"Until this very moment, you have failed to eliminate the prince... soon, he will ascend as the new king. You need to hurry," said the old minister.
Rain and her siblings remained on their knees before him.
"Forgive us, father. The unexpected appearance of his familiar consistently disrupts our plans," Fall clarified.
"That Reaper, Arden? That one's always a problem," the minister remarked with a hint of disdain.
"But the chosen one and the prince are getting closer now; we can use her in our plans, father," Autumn added.
A sinister smile played on the minister's lips.
"The chosen one is destined to end the prince's life... and when the prince is gone, your brother will step into the role, as he is more deserving of the throne," the minister revealed.
"There's something else you should know, father. Phoenix is gradually growing closer to the chosen one," Snow added.
"That's good... love, love will drive Phoenix to seize the throne from the prince," the minister concluded.
Rain and the others exchanged satisfied smiles.
.
....
Jade found herself immersed in that haunting dream once again—a child desperately running, relentlessly pursued by a terrifying monster. With vivid clarity, Jade witnessed the young man bravely facing and slaying the creature.
As the dream unfolded, a young woman appeared, weeping beside the lifeless monster. Surrounding her were men whose faces gradually became recognizable to Jade. To her astonishment, she realized she knew them.
Jade awoke in a cold sweat, her heart pounding.
"Them... why are they appearing in my dreams?" she questioned, a mixture of confusion and unease evident in her voice.
.
....
Kan placed thick books on Xylon's table, a serious expression etched on his face.
"What should I do with these, big brother?" Xylon asked in confusion, eyeing the numerous books.
"You need to learn how to control your powers," Kan responded, urgency in his voice.
"I don't want to," Xylon replied tersely, a hint of reluctance in his tone.
"It's not a matter of want, Your Highness. Mastering your abilities is crucial for the battles ahead," Kan insisted, his eyes reflecting a sense of responsibility.
"I dislike violence... I don't want my hands stained with blood again," Xylon revealed, his voice carrying a weight of past trauma.
"I understand why you avoid using your powers; you're afraid. But you must confront your fears. By avoiding to fight, you risk facing your downfall. Someday, you'll ascend to become the King, ruling the kingdom of Aznar, a vampire lineage. A formidable King is necessary to safeguard our kind. If you remain weak, the trust of other vampires, especially the nobles, will be elusive," Kan explained, his words heavy with conviction.
Xylon fell into a contemplative silence, grappling with his internal struggles.
"You will lead our kingdom in the future, and you must confront your fears. Fear is our fiercest enemy," Kan concluded before gracefully dissolving into the shadows, leaving Xylon to ponder the weight of his destiny.
.
....
As twilight descends, Cedrick eagerly awaits Aria at their designated meeting place. It doesn't take long before he sees Aria approaching.
"Sorry for making you wait," Aria apologizes.
Cedrick smiles warmly, "No need for apologies; I happened to arrive a bit early. Where shall we explore now?"
"I want to visit the Basilica," Aria replied.
Cedrick takes her hand, and they walk together.
Little do they know, Stephen is watching them from a distance.
.
.
Jade descended the stairs and found Zake in the living room. He immediately turned his gaze toward her.
"Where's Xylon?" she inquired.
"I-I don't know," Zake answered, staring at her intently.
Jade noticed the teddy bear Zake was holding.
"Do you like teddy bears?" she asked.
Zake nodded.
"Shall we play?" Zake suggested.
"Sure," Jade agreed, joining Zake.
Zake, despite his vampire nature, played with the teddy bear like an innocent child. However, their playtime was interrupted when Zake suddenly stopped.
"Is there a problem?" Jade asked.
"I-I'm hungry," Zake admitted.
Jade felt a momentary panic, realizing that Zake is a vampire. Fear crept in.
"D-Don't eat me," she pleaded.
Zake shook his head.
"H-His Highness told me not to harm you," Zake reassured.
Jade breathed a sigh of relief. But wait, His Highness? Whom could he be referring to?
Before she could speak, Phoenix arrived.
"You're awake. How are you feeling?" Phoenix asked with genuine concern.
"I'm okay, don't worry," she assured him.
"P-Phoenix... Z-Zake is hungry," Zake interjected, opening his mouth.
