"Huh…"

My eyes snapped open, hazy with stupor, the world around me slow to come into focus.

Cold air brushed against my skin as I blinked, looking around with sluggish confusion. The first thing I noticed—the chains. Still there. Still binding my wrists.

Had I… fallen asleep?

Yeah. Probably.

After all, Alicia had drained so much blood from me earlier that my body simply gave out. I must've blacked out from sheer exhaustion.

But now… she wasn't here.

I sat there for a moment, straining my senses, but her presence was gone. Taking the chance, I drew in a deep breath and let Wrath slowly channel into my palm. The crimson chains pulsed faintly in response, their unnatural energy resisting me.

I closed my eyes, forcing myself to stay calm, to make every move subtle, imperceptible. Just enough power to eat away at the bindings without sending off sparks or flares that could alert her.

Seconds dragged. Each one felt like a small eternity.

Finally, after what must have been a full minute of slow burning focus, I felt the brittle snap of a seal breaking. The chains dissolved with a faint shimmer, freeing my hands at last.

"...Ah," I exhaled, rubbing my sore wrists as the skin prickled from returning circulation.

My gaze fell across the room, where my clothes lay scattered. Quietly, I padded over, crouching to gather the tunic shirt I'd worn earlier. Tugging it over my head, I muttered under my breath, "Alicia…"

Once I drag you back to your senses, I'll never let you forget what you've done. I'll make sure you squirm from embarrassment every single day until the end of time.

With the shirt loosely clinging to me, I turned toward Levina. She looked so small where she rested, her breathing soft and uneven. Carefully, I bent down and scooped her into my arms.

"Papa…" She mumbled, eyelids fluttering open halfway.

"I'm here," I whispered, brushing her hair back before letting Sloth seep gently into her. Her lashes fell shut again, her body going slack in a peaceful sleep. I didn't want her to witness Alicia like this—or other things that might happen.

I lowered her back onto the swinging chair, tucking her comfortably, then moved toward the door. Pressing an ear against the wood, I strained to listen.

Amaya.

I still needed to find her. Wherever Alicia had hidden her, I couldn't just wait around until this twisted talk of 'becoming whole' played out.

Taking in a slow breath, I eased my hand onto the door handle and twisted carefully.

Click.

No movement.

I frowned, twisting again harder—still nothing.

Mana circles… of course.

Alicia must have layered them into the frame, locking me in.

"Senior?"

"...!"

The sound jolted through me.

I spun around—my heart freezing as if caught by some kind of monster.

Alicia stood there.

Her posture was eerily calm, arms folded neatly behind her back, her head tilted ever so slightly to the side. Those red, predatory eyes locked onto me with a piercing gleam.

"Where are you going, Senior?" Her voice was deceptively soft.

"Nowhere…" I muttered.

She didn't move. Just watched me.

Then—

"Shit…" I breathed, stumbling back against the door, as she was right there. A single inch away, staring up at me with eyes that glowed like pools of endless dark blood.

Her fingers gripped the front of my shirt, trembling slightly. "Are you… going to abandon me again, Senior?"

She asked with a vulnerable expression but her grip on my shirt had nothing of vulnerable.

"N-No," I said quickly, forcing down the lump in my throat. "I won't abandon you."

"Then why…" She whispered, voice breaking as her nail dragged sharp across my chest. A sting followed—hot blood welling as the fabric tore. "Why, Senior?"

I clenched my jaw against the groan that threatened to escape, feeling her nail dig deeper, crueler.

"I love you, Senior. Don't you know that?" She asked.

Her cheeks flushed faintly, though her expression stayed hauntingly blank, like a porcelain doll with a heart just starting to crack.

"Y-Yeah…" I nodded awkwardly.

That answer clearly didn't please her.

I froze the moment her fingers dug deeper into my chest. All five of them were pressing against my skin like sharpened daggers, the tips scraping the bone beneath. A sharp sting of pain spread with each shallow push. My heartbeat thundered against her nails—too close, far too close.

Was she seriously about to rip out my heart right here?!

"I—I love you too," I blurted out.

