It is a general truth that the monent you believe you have everything you desire that same moment you find out that you need more.
This sort phrase could summarize Achilles' life, both his mortal and immortal years.
He left his parents' home at the age of 18 after a normal, happy childhood in order to study photography and journalism in Thessaloniki.
He believed that staying in the small town his parents had lived would be the end of his dreams.
Achilles was beautiful even in his mortal days. Was it his pale skin? Was it his brown, middle-length hair? Or was it maybe his outgoing character?
Whatever it was Achilles was the center of attention wherever he would go.
And he enjoyed it that way.
Always with a small camera hanging from his neck and always ready to say or do something smart with a shy smile on his face.
Soon his talent in photography made him famous in the circles of Thessaloniki and while his career as a journalist seemed nonexistent he was a renowned photographer.
As it was normal he had planned an exhibition a few days after he graduated from his photography school.
And there his story truly began.
That night he met the woman who would haunt him for the rest of his life.
He was enjoying the success of his work smilling to every compliment he was getting and writing his phone number to every woman who asked him for it when he saw her.
If he was holding anything it would have dropped.
"That woman cannot be mortal, she must be an angel" he thought.
She was thin and short, not more that 1,50m and just pale enough to make a nice contrast with her pitch black hair.
She came with a big noisy company but Achilles could only hear her voice. It was sweet as a heavenly melody.
"I would give anything to meet her and speak with her" he thought.
He moved towards her trying to avoid her eyes but it was like she was magnetising him.
Finally she made her move, she approached him smiling.
-Good evening, Achilles!
-Isn't it unfair? You know my name but I am unaware of which angel I have in front of me
-Me? An angel? You will make me blush Achilles, I am Sofia just a humble admirer of your work.
-And I am, or better I wish to be a humble admirer of you.
-Be careful of what you wish for my dear Achilles.
-I wish to invite you out for a drink one night and what I truly wish is to get some photos of you, clothed or naked.
-Hahahahaha, so straightforward, I may grant you that drink as for the photos I can't promise anything.
-How about Saturday?
-My assistant will contact you to arrange our meeting, I am a busy girl Achilles but I promise you I will find time to have that drink with you.
-Do you like my work?
-No!
-No? Why?
-I am pretty sure you can do better, way better to be honest, and I believe your work would be complete with more pictures of humans rather than nature stills.
This is kinda good criticism. Achilles decided that this woman knew about photography.
-Then, please, be my first model!
-I may, Achilles but now I have to go, as I told you I am very busy.
For a whole week Achilles waited for her phone call and for a whole week each night he dreamt of her.
He was ready to start searching for that woman when her assistant called him to arrange their meeting for the following night.
00:00 on the roof of ''Macedonia Palace'' was the meeting point Sofia had picked.
Achilles showered and wore his best suit. Tonight he would need all his charm for this woman.
23:55 he was already at the hotel's reception.
-I have a rendezvous with a lady called Sofia, he told the receptionist
-You are Mr. Achilles, I suppose?
-I am, indeed.
-Lady Sofia awaits you on the roof, have a nice night sir.
Achilles took the elevator and only seconds before twelve he was on the roof.
He could not believe his eyes at what he saw.
A small orchestra was standing by while the whole roof had only one table by which Sofia was standing waiting for him. His path there was paved with rose petals.
-Have I died and gone to heaven? he asked her.
-I like people who are on time.
-This means you like me?
-I might, please take a sit.
-You did all this for me?
-I am very sorry I let a whole week pass for us to have a drink, am I forgiven now?
-A simple smile of yours would be more than enough.
-Tonight is a special night Achilles, a simple smile would not be enough.
-What do you mean?
-Enjoy your drink, maybe you want something to eat as well? I am afraid I do not eat that late.
The orchestra started to play and under the moonlight her face was so beautiful that it almost scared him.
-That is my definition of heaven, he announced finally.
-Do not be fast to reach your conclusion Achilles, you are still too young.
-I am young? You look like eighteen and I am the young one?
-Your eyes deceive you.
Achilles looked closer at her, there was no way she could be more than twenty.
-Have you consider my proposal?
-To have you take some photos of me?
-Yes.
-I did, yes.
-And?
-Everything comes with a price Achilles and tonight I decided to teach you that.
-You speak so weirdly sometimes Sofia.
-Because I am weird, I used to be an artist like you but now I am just a shadow of my former self, that was the price I payed.
-For what?
-For my youth dear.
-I can't quite follow you.
-You said I look like an eighteen year old, right?
-Yes
-Wanna know how old I am?
