Chapter 145: ¹⁴⁵The Collapsing Night

?Ethan rolled up the parchment slowly.

?He had already broken the reddish-black wax seal. But a single line from within continued to circle in his mind.

?The bond you cherish most.

?"Do you already have your answer, My Lord?" Asmodeus whispered. "Or are you pretending not to know?"

?Ethan did not answer.

?At the library threshold, Isolde stood waiting with crossed arms. Beside her, Miya hugged her medical bag once more. Her pointed ears still twitched occasionally.

?Ethan should have joined them by now. But his feet refused to move.

?There was a weight in his chest. It wasn’t pain, nor was it exhaustion. It felt like a cold hand gently squeezing him from within.

?The Horned Crown tattoo on his left chest throbbed once. Heavy.

?Ethan thought of the estate. Elara was there. Valera, Kaelia, and Lilith were too.

?The three strongest people he possessed were guarding his little sister. It should have been enough.

?It should have been.

?"My Lord?" Isolde called out.

?"Give me a moment."

?He turned his gaze toward the western stone wall. Beyond all that thick rock and earth, far in the distance, sat an old manor amidst a pine forest.

?There was no sound. No warning signs at all. Only a feeling.

?"Something is wrong," Ethan muttered.

?Isolde stood up straighter. "What do you mean?"

?"I don’t know."

?Miya lowered her head. "D-Does this have anything to do with the scroll, My Lord?"

?"Maybe." Ethan tucked the parchment inside his coat. "Or maybe not."

?Isolde stared at him for a long moment. She had never seen Ethan hesitate like this.

?"If that’s the case, let’s finish our business here quickly."

?"Yeah."

?But Ethan knew his answer wasn’t entirely honest. His eyes remained glued to the western wall.

?That was exactly what unsettled him. Ethan rarely ’didn’t know’. He was usually always one step ahead. Tonight, he felt left behind.

?For once, Asmodeus did not chime in.

?The night in Valen Village was far too quiet.

?Valera stood in the front yard, her back perfectly straight. Her left hand rested on the hilt of the Zweihander slung across her back. Her right arm was still wrapped in black bandages. She couldn’t sleep. Her hunter’s instinct refused to settle down.

?The wind made her leather armor creak softly.

?Her golden eyes were fixated on the transparent golden wall in the distance. The barrier inherited from the Valen lineage.

?The barrier was vibrating.

?Since Ethan had left, Valera hadn’t stepped away from this courtyard once. That barrier had never wavered before.

?It wasn’t a normal vibration. Its light flickered like a dying candle.

?Crack...

?A hairline fracture appeared on the northern side. It crept upwards, branched out, and then spread to form a massive spiderweb pattern.

?Valera growled under her breath. "Damn it."

?The main door creaked open behind her. Kaelia stepped out, her red hair tied in a ponytail and a dark crimson tunic adorned with gold thread draping her figure. A small flame was already ignited in the palm of her hand. Her face was still slightly pale—the lingering aftereffects of a ritual she hadn’t fully recovered from.

?"I sensed something," Kaelia said. "Is that the barrier?"

?"It’s about to shatter."

?"Shatter? Who could possibly break—" Kaelia stopped mid-sentence. She saw the sprawling cracks, and her expression hardened.

?From the darkness in the corner of the yard, Lilith stepped out. Her long pink hair flowed loosely, her maid dress slipping off one shoulder as usual. But the flirtatious smile she always wore was nowhere to be seen.

?Lilith sniffed the air. Her golden-red eyes narrowed.

?"Vampires," she stated curtly. "A lot of them."

?"How do you know?" Kaelia asked.

?"It smells like a freshly opened grave," Lilith replied. "I recognize it."

?"How many?" Valera asked.

?"Hundreds."

?"Is that all?"

?Lilith paused for a moment. "There’s something older than them out there."

?The side door of the manor slammed open. Asrof ran out, dragging Yuna and Berta along. Yuna’s face was pale, while Berta clutched her apron tightly.

?"Lady Valera! There’s a strange noise coming from—"

?"Take them to the basement!" Valera cut him off without looking back. "Now! And take Lady Elara too!"

?"I’ll fetch Lady Elara right after I drop them off!"

?Asrof nodded frantically and pulled the two maids away. Yuna managed a glance back, her lips quivering, before disappearing behind the door.

?CRASH!

?The sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the village.