The pressure stopped instantly. Alicia's hand went still against me, her crimson gaze lifting to meet mine. For a moment her face softened, lips curling into the faintest twist of a smile.

"Is that true…?" She whispered, her voice dripping with fragile hope.

"Yeah," I said quickly as I raised a hand to her cold, porcelain-like cheek. "I wasn't going anywhere… I was looking for you, Alicia. That's why I wanted to step out—I was worried."

Her expression melted into something both eerie and childlike, a wide smile stretching across her face. "Ah~ Senior~" She sang softly, almost giddy. Her hands slid across my chest, no longer sharp and dangerous, but clinging and needy as she pressed herself closer to me. I could feel the fullness of her chest against mine, her body trembling with excitement.

"Can you be my darling then…?" She asked.

"Darling…?"

"Yes," she nodded eagerly, practically bouncing against me. "Always stay by my side. In this room, in this time. I'll protect you forever, Darling."

That's called sequestration, Alicia.

I forced a smile, though sweat was prickling at the back of my neck. "Forever here…?"

"Yes, darling. You can't go out—it's dangerous." Her voice dropped into something more serious, though her smile never faltered. "I'll destroy Sancta Vedelia… then I'll free the Holy Tree. Together, we'll cast the Blood Moon spell over the whole world."

"..."

I had no words.

She was serious. Deadly serious.

The Blood Moon had always been confined to Sancta Vedelia, its eerie red glow contained, controlled. But if what she said was true—if its hue spread across the entire world—then the consequences would be catastrophic.

"And then we'll be together forever," she said with eyes wide, her gaze almost glowing with expectation.

I smiled weakly, feeling my pulse climb. "I'm… really looking forward to that," I lied through my teeth, my body screaming in panic while my lips forced calmness.

Alicia's eyes lit up like a child's on the first day of spring. Without warning, she grabbed my hand and tugged hard, her grip inhumanly strong. "Then let's make our babies now."

What the hell?!

My eyes nearly popped out of my head as she dragged me toward the bed.

"A-Alicia," I stuttered, forcing a smile as she shoved me back with only the slightest push of her palm. My body hit the mattress with a dull thud. "Don't you think it's a little… too soon?"

She only shook her head, her crimson hair swaying as she climbed onto the bed after me. "No. I'll make a baby with our blood… our darling baby." Her face burned crimson as her eyes narrowed with determination. "And again… and again… and again… Senior… I'll bear all your children, and we'll live happily together forever."

Her trembling hands tugged at the black gown draped over her body. The fabric slipped from her pale shoulders, revealing her tender skin.

Panic jolted through me. I acted on impulse, grabbing her arm and pulling her down before flipping us so I was the one on top.

Her wide eyes blinked up at me, glistening red beneath her lashes. "Senior…" She breathed.

"I'll be the one on top," I said with a strong tone.

Her lips parted, then curled upward in sheer delight. "Yes~~" She practically sang, gripping my shirt tightly as her excitement surged. "Give me a baby, Darling… give me a lot of them."

I didn't hesitate and I leaned down, pressing my lips against hers.

"Mmm~" Alicia moaned softly, her voice vibrating against my mouth. The moment I kissed her, she devoured me back with a hunger that nearly stole the air from my lungs. Her lips were demanding, almost feral, nipping at me until I felt the sting of her teeth. "Hm!" She whimpered into the kiss when my hand slid over her waist, her body twisting beneath mine in restless eagerness.

Her chest rose against my palm when I finally stopped my hand there, her breath shuddering out in hot, uneven gasps.

That was the moment I acted.

"Sin of Sloth," I whispered sharply.

Her eyes shot open, burning bright for a split second before her lashes fluttered closed. The strength left her body instantly, her limbs going limp beneath me.

I tore away from the kiss with a ragged gasp, chest heaving as I stumbled to the side. Every nerve in me was buzzing, every breath stolen. She had nearly taken more than my breath away.

But I managed to pull it off.

Barely.

From the moment Alicia appeared, I had been weaving Sloth into her, forcing it over and over to chip away at her strength while pretending to go along with her madness. It was like trying to drown a mountain with a spoon of water—she resisted it with terrifying resilience. She truly wasn't human anymore. She was something else. A DemiGod.

