It’s cold tonight. Just like any other night in Duradel. At least that’s what the locals have been saying for a long time. The same complaints about Duradel that never let go of the bone-chilling cold at night, even in summer.
But whatever the weather that hit Duradel, it didn’t affect Lev and dozens of other vampires who lived in Noblebranch, the area where the vampire nobles of Duradel lived, which consisted of large mansions that attracted the attention of tourists in this little town.
Although many seasoned tourists are willing to pay whatever it takes to visit Noblebranch, this place is not accessible to just anyone. Of all the Duradel areas, Noblebranch and the surrounding forest areas are forbidden places for tourists and residents who do not have permission to enter.
Lev was sitting on the domed roof of the tower of his mansion. The moon tonight shone brightly in its perfectly round shape. And no matter what impulse moved him, Lev wante
When Lev lifted Verona from the lake, the girl was passing out. She slumped limply in his arms. Her body was as light as a feather, thought Lev. Does she never eat? Lev still doesn’t understand why girls these days are obsessed with skinny bodies like slates.Lev didn’t take her back to the dormitory or to the town area. There will be many eyes watching and that is not good for Verona. Especially if the dormitory gets to know about it.He carried Verona into the woods on the other side of the lake, a suitable distance from the town and closer to Noblebranch. Unlike the residents of Duradel, the noble vampires in Noblebranch wouldn’t give a damn about what was going on around them, as long as it didn’t disturb their comfort.Lev walked a little into the woods and, after making sure that no one could see them, he laid Verona down on the grass.“A very heroic act.” Sant emerged from the darkness. Lev knew he caught up with
“Hatchi!” Vero hadn’t even come out of the room and she had already used half a box of tissues to blow her nose. Upon returning to the dormitory, Vero immediately took a warm shower and wrapped herself in layers of blankets. The dorm provided three spare blankets in the cupboard and Vero used all of them. When morning came, the situation had not improved. Instead, now she felt dizzy and feverish. She had thought about skipping today’s class schedule, but this was only her second day. There’s no way she wouldn’t come. After all, she had a lot of things to do. Dizzy, Vero unsteadily walked to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and washed her face. After making sure that her face didn’t look swollen and that there wasn’t any dirt on it, she changed her clothes. Vero threw her pajamas into the dirty clothes basket and stopped when she found a T-shirt at the top of the pile. It was her savior’s shirt. Vero wanted to meet the person and thank him, but she did
Her image of the kind-hearted man who had saved her life was shattered in an instant. Of all the boys in this city, why did it have to be Lev who saved her? It was more likely for him to let Vero drown than to save her after what she did to him. When they face each other, it’s clear that Lev doesn’t like her. Then why did he save her? Did he hope Vero would feel indebted and submit to him? “It couldn’t be me,” said Vero. “And the video is blurry, so we can’t be so sure about who’s in there—” The blonde girl stamped her foot and pinched Vero’s chin with her slender thumb and forefinger. Her nails stabbed into her cheeks. “This evidence was so clear, yet you still dare to deny it?” she hissed. “Do you think I threw myself into the lake on purpose to get Lev’s attention? You think I’m that crazy?” “Well, yeah!” replied the blonde girl, as if that was the obvious thing. “You smacked Lev’s table in front of all the students. You threw food over Mia’s head.” She released her grip. “If
A chubby girl, wearing black and purple gothic lolita make-up and dress. Vero thought she was seeing a ghost until the girl finally spoke.“Did Fancy Barbie lock you in here?”“Fancy what?” Vero flinched at the name that sounded so tacky.“Fancy Barbie,” said the girl impatiently. She snapped her fingers and moved her forefinger, telling Vero to stand up.Vero stood up, still staring at the girl in confusion. She didn’t want to take a step closer until she was completely sure that the girl before her wasn’t a bully like the blonde.“Are you going out or not? The staff will lock the building soon and you will be cooped up here all night.”“Who are you?” instead of paying attention to the girl’s words, Vero asked about her identity. “How did you know I was trapped in here? Did they tell you to pick me up and you’re going to take me somewhere else, where t
Lev shouldn’t care. He could have just let Conner take Verona and done anything to her. However, if Conner tries to suck Verona’s blood and reveal her secret, Verona cannot get out of Duradel alive.“Fuck,” Lev cursed under his breath. It only took him less than a second to make up his mind.He slid down the dome and jumped into a nearby tree. After that, he jumped down and ran along the edge of the lake, heading for the path that led him to the forbidden forest section. It’s a place where vampires eat their prey.Duradel is entirely in the reign of the vampires. The vampires here hold important positions so they can manage this city freely. And in order to maintain the existence of Duradel, they try to live side by side with humans.Even so, there are times when the vampires get out of control and want to prey on one or two humans here, so the vampire elders create a special place where vampires can freely prey on humans, but they are not allowed to kill them.Conner and his friends
She thought she was a troublemaker all her life. Vero has been in trouble with the police several times for breaking the law, such as breaking into the property, driving at high speed, getting drunk and damaging her ex-boyfriend’s car, and other things that cost her parents a lot of money to get her out of trouble. However, she has never had sex with any boy and has never used drugs. Now she saw it all at once. And soon her virginity will be taken in a painful way. Her blood ran cold, and the only thing she could do was beg God that tonight was just a bad dream because of a tiring day. But when Conner placed a hand on her belly and ran his fingers across it, one by one, slithering up to her breasts, Vero knew her pleas were in vain. Her sobs choked in her throat, making her unable to scream anymore. Tears streamed down her cheeks non-stop and her lips trembled until she didn’t realize she was biting her tongue. Conner lowered his head and kissed her belly while closing his eyes.
“Why do you insist on taking her away from there?”“Because even though many people call me a bitch, I still have a conscience.”Lev snorted derisively. Mia slumped limply in his arms.If Mia woke up and saw who was carrying her, maybe she would die of joy; thought Vero.They walked down the hill, past the dark cabins and the eerie silence. But unlike before, when Vero thought she was alone and no one would help her, this time she felt calmer. Maybe because she had escaped death, or because Lev was with her.The last thought amused her. How could she feel at ease with the person who had kept her trapped in this small town?Even so, Vero occasionally looked back to make sure no one was following them.“They wouldn’t dare follow us,” Lev muttered. Turns out he had been watching her every move.Verona chuckled and waved her hands in the air. “I can smell arrogance in your words, Mr. Deammone.”“Don’t call me by my last name,” Lev scolded.Vero sneered while squinting at him. “I guess all
Ms. Caroline stood before her, wearing a long black nightgown that swept across the ground. Her hair was collected in a loose bun behind her neck and the black color of her clothes accentuated the pale skin of her face.She looks like a ghost in a horror movie.Vero almost screamed at the sight of her, but she kept the scream in her throat. She rubbed her chest and took a deep breath.After recovering from the shock, Vero realized that her current position was extremely disadvantageous.“I—” She glanced at the lake. “I was admiring the beauty of the lake at night.”Ms. Caroline didn’t budge. Even the muscles on her face didn’t move.Vero swallowed hard and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “U-uh-“ She didn’t know what to say, and Ms. Caroline made her even more uncomfortable. Then she remembered the list of rules she got the first day she entered. “Isn’t there no curfew here?” she asked then, trying to justify her being here.“There is,” answered Ms. Caroline. “And the curfew is
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