Chapter 151: ¹⁵¹Morning In Valen

?The ruins of Veylor Castle lay in absolute silence.

?The sky above Astrea remained a crimson haze. The blood moon had yet to set, and the rift tearing through the heavens—the lingering scar of the resurrection ritual—stayed open like a wound that refused to heal. No torches burned. Only a dull red glow spilled across the marble floor, illuminating cracks that spread like giant, shattered veins.

?Carmilla stepped through the shattered gates.

?Her black cloak hung in tatters. Across her chest, a gash of burnt, gold-flecked blackness remained wide open, still unable to close completely. She had spent hours hiding in the depths of the forest before gathering the nerve to return home. It was a humiliation she would never admit to a living soul.

?At the far end of the grand hall, a throne carved from marble debris stood facing the tear in the sky.

?The Vampire Queen sat motionless upon it. Tall and impossibly slender, her skin was as pale as bleached bone. Blood-red hair cascaded past her waist, swaying faintly as if driven by a mind of its own. A crown of black blood-crystal rested atop her head. Her eyes lacked pupils, the sockets burning with an all-consuming crimson threaded with thick, bulging black veins. The burn Raniel had inflicted upon her chest was already fully healed.

?Her aura weighed heavily on the entire hall, yet it remained restrained—like a hand holding its breath.

?She didn’t turn around. Her gaze remained fixed on the rift above.

?Carmilla dropped to her knees in the center of the hall, bowing her head deeply.

?Silence stretched.

?Then, quiet laughter echoed from behind a crumbled pillar.

?"Defeated," a small voice sneered. "By a human."

?"The great Crimson Moon," the voice continued cheerfully, "slinking back like a drowned rat."

?A young boy stepped out from the shadows. He didn’t even reach Carmilla’s waist. Jet-black hair fell over half his face, and his bare feet glided across the marble without making a sound. Etched onto his forehead was the same black crescent moon that Carmilla bore, and small fangs glinted as a cruel smile spread across his lips.

?The boy’s aura felt older and far denser than Carmilla’s. Immeasurably denser.

?"He is no ordinary human," Carmilla said quietly.

?"I didn’t ask."

?The boy crouched before her until they were eye-level. He leaned in and sniffed.

?"You smell strange."

?Carmilla tensed. "I..."

?The boy raised his small hand and clenched his fingers, as if crushing the air itself.

?The blood inside Carmilla’s body began to boil.

?It wasn’t a figure of speech. Her blood surged red-hot, pounding violently against her veins from within. Carmilla screamed. The veins along her neck and temples bulged erratically. She collapsed face-down onto the floor, her nails scraping deep gouges into the solid marble.

?"M-mercy..."

?The boy didn’t stop. He simply watched her, smiling.

?"You know the punishment, don’t you?"

?Carmilla gave a feeble nod. Tears welled in her eyes, trickling down her cheeks and evaporating before they could hit the floor.

?The boy lowered his hand.

?Carmilla dropped limp to the ground. Her chest heaved for air as violent tremors racked her body. Her blood settled back to normal, but the residual heat still seared through every nerve ending.

?"Go on in," the boy said casually. "Her Majesty is waiting."

?Carmilla crawled back onto her trembling feet. She passed the boy and knelt once more at the base of the throne.

?"Your Majesty... Ethan Valen has read the records."

?The Queen remained still. "Has he done it?"

?"I do not know, Your Majesty. He only said..." Carmilla swallowed hard. "’Tell your Queen that I have already made my move.’"

?For the first time, a flicker of life returned to the Queen’s pale face. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips.

?"He hasn’t chosen yet," she murmured. "If he had, you wouldn’t have come back alive."

?Carmilla bowed her head even lower.

?"Intriguing."

?"I want to meet him," the boy chimed in from beside the throne, grinning widely.

?Carmilla kept her head down. She remembered the look in that man’s eyes back in the corridors of Zenithar. There was no anger in his gaze—and that was precisely what terrified her the most.

?The Queen offered no reply. Her crimson eyes shifted from the rift in the sky toward the west—toward Valen.

?"We wait."

?Morning in Valen broke with amber sunlight streaming through the gaps in the collapsed roof.

?Ethan quietly pulled Elara’s bedroom door shut. Behind it, his sister remained fast asleep, a faint glow emanating from her skin. Her breathing was steady—steadier than he had ever remembered it being.

?He walked out into the main hall. His Mana remained depleted. His shirt was rumpled and his coat was stained with dark, dried blood. The house still reeked of smoke, scorched earth, and lingering magic.

?Asrof stood near the door, pale-faced with bloodshot eyes. He hadn’t slept a wink.

?"Report," Ethan said.

?"Out of over a hundred villagers, Young Master, only twelve survived." Asrof’s voice trembled, but his posture remained rigid. "They hid in their cellars. They only came out when they saw the golden light from outside."

?Ethan didn’t blink.

?"The rest?"

?"Dead, or turned. Those who were bitten are huddled inside the darkened houses. The sun weakens them."

?"Bury the dead," Ethan ordered. "Burn the turned once the sun reaches its peak."

?Asrof bowed his head. "Understood, Young Master. I will have the survivors assist with digging the graves. Berta is currently preparing porridge for them."

?Ethan stepped outside.

?The courtyard resembled a graveyard. Fallen pine trees littered the cracked ground, and a stubborn black stain scorched the center of the earth. Yet near the front door, a patch of pale green grass and wild sprouts bloomed amidst the charred soil. Only there. Ethan stared at it for a long moment, unable to comprehend it. But he had no time to dwell on such things.