-Ok lets play your game. How old are you?
-I have lived for more than 9 centuries Achilles.
-Hahahahaha, what are you? A witch?
-You think I am joking? I am a vampire, said the woman and showed him her long canine teeth.
Achilles froze in place. He could not even scream.
-Now you believe me, I see.
-Oh my god, Achilles managed to say.
-Please don't bother to scream, no one will come to rescue you and I don't want to use other means to silence you.
-Are you going to kill me?
-Maybe, it depends on you really. I followed you all this time, checking your life and your work and now it's time for my final test. Your life depends on how you perform in it.
-What do you want?
-As I told you I am a vampire belonging to a clan of artists, each one of us was and some still are artists. Unfortunately the price for immortality for most of us was the loss of our talent in our art.
I mean I still can play most of the musical instruments and music is still my passion but I haven't had a genuine inspiration since before the fall of Constantinopole. That is our curse, I suppose.
-Why me?
-I had years to find someone with so much talent as you and it is my clan's duty to preserve that talent, tonight you will have to prove that you are worthy of the legacy of my clan.
-I still can't follow you.
-Achilles there is a nightly war out there and I could not risk losing you so I decided to give you the gift of immortality but you need to prove you are worthy of it.
-How? What war?
-You asked to take a picture me and I will grant you that wish. Another progeny of mine will turn you into a vampire and then you will have to please me with your talent, if you still have it. If you do then immortality will be yours if not I promise I will grant you a swift death. Like the Achilles of old you will die young and famous rather than old and enstranged.
-Are you being serious now?
-I always am.
Another woman on her thirties appeared.
-This is Christine, like you another progeny of mine gave her eternal youth, now it is her time to pass that gift onto you.
-Always at your service my lady.
-Are you ready Achilles?
-I have no other option I believe.
Sofia was smiling when Christine bit into his neck and death was not as painful as he had imagined.
After 5 years in the world of immortals Achilles still thought of that night with a bittersweet taste.
Fortunately for him his talent had not deserted him with his rebirth and Sofia was pleased with his work of her photos but for him most of his life had changed.
Sofia of course confiscated all the photos of that night but he managed to hide one and kept it.
It was a picture of Sofia half-naked posing under the pale moon while not covering up her vampiric nature.
A reminder of what happens when succumbing to greed, he kept reminding himself all these years.
This sort phrase could summarize Achilles' life, both his mortal and immortal years.
He left his parents' home at the age of 18 after a normal, happy childhood in order to study photography and journalism in Thessaloniki.
He believed that staying in the small town his parents had lived would be the end of his dreams.
Achilles was beautiful even in his mortal days. Was it his pale skin? Was it his brown, middle-length hair? Or was it maybe his outgoing character?
Whatever it was Achilles was the center of attention wherever he would go.
And he enjoyed it that way.
Always with a small camera hanging from his neck and always ready to say or do something smart with a shy smile on his face.
Soon his talent in photography made him famous in the circles of Thessaloniki and while his career as a journalist seemed nonexistent he was a renowned photographer.
As it was normal he had planned an exhibition a few days after he graduated from his photography school.
And there his story truly began.
That night he met the woman who would haunt him for the rest of his life.
He was enjoying the success of his work smilling to every compliment he was getting and writing his phone number to every woman who asked him for it when he saw her.If he was holding anything it would have dropped.
"That woman cannot be mortal, she must be an angel" he thought.
She was thin and short, not more that 1,50m and just pale enough to make a nice contrast with her pitch black hair.
She came with a big noisy company but Achilles could only hear her voice. It was sweet as a heavenly melody.
"I would give anything to meet her and speak with her" he thought.
He moved towards her trying to avoid her eyes but it was like she was magnetising him.
Finally she made her move, she approached him smiling.
-Good evening, Achilles!
-Isn't it unfair? You know my name but I am unaware of which angel I have in front of me
-Me? An angel? You will make me blush Achilles, I am Sofia just a humble admirer of your work.
-And I am, or better I wish to be a humble admirer of you.
-Be careful of what you wish for my dear Achilles.
-I wish to invite you out for a drink one night and what I truly wish is to get some photos of you, clothed or naked.
-Hahahahaha, so straightforward, I may grant you that drink as for the photos I can't promise anything.
-How about Saturday?
-My assistant will contact you to arrange our meeting, I am a busy girl Achilles but I promise you I will find time to have that drink with you.
-Do you like my work?
-No!
-No? Why?
-I am pretty sure you can do better, way better to be honest, and I believe your work would be complete with more pictures of humans rather than nature stills.
