A heartfelt Reunion

That sounds more like a nightmare than a story- a ridiculous story. If I hadn't witnessed all the brutal things in this city, I wouldn't have believed him. Such a thought flashed through Miyu's mind.

A sweat drop appeared on Shin's forehead as he asked, "Grim wardens? I think I have seen them before. I saw them cut off a child's limb on the street in front of all the vampires when we tried to escape. It was a terrifying scene".

"Yeah, they truly are terrifying. They are the guardians who protect the vampires. At least, that's what we are told. But they also have another job. 

"You see, all the children in Akuro grow up hearing one phrase- 'If you don't behave nicely, the wardens will take you away. ' It's a saying parents tell their children, but it turns out it's actually true. At night, if anyone were to get out of their house or do something abnormal, they would first get one of their limbs cut off and then be taken to somewhere unknown." Ricky explained.

Miyu thought for a second, trying to put together pieces of different information. She suddenly frowned. "Get one of their limbs cut off and then taken to somewhere unknown?. Hmm…isn't there a similarity? When you were taken to the underground basement of the cathedral, accused of a crime, you got one of your limbs cut off, too. And there were many like you who went through the same process in that underground experiment room. And then you got transported here, in this prison cell. Could it be that all of the people who get their limbs cut off, either in the underground experiment lab of the cathedral or on the streets by the grim wardens, all eventually get transported here- in this cell for some unknown experiment?"

"That's certainly a possibility…" Ricky fell in thought.

The room became silent for a few seconds before Shin spoke up. "You said that the war only ended 7 years ago, right?" he turned to Ricky.

"Yes, what about it?" Ricky gave an affirmative answer

"If the war only ended 7 years ago before raging on for 15 years, that wouldn't really make a lot of sense," Shin added

Ricky posed another question, puzzled, "And why is that?" 

"Because when the man named Kaitou Kurozawa came to ask my mom to work in this bar, my mom mentioned that our grandmother used to work at the house of a noble, which I assume is a vampire, and that would have been a long time ago. Even if we take the 15 years the wars went on, it still would have been too early. The timelines don't match," said Shin

"True! Why didn't I think of that?" Ricky was surprised by his own blindness. "Could it be that they are hiding the true date of the war or maybe the war never happened at all? No, that can't be right. The remains of the war still exist to this day, which makes me lean toward the first possib-" Just as Ricky was about to finish his sentence, he heard a sound.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound of footsteps! Someone is coming! Ricky had a thought.

Immediately, all three of them fell silent. All they could do was be silent and wait for the person approaching.

Soon, the person came into view. A middle-aged man in a vest with his sleeves rolled up. It was none other than Garyuu.

"Well, well, well, look at these cute little dogs. Have you all been enjoying your time here? What about the food- oh, I forgot to send it, haha." Garyuu gave a small laugh and said with a wide grin. "Whatever, it's not like you all will die if you don't eat for a few days. Besides, food is not what you should be worried about right now," he added.

In response, no one said anything. Ricky and Miyu remained silent and didn't even bother to look at Garyuu. Shin, on the other hand, was glaring at Garyuu. A strong sense of silent anger in his eyes.

Seeing this, Garyuu got a bit angry. "Huh! What are you looking at?" He kicked the iron bars.

Clang!

The bars shook violently, which scared Ricky and Miyu a little, but Shins' eyes remained stone cold. Garyuu's strength was abnormal.

Garyuu smirked and said, "You should be grateful. I came here to fulfill your wish." his voice dropped heavy as he smiled and added, "Your mother is here."

As soon as he said that, Miyu got up. A shocked expression on her face and a little bit of hope. She wanted to meet her mother so badly. Shin was also shocked, his previous stone cold gaze was now completely gone.

"W-where…where is she?" Miyu stammered her words.

Garyuu took out a cigar packet from his pocket and lit one cigar with a match, covering it with his left hand before taking a slow drag and exhaling the smoke into the air. "Heh, now we are talking. The noble has arrived earlier than expected. I will take you two there now." As he said that, he took out a ring of keys and opened the cell door.