Phoenix scratched his head, retrieved a vampire tablet from his pocket, and handed it to Zake.
.
.
Cedrick lay on Aria's lap as they gazed at the sky. Aria felt an overwhelming joy, sensing that her beloved had returned in the form of Cedrick.
"I wish we could always be like this," Aria expressed.
Cedrick smiled and held her hand. "There's something I need to confess," he said, then got up, facing Aria.
"Aria, I think I love you... every time I see you, my heart feels lighter. It beats faster whenever you're around," Cedrick confessed.
Aria was taken aback by his words. Cedrick placed Aria's hand on his chest.
"Feel my heartbeat; it's like this when I'm with you... I love you, Aria," he declared.
Aria looked into his eyes, reading his thoughts, and she knew his words were genuine. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"I-I love you too, Cedrick... from the very beginning, I already loved you," she admitted.
"Really?" Cedrick asked with joy.
Aria nodded, and he embraced her tightly.
"I promise, I will never hurt you, and I won't leave you," he vowed.
Aria's tears fell again. Cedrick's promise not to leave her became the reason for her deepening love.
Little did Aria know that Stephen watched from afar. He sighed, knowing that loving a human was wrong for vampires.
.
.
"Pst. Pst!"
Jade swiftly turned, catching the faint sound of someone calling.
"Hey, I'm over here!" Xylon called.
Jade looked up the tree, where Xylon stood on a large branch.
"Why do you have to call me 'hey'? I have a name, you know," Jade replied.
"Then, should I call you babe instead?" Xylon grinned.
"Ugh! What do you mean, 'babe'? Am I a pig or something?" Jade retorted.
She's referring to a movie where the pig was named Babe.
Xylon furrowed his brow, gracefully descending from the tree.
"You get irritated so easily. I called you 'babe,' and you're still upset. You should be happy because I called you 'babe,'" Xylon teased.
"You're so arrogant. Why did you call me anyway?" Jade asked.
"Nothing. I just wanted to check how you're feeling," Xylon replied.
"Wow, so you're concerned about me now," Jade chuckled.
Xylon quickly averted his gaze. "I-I'm not!"
"Really? Haha," Jade laughed.
"Psh, let's go," Xylon said, grabbing Jade's hand.
"Wait, where are we going?" Jade asked.
"Somewhere," he replied.
They reached the heart of the forest.
"Do you have some grudge against me?" Jade asked.
"Huh?" Xylon replied.
"Why did you bring me here? It's scary in this place," Jade said, her face creased with a frown.
Xylon suddenly burst into laughter. "Pft. I just wanted to show you something."
"What is it?" Jade asked.
Xylon whistled, and a colossal bird emerged.
"Waahhh, what's that?" Jade screamed in fear, hiding behind Xylon.
"Haha, don't be scared; he's my pet. This is Harpus," Xylon introduced.
Harpus is a giant bird and serves as Xylon's familiar.
"Does it eat humans?" Jade asked.
"No, Harpus is gentle," Xylon assured.
Xylon took Jade's hand and brought it closer to Harpus's head. Jade was delighted when Harpus didn't move, and she gently caressed its head.
"I told you he's kind," Xylon said with a smile.
Jade nodded, smiling.
"Do you want to ride?" Xylon asked.
"What? No!" she replied.
But it was too late as Xylon swiftly lifted her, and they mounted Harpus from behind.
Jade marveled as they soared through the sky, seeing the entirety of Serolf Academy and the town below.
Xylon held her tightly to ensure she wouldn't fall.
.
.
Silently, Phoenix observed Xylon and Jade soaring through the sky. His jaw tightened, and in frustration, he struck the wall, shattering it.
"Are you going to let Jade end up with the prince?" a voice echoed accusingly.
Phoenix turned sharply to find Autumn.
"If I were you, Phoenix, I'd act before it's too late," Autumn urged.
"Jade will be mine, no matter the circumstances," Phoenix declared with determination.
Autumn smirked and walked away.
.
.
....
That night, in the town, in a narrow alley.
"N-No... don't come any closer! AAHHHH!!" echoed the desperate cry of an elderly man.
A monstrous being attacked him, violently tearing into his abdomen, and this unidentified monster devoured his body.