"Ezra, let's go get a drink." Grace ran over to Ezra, who was standing at the door waiting for Grace to go home with him.
Lucas just stared at them with relief. At least Grace had done what she said she would do and stayed by Ezra's side. However, Lucas didn't expect Grace not to talk to him for several days.
He thought that Lucas was utterly absent from her life.
It was Lucas who wanted that the most. But he was also upset to see how close Grace and Ezra were, with almost no distance between them. In addition, the loneliness from his past, which had temporarily disappeared, now returned to envelop his life once again.
"Lucas, do you want to come with us?" Someone stopped at the door.
"Where?" asked Lucas.
"We want to spend Saturday night drinking. You've never gone out drinking with us before," he replied.
"That's right, Lucas. There will be lots of girls there. And if you come, maybe lots of girls will come to our table later." One of his male friends put his arm around Lucas in a friendly manner.
Lucas wasn't without friends. Everyone considered him a friend, but Lucas refused because he knew that making friends would only make him weaker by avoiding their blood.
After all, even vampires kill each other. From the beginning, Lucas was never taught to make friends or have a family.
"Sorry, I have other things to do," Lucas refused.
"Ah, what a pity." They sighed disappointedly.
Lucas walked away, leaving his friends behind. But suddenly he stopped and turned back to his friends, who were staring at him in amazement.
"Have fun," said Lucas, leaving everyone speechless.
They were accustomed to Lucas's cold demeanor, his indifference to those around him, and his lack of interest in conversing with anyone outside of work. Hearing Lucas say something he had never told before left everyone speechless.
It wasn't without reason. Lucas wanted to live like a human being. It didn't matter if he couldn't join in the fun. From the books he had read, he believed that hoping others would have fun without him was the right thing to do.
"How funny."
Lucas stopped when he saw Duke appear in front of him, clapping his hands and smiling mockingly.
"Meet me tonight at Lucien Castle, Lucas. I'll have drinks there. They're better than what your friends drink," Duke said.
"I won't come." Lucas refused without hesitation.
"No problem. I'll kidnap Grace tonight so you'll come meet me."
Duke disappeared after making the threat.
Duke truly knew that Grace was Lucas's weakness, so he used her as bait and a threat to make Lucas obey all his orders.
"Damn it!" Lucas muttered, feeling extremely angry.
**
"I'm such a fool," Grace lamented to herself.
How could she not? After not speaking to Lucas for several days, Grace quietly slipped away from Ezra's sight and walked toward Lucas's apartment unit, unsure of what she was doing.
However, just as Lucas was leaving, seemingly heading somewhere, Grace found herself following him like a stalker into the forest, unaware of how far she had walked behind him.
Grace hid behind a tree, watching Lucas's back as he continued to move further away from her sight until he finally disappeared when he passed between the two most significant trees in the middle of the forest, as if swallowed by the earth all of a sudden.
"W - wait, why did Lucas suddenly disappear?" Grace panicked and ran after him.
That's when she realized that the two trees were the gate to another world. Grace was sure of it because she suddenly found herself in a different place after passing through the two trees.
Unfortunately, Lucas was already out of sight.
At first glance, it looked like Lucas was entering a huge castle not far from where Grace was standing.
Not knowing what to do, Grace tried to find Lucas, hoping to escape with him, as she began to feel scared, realizing she was no longer in her world.
In the end, Grace regretted entering the old, creepy castle. The pungent smell of blood stung her nose, making her feel dizzy instantly.
Not only was the smell present, but some liquid substances also resembled blood. One of them was a large glass box almost filled with fresh red liquid resembling blood.
"I will return this power to you, Lucas. On the condition that you give me the woman with the sacred blood."
Vaguely, Grace heard someone's voice echoing.
"I will never give her to you!"
It was Lucas's voice. However, it was followed by a loud bang and Lucas's groans that filled every corner of the castle.
Grace immediately headed toward the room from which the sound was coming. But she dared not enter directly. She peeked through the slightly open door and was shocked to see Lucas lying on the floor while two men beside him were whipping him mercilessly.
"Tell me, will you bring the owner of the sacred blood to me or not?!" Duke began to shout.
"No! Argh..." A spear was thrust into Lucas's body, causing him to scream in pain.
"You still refuse to carry out my orders?"
"I will never do it."
Lucas's screams pierced Grace's ears as she repeatedly saw the spear piercing Lucas's body, but after that, Lucas's body returned to normal.
"Stab him in the heart." The Duke gave the order, which was acknowledged with a nod from the two men holding the spears.
Grace desperately wanted to stop it, but she was genuinely terrified.
"What are you doing here?"
Grace jumped in surprise when a woman touched her shoulder. Because of that, she accidentally opened the door wider, drawing the attention of everyone in the room, especially Lucas.
"Wow... this is the first time blood has come to us without us chasing it." Duke's red eyes shone brightly.