Chapter ２

A month later, me and Lucy were back to normal. It could be said that we were both pretending to be normal, hiding emotions inside whenever we faced Gramps. Everything in the house felt like a ticking bomb to our emotions. A few nights ago, my sister broke down after seeing a calendar and the upcoming eclipse. Even I was trembling in fear, but I gritted my teeth and endured. I wanted to be strong for Lucy! That was when Gramps decided to hide everything that could remind us sisters of the vampire party.

And today was the day I was dreading with all my heart. If I could, I wanted to kill all the vampires and create a bloodbath.

It was evening by the time we were all sitting anxiously for someone to come. It was already the time of the eclipse party. But no one came. For a moment, I couldn't help but feel relief. If the other person had forgotten about me and Lucy, it would be great. We still had a chance of saving ourselves from a horrifying future. But before I could relax, a knocking sound came from the door, making me jolt in fear. Gramps slowly stood up, opening the door to a civil servant, who walked and stood in front of me. With a lusty grin on his face, he handed me a sexy dress.

My soft fingers gripped the silk cloth, wrinkling the surface. The dazzling pearls and diamond beads shone brightly, reflecting the lightbulb on my delicate face. But I was too stunned to care about it.

I opened the dress only to feel a flush of anger flashing in my eyes. What the hell was wrong with this dress? Why was it so revealing? I glared at the civil servant for sending me such a sexually enticing dress. What did he think of me, a prostitute?

Seeing my expression, the civil servant explained, "The vampires sent the dress. I'm merely a mediator."

Those vampires! They were already ruining our lives. Perhaps we wouldn't even be alive after today. But did they have to make it even worse by sending this revealing dress? It almost felt like I wouldn't be wearing anything. What was the point of wearing this dress if all the parts of my body were revealed bit by bit? It was almost a bikini with a long opened skirt down my legs, revealing my thighs.

I felt a wave of anger flowing through my veins.

But I couldn't do anything about it. They could suck my blood and kill me any moment. Suddenly, I remembered the nightmare I had that day as I trembled in fear. Taking a shaky breath, I pursed my lips, trying to control the tears that were on the verge of falling.

"And this is for you, young lady." His eyes moved toward Lucy, standing beside me. Her small body trembled as she shrunk behind me. Although she was older than me, she had always been timid.

But I was different. I would tremble in fear in a situation of life and death, but if given a chance to overcome the fright, I could be the most rebellious kid you would ever see. I was always the person who would be blinded by emotions, unlike Lucy, who would be mature despite being timid.

With her shaking hands, she took hold of a light purple dress designed with diamonds and pearls.

"Thank you..." Her small voice rolled out of her throat. My mood dropped below zero degrees at that. It had been fine if it was only me, getting ready to face the danger. But why did they have to select my sister? She was already old enough to get married!

Gnashing my teeth, I cursed the vampires under my breath.

And these civil servants! They have no shame! This man could have looked at us with sympathy. But I could clearly see a malicious spark brightening his eyes as he scanned mine and my sister's bodies. I was sure he was imagining us in these dresses.

My blood boiled at the thought, and I glared at him.

Seeing my angry face, he retracted his eyesight and straightened his back. Clearing his throat, he said, "The party starts at 8 in the evening. A car will be sent to collect both of you. So, please be ready."

The man hurried away, living behind my terrified sister and me. I looked at the clock that pointed at six, and then I gazed down at the dress in my hands.

Pursing my lips, I turned toward Lucy. "Let's get ready."

...

Two hours later, we found ourselves sitting on the backseat of a black limo, covered with a silk dress and dazzling ornaments around our necks and ears. How I wished to turn back the time and urge Grandpa to move away from the city! Just the three of us would've led a happy life. I could have joined a restaurant as a waitress with my sister to earn daily bread. We could've rented a two-bedroom house.

But I couldn't. My name was already included in the list. The vampire host would read any random name among the sea of young females. I couldn't do a damn thing no matter what!

