Where to sir?"

He stopped smoking for a while, pondering on how he could spend his last days.

"Let's pick my kids up."

"Only the little missy is at school today."

"Her, uh. It'll do."

Through the snowy streets of the remnants of northern Asia, they eventually arrived a school surrounded by tall and sharp blackened fences. It looked like a high security prison as the criminality had risen far too much.

One of the security men left through the door and went to grab Ivan's daughter. 

It didn't take long for a young girl of an almost white blonde with icy dead eyes to enter the car.

"Alice, was it?"

"Yes father," she added in what sounded like a robotic tone.

"How is your mother?"

Quickly, she tilted her head to the front and then turned to him, "which one?"

Alice had 6 women in her life she could call mother. The father had lived a far too lustful life, creating a harem, and supporting his many wives.

He was a wanted man, both by the police and the women who sought after wealth.

"The one who brought you to life," he held inside the biological term as the girl was far too young to understand.

"She's..." she wondered for a moment, trying to recollect whatever last memory there was of such a woman. "Fine, I believe."

Considering the bloody disputes where most of Alice stepsiblings and some of Ivan wives died, her mother was alright, being alive and all.

He smirked, recollecting his first one. She had been the most beautiful blonde woman his sight had ever landed on. A thin body with a bulky round ass and a large chest that made him think it was not possible. Her body proportions were way too right on certain areas, despite her slimness. But what had enchanted him the most to the point of committing a crime, was her determined gaze. He believed up to this day that he turned out this way because of her. The icy glare that she used on him when he killed her boyfriend, taking her to himself.

Such was society in a declining world where basic resources costed far more than jewels.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"A vampire."

"Oh?" He chuckled, "why's that?"

"So that I can be strong enough to kill you."

The security guards stood silent, forcing themselves through hurting themselves to not utter a word, much less laugh. A few had died in that manner before.

"The one you've seen on tv lately, what was the anime name? Bes- ber-?"

Alice's body stuttered. She was shocked he knew what she watched. There was no way that he would care about what his kids did with their lives.

She respected him because he singlehandedly managed to support such a huge family.

The wives and children made their best to appease him whenever they had the chance. 

The only kids he ever shown care for had been the oldest male ones. He has been looking for a successor and he wanted it to be a male.

The women in this household were meant to be artistic pieces that he could view whenever he pleased. But not once had he touched any of his daughters.

His life was already a huge mess with the despairing fights between the wives.

His house too, was more secure than prison itself. There had been some murders, often more than not, out of jealousy.

"What would you do after killing me? How would you live your life?"

"I..." A hint of liveliness returned to her eyes, as if melting a bit of their ice.

But instead of replying, she realized there was no answer. She knew the world would not give her the freedom her heart sought. And that this conversation was likely just another test.

"Such pity," for once he felt a hint of shame about himself. 

He concluded she had grown this way because of his choices.

But, it was far too late to change anything since his days were counted.

Through the trip back home, Alice's eyes gazed at the moon,  realizing the way it appeared to be smiling creepily at her.