His confession shocked Vero.“You knew, and you didn’t stop him?” Her voice caught. She couldn’t believe it.Lev shook his head slowly, then sighed. “I don’t know the details of Henry’s plan, but I know he was planning something.”“But still—” Her hand, which was initially on Lev’s shoulder, slid down to his arm, and she pulled away, turning her face from him. “Why did you do that?”The horrific image of the blood-filled party was still vivid in her mind. Like a broken tape that kept replaying behind her closed eyes, and no matter how hard Vero tried, she couldn’t shake it off. The more she closed her eyes, the more real it became.“There’s no other way,” Lev said. “I couldn’t let you be in danger.”“And you put them all in danger just to save me?” Vero smiled bitterly. In the past, she would have been happy about this. Sacrifices made for her. She used to think it was something admirable. Something that made her special. Like in movies and novels.But now she couldn’t feel the joy of
Today Duradel is busier than usual. Groups of parents and families have come to pick up their children, taking them away temporarily from this beautiful small town.If only they knew the horrors that shroud Duradel and the real threats lurking over their children, Vero was sure none of those parents would bring their child back here.For those whose families didn’t come to pick them up, the university provided buses that would take them to the nearest city. From there, the students could take public transportation to their respective cities.Vero is one of the few students waiting in line to board the bus.Her heart is pounding hard because of many things.This is the first time she left Duradel after being trapped in this place for several months. She’s not sure of her destination. Although she has often gone to The Queen’s Secret Palace, this time she doesn’t know what awaits her there. One thing was clear: she didn’t come to that place to enjoy its music and booze.The line moves s
The guard led Vero through a door next to the entrance. They entered a dimly lit hallway. The walls muffled the sound of music and the noise from the club. Hidden red neon lights in the ceiling gaps enhanced the mysterious atmosphere.A staircase led downward into seemingly endless darkness. Vero swallowed nervously. Beads of sweat, signs of anxiety, moistened her forehead and back.Her hand groped in the darkness, searching for the staircase railing to prevent herself from falling. From the railing, she realized that the staircase was curved, taking her deeper underground. With each step she took, doubt grew in her heart.Her conscience whispered, urging her to escape right then and there. She felt uneasy, questioning whether her decision to come here was the right one.When Vero looked back and contemplated turning around, the guard who had escorted her abruptly stopped, causing Vero to bump into his back.“Ouch!” she exclaimed, rubbing the side of her face that felt sore.“Verona W
Two red-haired people stood with joyful faces. They locked eyes with Vero, who hoped for something to happen right then and there. Perhaps a spark of longing or the overwhelming feeling of meeting a long-lost family member.But... nothing.She only smiled, just like them, without any emotions in her heart.The woman, with curly hair, ran towards her and hugged her tightly. “Oh! My baby, Vivian!”Vero frowned upon hearing the woman call her by another name. Then the man followed suit and, before embracing her, chuckled softly and said, “Your mother gave you the name Vivian before leaving you at the orphanage. But, of course, the nuns who took care of you didn’t know your real name.”Both of them hugged Vero so tightly that it felt suffocating. Not to mention her father’s statement that they intentionally left her at the orphanage, as if it were a joyful event.This was not the heartwarming reunion she had imagined.As her parents released their embrace, a tear welled up in the corner o
For a guy, Josh is quite talkative. He didn’t stop talking throughout the journey to who knows where. They traveled through winding passages, sometimes dark, sometimes light, as he recounted life in the subterranean city.“I used to rebel as a teenager. I wanted to get out of here and live like regular people,” he said. “But my parents said it’s dangerous up there. Vampires are after us, and they would kill us as soon as they find out about us.”Vero said nothing in response. Her mind was still stuck on her conversation with her parents, so she didn’t pay much attention to Josh’s words. It seemed like Josh realized that. He moved his hand in front of her face, making her blink and focus her gaze on him.“Are you listening to me?” Josh asked. Both of his eyebrows were raised, and that silly smile appeared on his face.Vero looked at him for a few seconds, then looked down. “No, I’m sorry,” she confessed, shaking her head.“Hey, no need to feel guilty,” Josh interjected. “I understand.
