Chapter 3: Encounter

The lifeboat drifted in the water for a long time, long enough for the clouds to clear and the sun to rise, long enough for me to hear my stomach growl, "Gurgle, gurgle...""Little girl, eat this!" The man called Old Bull chuckled as he handed me a square dry bread. I took it, but didn't immediately stuff it into my mouth. Instead, I sniffed it; I hadn't eaten in a hundred years and had already forgotten the scent of food."Don't worry, it's not spoiled!" Old Bull continued to smile.I ignored him, bit into it, and chewed slowly. It was too hard, and I was afraid it might break my teeth. Even when chewed to pieces, it was so dry that once I swallowed it, my throat itched uncomfortably. "Cough, cough, cough!""Here, drink some water with it." The head handed me a water bottle. I took a sip, and finally managed to swallow the food in my throat. I ate a few more bites with water, at least silencing my stomach before returning the bread and water to them."How much longer?" The sky darkened as everyone remained silent. It was fortunate we were still on the water; otherwise, we might have encountered a vampire attack. As the leader, it was normal for him to feel heavy-hearted."Three or four more hours," Old Bull stood up, looked into the distance for a while, then sat down to answer."Mm." The leader grunted, not saying another word. Old Bull, however, seemed more interested in me, glancing at me whenever he had a moment. I thought, if he hadn't assumed that I was mute, I wouldn't be left in peace. Tired of his staring, I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. After all, it was dark, and humans should be sleeping by now. To my surprise, I really did fall asleep.

In my dream, I saw Safaroth. He was right there, but he looked different now. His casual clothes had been replaced with noble attire, like my brother's, with metal buttons that gleamed in the moonlight. He stood expressionless on a fortress balcony, gazing into the distance, but there was nothing in his eyes. I was so close to him, but no matter how loudly I called, he couldn't hear me. So, I tried to walk toward him, but just as I reached out, I woke up, and my hand was reaching into empty air.I opened my eyes and saw my hand stretched toward the water. Tears fell involuntarily."Little girl, what's wrong?" Old Bull had been watching me; every movement I made didn't escape his eyes, but there was only kindness in them.I shook my head, looking at the vast sky above, feeling a bitterness in my heart. "Should I still go find him?""We… will have a future because we are eternal beings."His words echoed in my ears. Yes, now what bonds do I have left besides him? If I don't go to find him, who should I look for?But where is he now?

Soon, the small boat reached the shore, and Old Bull was going to carry me again, but I pushed him away and jumped onto the shore. Old Bull smiled and gave me a thumbs up, "Little girl, very brave.""Let's go, it's late at night, this place isn't safe, we need to get back to the base immediately." The leader gave the order, and Old Bull approached me again. "Let me carry you now! Otherwise, you won't be able to keep up with our speed."This time, I didn't object but obediently climbed onto his back. Even though I didn't unseal my powers, I probably still had enough strength to keep up with them, but now I was human, and being ordinary felt normal. Maybe, this time when I woke up, I had a chance to integrate into the human world and live an ordinary life.

Then the three of them ran quickly toward the other side of the mountain, heading straight for the base they mentioned.At Old Bull's speed, I felt my stomach churn. Compared to my brother and Safaroth's way of carrying me, it was nothing.My brother?He should be fine now, right? If the person I saw earlier was really the Blood Prince they said he was.

After running for more than an hour, they finally stopped. In front of us stood a small house with a yard. The yard had flowers, plants, and some vegetables, making it look like an ordinary home."Go in!" The leader gave the order, and the three of them entered the yard, walking toward the door. The leader knocked twice, and someone responded from inside. He knocked again, and the door opened. The person who opened it was an old man, with grayish white beard, a tall and thin figure, and eyes sharp like an eagle's, shooting out piercing glances.As soon as we entered, the old man closed the door tightly, turned around, and his gaze lingered on me. It made me uncomfortable, but I had nowhere to hide."The young master here?" The leader stepped forward, blocking the old man's gaze."He's waiting for you." The old man led us inside."Mm." So, the four of us followed the old man into the house, up the stairs, and stopped in front of the second door on the left."Young master, they're back!""Come in!" A young man's voice came from inside.The old man opened the door, and the three of them walked in, but I found myself hesitating."You stay here for a moment. We'll call for you if needed." The leader turned around and instructed me. I nodded, obediently standing where I was. The door closed, leaving just me and the old man outside. Now, the old man had plenty of time to observe me, so I walked to the end of the corridor and looked out at the dark night.

Everyone needs a reason to keep living, at least one. Most people have many such reasons, or bonds, and I'm no different. Because of a wish from my mother, I met many people and formed many bonds. But when I woke up after a hundred years of slumber, I couldn't find any trace of those bonds. What remained was only a spider-webbed castle, Gina's tomb, and no sign of Safaroth. Now, I needed a reason to live—or perhaps a reason to stay awake. So, I followed them. Maybe I just needed a reason, or perhaps to find him again, the one who made me wake up.

I figured they were probably Night Hunters, and this time they were after Safaroth. Maybe if I stayed with them, they would naturally bring Safaroth to me—or bring me to him.

Having made this decision, I felt lighter, and the scenery in front of me became clearer. This was the outskirts, with trees and slopes blending harmoniously. The night breeze was gentle and pleasant. Without thinking, I spread my arms and took a deep breath."Is the night breeze comfortable?" A voice suddenly came from behind, calm and not unpleasant.I turned around to look at him, cold and calm, with the same expression as before, but not speaking, maintaining my mute persona."Right, I forgot. You can't speak." He smiled and patted my left shoulder. "Come, I'll show you to your room. From now on, you'll stay here. You can treat this place as your home or a hotel; just get used to it.""…" I didn't speak, but didn't move either because I saw Old Bull and the others coming out of the door. They had treated me well along the way, so I was somewhat grateful."They have other things to do. Come with me." He turned back to me, smiling—a cold, fake smile, which I saw clearly."Little girl, just follow the young master. He promised we wouldn't harm you." The leader gave me a dry smile."Leader, but upstairs…" Old Bull took a step closer to the leader, trying to argue, but was scared off by a glance from the young master in front of me."Go ahead! It's fine." The leader waved his hand.I nodded, then followed the so-called young master up to the third floor. The third floor seemed abandoned for years, with a musty smell in the air. I sneezed."The ones downstairs are rough people. Of course, a little girl like you can't stay with them. This place has been empty for a long time, but you can make do for tonight. Tomorrow, I'll have Jeb clean it up; it should be much better." He spoke as he walked, while I followed, observing the surroundings. This place wasn't just abandoned for a long time—it was clear from the yellowed walls, stained with dark marks, which I deduced to be dried blood.

But for me, blood has never been frightening. The young master in front of me, however, piqued my interest. Since he was pretending, I would pretend too—pretend even better than he did.