?The golden barrier burst into fragments. Shards of light fluttered for a fleeting second before winking out one by one.

?From the dark depths of the forest, gaunt figures stepped out. Hundreds of them. Tattered black cloaks, stiff skin, pupilless red eyes. Saliva mixed with blood dripped from their jaws.

?Valera smirked.

?"Finally, something to cut down."

?She drew the Zweihander from her back with a single hand.

?Kaelia ignited her Crimson Sin Fire. Dark red flames danced between her fingers.

?Lilith stepped forward and raised a pale hand.

?Whoosh.

?A wave of Lust energy swept across the courtyard. The vanguard of vampires stopped dead in their tracks. Some dropped to their knees. Others turned around and tore into their own comrades.

?"Control the left flank!" Valera shouted.

?She launched herself forward. The Zweihander swung in a wide arc, cleaving three vampires in half instantly. Valera didn’t stop. Another slash, and two heads rolled across the dirt.

?Her right shoulder throbbed with pain. The bandages on her arm were growing damp with blood. But she ignored it.

?Kaelia conjured a chest-high wall of fire, forcing dozens of vampires to veer toward Lilith.

?Right beside it, Kaelia hurled a fireball. Five vampires were incinerated into ash before they could even scream.

?Lilith stood in the center of the yard. Her fingers moved gracefully, like a puppeteer pulling strings. The remaining vampires tore each other apart without her having to lift a finger to strike them.

?In less than ten minutes, the courtyard was littered with corpses.

?Valera planted her sword into the ground. She was panting heavily. Sweat dripped from her chin.

?Kaelia gave a slow nod, flicking the lingering embers from her hands. "Too easy," she muttered.

?"Don’t say that," Valera retorted. "You’ll jinx it."

?"Since when are you superstitious?"

?"I believe in instincts."

?"It really was too easy," Lilith said quietly.

?Valera looked over. Lilith stood in the middle of a sea of corpses with an expressionless face. There was no trace of pride.

?"This isn’t the main vanguard," Lilith continued softly. Her eyes locked fiercely onto the forest. "The lowly ones, I can control. But there is one that I can’t."

?The wind died down.

?A suffocating silence seized the courtyard.

?The chirping of crickets vanished. The pine needles stopped swaying. The air felt heavy and cold, like a room just vacated by the dead.

?From behind the dark mist, a creature stepped out.

?It stood two meters tall. Its frame was gaunt, a black cloak sweeping the ground behind it. Its skin was as pale as bone, eyes a pupilless red. A black crescent moon was etched into its forehead, and razor-sharp fangs peeked past its thin lips.

?Lilith froze. Her eyes widened in terror.

?"A Crimson Moon," she whispered.

?Valera had never felt pressure like this before. Not even Duke Alaric, the Northern Lion, possessed an aura this suffocating.

?The creature tilted its head. A faint smile crept onto its face.

?"My name is Celion," the voice echoed. "I am one of the Crimson Moons. And you... are in my way." Valera wrenched her Zweihander free from the earth.

?Dark red flames ignited, enveloping both of Kaelia’s hands. Lilith took two steps back, pooling Lust energy into her palms.

?The creature merely raised its right hand.

?There was no incantation. No exaggerated movements.

?Valera only felt a chilling breeze sweep across her back.

?Clang!

?The Zweihander was ripped from her grasp and launched through the air. The massive greatsword embedded itself into the wall of the manor, vibrating violently.

?Valera’s eyes went wide. She hadn’t seen an attack at all.

?The creature strolled forward, utterly relaxed.

?"Kaelia, now!"

?Kaelia hurled a fireball the size of a human head. The flames shot straight toward Celion’s chest.

?The creature batted it away with the back of its hand.

?The fire was snuffed out instantly, like a candle blown out by a child.

?Kaelia stood paralyzed. "What—"

?Lilith followed up. A wave of Lust energy surged from her palms, far denser than the one she had used on the thralls earlier.

?Celion paused for a fraction of a second. His brow arched slightly.

?"Not bad," he whispered directly into their minds.

?The energy evaporated without a trace. Lilith stumbled backward, her face drained of color. She had never failed before.

?But Lilith noticed one thing. The moment her Lust energy touched the vampire, the creature’s brow furrowed ever so slightly. A microscopic reaction. The Crimson Moon was not entirely immune.

?Valera saw it too.

?"Kaelia! Once more!" she roared.

