"I have decided to do it, and no one will be able to stop me," Rosella said emphatically, busily stuffing her belongings into her bag.

She ignored the protests of the curly-haired man leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. It seemed he had given up trying to convince her that the decision she was making was nothing more than a reckless way to throw her life away to their enemies.

"I know you won't listen…" Rosella turned to him, watching as he exhaled sharply. He seemed to be waiting for whatever she was about to say next.

"The elders are preparing for war against them. Be patient until the time comes." Finally, he said the hardest thing to admit. The preparations for war were highly classified, and not everyone was privy to them.

Rosella raised an eyebrow. "And when exactly will that be? I can't wait any longer, Koen. I've been patient for five years… but not anymore. If no one is willing to help me get my revenge, then I'll do it myself."

Koen straightened up. "You're not the only one who's lost something here, Rose. I have too, and so have our friends. For centuries, they have terrorized us with fear, enslaved us, and treated us like livestock, ready to be devoured at any moment. Do you think I want this? To be trapped here, watching them hunt down our people out there?" His voice rose, veins bulging on his face. Koen was truly angry.

What was even crazier was that Rosella didn't seem afraid at all. Her hazel eyes gleamed, and her expression hardened. "And I choose not to be a coward like the rest of you."

Koen ran a frustrated hand through his hair. This girl was beyond stubborn—she was reckless. "You won't be allowed to leave the base, Rose."

Rosella zipped her bag shut, looking ready to leave at any moment. Koen braced himself for whatever fiery remark she would throw at him next, but to his surprise, she simply walked over to her bed, pulled the blanket over herself, and got ready to sleep. She didn't seem like someone about to escape, despite everything she had just said.

"You're impossible," he muttered before leaving her room.

The ticking clock marked the passing hours, and soon, midnight arrived—the perfect time for creatures of the night to stir. Rosella sat up in bed, parted the curtains, and peered outside. The hunters' base was quieter than usual, a clear sign that some of them were out on missions or patrolling the perimeter.

She smirked, realizing her escape mission would go smoothly. Grabbing her bag, she checked its contents to make sure nothing was missing. Once she was certain everything was in place, she slipped out of her room.

Walking through the corridors as if it were just another ordinary night, she exchanged casual greetings with a few hunters along the way. No one suspected a thing. They assumed she was heading out on a mission—no one would dare stop her.

"This is easier than I expected," she murmured excitedly.

After walking a fair distance, she reached a crossroads. Instead of heading toward the town square, she chose the path leading into the forest. There was always a chance she could get caught, even if the forest route was more dangerous.

Most likely, she would run into werewolves or vampires, but that was still preferable to dealing with Koen and the others. Besides, she was a skilled hunter.

As she ventured deeper into the woods, the atmosphere grew increasingly eerie. Perhaps it was because she had crossed the boundary of human territory, making everything feel more sinister. She swallowed hard, gripping the silver dagger at her waist, ready for any sudden attacks.

A shadow flickered through the darkness, moving swiftly and blending seamlessly with the surroundings. The evenly spaced trees provided excellent cover for the enemy, making it difficult for Rosella to track them.

Her eyes darted around warily. She took careful steps, gripping her silver dagger tightly.

String!

Her dagger clashed against the long claws of a vampire. Defeating a low-class, mindless vampire wasn't difficult for Rosella—the real problem was their overwhelming numbers and aggressive nature, driven purely by their bloodthirsty instincts.

"They just keep coming!" Rosella kicked the vampire back, seizing the opportunity to plunge her dagger into its heart. Swiftly, she drew another dagger from its sheath.

Spinning it between her fingers, she remained on high alert. It was common knowledge that vampires were weak against silver weapons—especially these mindless creatures attacking her now. A single fatal wound was enough to end them.

The longer she delayed, the more of them gathered. Glowing red eyes pierced through the darkness, watching her hungrily.

Yet they didn't attack.

They just stood there, waiting for an opening. Occasionally, two or three of them lunged, only to meet their demise just as quickly.

Over and over, the pattern repeated until Rosella grew frustrated. "Are you all too cowardly to come at me directly?" she taunted.

Maybe she would find satisfaction in slaughtering every last one of them. "Come at me, and I'll offer your corpses to my parents—the ones you murdered. Don't worry, your leader will be joining you soon enough."

Her breathing was heavy, but she showed no fear.

Then, the atmosphere changed.

Something flew past them. Rosella looked up, and the figure that had just descended revealed itself.

"Look what I found here."

The figure grinned, eyes gleaming as if it had just discovered a long-awaited feast.

"Seems like I don't have to bother going into human territory for my dinner. A foolish girl has willingly offered her life to us."

Rosella tightened her grip on her daggers.

"What a shame," she said coldly. "Because the one dying here… won't be me."

The vampire tilted his head, irritated by the silver weapons in her hands. With a wave of his hand, he signaled his minions to attack.

Rosella was instantly overwhelmed—not only by the vampires but also by the swarm of bats hindering her movements.

Her dagger was knocked from her grasp.

Her confidence wavered.

The vampire standing above her wasn't someone she could take down easily. His ability to control the bats made him an even greater threat.

Not wanting to die in vain, Rosella turned and ran. Forget her belongings—she just needed to survive until sunrise and come up with a new plan.

But escaping wasn't as easy as it seemed. The swarm of bats chased her relentlessly, their claws raking across her skin, leaving deep cuts in their wake.

Rosella had no idea where her feet were taking her. She was too focused on evading the attacks to notice her surroundings.

Until it was too late.

She found herself standing at the edge of a cliff.

Preoccupied with fending off the bats, she took an unexpected step—right into the abyss.

The vampire chasing her lunged forward, trying to grab her, but his movements halted.

Someone else, hidden in the darkness, reached her first—wrapping her in their embrace.

"This just keeps getting more troublesome."

To be continued…