"Get out! We don't have all day!" Garyuu raised his voice a little.

Without wasting any time, Shin and Miyu quickly got up and followed Garyuu to the exit. Ricky glanced at their backs as he thought, I have a bad feeling about this.

Soon, they climbed up the stairs, walked through the same long hallway, and arrived at Garyuu's room. Just like before, Garyuu reached into his pocket, took out a key, and slid it into the door lock.

Click!

The door opened. The room was the same as before, except it was a bit tidier and cleaner. Shin glanced at the same towering bookshelves and desk. Garyuu went around the desk and sat on the chair just like before. 

He didn't say anything. Shin was about to ask him something when Miyu stopped him and told him to wait. 

The hanging clock on the wall continued to Tick-tock Tick-tock as time went by.

…

In the central cathedral of Akuro city. On the 3rd floor in a vast room.

A bright and luxurious chandelier hung above the high ceiling, illuminating the room with warm light.

At the center of the hall stood a long, mahogany table stretching nearly the length of the room. There were 6 seats on both sides and 1 seat of honor on the edge, for a total of 13 seats. Mysterious human-like figures occupied all 13 seats. 

The table was lined with Silver candelabras, their wax dripping down like red blood. Alongside that were silver trays, platters, and goblet's each filled with food.

It was a long dinner table!

However, something was wrong. The red liquid in the goblets smelled like blood. The entire room smelled like blood and flesh. 

The food on the table wasn't for any human! It was for vampires! The figures that occupied the 13 seats were all vampires!

The table was filled with human flesh and blood like a buffet. Some were grilled, some raw, and some roasted.

A silver pot was filled with human eyeballs, another was filled with human fingers. It was all arranged according to the appetite of the 13 figures.

No one spoke a word. The figures delicatly ate the food with fork and knife, savoring quiety.

Some human maids would refill the empty plates from time to time. And some men wearing white cloaks stood outside the room guarding the place.

After some time had passed, the figure on the seat of honor spoke with a deep and ominous voice.

"How is the restocking process going?" he said as he gently cut a piece of meat with his black gloved hands that reached his wrists and put it in his mouth using a fork.

He wore a red coat on top of a black vest with black buttons and a black collar. He had white hair and red eyes just like the vampires on the street. But his presence was far more intimidating than any other vampire.

He was the leader of Gehenis, Lord 'Valmir Von Blackthorn'

"My Lord, Most sectors are doing well except for sector 12 Akuro, which is under my surveillance, and sector 7. The restocking for these 2 was delayed, but this is only temporary. The issue will be resolved soon ."

A man sitting on the right side of Valmir spoke with a calm voice. He had red eyes as well, but his hair was dark blonde. He had a wide chest and a sharp jawline. On his left breast pocket, a crest hung shining in the warm light—the crest of Gehenis.

This man was the right hand man of Valmir and second in command of Gehenis, General strategist Lucian von Stravok.

The crest of Gehenis was like a rugged shield with A single blood-red eye with a slit pupil in the middle. And bat-like wings came out from behind the shield.

"Heh, how shocking for your sector to experience a delay. You never fail to disappoint, Sir Lucian," a woman sitting on the 4th seat mocked Lucian.

She wore a beautiful gothic ball gown, a gainsborough hat which had two feathers poking out along with a domino mask.

Her radish hair cascades down elegantly while her eyes remain hidden under her mask.

She is the head archivist and the sadistic mistress of Gehenis, Valentina Von Thornecrest.

She is also in Love with Valmir, although it's a one-sided love.

Lucian elegantly chugged a glass of blood and wiped his lips with a red handkerchief as he said, "I have no excuse, but perhaps you shouldn't be the one pointing other people's mistakes. You killed half of sector 9's supplies for your sadistic desires. I fear for the future of Gehenis."

"Huh? Can you blame me? It's because humans are too weak. It's their fault for dying! They can't even handle my basic tortures! Besides, being tormented by me is a reward. They should be begging me to torture them! If only there was a human who couldn't die no matter how much I torment. Ahh! It would have been soooooo much FUN!"

Near the end, Valentina's voice went high-pitched as she moaned and hugged herself. She was turned on.