Vero struggled and screamed with all her might in her throat. She tried to free herself, but the person was too strong. As the door closed, the person twisted her body and pressed her against the wall, so they stood face to face. “It’s me.” Vero was shocked to find Lev before her. The fear that had consumed her earlier made her unaware that Lev was the one who had dragged her here. Without thinking twice, Vero cupped Lev’s face and kissed him. And it felt so wonderful when Lev returned her kiss. All the longing that had haunted her in the past few days disappeared in an instant, replaced by relief and an indescribable feeling. Lev wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly until there was no distance between them. In the darkness of the room, their desire increased, and every sense in Vero’s body awakened. Lev’s lips felt moist and pleasurable against hers. When Vero opened her mouth, his tongue slipped in and played skillfully inside her mouth. The scent of his body f
After several passionate kisses and the unease that entangled her heart, Vero left the hotel room. She tiptoed like a thief, peering down the hallway, making sure there was no one else but her.Behind her, Lev whispered, “Hurry home.”Vero didn’t look back, but she smiled upon hearing her lover’s farewell greeting.As she closed the door behind her, a longing overwhelmed her, causing her chest to tighten. Although they had just met, it felt like their encounter was too brief to heal anything within her.When Vero approached the hotel room where Josh was last seen, the guy suddenly appeared from the corridor leading to the emergency stairs. He was out of breath, and his eyes widened.“There you are!” he exclaimed. “I thought those bloodsuckers kidnapped you!”He stretched out his arms, wanting to embrace Vero, but she pushed him away while glancing toward the door of Lev’s room. Lev could come out of hiding and tear Josh’s hands away, just as he did to Vincent, if he saw them hugging.
Josh gripped Vero’s arm and dragged her closer to the prison bars so she could see more clearly who was inside.On the floor, lying there with their hands in shackles, were her foster parents. They looked extremely thin and worn out. There was something staining their faces and clothes. It looked like dried blood.Vero gasped. Her mouth opened wide, and she felt a tightness in her chest. She struggled to breathe, her throat constricted.“W-what did you do to them?” She was too shocked to scream hysterically. Her legs went weak, and Josh’s grip was the only thing keeping her upright.Now she understood why she couldn’t reach them all this time.Her shock and fear quickly turned into anger. She jerked her hand away from Josh and attempted to attack Etana, but Josh held her back. This time, he hugged Vero from behind, holding her tightly so she couldn’t move. Etana stood still in her place.“You bitch!” Vero screamed. “You will pay for this!”Etana took a close walk to her. The torchligh
He was proposing.“Lev...” She was at a loss for words.The water enveloped them like a cold blanket, but all Vero could feel was the warmth in her chest. Her heart swelled with happiness as she gazed into his eyes, half-thinking that it was just another one of his prank routines.But no. The laughter that had formed on his lips earlier now shifted to seriousness. His gaze locked onto hers.“So... yes or yes?” he said softly.Her mouth cracked open. She was about to laugh, but when she saw the beautiful lips of his, she leaned closer and crushed her lips against his.Dim stars emerged as the sun slowly set. Vero’s body trembled from the cold air and the water that pierced her skin. But she didn’t want this kiss to end. She was reluctant to let go of his embrace.“You’re cold,” Lev whispered against her lips. “Let’s go up.”Vero protested as Lev ended their kiss and led her to the edge of the lake. He lifted her onto land first before climbing up.“That was a su—such an unusual proposa
Her heart spread doubt throughout her body as Lev’s fangs slowly pierced and tore through her skin. Vero wrapped her hands around his waist, her fingers digging into his back, suppressing the pain and fear.Not fear for herself, but for him.In the next moment, she could smell and feel the blood saturating her shoulder and neck. Her eyes tightly shut, forgetting even to breathe as her mind was consumed by something else.What if the drug failed? What if her blood became more toxic and killed Lev right now? What if—“Verona.”Her eyes snapped open. Lev was staring at her, no longer sucking her blood. Red stained his lips and chin, and her mouth cracked open, but no sound came out. Only a tremor remained.Slowly, Vero withdrew her hand from his back, moving it to his cheek as her worried eyes explored his face.“How?” she asked.“I—” Lev licked his lips. “I’m not sure. Can I taste it again? Just to make sure.”“Okay.”Vero wanted to embrace him, but he grabbed her hand and held onto it.
