Have you ever considered such a possibility that one day when you jolt awake from a slumber, you suddenly realize that all those events that transpired before, all those people you encountered were merely a dream? No matter how arduous it was, it would all be okay once you woke up.
Once you woke up, you'd be back on the normal track. You'd queue for twenty or thirty minutes each day to buy a discounted Starbucks coffee. The little library page at the North Florence Library would, as usual, knock on your door early on Wednesday mornings to ask if you had any old books you'd like to donate.
You'd deliberately offer them a plate of berry pies or tripe sandwiches in exchange for time to rummage through that pile of books to see if there was anything you wanted, and then purchase them with the spare change you got from Starbucks.
The courier would never remember to leave the parcels at the door, instead casually tossing them onto the mailbox, getting all jumbled up with the neighbors' letters. There would still be corpses in various states of death lying on the autopsy table in the forensic laboratory, waiting for you to piece together their moments of death one by one.
Your office would always be filled with an overly pungent coffee smell. Bruno from the criminal police team would menacingly warn that you'd age prematurely and die early due to caffeine. Miranda from the trace evidence section always idolized your guardian, Landon. You'd pretend to mention it casually to Landon while dissecting body parts for muscle texture comparison, eliciting his resigned yet charming smile as he reminded you not to get distracted.
This was your life, normal and pleasant, fulfilling yet fleeting.
In the evenings, you'd still have a cup of coffee with milk. Stirring the brown, fragrant liquid in the cup, you'd watch the sun set, knowing that tomorrow would be a new day and it would be better.
Alas, it was all a lie.
Katherine stared blankly at the face that was now right in front of her, magnified to the fullest extent. She was so startled that she couldn't react at all. The feeling of their breaths intermingling was truly terrifying. She wanted to scream, but her mouth was completely blocked by the dexterous tongue that the other party deftly slipped in.
For a split second, Katherine wanted to bite off the other's tongue, but she was afraid that her neck would be bitten off in the next second. So she just froze on the ground, staring at him helplessly. The gradually intensifying red in Caius's eyes and his increasingly heavy breathing made Katherine feel that something was terribly wrong. She couldn't figure out what this pervert was getting excited about. It was she who was scared, not him!
However... but this feeling of having to swallow the venom in the other's mouth because of the tension was really...
Fucking terrifying!
Ahhh! What the hell are you doing, you pervert!
Sensing someone's approach, Caius finally released Katherine. His thin lips had a more vivid, almost tragic red hue, as if he had just drunk blood.
Katherine was still in shock. Caius yanked her up, and it was only then that she saw Aro and the others who had somehow arrived there. She was so ashamed and furious that she almost wanted to kill herself. Was he crazy just now?! Did he even know what he was doing?! Wasn't there a charge of sexual harassment in vampire laws?!
Damn your mother's kisses and your grandma's mouths! What useless laws!
"I was quite shocked when I heard what Jane said, Cassie. I thought you'd already gotten used to this place." Aro looked at her with feigned regret.
Katherine felt a chill run down her spine. This didn't look like an expression of shock at all. Caius had just taken her to the dark room to see the tragic fate of that newborn. Was it her turn so soon?
She subconsciously looked at Caius. This guy had just promised not to do this to her. He was changing too fast!
Caius caught sight of Katherine's even paler complexion and replied coldly, frowning: "No one is entitled to interfere in Katherine's affairs. I'll decide for myself."
"We don't intend to interrogate Cassie, I swear, my dear brother. There's no need to be so tense." Aro looked at him gently, clasping his hands together in front of his chest like a pious godfather making a solemn vow, his aura eerie. "I was just thinking that perhaps you might need a little help?"
With that, Chelsea and Colin gracefully and respectfully stepped out from behind Aro, their faces wearing a formulaic smile that was truly chilling.
Katherine instinctively clenched her fists and stared at them with wide eyes: "What do you want to do?"
"Dear, don't be afraid. Chelsea and Colin's abilities aren't for attacking, I assure you." Aro's voice was as gentle as a venomous snake. "You'll truly come to like this place soon."
Suddenly, a word popped into Katherine's mind: brainwashing. The abilities of these two vampires could brainwash her. Perhaps they could even make her forget everything from her human days and then willingly stay here like a puppet!
If that were the case, what difference would there be between her and that newborn in the dark room?!
She couldn't help but take a step back, quickly recalling her past and finding that it was all still there. Looking at Chelsea and Colin again, they were quietly waiting for Caius's orders.
Caius's complexion was still rather bad, his brows furrowed tightly, and the muscles on his face taut. Aro's words fell one by one into the air, each one like an explosion: "Caius, what do you think? Isn't this what you've always hoped for?"
Katherine looked at Caius in a panic. His silence made her feel as if her whole body was starting to turn cold and rigid. She was just one step away from the abyss. As long as Caius nodded, Katherine Windsor would disappear forever, leaving only a shell in the world, forever in the world.
"Don't." Katherine grabbed his hand as if it were a piece of ice that could never be warmed, the cold seeping straight into her heart. "Don't, Caius... don't."
Aro and the others' attitudes were all too obvious. The decision-making power regarding what would happen to her was in Caius's hands. No one else could decide, not even Katherine herself. She clutched Caius's hand as if it were her only lifeline, trembling uncontrollably, almost begging in a humble manner.