Lucian left a silent sigh.

Suddenly, a young man seated on the 3rd seat glanced at Lucian. "Sir Lucian, I thought the veilkeepers couldn't reach Akuro, but for them to cause a hindrance to you and a delay in your restocking process is a concern."

The young man, who looked no more than 17, spoke with arrogance and confidence, a smirk on his face as he chewed an eyeball and licked his lips.

He wears a fitted black shirt, black pants, and sleek black boots. Over it, he has a long, dark coat with a sharp look. He wears a silver ring on one hand and always has a smirk on his face.

He is the master of deception and control, the one who weaves illusions to bend reality to his will. In charge of the 10th sector, he is known as the Illusionist of Gehenis—Theo von Vexis.

The unique thing about him was his hair and eye colour. He had half black and half white hair. One eye colour was black, and the other was red like the other vampire.

The mention of the "Veilkeepers" left the room momentarily silent.

With his calm voice, Lucian spoke, "That has certainly become more of an issue than I had anticipated. In the past years, they had attacked our ships countless times, but that didn't prove to be much of an issue. Only an ant biting at an elephant's foot. 

"But it seems the ant has entered the elephant's trunk. But our forces are still strong. We have caught many of their members repeatedly and are slowly demolishing them. However, just like always, Valentina didn't send me any new information, so I am unable to form a proper strategy."

Valentina gave a small laugh before saying mockingly, "Oh, Sir Lucian, the great strategist, completely helpless without a little piece of information. Tell me, shall I tie your shoes next, or is that still within your skill set?"

She doesn't like Lucian because she wishes for his position and to help her precious Lord Valmir.

Just the sight of this guy annoys me. I want to choke him with my whip and take his position already! Such a thought crossed Valentinas mind

"Valentina, as much as I enjoy your wit, I trust you've gathered at least some information, or do you plan to be a hindrance to Lord Valmir?" Lucian answered calmly, keeping his priorities straight.

Valentina's smirk faded as she quickly straightened her back and began to speak."My informants report multiple sightings of Veilkeepers near the bar 'Kikyo Nomiya'—right here in Akuro. They didn't enter the Subterra Facility, but none of them were caught. That alone tells me they sent their top agents."

Lord Valmir listened to the entire conversation silently, but then suddenly, he stopped eating his food before Valentina finished her report

She added, as her voice dropped heavy, "I think…they are about to attack. 

"They might be on the act as we speak."

…

Near the bar of mysteries "Kikyo Nomiya," multiple shadowy black cloaked figures could be seen jumping from one building to the other like ninjas. Some white cloaked figures are chasing after them, trying to catch them.

As the chase was on, 3 of the ninja-like figures managed to evade the white figures while the rest acted as bait.

These 3 Figures came to a stop.

One of them had red hair that peeked out from her hood. It was a woman. She reached up and took down her hood, letting it rest behind her shoulders, which revealed her face.

She wore a green military general uniform with longs boots and fingerless gloves. Her red hair was tied into a tight, braided bun—built for battle, not beauty. That red hair glowed like a vampire

She looked like someone who was in her thirties, but she was a bit muscular and had a curvy body.

With a commanding voice, she said, "Quick, we need to plant the bombs as soon as we can. Valentina should be aware of our presence by now."

The other two ninja-like figures took off their hoods as well and revealed their long lime hair pointed ears that peeked through. They were unmistakably elves. They, too, had military uniforms. These two female elves were relatively younger than the red-haired women.

They put one hand on their chest, bowed slightly, and replied in unison, "Yes, commander!"

Suddenly, the red-haired woman reached her waist and took out a small knife. With a slash, she cut off all of the 5 fingers of her left hand.

Blood came rushing out and splattered everywhere, but it quickly stopped. New fingers grew out from the wounds, and in an instant, all 5 fingers were back to normal, their lower parts still covered in blood.

The detached fingers quickly grew white veins all over their body, they kept on shrinking and expanding like worms. These small veins quickly entangled the detached fingers, solidified and turned them into black root-like objects.

