Chapter 6 – Unseen Chains

I didn't move for a long time.

The wind carried the scent of the city—concrete, smoke, and the faintest traces of human life. But the presence that had just been here… had vanished as if it had never existed.

My hands clenched into fists.

That figure—whoever they were—knew who I was.

Not once since I was thrown into this world had anyone spoken my name in connection to the Vampire Realm. Not even a whisper.

Yet, tonight…

Someone had recognized me.

And then disappeared.

Like a ghost.

I took a deep breath, pushing down the frustration curling inside my chest. Losing control wasn't an option. Not here. Not now.

I turned on my heel and continued walking.

By the time I reached the apartment Elara had arranged for me, the sky was an endless black, speckled with faint stars.

The Mortal World felt too… soft.

No battles. No power struggles. No deadly games between vampires, demons, and sorcerers.

Just normalcy.

And I hated it.

I opened the door and stepped inside. The place was quiet, too quiet. The dim light from the window cast long shadows across the room, stretching into the corners like unseen hands waiting to grasp something.

I locked the door behind me and tossed my jacket onto the nearby chair.

Then, I exhaled and closed my eyes.

I needed answers.

I needed power.

And I needed to know who the hell that person was.

My mind replayed the scene. The crimson glow of their eyes. The way they spoke. How they disappeared like they had never been there.

If they were from my world… that means the barrier between realms isn't as strong as I thought.

The Mortal World had been cut off from supernatural influence for centuries. Vampires couldn't enter. Magic didn't exist here.

Or at least…

That was what I had been told.

Yet, here I was. And someone else knew it.

I leaned against the wall, staring at the ceiling. My energy reserves were low. The fight earlier had drained me more than I wanted to admit. Without fear, without negativity around me, I was like a starving beast with no prey.

I had to be careful. If I kept using my power recklessly, I'd be vulnerable. And if there was one thing I had learned growing up in the Vampire Realm, it was this—

The weak are devoured.

My thoughts were interrupted by a soft vibration.

I glanced at the cheap human device they called a phone.

A message. From Elara.

"Where are you?"

I hesitated.

Then typed back:

"On my way."

Lies. But she didn't need to know that.

I tossed the phone onto the bed and ran a hand through my hair.

Tonight had confirmed something.

I was being watched.

And soon…

I would have to strike first.