Looking at my trembling sister, I pressed my lips in a thin line. Silently, I vowed to myself to keep her safe no matter what. Even if I were to beg for her life, I would.

Then I saw tears dropping from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. I patted the back of her hands, earning her attention.

"Sister, let's face the danger together. Okay?"

Her lower lips quivered. She wiped the tears and nodded, gazing out of the window.

But just as the car stopped, my heartbeat sped up like a bullet train. My stomach churned, and the acid urged me to climb up my throat and vomit itself out of my mouth. I wasn't ready yet, and now, with the car being stopped, I was forced to accept the reality.

I was really going to be taken away by the vampires!

I trembled in fear. Tears threatened to spill out of my eyes.

"We're here." A rough old voice spoke from the driver's seat, making me jump. looked up and nodded.

"Let's go, Lucy."

"Yes, let's pray they won't select us." This was wishful thinking, and even Lucy knew that. But she couldn't help it.

These words were only meant to calm our terrified hearts.

The moment we got out of the car, several eyes turned toward us. I grabbed Lucy's hand and tightened the grip. I didn't have the strength to lift my feet, but perhaps, my sister's presence could give me enough strength.

Male and female vampires with shiny white teeth sparkling bright due to moonlight stood in colorful dresses. The garden was filled with a scent of blood that decorated every glass in the hands of vampires. I wrinkled my nose at that. I couldn't tell whether it was human or animal blood, but the sight of them licking their lips after drinking the blood was terrifying enough to make me shudder.

But that wasn't the only thing that troubled me. Several male vampires gathered around Lucy and me, eyeing us with hungry eyes. Their lust-filled eyes scanned our dresses as their tongue licked their lips, softly caressing the pointed teeth. It dripped red droplets of blood that they had just gulped.

The scene itself was both disgusting and horrifying. The churning of my stomach intensified. I averted my eyesight and focused on the ground.

But I could still feel their eyes on me.

My grip on Lucy's hand tightened even more as my legs went soft because of their evil and greedy gazes.

Before me, I could see an opened door of a big mansion leading to a huge hall, glittering with lights. Laughing voices echoed in my ears as I made my way upstairs, tugging Lucy behind me.

Just as I was about to enter the door, someone stopped us. Of course, who would it be other than a vampire? I lifted my gaze from the ground to see his white shirt and pants that shimmered as small diamonds on the cloth reflected light. His long golden hair was tied and rested on his shoulders.

But his pure appearance didn't hide the malice in his heart. His hands were placed on both sides of the door, stopping our entrance.

"Look what we have here. Beautiful Brown ladies." How did he know my surname? I frowned and took a step back in fear.

"How did you..." I asked in a small voice. I didn't know my voice could be this terrified and soft before today.

"I'm the host! How can I not know you, two lovely ladies?" A smirk formed on his lips that seemed more terrifying than facing a tiger.

This guy was a host, and he would decide mine and Lucy's fate. I wanted to avoid this guy at all costs.

Thankfully, the host didn't give us a difficult time. He strolled away and made a "polite" gesture. But I didn't feel welcomed at all. There was a rising tide of regret flowing within my heart. I wanted to escape this hell hole.

But I couldn't. I promised Lucy that I wouldn't run away.

With a thudding heart, I looked around the room only to find young girls around my age strolling on the left side of the big hall. Their silky clothes were so revealing that I almost felt like they had just worn bikinis.

Many vampires filled the right side, gazing at the ladies on one side with hungry eyes. Although they were not allowed to touch, their eyes seemed to ravish every girl standing in one corner. I shuddered at the scene and hugged myself with my free hand, rubbing my arms. Realization dawned on me out of the blue that my own dress wasn't that good either.

I gritted my teeth and took a step forward.

Soon, the set of eyes locked on mine and Lucy's figure. I could feel Lucy tremble even more as my grip tightened on her palms. I tugged her closer, trying to hide my own frightened and weak limbs.