The last thing she remembered was how sadness had drained the color from Lev’s face, leaving him as pale as a winter morning in Duradel.Consciousness slowly faded away from her, and Vero knew this was the end of her life. Celsi had unintentionally, with sincere intention, plunged her into death.Or so she thought.“Verona.”She heard Lev’s voice in the distance, calling her name with hope, even a hint of force, and faintly, she felt something caressing her face.“Verona, you know I can’t go on a day without you. How dare you close your eyes and not react to my calling?”Sometimes she forgets how arrogant Lev is.Verona opened her eyes as she formed a weak smile on her lips. “What a crafty vampire you are,” she muttered under her breath.She looked into his widened eyes, catching a sliver of shock and relief in his irises. He was about to bend down and sweep her into a hug when someone shouted from the other side of the room.“Lev, what did I tell you before? No touching until I exami
Lev said he will be coming to her room tonight. So, when someone knocked on her door, Vero immediately open it with a grin split on her mouth.“Hi, Le—“ She stepped back, surprised to see Celsi standing behind the door instead of Lev.It was not that she was scared of her or anything. It was just because her appearance that made her looked like a little creepy ghost.“Celsi?” Vero crouched down so she could have a better vision of Celsi’s face. “What are you doing here? You wanna play, sweetie?”Celsi returned her smile. “Can I come inside? I want to play tea party with you.” Then she stepped aside so Vero could see the little trolley that she brought with a bunch of dolls inside.Vero stood and opened the door wide to let Celsi in. “Sure!”Celsi paused in the doorway and examined Vero’s room. “How can you live in this cramped space? It’s even smaller than my closet.”Vero’s temple twitched at hearing those words, but she could only laugh. “Not everyone has the privilege of having a p
If you knew you had forever, what would you do?For some people, they would go to various places, accumulate wealth, have fun...But there’s only one thing Vero wants if she has forever: to spend as much time as possible with Lev.“Are you sure?”Daire observed the small tube containing a black liquid that Vero handed to him. He held it up to the light and gently shook its contents. The liquid resembled black mercury, with fine particles emitting light.Vero sat in front of him, with Lev standing behind her. His hand stretched across the back of the sofa, as if protecting her from something. Although Vero couldn’t see his face now, she could sense the unease radiating from him.Although Lev didn’t immediately agree with Vero’s idea about the potion and her desire to become a vampire, he eventually relented.And here they were now, in one of the Deammone pavilions that served as a temporary residence for the Thancred family.Daire held the bottle and carefully placed it in his jacket p
Lev felt guilty for venting his frustration about The Elders to Verona. They had just met after being apart for two weeks, and he cursed himself for wasting their first meeting in so long.He acted that way for a reason. Something he couldn’t tell her because it wasn’t his nature to express his feelings to anyone.Perhaps he should start practicing that now, so their relationship could go smoothly. Besides, he had planned something for his long-term future, and Verona was a part of it.After placing a bouquet in the middle of the forest, where Henry’s body was found, Lev headed towards Dormitory B. There were no residents here for the time being, so he could come and go freely at night to visit Verona.Upon reaching her room’s door, Lev knocked and waited. No response. He knocked again. Silence followed.Lev reached into his pocket and took out his phone. He dialed Verona’s number, and the call connected on the third ring.“Where are you?” he asked, his tone slightly annoyed and impat
“What did you say?”Vero, who was previously on the phone lying down, immediately sat up in bed. Her heart pounded as she heard her father’s words. “Say it again. Does the bottle contain a liquid that can neutralize my blood?”“Yes, darling.”“But where did Elijah get it from?”Her father cleared his throat. “He stole it from Etana’s storage room after hearing about her plan to sacrifice you to the vampires. Etana had conducted some experiments to create a drug that would make human blood toxic to vampires. However, she ended up finding a substance that could neutralize the toxins in her blood.”Vero was stunned. “Why did Elijah give it to me?”“He thought that if you drank it, your blood would return to normal, and the vampires wouldn’t recognize you as a vampire hunter.” She could hear the buzz of a hairdryer in the background. It seemed like her mother had finished showering. “But looks like you don’t need it anymore. Because—well—your lover, and others... already know about you.”
Since the Thancred Residence is still under construction after it was destroyed, the meeting of The Elders was moved to Castellar’s place. And there was nothing about Castellar that Vero likes, from the house, the servants, and Castellar himself.Raphael informed Vero about some important things regarding The Elders because he thought that Vero would have a lot to do with them in the future. Well, that couldn’t be denied. Especially after all the vampires in Duradel found out that she was Lev’s lover.Vero and Lev walked side by side, following Daire Thancred as they entered Cristoval Castellar’s residence. He was the only Elder who didn’t have a family. No wife and children, and it seemed that he greatly enjoyed his solitude.Although his house wasn’t as big as Deammone’s or Thancred’s, everything here looked more expensive and luxurious. From the furniture to the decorations on the walls. There was no doubt that Cristoval was a cunning vampire who enjoyed collecting luxurious items.
The rain was pouring nonstop in the past week.Every drop of water is evidence that nature was working hard to help Duradel recover from the devastating fire three months ago.Many houses were burned to ashes, and several residents lost their lives. The once lush and green forests surrounding the city now turned into a bleak expanse of black charcoal that was distressing to behold.It was there that Lev and Raphael discovered the bodies of Henry and Etana after the fire had consumed them both for several hours.Once again, Lev had to lose a family member to the fire. And because of Etana.Raphael had told everything, the story of Henry and Etana, to Lev and Verona. Besides Raphael, no one else knew the true story between the two of them, and he swore to keep that secret until his dying day.All of that answered the big question in Vero’s mind about why Henry decided to take Etana with him to his death. Perhaps it was because Henry knew that Etana would never stop due to the pain she h