It was a pain that could not be described.
It felt like being bitten by a venomous snake, or being burned by raging fire. The sharp fangs pierced her skin and delved deep into her veins, greedily sucking her blood. Cecilia could distinctly feel her vitality draining away, little by little, with every drop of blood lost.
She wanted to struggle, to scream, to escape from this terrifying nightmare, but her body was as though bound by a spell, unable to move, forced to endure Cassiel's predation.
She could hear Cassiel's breath, low and heavy, laced with satisfaction and pleasure. His breath sprayed against her neck, cold and damp, sending shivers down her spine.
The scent he emitted was equally repulsive—a mix of blood, spices, and a decaying, rancid odor, strong enough to make her gag. Every time his fangs stirred within her veins, it brought a sharp pain, almost overwhelming enough to make her lose consciousness.
No…
Stop…
Please, stop…
Cecilia screamed silently in her mind, but her voice was too weak to even reach her own ears.
Her body grew colder and lighter, as if her soul were slowly drifting away from her body.
Am I going to die?
Is this really how I'm going to die?
I'm only nineteen; I haven't even had a chance to live properly yet. There are so many dreams I haven't fulfilled…
She didn't want to die…
She really didn't want to die...
Tears silently slid down her cheek, falling to the cold floor and shattering like fragile glass.
She didn't know how long it had been. Perhaps only a moment, or maybe it was a century. But finally, Cassiel stopped drinking.
He slowly raised his head, his mouth stained with Cecilia's blood, like a blooming poppy—gorgeous yet deadly.
He stuck out his tongue and lazily licked the blood from his lips, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
"The taste... quite nice," Cassiel murmured, his voice hoarse and seductive, as though savoring a delicious dish.
Cecilia's body lay limp on the floor, like a broken ragdoll. Her face was pale as paper, her lips devoid of color, the wound on her neck still oozing blood.
She gasped for air, each breath causing excruciating pain as it tugged at her wounds.
She was still alive…
She was somehow still alive…
Perhaps it was the relief of surviving that made her forget her physical pain, her fear—she forgot everything but the shock of still being here.
She looked up at Cassiel, her eyes full of mixed emotions: fear, anger, despair, confusion... and perhaps even a trace of something she couldn't fully identify—curiosity.
Cassiel looked down at her, a playful and mocking gleam in his eyes.
"How does it feel, my blood-bound bride?" he asked, his tone laced with malicious teasing.
Cecilia didn't answer. She simply clenched her lips tightly, refusing to make a sound.
Cassiel seemed unfazed by her silence. Slowly, he crouched down and reached out to gently stroke her cheek. His fingers were cold and long, like ice, sending a shiver down Cecilia's spine.
"Don't be afraid. I won't kill you," Cassiel's voice was soft, as though comforting a frightened child. "At least... not yet."
His fingers traced her cheek, sliding slowly down to her neck, where he lightly caressed the wound.
To Cecilia's surprise, the wound began to heal under his touch, the blood that had been pouring out gradually stopped flowing.
"This is the saliva of a vampire," Cassiel explained, as though he could see her confusion. "It has healing properties."
A complicated and unexplainable emotion surged within Cecilia's heart.
She was both grateful for Cassiel's "mercy" and filled with fear and disgust towards him.
She didn't understand why this cruel, heartless vampire wanted to spare her life.
What did he want from her?
"From today onward, you belong to me," Cassiel's voice cut through her thoughts, his words cold and possessive. "Everything about you is mine—your body, your blood, and even your soul."
His gaze shimmered with intense possessiveness, as though he intended to devour her whole.
Cecilia felt a sharp pang of suffocation.
She knew that she had now become a mere plaything for this vampire, with no hope of escape.
"No..." she mustered all her strength to let out a faint protest.
But her voice was quickly drowned out by Cassiel's laughter.
"No?" Cassiel sneered, his tone dripping with contempt. "Do you really think you have the right to say 'no'?"
He yanked her up from the floor with surprising force and roughly pulled her into his embrace.
His arms were cold and unyielding, like an iron cage, imprisoning her tightly.
"Remember, you are my blood-bound bride," Cassiel whispered in her ear, his voice dark with a hint of menace. "You must obey me. Otherwise…"
He trailed off, but the unspoken threat was clear. "I'll make your life a living hell."
Cecilia trembled in his arms, knowing that she had fallen into the abyss of darkness, never to see the light again.
Her fate was sealed.
She would forever be this vampire's prisoner, until the end of her life.