Caius turned to look at Katherine. The vulnerability in her eyes was nothing like that of a vampire but rather that of an ordinary human, an ordinary human who had been thrown into a den of vampires.
Because she had been drinking animal blood, the scarlet in Katherine's eyes was lighter and softer than that of ordinary vampires. Especially when she looked at someone like this, panicked to the point of near despair, yet still clinging to that last shred of hope.
Her eyes were like a desolate wasteland of thorns, and her reflection of Caius was like seeing the only glimmer of dawn.
However, Katherine had indeed violated the rules. She deserved to be punished because no one could guarantee that such a thing wouldn't happen again. He would never allow this to happen a second time. Perhaps Aro's proposal was useful and worth a try.
Caus felt that he shouldn't be looking at her, but he couldn't tear his gaze away. As a result, he opened his mouth several times but couldn't utter a single word. The light in Katherine's eyes was fragile and faint. He was afraid that once he opened his mouth, that light would be extinguished and would never burn again.
But such a thought made Caius irritable. When had he ever been so indecisive? He stared intently at Katherine's eyes, those eyes that were as lively and beautiful as a cat's. He remembered the first time he saw her six years ago. Those eyes had taken his breath away for an instant.
It was a kind of vitality, an innate charm that belonged to Katherine herself.
As time ticked by, Chelsea and Colin exchanged a glance, not understanding what Caius was hesitating about.
Although Katherine, like them, had no idea what Caius was thinking, his hesitation gave her hope. She grabbed him with both hands, calling his name over and over again, begging him not to agree.
"Caius."
"Caius, please, don't."
"Caius..."
Katherine felt that she had never called someone's name so many times in such a short period of time in her life. She looked at Caius's face, almost desperate enough to kneel down before him in a humble manner.
The light in her eyes faded bit by bit. Her eyelids slowly drooped, covering those beautiful eyes. She lowered her head, her whole body trembling.
After a long while, Caius reached out and lifted her head, his tone suppressing his irritability: "Can you guarantee that this won't happen again?"
Once these words were spoken, almost everyone was stunned. No one expected Caius would be willing to give Katherine a choice. The gentle smile on Aro's face disappeared, replaced by a strange, amused look, as if he had discovered something truly remarkable and interesting.
Katherine looked at him. It took her a while to react, and then she quickly promised: "Yes, I guarantee it."
Chelsea and Colin's expressions grew even more peculiar. They stared at Caius with wide eyes, disbelief written all over their faces, and then looked back at Aro.
"Good." Caius leaned closer to her, his eyes fixed on the glimmer of light in her eyes, with a sense of relief that was almost overwhelming him, a relief brought about by the preservation of the light in Katherine's eyes. His tone was slow and firm: "Remember what you said, Katherine. I've given you a chance. There won't be a second time."
Katherine looked up at him, took a deep breath, and nodded vigorously. Her sharp white teeth bit into her lower lip, almost piercing the tough skin with such force.
Hearing Caius say this, Chelsea and Colin had no choice but to retreat behind Aro, full of doubts. Aro walked briskly forward, his voice so cheerful that it couldn't conceal his laughter: "What a surprise, truly unexpected. Caius, how long has it been since you were this hesitant? Three thousand years, right?"
Sensing Caius's aura turn cold in an instant, Katherine knew something was going to go wrong. Aro was really rubbing salt in the wound! This guy who would die if he didn't stir up trouble... No, no, no, she couldn't curse him!
Katherine carefully backed away behind Caius, unconsciously squeezing his hand tighter. This change in Katherine, where she would move closer to him upon sensing danger, somewhat alleviated Caius's mood. He shot back at Aro without hesitation: "As far as I know, you have no principles when it comes to Sulpicia, right?"
Aro blinked, his eyes lingering on Katherine for a moment, and then he simply smiled without saying a word.
Katherine felt a chill run down her spine. Yes, yes, yes, whatever you say, Master Caius. But this reference you chose isn't appropriate. Sulpicia and Aro are husband and wife, and she and Caius are nothing. There's no comparison.
The crisp sound of high heels came from afar. Gianna was startled when she returned with a cardboard box. She didn't know what had happened.
The moment Caius saw her, his anger flared up. If it weren't for her leaving her post without permission, Katherine would never have had the chance to touch that damn phone. He glared at Gianna coldly and asked: "Is this your work attitude?"
Gianna's face turned pale instantly, and the cardboard box in her arms almost slipped out. Katherine opened her mouth but finally said in a low voice: "I asked her to go and get something for me. She's fine, really."
"Put the things there, Gianna. It's okay." Aro kindly reminded her and then said, "I have other things to do, so I'll leave first."
With that, he floated away. Chelsea and the others who floated away with him still nodded and bowed to Caius very respectfully, one after another, like a military drill.
Sensing that they had all left, Katherine let out a sigh of relief and tried to withdraw her hand, only to find that she couldn't pull it back.
Looking up, she saw Caius staring at her sharply, as if asking how she dared to discard him after using him. Katherine immediately froze, muttering to herself that this guy's mood was always so unpredictable.
But he hadn't let Chelsea and them brainwash her after all, and Katherine was still very grateful to him.
The two of them stood there in a stalemate for a while. Katherine didn't know where to rest her gaze and unconsciously fixed it on the now-weakening beam of sunlight.
The weather was changing. The sunlight was getting weaker.
"Do you want to go out?" Caius asked her in a nonchalant tone, looking at her.