Ricardo slammed his glass down. "Shut it. He was the one who abandoned us first! We did what we had to. Imagine if they had taken the Crimson Nectar for themselves. The world would have ended."

"Maybe," Harry whispered. He stood up, shoulders stiff. "Either way, I want no part in this anymore. I'm done. I am leaving."

He walked out without looking back.

"Coward," Gio hissed.

Now only a few of them remained, staring at the table like it held an answer.

What could two old hunters do? Should they simply sit and watch disaster approach? Or should they try—somehow—to prevent it?

The door creaked open again.

Gio didn't even turn. "Tch. Do not crawl back after acting brave. Just go already."

"Gio," Ricardo muttered, "that is not him."

Gio finally looked toward the doorway.

A single figure stood there. Not a vampire, at least not openly. The stranger wore a black robe, the hood deep enough to hide their face entirely.

"Who are you?" Gio demanded.

The figure stepped forward, slow and deliberate. Under the hood, two gold eyes glimmered faintly.

"Tell me more about the Crimson Nectar."

The room fell silent. Even Ricardo's breath halted.

The stranger's voice was calm. "Is it true he is here in this town?"

Gio looked at the glass of liquor in front of him, he didn't answer it right away, "You know the answer. The real question is, why are you here?"

The figure took off his robe, making everyone in the room startled, they were familiar with that face. But they didn't expect a creature like him to be this desperate.

"You…"

"Let's work together to destroy him," he said, voice firm and cold.

***

"I don't mind if you or that boy are here," Selena said, her voice carrying across the quiet room as she watched the town lights below. A warm cup rested in her hand.

"If what you told me earlier is true, that is."

She turned her gaze toward the sofa, her expression sharpening.

"But tell me, how am I supposed to believe a single word of it? Vampires aren't exactly known for honesty, are they?"

Isolde sat straight-backed on the sofa, utterly unbothered by the jab. Not a twitch. Not a blink.

"Oh, Selena," she replied, her tone almost bored. "Why would I lie? If I wanted that boy for my covenant alone, I wouldn't have shared anything with Ulrich."

"And more importantly, I would have taken him for myself the moment I found out who he was."

She tilted her head slightly. "But I helped his father with his revenge and waited for him until he was eighteen years old, didn't I? Because of that, the Great Covenants lost two Houses and I know it helped vampire hunters a lot."

Selena's brows drew together. "Exactly. That's what feels off." She let out a small laugh and leaned against the window frame.

"How did Ulrich even agree to work with you? He's an Elder in that organization."

"Not the only one," Isolde said with a shrug.

"The organization is democratic in theory. In practice, no one cares until something big happens, like the Crimson Nectar."

"Most of us prefer working alone and chasing our own goals. For instance, Ulrich simply wants to reunite with his family."

Selena snorted and finally walked over, sitting across from her. "Hard to believe he's that sentimental. Then again, he has been alive since the dawn of time."

"Sentimental?" Isolde smirked. "Hardly. He's just a coward terrified of going to hell."

Selena barked a laugh.

Isolde leaned back, legs crossing in one fluid motion. "So? What do you say? You don't need to do anything grand. Just keep your people alert and under control."

But Selena only smirked, setting her cup down with a soft tap. "I didn't expect you to be so… considerate. You want us out of the way, yes, but you also don't want us dying, do you?"

"Don't joke," Isolde said as she stood. "I only want you out of my way so things don't get unnecessarily complicated. This has nothing to do with humans. There is no place for you in this conflict."

Selena rose too, meeting her gaze. "It's better that way. The safety of our people comes first."

She paused. "Just don't force our hand."

"I won't," Isolde replied with a thin smile. "I only need those crests."

And with that, she swept out of the room, leaving Selena alone with the fading scent of her perfume.

Selena exhaled, rubbing her temple. "Another day, another mess," she muttered.

"I hope she keeps her word. Humanity doesn't have the strength to carry this burden anymore."

The night felt heavier than usual as she turned off the lights, ending a day that had been anything but peaceful.

***

Seamus walked through the quiet garden, trying to process what Diane had done. He knew it wasn't fully her fault, yet the betrayal still stung.

He had trusted her. He thought she genuinely cared. But in the end, she chose her mother.

'I don't think I can forgive her easily this time.'

He sighed, shoulders sinking.

Once again, it felt like his life was kept in the palm of Isolde's hand. He was forced to fight through every obstacle the same way he had in Bork.

And at this point, he wasn't even sure if Isolde truly intended to resurrect Viviane.

The Blood Pact meant she couldn't lie, but it didn't guarantee she'd give him everything he wanted.

'Maybe I should ask Madeline… or Dad.'

He hadn't seen Madeline for two days, and his father hadn't reached out either.

After this stroll, he would make sure to contact him. Andrew was also chasing a lead for Isolde, a person or a hidden group responsible for strange incidents in Corvane.

If they could turn a vampire into an animal, perhaps they knew something about revival as well.

It was better this way. Seamus refused to become another Rowena, murdering thousands of children just to find four matching cores.

His steps slowed when a faint humming drifted across the garden. It was coming from the fountain.

The moon hung low and enormous, a pale crescent in the eastern sky, bright enough to reveal the patterns etched across its surface like a giant chessboard.

"The witch cursed the town, as the ghost of a woman laughing at it burn~

The revenge so sweet, the town turned into a mere dust~"

The melody was playful, almost childish, but the lyrics were unsettling. Seamus followed the voice until he reached the fountain and stopped dead.

Dahlia was dancing on top of it.

Moonlight washed over her skin as she balanced beside the cupid statue, her movements fluid and elegant. But what froze him wasn't the dance.

She was completely naked, wearing nothing but a thin, translucent scarf that barely counted as clothing.

Her breasts jiggle beautifully, her wide waist moving in a seductive dance, and those eyes speak louder than any words of how alluring her dance was. Enough to make every man insane.

While the petals of flowers flying, scattered by the night winds, turned the dance into something more mystic instead of weird.

"They burned the witch for dancing naked in the town, she laughed and burst~

Now the town is cursed as the ghosts burn them to mere dust~"

She struck a dramatic pose, hugging the cupid statue with her back arched, crimson eyes gleaming down at him. Her expression softened into a slow, amused smile.

"Oh, a spectator," she purred. "Do you want to see me dance again?"

"No—what—what are you doing?" Seamus stammered, too stunned to look away. "Are you finally losing your mind?"

Dahlia arched a brow and hopped down from the fountain, water dripping off her skin. "What? I thought this was normal now. The modern world seems very… free." She folded her arms, the scarf sliding around her like a teasing ribbon.

"In public? Absolutely not," Seamus muttered. "Though I guess if you're alone, actually, never mind. I'm leaving."

He turned to walk away.

But soft hands slid around his neck before he could take a step. Her bare chest pressed into his back, he could feel the perfect softness of it and how sexy Dahlia was clinging to his body through the ripple of water.

She whispered in his ear, breath warm against his skin.

"Do you think it was good?" she murmured. "My first husband saw my first dance and fell in love instantly. Married me despite being a noble."

Her voice darkened into amusement.

"But after our wedding, he got sick and died. His family kicked me out, unless I agreed to marry his father."

She chuckled bitterly. "And of course I did. Being a beautiful commoner in the 1300s was hell. But he died too on our first night because of a heart attack."

She dragged her teeth gently along his ear. "I was thrilled. I was finally rich."

Her lips curled into a wicked smile he could feel without seeing.

"Do you want to know what happened to husbands three through seven?"

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