Arden was making his way through the forest when a voice suddenly called out to him.
From behind a massive tree, a young man wearing a mask slowly stepped into view.
"Who are you?" Arden asked, his eyes narrowing.
"If I were you," the masked man said calmly, "I wouldn't go that way."
Arden frowned. "What do you mean?"
"At the end of that path... a group of Grave Hunters is waiting for you," the masked man said.
No sooner had he spoken than Arden heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps rapidly approaching through the trees.
The masked man had been telling the truth.
"Well then..." the stranger said with a faint chuckle. "I'll leave you to it."
He raised his cloak.
In the blink of an eye...
He vanished.
Arden turned toward the approaching Grave Hunters.
Without hesitation, he drew his enormous scythe.
With a single swing—
A brilliant crescent of energy sliced through the forest.
Every Grave Hunter touched by its light instantly disappeared.
Not even ashes remained.
Their very existence was erased from the world.
.
.
.....
Mist was walking across the academy grounds when a girl suddenly blocked his path.
It was Lilith.
"So it's you, Lady Lilith," Mist said with a smile.
Lilith narrowed her eyes. "Tell me... who are you really? And how do you know me?"
Mist merely smiled.
Without answering, he slowly walked toward her.
Instinctively, Lilith stepped backward.
There was something unsettling about the way he looked at her.
Before she realized it, her back pressed against a stone wall.
Mist stopped only inches away from her.
"I'll show you who I am..."
Before Lilith could react—
Mist gently kissed her.
Her eyes widened before slowly closing.
In that instant...
Countless memories flooded into her mind.
Scenes she had never witnessed unfolded one after another like a movie.
She experienced every memory that belonged to Mist.
.
.
.
"Wow!" Viel exclaimed.
He watched in amazement as Akuma gradually gained control over his powers.
"I'm just glad my brother taught me," Akuma said proudly.
"Doesn't the fire burn you?" Viel asked.
Akuma shook his head. "Actually... It feels strangely comforting."
Suddenly—
Viel clutched his chest.
His face twisted in pain.
Akuma's smile instantly disappeared.
"Viel! What's wrong?" Akuma asked worriedly.
"My... my chest... it hurts again..." Viel said.
Without wasting another second, Akuma rushed to a nearby cabinet and grabbed a Vampire Tablet from a glass jar.
"Here. Take this," Akuma said.
Viel quickly swallowed the tablet.
Akuma gently helped him lie down on the bed. "Get some rest. I'll go find Mist and Lucas."
Viel gave a weak nod.
Akuma quietly left the room.
.
.
.....
That night...
The same dream returned to Xylon.
Once again, he found himself standing in the very place where he had once seen Jade and Maddison.
He hid behind a large tree as the carriage carrying Jade slowly approached.
Moments later...
He finally saw them.
His eyes widened.
Without warning—
Monsters of every kind emerged from every direction.
They surrounded Jade's carriage.
Xylon instinctively tried to run toward them.
To protect them.
But...
His body refused to move.
It was as if an invisible force was holding him in place.
Then—
Jade slowly turned her head.
Her eyes met his.
Xylon froze.
She... can see me?
.
Xylon abruptly opened his eyes.
He let out a long sigh.
"Why... why can't I ever see how this dream ends? What happened to them after that scene?"
.
.
.
Chaos once again consumed the town.
The chimeras launched another attack, breaking into houses and buildings one after another.
They continued searching relentlessly for Mistress Beatriz's missing child.
High above the streets...
A masked young man stood atop the roof of a tall building, silently watching the destruction unfold below.
He simply shook his head.
"Do they really think... they're going to find me?" he murmured to himself.
.
.
.
That same night...
Viel suddenly lost consciousness once again.
Only a few seconds later, his crimson eyes slowly opened.
He quietly sat up and examined his arm.
A sinister smile spread across his face.
The one controlling Viel's body was no longer Viel.
Another being had taken over.
"It's time to feed this body enough energy," the entity whispered with a grin.
It rose from the bed and quietly walked toward the door.