The red-haired girl picked up the 5 fingers, now black root-like objects, and gave them to the two lime-haired elves.

The two elves once again bowed and murmured something in unison

"Conceal"

Instantly, both of them became transparent, but the outline of their body and outfits was still barely visible. They weren't completely invisible.

With their invisibility, they jumped down the building and arrived in front of the bar of mysteries. 

…

In the central cathedral of Akuro, the headquarters of Gehenis, in the dining room.

Lucian slightly tightened his grasp on the goblet filled with blood, trying not to break it.

He said with an angry, composed voice, "Valentina, why didn't you deliver such important information sooner? Do you not understand the meaning of punctuality?"

"Huh? What are you on about, great strategist? You must be confused. The sighting of the Veilkeepers happened six hours ago—plenty of time for me to run my own investigation. I mean, I wouldn't want to bother Lord Valmir with some baseless rumor… now would I?"

Valentina replied with a mocking smile, arms crossed loosely as if she hadn't just delayed critical intel

Valmir listened to her report as he continued to eat his food elegantly, like the noble he was.

Lucian had an urge to fist-palm his forehead.

Valentina continued, "That being said, they must be quite stupid if they're here to attack Akuro's Subterra Facility—especially since Akuro hasn't even started restocking its test subjects.

"The Veilkeepers have been attacking our supply ships for years, but this is the first time they've invaded one of our sectors. I suspect they're here to 'rescue' the test subjects in Akuro… which, of course, is impossible because there aren't any.

"Then again, they might be aiming for the Gehenis headquarters itself. If that's the case, they're out of luck. There's no way they could've known all the founding vampires would be gathered here today. Honestly… it's almost funny."

Valentina let out a soft chuckle, tilting her head with a smirk that didn't quite reach her eyes.

All the other figures listened quietly. Is that the reason you didn't report it to me immediately?… Lucian had such a thought.

Suddenly, Valmir stopped eating. With his sharp red eye, he glanced at the illusionist Theo and said with his deep voice, "Would you like to add something to the conversation, Theo?"

Theo, who munched leisurely on a piece of juicy barbecued human flesh—occasionally forgetting his manners to lick the blood from his lips—straightened his back and regained his composure.

"Certainly, my Lord. The sudden appearance of the Veilkeepers is... intriguing. But I believe there's a critical flaw in Valentina's judgment."

"First, I'm confident they're well aware there are no test subjects in Akuro. They've been attacking our supply ships for years, freeing a fair number of test subjects each time. How could they not know Akuro's current state? Which makes it unlikely they're here for the Subterra Facility."

"The only other target that makes sense is this place—the headquarters of Gehenis. But such an assault would demand a sizable force, including their commanders. Moving that many troops covertly is nearly impossible. This means if they are planning to strike here, it would have to be a direct assault. And that… feels even less likely."

Theo's voice dropped slightly as he gently spun the goblet in his hand, blood swirling inside like a lazy whirlpool.

"So that brings us to the real question—why are they here?"

He paused, then smiled faintly.

"There could be countless reasons, but here's my wild guess—maybe they've figured out when 'He' will awaken… and they're here to take 'him' away from the subterra facility."

Tsk… this bastard!

Valentina clicked her tongue, barely hiding a smirk. She hated how much sense he made.

"Is that so, Sir Theo? With a brilliant mind like yours, perhaps you could explain how your wild guess makes any sense."

"How could 'He' awaken when there aren't even any test subjects in the Subterra Facility to begin with? Or… did such a simple thought fail to cross that mud-soaked brain of yours? 

"Not to mention, how on earth could they have known when 'He' will awaken? When we, the 13 founding vampires, couldn't even figure out a way to predict 'His' arrival."

Her tone dripped with sarcastic sweetness. She leaned back with a satisfied smirk, tapping her nails against the armrest.

Theo looked at her, half closed his eyes, and smiled.

"Well, well, looks like the great archivist isn't even aware there are three test subjects currently being held captive in the underground subterra facility of Akuro.

"I even know their names: Shin Nomiya, Miyu Nomiya, and Rick Falkner. Heh, I guess I'm more of an archivist than you are."