This is kinda good criticism. Achilles decided that this woman knew about photography.
-Then, please, be my first model!
-I may, Achilles but now I have to go, as I told you I am very busy.
For a whole week Achilles waited for her phone call and for a whole week each night he dreamt of her.
He was ready to start searching for that woman when her assistant called him to arrange their meeting for the following night.
00:00 on the roof of ''Macedonia Palace'' was the meeting point Sofia had picked.
Achilles showered and wore his best suit. Tonight he would need all his charm for this woman.
23:55 he was already at the hotel's reception.
-I have a rendezvous with a lady called Sofia, he told the receptionist
-You are Mr. Achilles, I suppose?
-I am, indeed.
-Lady Sofia awaits you on the roof, have a nice night sir.
Achilles took the elevator and only seconds before twelve he was on the roof.
He could not believe his eyes at what he saw.
A small orchestra was standing by while the whole roof had only one table by which Sofia was standing waiting for him. His path there was paved with rose petals.
-Have I died and gone to heaven? he asked her.
-I like people who are on time.
-This means you like me?
-I might, please take a sit.
-You did all this for me?
-I am very sorry I let a whole week pass for us to have a drink, am I forgiven now?
-A simple smile of yours would be more than enough.
-Tonight is a special night Achilles, a simple smile would not be enough.
-What do you mean?
-Enjoy your drink, maybe you want something to eat as well? I am afraid I do not eat that late.
The orchestra started to play and under the moonlight her face was so beautiful that it almost scared him.
-That is my definition of heaven, he announced finally.
-Do not be fast to reach your conclusion Achilles, you are still too young.
-I am young? You look like eighteen and I am the young one?
-Your eyes deceive you.
Achilles looked closer at her, there was no way she could be more than twenty.
-Have you consider my proposal?
-To have you take some photos of me?
-Yes.
-I did, yes.
-And?
-Everything comes with a price Achilles and tonight I decided to teach you that.
-You speak so weirdly sometimes Sofia.
-Because I am weird, I used to be an artist like you but now I am just a shadow of my former self, that was the price I payed.
-For what?
-For my youth dear.
-I can't quite follow you.
-You said I look like an eighteen year old, right?
-Yes
-Wanna know how old I am?
-Ok lets play your game. How old are you?
-I have lived for more than 9 centuries Achilles.
-Hahahahaha, what are you? A witch?
-You think I am joking? I am a vampire, said the woman and showed him her long canine teeth.
Achilles froze in place. He could not even scream.
-Now you believe me, I see.
-Oh my god, Achilles managed to say.
-Please don't bother to scream, no one will come to rescue you and I don't want to use other means to silence you.
-Are you going to kill me?
-Maybe, it depends on you really. I followed you all this time, checking your life and your work and now it's time for my final test. Your life depends on how you perform in it.
-What do you want?
-As I told you I am a vampire belonging to a clan of artists, each one of us was and some still are artists. Unfortunately the price for immortality for most of us was the loss of our talent in our art.
I mean I still can play most of the musical instruments and music is still my passion but I haven't had a genuine inspiration since before the fall of Constantinopole. That is our curse, I suppose.
-Why me?
-I had years to find someone with so much talent as you and it is my clan's duty to preserve that talent, tonight you will have to prove that you are worthy of the legacy of my clan.
-I still can't follow you.
-Achilles there is a nightly war out there and I could not risk losing you so I decided to give you the gift of immortality but you need to prove you are worthy of it.
-How? What war?
-You asked to take a picture me and I will grant you that wish. Another progeny of mine will turn you into a vampire and then you will have to please me with your talent, if you still have it. If you do then immortality will be yours if not I promise I will grant you a swift death. Like the Achilles of old you will die young and famous rather than old and enstranged.
-Are you being serious now?
-I always am.
Another woman on her thirties appeared.
-This is Christine, like you another progeny of mine gave her eternal youth, now it is her time to pass that gift onto you.
-Always at your service my lady.
-Are you ready Achilles?
-I have no other option I believe.
Sofia was smiling when Christine bit into his neck and death was not as painful as he had imagined.
After 5 years in the world of immortals Achilles still thought of that night with a bittersweet taste.
Fortunately for him his talent had not deserted him with his rebirth and Sofia was pleased with his work of her photos but for him most of his life had changed.
Sofia of course confiscated all the photos of that night but he managed to hide one and kept it.
It was a picture of Sofia half-naked posing under the pale moon while not covering up her vampiric nature.
A reminder of what happens when succumbing to greed, he kept reminding himself all these years.
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