Before we could go any further, someone stopped in front of us, making my heart jump inside my chest. A man wearing black colored clothes, resonating his hair, stood before us. His fangs shone brightly in as he licked his lips, wiping the blood traces from the corner of his lips.

But his sharp gaze wasn't on my face. He greedily stared at Lucy from head to toe as if measuring something in his mind and nodded as a smile formed on his lips.

"Come with me." His sharp voice rang in my ears. I froze and subconsciously tightened my hands.

I could feel Lucy's hand trembling and sweating at the same time. Her pupils constricted as she stared at the vampire's face.

Pursing my lips, I took a few deep breaths to hide fear deep inside my heart and pulled Lucy behind me. "Take me," I said in a low voice.

Hearing my frightened voice, a chuckle came out of the man's mouth. My breath shuddered as I took a deep breath, taking a step back. Licking my lips, I forced my eyes to see his smirking face. "Take me instead."

"I wish I could, darling." His fingers caressed my cheeks and grabbed my hair. Bringing it near his nose, he took a deep breath, sniffing. "But you belong to someone else."

Someone else? Did someone select me already as soon as I stepped inside this hall? The thought itself was so frightening that all my rebellious attitude flushed down in the drain.

Frightened, I stood with a pale face. Before I could notice, the black man made a swift move and took Lucy's hand from my grip, dragging her away.

It wasn't until Lucy's shrill sounded from the other side of the hall that I woke up from my daze. Panic grew it's seed inside my heart as I frantically searched for my sister.

I took a step and staggered, nearly falling on the ground. My restless eyes scanned the crowd but couldn't see a familiar figure wearing a light purple dress. My eyes could only see pink, orange, and even black. But purple was out of sight.

Tears formed in my eyes.

"Lucy!"

But I was too shaken to let out a scream, saying her name. My voice was more like a trembling whisper, brushing a few girl's ears. I earned the sympathetic gazes of a few young girls, but I ignored them. I walked toward the direction where I heard her scream, but couldn't find her.

"Lucy, where are you?" I walked more, pushing a few girls aside as I reached the other side filled with vampires. "Lucy!"

But to my dismay, no one replied to my screams. I could see scoffing and sneering vampires, glancing at my face. Tears continued to drop, but she was nowhere to be found.

Just as I was about to head over to the other side, I heard a familiar coughing sound echoing in the hall through speakers.

"Well, hello, ladies and gentlemen. Good evening!" The blond host bowed. A smile stretched on his face as he brought the microphone toward his shiny red lips. His eyes swept through the crowd and met my trembling form. The smile widened. "Those who are taken away, you better let go. You won't be seeing them anytime soon." He paused. "I don't think you can see them at all!"

I heard girls gasping around me, but I couldn't focus on them. My heart dropped deep inside the icy water. I trembled and fell on my knees. Gripping my cloth tightly, I whispered, "No, Lucy..."

I was so immersed in my sadness that I failed to hear my name sounding through the speakers. I didn't even see a few vampire maids coming toward my direction. It wasn't until they grabbed my arms and held me up. I came back to my senses.

My confused eyes stared at the maids, who seemed to have a plastic face that didn't show any expressions. Then I cast a glance at the blond host, who smirked and continued speaking names.

I didn't know what was happening, but I had a bad feeling about this. My stomach churned as the maids dragged me upstairs. That was when I started struggling.

"Let go of me!" I moved my hands only to find the maids' grip tightening even more, making me flinch. "I have to find my sister!"

The maids didn't utter a word, ignoring me with all their hearts. Seeing their reaction, my blood boiled, and I struggled even more.

But how could they listen to me? I was just an insignificant human. By the time we reached the first floor, my limbs were already tired from struggling so much. I was sucking deep breaths as if I had suddenly become a suction pump.

Before I could say anything, they pushed me inside the darkroom, closing the door behind me. I stumbled and fell to the ground.

