I can't help but feel that Lionel has truly brainwashed me. Holding a gun to my temple, the shadow before me suddenly becomes real. His face, so handsome it could topple cities, leans in close, whispering softly, "Margie, why stop thinking about me? Don't you like me? Did you see my heart last night? It's still beating."
I quickly shift the gun to aim at his chest. "Please stop appearing, okay? Go away… go away…" I roar, firing five or six shots. The shadow vanishes instantly, leaving only the crisp, clear sound of bullet casings hitting the ground in the distance.
Gasping for breath, I try to stop my thoughts, but they won't relent. As I turn, I bump into a short, soft wall—Amelia, who smiles at me. "Margie, you're probably the best student Rion has ever taken. Not only do you eat incredibly fast, but your marksmanship is also spot on. Hmph… in another two months, you'll be ready to hunt down your baron! Those shots to his chest just now were excellent!"
Finally, I understand why Bevis said everyone here is crazy—Amelia can see what's in my mind?!
I grit my teeth, slap her shoulder hard, and ignore her as I head to the combat arena.
She doubles over in pain. "Margie, what did you do to me?"
"Nothing, just temporarily stopped the blood flow in one of your veins."
"Are you insane?! My vein is about to burst!" she screams, collapsing to the ground in agony.
"Next time, don't spy on me!" I snort coldly and walk away to the combat arena.
After putting on my gloves, the punching bag in front of me transforms into that damned baron!
He stands there, smiling as if the world were at peace, his figure so vivid that I can't tell if it's my imagination or if he's really there.
"Margie, don't think about letting me go. You can't let go, and you can't forget me!" He taps the punching bag lightly, causing it to sway.
Damn it, is he really here?!
What the hell! What the hell! I gasp, staggering as if struck, and fall to the ground. "Lionel, please leave!"
Everyone here wants him dead. My heart skips a beat in panic—did I really shoot at him just now, or was it just an illusion?
He steps closer. "Accept me, and you won't suffer like this. If you truly miss me, indulge yourself. There's nothing wrong with it. Love isn't wrong!"
In an instant, he's in front of me, pulling me into his arms. The cold touch sends a shiver through me. Despite the chill, sweat beads on my forehead, and my heart races like a thousand deer stampeding. I'm terrified, yet I can't help but crave this embrace. I must be seriously ill!
Gentle kisses land on my forehead, eyebrows, eyes, nose, and lips…
"Margie, what are you doing?!" Dene's roar suddenly echoes.
In an instant, he's standing before me, his ageless face filled with anger. Yet Lionel continues to hold my face, kissing me gently. The cool, tender touch and the fresh scent are so vivid, so real.
Slap!
My face is struck hard—by Dene. His hand passes through Lionel's body and lands squarely on my cheek. A metallic taste fills my mouth as I stagger back, only to find nothing in front of me.
I stare blankly at Dene. "Where's Lionel?"
Why does Dene act as if he didn't see him? Am I falling into madness? Are these hallucinations so real?
"Thinking about Lionel again? Sooner or later, you'll become a vampire too!" He presses a gun to my chest. "Maybe I should just kill you now!"
"Dene… I don't want to, but I can't help it!"
Dene trembles with anger. "You… fine, you have to leave. I don't want to see you again."
"What? I don't want to leave Bevis. How can you kick me out?"
"Because you're hopelessly in love with him! Why not just follow him to the vampire den and become his vampire bride?" He fires two shots at me, but the bullets mysteriously slow down and hit the wall behind me. This is the first time I've seen Dene so furious.
He scans the area and suddenly fires a shot to my left. "Since the baron is here, why not show yourself? Sneaking around with a woman isn't exactly honorable!"
I look around in shock. So Dene wasn't shooting at me—he was aiming at Lionel. And clearly, he missed.
I'm relieved that Lionel is real, yet I'm terrified he might be hurt. Torn, I don't know what to do.
I press myself against the wall, tense. Bevis was right—I shouldn't think about him. Longing can become a summoning, and a vampire this powerful is hard to resist.
I glance at Dene, who's scanning the area warily. Suddenly, I feel a cold touch on my face—Lionel's hand, cool and gentle, with just the right amount of pressure.
I can even feel his tender gaze upon me. Closing my eyes, tears flow uncontrollably. My breathing quickens, and I want to scream, but then I feel a soft touch at the corner of my eye—his lips. He kisses away the blood from my split lip, his gentle kisses trail down to my lips…
God, I'm really falling apart. He knows I have no resistance to him, yet he still tempts me like this. Why is this damned vampire so wicked?
Trembling, I open my eyes to find Dene pointing a gun at me. "Margie, is he beside you?"
I know the gun is loaded with silver bullets, deadly to vampires. I bite my lip, not daring to speak.
"Tell me, is he beside you?"
His enraged roar sends a shiver through me, but Lionel remains unbothered, continuing to kiss me leisurely.