Theo smirked at the end and returned to eat his food

Valentina's mind raced with a mix of irritation and disbelief, clouding her thoughts.

How does he even know all this? Akuro isn't even his sector. Don't tell me he has his own information circle.

Her eyes narrowed as the realization set in—he had indeed outplayed her this time. Sighing softly, she steadied herself and spoke with a controlled voice, trying not to let her annoyance show.

"I see, but how would the Veilkeepers have known that one of these three will awaken?".

Theo paused mid-bite, glancing at Valentina with a mockingly puzzled expression.

"How would I know? Isn't that your job?"

Without waiting for a response, he returned to his meal, completely ignoring her as he licked his lips, his attention already elsewhere.

Valentina's brows twitched. She clenched her fists under the table and had an urge to punch Theo. but she quickly regained her composure.

I can't show any annoyance in front of Lord Valmir. That would be soo embarrassing.

I need to control myself and keep my urges in check!. Otherwise, I won't be a good wife… Wait, no! I didn't mean it like that.

She mentally groaned, cursing her own thoughts. 

It's- It's not like I'm hoping to become the wife of Lord Va…she suddenly blushed and once again moaned in her head.

…

In the Bar of Mysteries "Kikyo Nomiya", in Garyuu's private room. Garyuu is still smoking his cigarette on the chair. Shin and Miyu quietly stood in the corner of the room, counting down seconds.

Even though there were multiple chairs in the room, neither of them dared to sit down.

Creak!

Suddenly, after what felt like hours, the door opened and was quite ominous.

From the enveloping darkness behind the door, a figure emerged—tall and imposing. He wore a white top hat adorned with a red ribbon. His white coat was accompanied by pristine white trousers and gloves. 

A cane rested in one hand, while a pair of leashes were held firmly in his other.

His white hair, long and flowing, drifted down to his neck as he walked, the pale strands almost glowing against the shadows. The glint of his white vampire fangs flashed momentarily as he parted his lips, and his red eyes gleamed like the crimson moon. He was a creature of the night—distant, mysterious, and utterly dangerous, A vampire.

Shin and Miyu were momentarily taken aback by his ominous presence.

Garyuu instantly got up from his chair, walked past the desk, and bowed.

"Illmere, sir Jasper. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Please give me a moment, I will get your products as soon as I can." Garyuu reached for the weird-looking artifact on his desk and busied himself. 

Shin carefully observed the Vampire in front of him.

No longer being able to hold his anticipation, he asked nervously. "W-where is my mom…"

The vampire glanced at him for a second, and without saying anything, he looked away, completely ignoring Shin. He didn't even consider Shin something to pay attention to.

But out of habit, the vampire gave a slight tug on the leash in his left hand. The other end of the leash still trailed behind the door.

Then—slowly, almost inhumanly—a figure crawled into the room. Like a broken animal, a woman dragged herself forward on all fours, her motions clumsy and shaking. Her body was frail, starved beyond recognition. Long strands of black hair clung to her face like a curtain of shadow and filth. She was completely naked, her skin no longer resembling skin but a canvas of torment—bruises bloomed across her limbs like rotting flowers, jagged cuts stitched haphazardly with black thread, and patches of melted flesh where burns had fused her skin into scar tissue.

The leash was knotted tight around her neck, leaving angry red welts as she gasped for breath through trembling lips. Drool slid from the corner of her mouth and dripped onto the floor, joining the trail of dried blood behind her. Her limbs quivered with every motion, her entire body shuddering from cold, fear, and exhaustion. Her eyes stared blankly at the ground, soulless and hollow—like the lights inside her had long gone out. Half her face had been disfigured, a grotesque burn that twisted her once gentle features into something unrecognizable.

And yet, Shin knew. Without question.

His knees gave way as he dropped to the ground, silent. He didn't scream. He didn't speak, he fell into despair. Tears poured freely down his face, falling faster than he could wipe them away.

Because despite everything…

Despite the hell she had been dragged through… She was still his mother.

Once loving. Once radiant. A woman who had smiled through every hardship for the sake of her children. A mother who gave up everything, yet never let go of her children's hands.

