Arin had an indifferent expression on his face as he stared at Seraphine, who was currently pouting like a little child who didn't get her candy.
They were both seated on the bed, and Arin folded his arms.
"What, are you just being stubborn, Seraphine?" Arin asked, his eyes fixated on her.
"But you promised..." Seraphine whispered.
When they were about to fight Alex in the forest, Arin promised her that if she did well, he would let her take a walk. Well, it was time to uphold his promise, but he felt like this wasn't the right time.
"Like I told you," Arin began, "Alex might be outside right now, and he's very observant. If he sees you, I don't know what will happen."
Seraphine was about to speak again, but Arin interrupted her while playing with the Blood Spike in his hand.
"And just so you know, if Alex is even caught outside now, even though it's already past curfew time, he won't be punished."
Seraphine had a thoughtful expression on her face before asking, "What are the chances of him being outside now?"
"I'll say betwe—"
Before Arin could finish talking, he suddenly felt a gust of wind. Seraphine also felt it, and in an instant, they turned their heads sharply toward the open window.
And that was when they saw it...
A lady landed gracefully on the window with her arms spread out like an eagle. Her blue hair was fluttering wildly, revealing the hilt of the sword strapped to her back. Her head was facing down, so they couldn't see her eyes.
Instantly, Arin and Seraphine leaped back from the bed, landing near the door.
Arin's gaze turned cold as he glared at her. 'Who is she? I didn't sense her until she landed on the window... She certainly isn't normal.'
Liora concealed her Blood Energy, so Arin was still unaware that she was a Vampire, but that wasn't until she raised her head.
Meanwhile, Seraphine had been trembling ever since Liora landed on the window, and of course, it was for a valid reason.
As soon as Liora raised her head, Arin saw her red eyes, making him open his mouth slightly.
'Those eyes... There's no doubt, she's definitely a Vampire,' Arin thought, shock evident on his face. 'Maybe she can also hide her Blood Energy.'
The shock made him ignore her immense beauty. He was just too focused on the fact that she was a Vampire.
She moved forward, landing on the floor inside the room before folding her arms. Her mesmerizing red eyes were fixated on Seraphine. 'I knew it... My senses can't deceive me.'
"L... Lor... Lord Liora..." Seraphine stuttered, still trembling.
'Did dad send her here to investigate about me?' Seraphine thought.
Liora had a calm expression while still staring at Seraphine.
"I want to ask you why you're not bowing in my presence, but I think I know what's going on," Liora said.
Immediately after she said that, her gaze shifted to Arin, who was now holding two Blood Spikes like daggers, his eyes sharp and alert.
"Who are you?" Arin asked, his tone cold.
He had already noticed that Seraphine called her 'lord' and she was trembling. With that, he guessed that she must be someone with a really high position in the Vampire Kingdom.
'But for a Princess to call someone 'lord', that means this lady is probably a... Progenitor.'
Arin glanced at Seraphine and saw the look in her eyes... A look that made it clear she had given up.
"It's no use..." She whispered, her words directed at Arin.
Arin gritted his teeth in anger as his muscles tensed, but he suddenly heard Liora's voice.
Liora sighed before speaking. "Any questions you have will be answered when we get to the Vampire Kingdom."
Arin furrowed his brows. 'How did she even know I was here? Was it because I was playing with my Blood Spike? No... I think she somehow sensed me from the Vampire Kingdom, but how?'
"Can my questions not be answered here?" Arin asked, gripping his Blood Spikes tighter.
'And what did Seraphine mean by it's no use? Is there really nothing I can do in this situation?'
"I have no time for this conversation," Liora said. "It's time to go."
Before Arin could even process what she just said, he suddenly felt something around him.
But that wasn't all.
Before he even blinked, Liora was already in front of him. That was when he noticed that it was a red chain around him. The chain was long enough to trap his legs, stomach, and arms. But the most important detail was that the chain was releasing a red smoke.
'W... When did I get chained?' Arin thought. 'And... I can't talk?'
He tried to say something, but he couldn't. He couldn't move, and above all, he couldn't even access his Blood Energy.
'What is going on...? It's as if even my Blood Energy has been trapped.'
Liora moved closer to Arin. They were roughly the same height, so they locked eyes. She placed her hand on his shoulder before speaking.
"Listen," Liora began, "if you just do as I say when we get to the Vampire Kingdom, there will be no issues, okay?"
She then looked at Seraphine, but before she could do anything, Seraphine instantly disappeared, entering Arin's head.
Liora just squinted her eyes before grabbing Arin.
'Why...? I've never felt so helpless before...' Arin thought.
Liora brought out the small vial containing the red liquid and opened it.
As soon as the liquid, which was actually blood, touched the floor, the same pattern appeared: the big circle, square, and the X shape.
Liora looked around the room again before whispering, "You might never return..."
Immediately, she stepped on the X shape, and she and Arin disappeared, leaving the room empty.