?Kaelia pooled the last of her mana. The dark crimson flames in her hands burned brighter, hotter. She unleashed a second fireball, much larger and significantly faster.

?The creature raised its left hand. This time, it didn’t bat it away. It caught it.

?The flames detonated right against its palm. Shards of crimson fire rained down across the yard.

?For a brief moment, Celion was forced back half a step. The furrow on his brow deepened.

?"A fascinating fire," he murmured.

?Valera exploited the opening. Leading with her left arm, she sprinted forward. The Zweihander was gone, but she still had her fists. She threw a straight punch aimed directly at the monster’s jaw.

?Celion turned his head. His right hand easily intercepted Valera’s fist.

?But Valera grinned.

?"You left yourself open," she whispered.

?From behind, Lilith was already airborne. Both of her hands pressed flush against the Crimson Moon’s back. Lust energy erupted directly from her palms into the vampire’s body.

?"Feel this," Lilith hissed.

?Celion froze. This time, his reaction was not dismissive. His body tensed up completely. Black veins bulged across his neck. Lilith’s Lust energy—channeled directly point-blank—invaded his mana circuits.

?For three agonizing seconds, Celion was immobilized.

?But those three seconds were enough to piss Celion off.

?His left arm lashed out. A shockwave of pure pressure swept through the air.

?BAM!

?Kaelia and Lilith were blown violently backward. Both slammed into the earth, tumbling across the dirt several times before coming to a halt.

?Valera tried to stand. Her knees buckled and shook.

?Celion glared at her. The smile was gone from his face. "You," he said coldly. "You touched me."

?Valera forced herself up. She stared straight ahead.

?"Who the hell are you?"

?The creature stopped walking.

?"I already told you, I am Celion," he said, his tone freezing. "Where is Ethan Valen?" he demanded.

?"Not here," Valera growled.

?"I know." Celion smiled faintly. "That is precisely why I am here."

?Valera didn’t wait any longer. She charged with her left arm outstretched, aiming for the creature’s face with every last drop of her strength.

?Celion didn’t even flinch.

?The moment Valera’s knuckles nearly grazed his pale skin, Celion’s hand clamped around her throat.

?Valera thrashed wildly. Her feet were lifted clear off the ground. The grip was impossibly strong, like an iron vise.

?"A decent fighter," Celion said calmly. "What a pity."

?THUD!

?Celion slammed her into the ground. The earth cratered beneath Valera’s back. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

?Celion glanced over his shoulder at Kaelia and Lilith, who were struggling to stand.

?"Enough. You have all been quite the nuisance."

?He took a step toward the downed Valera. His pale hand lifted. Pitch-black claws aimed directly for Valera’s neck.

?Valera tried to force herself up. Her body refused to obey.

?In the distance, Kaelia crawled forward, weak crimson flames flickering in her hands. Lilith desperately pooled her remaining energy, her face completely drained.

?They were too late. They all knew it.

?Valera stared at the black claws looming over her. Strangely, she didn’t feel afraid.

?She only felt one thing: she had failed to protect this house.

?I’m sorry, Master, she thought to herself.

?Celion smirked. His fangs glinted under the moonlight.

?"Good night."

?His hand descended for the kill.

?Elara woke up for the second time that night.

?She sat up in bed, her body trembling violently. Her woolen nightgown was soaked in cold sweat. Her clouded, white eyes stared blankly at the door.

?She couldn’t see. But she could hear.

?She called out Asrof’s name in a tiny voice. No answer. The old man’s footsteps were nowhere to be heard.

?There were sounds of impact outside. The sound of the earth cracking. A sound she didn’t recognize, but one that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

?Brother Ethan...

?She tried to sense her brother. As always, their blood bond was still there. But this time, it felt incredibly distant. Thin, like a thread stretched too far.

?Her brother was not here.

?Deep within her body, something stirred faintly. Like an entity that had slept for ages and had just heard its name called out.

?And out there, someone was about to hurt her brother’s people.

?Elara clenched the blanket until her knuckles turned white.

?She was scared. Terrified.

?But she refused to just sit and do nothing.

?Slowly, she slipped out of bed. Her bare feet touched the cold wooden floor. Her hands traced the wall, feeling for the path to the door.

?Something throbbed inside her chest.

?Warm. Foreign. Alive.

?A very faint, golden-white glow began to seep from the pores of her skin.