She was Kikyo Nomiya.

Miyu couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her breath caught in her throat as her feet moved forward, one trembling step at a time. Her eyes widened with disbelief, her lips quivering.

"M-Mom? Is… is that you?" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, as tears welled up and began streaming down her cheeks.

Her mind was flooded—no, overwhelmed—with memories.

The warmth of her mother's arms when the nights were cold under the burnt remains of their home…

The small, careful meals they had shared, always split equally no matter how little they had…

The way her mother smiled, even when her eyes looked tired. Even when her hands were blistered from work. Even when her stomach was empty.

Those memories—those fragile, precious pieces of happiness—shattered in an instant.

Crack.

Gone.

Miyu's lips parted as if to call out again, and her legs tensed. She was just about to run to her mother, to hold her, to shield her somehow from whatever pain she had suffered—

"Aaagh!!"

Shin's voice tore through the room like a blade. It was no longer grief in his voice—it was rage. Pure, helpless rage. He clenched his fists so tight his nails dug into his skin, and when he looked up, his eyes burned.

He charged forward with everything he had, his feet pounding the ground as he aimed straight for the vampire holding the leash. For a split second, it looked as though he might actually reach him—

But the vampire didn't even blink.

With one casual motion—like swatting away a fly—he swung his leg and drove his foot hard into Shin's abdomen.

Crack.

The impact was brutal. Shin's body flew backward, slamming into the tall bookshelf behind him with a sickening thud. Books came crashing down around him, pages fluttering like feathers in a storm. The air was filled with the soft rustle of paper, as if the books themselves mourned the violence they had just witnessed—trying in vain to bury Shin, to shield him with forgotten words.

…

In the Central Cathedral of Akuro, within the grand dining hall…

Lucian, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke—his voice calm but firm.

"As wild as Theo's assumption is… it's not entirely implausible. What troubles me isn't the idea of 'Him' awakening—but rather how they knew. The only explanation I can think of…" He paused, eyes narrowing. "…is that they've found that sacred piece. The one lost during the War of Miseria."

A heavy stillness followed.

Then, Valmir—head of the thirteen—spoke. His voice was deep, thunderous, as though it echoed from the foundations of the cathedral itself.

"If that is true… then the promised time is upon us."He slowly rose from his seat."The time we have waited for. The time of 'His' return."

The moment those words left his mouth, all twelve vampires straightened instinctively in their chairs. Even the maids and servants—those who rarely dared to lift their gaze—froze and bowed slightly, their spines stiff with reverence.

Valmir's voice dropped to a low, chilling murmur. His glowing red eyes pierced through the quiet like a blade through velvet.

"The King… will surely arise."

A breathless silence followed. No one dared to speak.

And then, it hit them.

A cold sweat ran down the necks of every vampire in the room. They exchanged glances—tense, uncertain, excited, afraid.

The room was heavy with unspoken truths.Excitement.Anxiety.Fear.

The King's time had come.

...

In Garyuu's room. At the Bar of Mysteries.

The room was silent.

Shin was nowhere to be seen—his body buried under a pile of fallen books.

"Shin!!"

Miyu screamed, frozen in fear.

Garyuu, who had been speaking into a strange artifact, turned around.

"Sorry for the inconvenience. I'll take care of these kids now."

The vampire, still calm, replied coldly, "I couldn't care less about peasants. Bring me my products soon—I have somewhere to be."

Garyuu nodded. The room went quiet again.

He looked down. An open book had fallen near his feet during the commotion. Its pages were yellow and burned at the corners. At first, they were empty. But then a cold wind swept through the room.

Words began to appear on the page in dark-green ink like magic.

"The King will surely arise."

A sudden swirl of wind erupted in the room. The books covering Shin began to emit a faint dark-green glow from beneath.

The energy grew stronger—until all the books exploded outward in a violent burst.

There he was.

Shin, on his knees, his body was emanating a dark-green aura.

With a low growl, he looked up at the vampire.

"You will pay… I'll make you pay."

The vampire met his eyes. Shin's pupils like a cat's, glowing with an unnatural green hue. They were filled with rage and pain.