As it passed Akuma, who was sleeping peacefully nearby, it clicked its tongue in annoyance.
"Tsk... You're fortunate. I can't lay a finger on you."
It had tried countless times to kill Akuma while he slept.
Yet every attempt had failed.
An overwhelming power prevented the entity from even getting close.
It knew exactly whose power it was.
The woman it had once loved.
Without another glance, it left the dormitory.
It wandered through the academy's silent hallways in search of another victim.
Then...
Someone appeared before it.
"It's been a long time since we last met," the entity said with a faint smile.
"I never expected you to return," Xerxes replied calmly.
A bitter laugh escaped the creature possessing Viel's body. "So... "You ignored the order I gave you."
Xerxes remained silent.
"What is it? Has that heart of stone finally grown soft?" it said.
Xerxes' eyes narrowed. "Why did you come back? Why are you killing innocent people? And why are you using Viel's body?"
The entity smirked. "This body must grow stronger if I'm to finish what I started."
Its eyes gleamed with murderous intent. "And if you dare stand in my way... I won't hesitate to kill you."
With those chilling words, it walked past Xerxes and disappeared into the darkness.
Xerxes remained standing in silence.
He had no idea how to stop that monster.
"...I'm sorry, Luna. I couldn't keep my promise," he whispered.
.
.
.
The following morning...
The academy was once again thrown into chaos.
The ashes of two more vampire students were discovered.
Xylon personally came to Serolf Academy to investigate the recent murders.
"Father!"
Viel immediately hurried over to greet him.
But instead of looking at Viel...
Xylon's eyes settled on Akuma.
His hand instinctively pressed against his chest.
His heart...
It was pounding.
A strange feeling surged through him—
A powerful pull he had never experienced, not even toward Viel.
"Father, I'm glad you came," Viel said.
Xylon finally turned toward him.
To Viel's surprise...
His father smiled.
It was the very first time Xylon had ever smiled at him.
"I simply wanted to make sure you're both safe," Xylon said softly.
His gaze drifted back to Akuma. "Is he your friend?"
"Yes, Father. This is Akuma," Viel introduced.
"It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty," Akuma said respectfully.
Xylon smiled once more.
Akuma's eyes...
They looked exactly like the eyes of someone who had once meant everything to him.
"I'm happy to meet you too, Akuma."
For reasons even he couldn't understand...
He found himself wanting to stay near the young vampire.
Later, Xylon invited Viel and Akuma to the academy office, where the three spent some time talking together.
.
.
Meanwhile...
Mist entered a large, ancient mansion.
An elderly vampire butler immediately welcomed him. "Good afternoon, Lord Mist. The young master has been waiting for you."
"Thank you. I'll see him now," he said.
As Mist walked through the long hallway, he passed a massive ogre.
Grum.
His friend's loyal companion.
The ogre paid him no attention, too busy devouring chunks of raw flesh.
Mist continued to the end of the corridor before entering a private room.
Inside sat a young man with long silver hair.
His back was turned.
A mask concealed his face.
"Sorry I'm late," Mist said.
The masked young man let out a sigh. "You're always late."
He reached up and removed his mask.
It was Lucas.
"So..." Mist said as he sat comfortably on a nearby sofa. "How are things in town? Is your mother still searching for you?"
Lucas gave a tired smile. "She hasn't stopped. She still wants me dead."
Lucas was the mysterious masked young man.
Mist had known his true identity all along.
The two had been close friends for many years.
Lucas wasn't actually forgetful.
He had only pretended to suffer from memory loss so he could get close to the Vampire Crown Prince without raising suspicion.
For years, he had been hunted by his own mother—the powerful witch, Mistress Beatriz.
That was the very reason he had enrolled at Serolf Academy.
Not to study...
But to hide from her.
"So... What's your plan now?" Mist asked.
Lucas' expression grew serious.
"I have to obtain the prince's Bloodprint... before that old hag gets to it first."
But one question still remained unanswered.
Who was the true prince?
Because both Viel...
and Akuma...
carried the blood of royalty within their veins.