"W-Who are you?" Blake asked fearfully.
Behind him, Zake cowered while clutching his dog tightly.
"Blake... don't be afraid. It's me, Lilith. And this is Kun. We're your friends," Lilith said gently.
"I don't know you," Blake replied.
"I-I don't know them either," Zake stammered, trembling with fear.
All of their eyes glowed crimson, and sharp fangs protruded from their mouths.
"Y-You're monsters," Blake whispered.
"No, Blake. We're not monsters," Lilith answered softly.
"W-We?" Blake said.
Lilith nodded.
"T-Tell me... what's happening to us? Why have our eyes turned red?" Blake asked.
"Come with us. I'll explain everything," she said as she extended her hand toward them.
Blake and Zake exchanged uncertain glances.
.
.
.....
"I've been feeling really strange these past few days," Xylon muttered as he lay across Stephen's bed. "I'm constantly thirsty, but no matter how much water I drink, the thirst never goes away. And I can barely sleep at night. Something's seriously wrong."
Stephen stopped typing on his laptop and looked at him. "You can't sleep?"
"Yep," Xylon replied.
"When you're under direct sunlight... does your skin burn?" Stephen asked.
"Huh? Umm... not really," Xylon answered.
Stephen fell silent. Xylon was experiencing the exact same symptoms he had, yet sunlight didn't seem to affect him.
"Oh, by the way, why is your room so dark?" Xylon asked as he stood up. "Let's open these curtains."
He pulled them open.
"NO!"
Stephen instantly threw himself into the darkest corner of the room.
"What happened to you?" Xylon asked in confusion.
"C-Close it! Close the window!" Stephen shouted angrily.
.
.
Xylon sighed as he walked home.
Stephen had completely lost his temper just because he opened the curtains.
"What's that guy's problem?" he muttered to himself.
He suddenly stopped walking when he noticed the man dressed in black once again.
Just like every other time, the mysterious man stood beside a streetlamp.
At this rate, I should just call him 'Mr. Streetlamp.' He's always standing next to one.
"Who are you?" Xylon asked.
To his surprise, the man immediately dropped to one knee before him.
"I am overjoyed to see that you are alive, Your Majesty," the man said respectfully.
Your Majesty...?
.
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.....
Hades and Spring watched from a distance as the werewolf pack went about their lives.
"They're stubborn. They refuse to submit to the Mirce Lorde," Arkanus said coldly.
"What do you want us to do?" Hades asked.
"Destroy their settlement. Kill some of them... and capture the rest," Arkanus ordered.
"Is that all?" Spring smirked. "That'll be easy."
"We'll leave everything to you," Arkanus replied.
Owen immediately opened a portal leading to the next territory they intended to conquer.
Arkanus stepped through first, followed by Sheen, Tresvain, and the other Queron soldiers.
"Everyone, prepare for battle," Hades commanded.
Moments later, they launched a brutal assault on the werewolf pack.
.
.
.....
"Seriously? I'm a king?" Xylon laughed. "You must be messing with me."
"I'm telling you the truth. You are our king. You are Xylon Vladimir Serolf, the King of the Vampires," Arden declared.
Xylon nearly spat out the coffee he had just taken a sip of. "A vampire? You're saying I'm the king of vampires? Does that mean... I'm a vampire too?"
Arden nodded.
Xylon burst into laughter. "Haha! Nice joke. You must watch way too many horror movies."
"I'm completely serious, Your Majesty," Arden said. He's serious.
"First of all, stop calling me 'Your Majesty.' I'm not your king," Xylon said.
"Aznar needs you now. Your memories were erased, which is why you can't understand any of this," Arden explained.
"I seriously have no idea what you're talking about. What do you mean my memories were erased?" Xylon asked, furrowing his brows.
"The dreams you've been having... they're real," Arden replied.
Xylon froze. "How do you know about my dreams?"
"I know everything about you because you created me. Our souls are connected as one," Arden answered.
Arden was a gift from Xylon's father—an Anima, a spiritual being born without a physical body or any memories of its own.
Using his extraordinary power, Xylon forged a bond between his own soul and Arden's, sharing fragments of his memories and granting the spirit a sense of identity. Over time, Arden gradually obtained a physical form through an illusion created by Xylon's imagination and magic.
Xylon envisioned Arden as a Reaper, shaping both his appearance and purpose. He bestowed upon him a fearsome scythe with the power to erase the very existence of anyone it touched—not merely killing them, but wiping them from reality itself.
Because Arden's existence was born from Xylon's and sustained by his power, the two became eternally connected. As long as Xylon lives, Arden can never truly disappear. And as long as Xylon remembers him, Arden will continue to exist in this world.
Xylon's mind spun with confusion. What on earth is this guy talking about?
"Your Majesty, allow me to restore your memories," Arden continued.
"If I agree... will I finally learn who I really am?" Xylon asked again.
"You'll understand everything that's happening to you. Haven't you already begun experiencing the thirst? The thirst for blood... and your inability to sleep? Vampires don't truly sleep," Arden said.
"W-Wait... so am i really a...?" Xylon's eyes widened.
Arden nodded once more.
Xylon felt as though he was about to faint.
What in the world is happening to me?
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.
.....
At the mansion...
"He's awake," Lilith said.
Xenon's eyes slowly opened.
Standing around him were Lilith, Yvess, Kun, and Lucas.
He slowly sat up, pressing a hand against his aching head.
"Do you really think your spell worked, Lucas?" Yvess whispered. "Will it bring back his memories?"
"I carefully studied every page of the Black Grimoire," Lucas replied.
Lucas Degula was a warlock, born into a long line of witches. He was exceptionally skilled in black magic and ancient spells.
"W-What happened to me?" Xenon asked weakly.
"Xenon... do you remember us?" Lilith asked anxiously.
Xenon looked at each of them in silence.
"You..."