If the spell hadn't held, even for that brief second, she would have had me. The thought made me feel chills.

She had been so damn eager to trap me under her, to 'breed' me again and again until I was nothing more than her plaything. If she had her way, it wouldn't have ended tonight. Or tomorrow. Or maybe ever…

A cold shiver crept down my spine.

I didn't have the luxury of hesitation. She wouldn't stay under for long. Alicia wasn't just a vampire—she was a Vampire Witch, and under the Blood Moon's influence no less. The power radiating from her had already been suffocating, almost overwhelming. And if my hunch was right, she was tied to Merithra, one of the Khaos Princesses. That made her even more dangerous.

Sloth had worked once, but if I kept pressing it, I feared it would do the opposite—stir her awake, rouse something even worse inside her.

I crouched beside her one last time. Her pale face, softened by sleep, looked strangely like the Alicia I knew. A lock of crimson hair had fallen across her lips. I brushed it away with my fingers.

"I'll come back," I whispered. Then I rose sharply, clenched my fist, and summoned Wrath.

There was no time to decode the mana circles Alicia had set to bind the chamber.

-BOOM!

The door exploded into splinters. Wood and iron shards scattered across the corridor of the Valachian Royal Castle. I stepped out into the dimly lit hallway, smoke and dust swirling behind me.

"Amaya…" I closed my eyes and focused.

I had never drunk Amaya's blood. But I had tasted Alicia's, and between the two of them there lingered an uncanny familiarity. Their essence felt connected, like two strings tied to the same knot. If I followed that faint pull, maybe I could find her.

I sprinted down the corridor dodging around the few knights who patrolled these halls. Wrath flickered faintly at my fingertips, ready if I needed it, but fortune was with me—none of them slowed me down. The pull grew stronger as I descended deeper into the castle's belly.

At last, I reached a heavy wooden door reinforced with iron. My hand hovered over the handle. I eased it open just enough to peer inside.

The chamber was dark, lit only by a few trembling candles. The air smelled of rust, damp stone, and blood—so much blood. And there she was.

Amaya.

She was shackled against the wall, her arms spread unnaturally wide. Dozens of needles pierced into her skin, metal tubes running from them into large glass jars that glowed faintly red, filled nearly to the brim with her drained lifeblood.

"Amaya…" I whispered and my gaze darkened.

The door creaked as I pushed it wide and stepped inside. No one else was there. Good. If anyone had been… I doubted I could have stopped myself from slaughtering them all.

I rushed to her, Wrath sparking along my arm as I shattered the shackles binding her wrists. The iron cracked and fell away. Then I pulled the needles out one by one, as carefully as I could, though her fragile body flinched at each prick.

Her weight collapsed forward, but I caught her against my chest before she could hit the ground.

"Amaya, look at me." I called her as I brushed strands of dark hair from her face. Her skin was ghostly pale, her lips nearly colorless, her breath so faint it felt like she might vanish in my arms.

Gritting my teeth, I grabbed one of the bloody needles still clattering on the floor and dragged it across my forearm. Warm crimson welled from the wound. I pressed it to her lips, letting the blood drip down.

At first, nothing. Then her lips twitched, parting slightly. The taste touched her tongue, and her body shivered violently. Slowly, weakly, her eyes fluttered open.

"That's it… here." I cradled her tighter, pulling her face against my neck. "Take it, Amaya. Take my blood."

Her teeth sank into me in the next heartbeat.

"Ugh—!" I gasped, gripping her trembling form as her fangs pierced deep.

The moment her mouth locked against my neck, something inside us both cracked open.

A surge of memories flooded my mind. Images flickered past too fast to grasp: laughter, tears, embraces and smiles, hands held tightly. It wasn't Amaya I saw. It was Elizabeth.

Every moment I had shared with her—meeting her, fighting beside her, losing her—all of it crashed into me, pouring out of my soul as Amaya drank.

She shivered against me, her body convulsing, but she didn't stop. And neither did the flood. Memories bled from me into her.

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