The vampire's calm face faltered. Fear crept in.

veins on Shin's hand pulsed. He slammed his fist into the floor once, then again—

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the vampire and the vampire saw that Shin's fist was only inches away from his eye.

His fist collided with the vampire's face, piercing straight through his head.

Blood. Flesh. Eyeball. Everything exploded outward.

For a moment, there was silence as blood rolled on the ground like a gushing river. But then—

All the pieces blood, brain, skull snapped back into place and formed the vampire's head back to normal. Almost as if Time seemed to reverse.

The vampire didn't die.

Snarling, he gripped Shin's neck and lifted him. Shin fought back, but the vampire's strength was too much. The vampire hadn't used his full power.

Out of nowhere, blood particles formed in the air, shaping into a scorpion's tail. It stabbed a deep and big hole into Shin's abdomen.

Blood burst from his mouth.

"No!!"

Miyu screamed again, still frozen by fear.

Shin's vision blurred. His strength faded.

The vampire threw him across the room, into the shelves. Shin collapsed, gasping, and tried to stop the bleeding with both his palms.

Miyu broke free. She ran to him, pressing her hands against his wound, desperate to stop the bleeding.

"No, please… please don't die… oh God, I beg you… please save him…"

Her tears mixed with his blood, but no help came. Only more bleeding.

The vampire snarled, but out of nowhere, Cracks appeared on the vampire's head, pulsing and resisting the earlier blow.

His head... it wasn't fully healed. He pointed at Shin, panic creeping into his voice.

"A-a defective king?! Why? Why did this happen? We waited for so long… What was wrong with the Queen's plan? Why is the long-awaited king… defective? Have the heavens forsaken us?!"

Garyuu turned, stunned.

"The King? That's impossible! We never injected him with the King's Embryo. He's just a half-vampire! What now?"

BOOM!

An explosion shook the building.

Footsteps echoed from outside.

A man's voice called from behind the door.

"Sir! It's the Veilkeepers—they've blown up the roof! Only the back rooms and the underground subterra remain!"

Garyuu gritted his teeth.

"Damn traitors… the illusion must've failed. It's probably the Elves doing. It had to be now, of all times. Don't tell me they felt the king's presence?"

He turned to the vampire, who had now fully regenerated. The vampire said

"Contact headquarters. Now."

He pointed at Shin.

"Keep the defective king. Move the others to the ship," he said, pointing at Miyu.

Soon after, Garyuu called his men. They took Miyu and Ricky—still in the underground subterra facility to the supply ship.

Miyu struggled and cried, but there was nothing she could do. Shin watched through blurry eyes as she was taken.

Garyuu whispered something to the vampire and his white cloaked men.

Then, he threw Shin over his shoulder and carried him into the underground facility.

Shin was unconscious.

They reached the old cell. Ricky was gone, likely taken already. Garyuu locked Shin inside and turned away.

At the top of the staircase, he paused staring down into the darkness below…

Garyuu reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden watch. Its hands were moving backward, ticking in reverse.

He held the watch close to his chest, closed his eyes, and whispered a quiet chant:

"Oh, god of deception and illusion,

You are the weaver where shadows lie.

Lies that deceive fate itself—

Grant me your power and cast a shadow of deception upon those I wish."

The moment the words left his lips, he threw the golden watch into the abyss below. It spiraled down through the darkness, vanishing from sight—until a distant crack echoed upward.

The watch had shattered.

From the broken pieces, a strange rainbow-colored smoke began to pour out. thick and glittering, filled with countless sparkling stars like fragments of a dream. The smoke twisted and spread, rolling like fog across the subterra facility, creeping into every corner, every cell, every shadow.

Then, just as the last shimmer passed the top step, the staircase itself vanished before Garyuu's eyes. One second it was there, the next gone.

The entrance to the subterra facility was no longer visible. Hidden completely beneath an illusion.

…

Several weeks had passed.

Shin was still locked up in the same cell. After all that time, his eyes finally opened. His vision was blurry, and his body felt too weak to move.

Where am I? he wondered at first, still disoriented. Right… I'm back in the cell. What happened to me? What happened to my sister?