It was pin-drop silence, but I couldn't get up. How could I when my sister was taken away right before my eyes? I curled up against my knees and hugged them, crying my eyes out. Teardrops made my dress sticky and wet, but I was too depressed to focus on that.

Suddenly, that nightmare flashed before my eyes making me tremble even more. The room was similarly dark in my dream. There was a pin-drop silence that had embraced my naked body. But at least I had some clothes on me in real life.

The door creaked open. Similar to what happened in my dream, the darkroom was filled with bright light as the person entered.

My hands tightened against my knees. I tilted my head and glanced at the vampire with a pale face. I trembled and my breath shook every time I inhaled and exhaled. The person who entered reminded me of my nightmare even more.

I trembled as I looked at his form became clearer to my eyes. The mid-length sleeves of the white shirt were tight against his arms, highlighting his muscles even more. A loose tie hung on his neck; a black blazer was smoothly folded on his hand. She had seen many vampires today with long hair, but this guy's black hair ended on his neck.

Just as she wondered trying to back away to hide from this guy, he sucked in a deep breath as his eyes gazed at her hungrily.

There was no doubt that the person was a vampire.

I averted my eyes and hugged my knees even tighter. Thump. Thump. Thump. Heartbeat sped up as I heard the footsteps coming closer. Perspiration drops appeared on my forehead. I trembled when I felt his shadow over my head.

"Get up." He said in a slightly commanding tone.

My lower lips quivered, but I didn't listen to his order. I shrunk to my knees, wanting to get away from this man.

"I said, get up!" The man's tone became impatient.

"N-no. Please let me go." I spoke in a soft voice.

The man was silent for a while. But I stayed vigilant. Who knew when this man's sharp teeth would pierce my neck and suck in all the blood I had? The muscles on my face tightened, but I didn't dare to move.

I really wanted the man to have a little compassion. But this was a vampire I was talking about. How could they be kind to humans?

His icy cold hands reached and grabbed my arm, pulling me up roughly. Before I could even register what was happening, he dragged my body and threw me on the bed.

I reached for the bedsheets with my trembling hands and pushed my body back, shaking my head. "N-no, please do-don't kill me." All I could think of was those shiny teeth that hung over his lips. Then I saw him pulling his tie and throwing it on the ground. Placing the blazer on the table beside the bed, he climbed on the bed, staring at me with squinted eyes.

As he came near me, he hovered over my body and gripped my jaw tightly. "I am saying this the first and the last time,"—his cold breath fell on my cheeks, making me shiver—"serve me or die."

That was when panic flowed out of heart like a volcanic eruption. I struggled. With one hand, I pushed his chest away. Another hand went to his face, blocking his advances. My legs kicked and kicked until the bedsheets crumbled.

"LET ME GO!" A shrill escaped my throat, and I gasped for breath. But I didn't stop. I knew if I stopped, I'd die tonight. I didn't want to die, not until I could find Lucy.

Just when I thought he would use his strength against me, he loosened his hands and backed away, getting up from the bed. After he glanced at me with his squinting eyes, he turned around and left.

I laid on the bed, gazing at the closed door in confusion. What just happened? Did that vampire leave me alone?

It took me a few minutes to calm my racing heart.

After what it felt like hours, a few unfamiliar maids entered the room. This time, the girls weren't vampires. I didn't feel the dark aura around them. They didn't even have pointed canines.

I pulled myself together. Taking a deep breath, I asked, "Who was that vampire?" They should know this, right? It wasn't like I was curious, but wouldn't it be fine to know the butcher's name before he could cut me into pieces?

Perhaps if I found out about his identity, I could save my sister. If not, I at least needed to see her once. If he still didn't agree, I wanted to see my Gramps before I could die.

The maids exchanged a bewildered look and stared at me as if seeing an alien. "You don't know?"

I shook my head.

"He's the eldest Prince of our entire Vampire division."