As he lay there, memories slowly began to return—pieces coming back one by one. He remembered being injured. A large wound in his abdomen. His hands trembled as he tried to reach down to feel it, but his arms had no strength.

Eventually, he managed to touch the spot. To his surprise, the wound was gone. The skin had healed, though the dried blood remained. It made no sense.

How long has it been? he thought. If I don't get out of here, I'll die of starvation…

With whatever little energy he had, Shin dragged himself toward the wall and leaned against it, breathing heavily. His body refused to move any further.

I… I can't do anything. All I can do is wait. I hope my sister made it out… If she's alive, she'll come for me. But if she didn't… then maybe I don't want to live either.

The thoughts weighed heavy on him as sleep pulled him back into unconsciousness.

Time passed, though he didn't know how much. He woke up again and saw the same rusted walls. Then he passed out again. This cycle repeated over and over. The days blurred into weeks and weeks into months.

He hadn't eaten or drunk anything in all that time. His lips cracked, his mouth dried out. His skin wrinkled, his face hollowed. He looked like a corpse—but somehow, he was still alive.

Some strange force inside him was keeping him from dying. At first, he thought it was a miracle. Maybe even hope. But as the pain dragged on, he realized the truth.

This wasn't a blessing. It was a curse.

That unknown power was keeping him alive—just enough to feel every moment of hunger. Every second of suffering.

Eventually, Shin's body gave out completely. He couldn't even lift a finger. All he could do was think. And even that became painful.

P-please… just let me die… I can't take this anymore…

His thoughts were faint now. No one came. Time kept moving, and Shin was left behind.

His body slowly turned to skin and bones. Moss grew around him. He hadn't moved in years. His mind slipped into a numb void—no anger, no sadness, no hope. Just emptiness. His eyes remained closed most of the time. He had nothing left to live for.

In what felt like the end, a single thought crossed his mind:

Why? Why me? What did I do to deserve this? I've never known peace. Why did I have to suffer? Did God forget about me? Was I born just to die like this?

His once black hair had turned white. A single tear slid down his cheek.

And with his final breath, he whispered:

"I don't want wealth… I don't want power… I don't want gold… I just wanted a piece of bread…"

Shin Nomiya died that day. He never found out what happened to his sister. Or his mother.

The world kept moving.

Years later, someone finally broke into the underground facility. Two figures stepped into the cell and saw the corpse.

One of them, a woman in her twenties with long black hair, dropped to her knees and burst into tears. Her sobs echoed through the empty halls.

It was Miyu Nomiya—Shin's sister.

The other figure, a man also in his twenties with neat black hair, removed his top hat and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

That man was Rick Falkner.

[Hi, um… author here.

Thank you so much for reading this far. I don't know who will read this in the future because right now, I have close to zero readers. But that's okay. This is a story I've had in my mind for a long time, and I really wanted to bring it to life. So even if no one reads it, I'll still finish it.

I know this chapter is the longest one yet. I could have divided it into two separate chapters, but I felt it was important to keep the emotional flow intact. If I split it, the feelings you experience in the first part might not carry over to the second part the same way. That's why I kept it all in one.

The important thing I wanted to say is after this, there will be one final chapter for Volume 1. After that, the story will go on a short hiatus.

I know, it might sound strange to end a volume in just 15 chapters, but this is really more of a setup for what's to come. I have a lot of plans moving forward.

As for the hiatus, it's because I have a lot going on in my life right now. There are many important decisions I need to make. But don't worry—I won't forget about this story. I promise to return and finish it.

To be honest, I would've finished this chapter much earlier, but with everything that's been happening in Palestine recently, I've been feeling really disheartened. I'm emotionally drained.

The images of children crying for help, the screams of mothers searching for their kids—it all weighs heavy on my heart. I can't get it out of my head.

I pray from the depths of my heart:

To all my brothers and sisters in Palestine who have lost their lives, may Allah grant you the highest place in Paradise.

And may He give me the strength to one day help the suffering people of palestine. Ameen.

Thank you again for sticking with me this far.

Until next time.]