?Yuna was already making her rounds, distributing water and blankets without being asked. Though her eyes were red and swollen, her hands moved with practiced efficiency.

?Near the edge of the yard, twelve survivors stood huddled together in their nightclothes, shivering despite the rising sun. A young child wept in his mother’s arms, while an elderly man sat on the dirt, staring blankly into nothingness. None of them dared to meet Ethan’s eyes.

?As Ethan approached, a few flinched back. Others bowed their heads deeper.

?"You may stay," Ethan said calmly. "Asrof will handle food and shelter."

?He turned on his heel without waiting for a response.

?The main hall was packed.

?Valera sat on a wooden chair, fresh bandages wrapped around her right arm and left shoulder. Her golden eyes were dull with exhaustion. Kaelia stood by the unlit fireplace, her crimson hair a disheveled mess, unable to bring herself to look at Ethan. Lilith leaned against the wall with crossed arms, her wounds nearly closed. Isolde sat quietly on the sofa, her ice-blue eyes serene. From the adjacent room, a faint purple-gold glow pulsed as Miya tended to Cornelius.

?Ethan stood in the center of the room. His heavy aura cast an oppressive weight over the air.

?"Two Crimson Moons struck in a single night," he said. "One died here. The other fled Zenithar mortally wounded. The Queen remains in Astrea, waiting."

?Silence filled the room.

?"Cornelius survived, but he has yet to regain consciousness. We stay here until he recovers. No one leaves this house without my permission."

?"The ancient records in Zenithar hold the answer. A dimensional seal."

?"Then why not seal it right now?" Valera asked.

?"Seals don’t come free." Ethan looked at each of them in turn. "It demands a price. A sacrifice."

?Silence fell over the room once more.

?Kaelia clutched the hem of her tunic until her knuckles turned white. The Lust Brand on her lower abdomen throbbed with a faint, dim glow. Valera clenched her jaw and turned her gaze toward the window. Lilith narrowed her eyes slightly. Isolde remained entirely unmoving.

?"I will not sacrifice anyone," Ethan said firmly. "I’ll find another way."

?He turned and strode out of the room.

?Nobody dared to question him further.

?The small second-floor balcony was framed by a cracked wooden railing.

?Ethan leaned against it, gazing out over the sprawling pine forest below. Some trees had collapsed, while others still stood tall. The spring breeze carried the bitter scent of scorched earth and smoke.

?From below, the rhythm of iron shovels hitting dirt began to resonate. One, two, then more joined in.

?Footsteps sounded behind him—soft, measured, and deliberate.

?Isolde stopped beside him. She didn’t look at the forest; her eyes were fixed on Ethan.

?"You closed Elara’s door very gently just now," Isolde remarked softly. "You said you’d find another way."

?"I will."

?"The method is written in those records. Yet you refuse to use it."

?Ethan remained silent.

?Isolde took a half-step closer until her shoulder nearly brushed his arm. Her platinum blonde hair fluttered gently in the wind.

?"You don’t have to carry this burden alone."

?Ethan turned his head. Those ice-blue eyes met his—not as a piece of property, not as a servant, but as someone who genuinely cared.

?"You know what must be sacrificed, my Lord. You know—"

?"Enough."

?"I’m merely saying..."

?"I know what you’re thinking." His voice was flat, but a subtle strain cracked through the edge of his tone. "That’s precisely why I won’t do it."

?Isolde studied him for a long moment. Then, a faint smile touched her lips—neither mocking nor bitter.

?"You’re stubborn."

?"I know."

?Isolde turned back toward the forest, remaining steadfast at his side. Ethan didn’t step away either.

?They stood together on the cracked balcony, watching the morning sun slowly illuminate the pine forest.

?Ethan straightened his back, his eyes narrowing toward the front gate.

?Someone was standing there.

?He descended the stairs and crossed the ruined courtyard, Isolde following closely behind him in high alert.

?Lilith was already standing a few paces from the gate, her golden-red eyes locked onto the intruder. She had been watching him long before Ethan came downstairs.

?The man stood motionless by the collapsed gate. Tall and well-built, his silver-gold hair was combed back, though now disheveled. His blue eyes were calm and cold. His face was pale, shadowed by dark circles under his eyes, noticeably thinner than when Ethan had last seen him. His long gray coat was caked in dirt and torn in several places, his hands wrapped in black leather gloves.

?Caelum von Valois.

?Isolde appraised the prince from head to toe. She knew exactly who he was.

?Ethan stopped a few paces away.

?"You survived."

?"Unfortunately." Caelum glanced at Lilith. "That woman over there has been threatening me with her eyes for ten minutes straight."

?Caelum stepped forward past the ruined gate and stopped a short distance from Ethan.

?"Astrea has fallen. My father died before my very eyes. My brother..." He left the sentence unfinished. "I fled that night. Spent two nights in the forest. My horse collapsed from exhaustion along the way, so I covered the rest on foot."

?"Why come here?"

?Caelum stared at him for a long moment. A faint curve touched his lips—not a smile of joy, merely sheer weariness.

?"Last night, I saw a golden light radiating from beyond the woods. I followed it." He glanced at the battered Valen residence. "And because you’re the only one who might actually be able to stop this."

?The wind blew through the clearing.

?Ethan didn’t answer, but his body stiffened slightly, drawing a brief glance from Isolde.

?The light had been visible beyond the forest.

?If a prince hiding in the woods could see it, who else had seen it?

?His thoughts drifted back to his sister sleeping behind that door, her skin glowing with that faint, ethereal light.

?"May I come in?" Caelum asked.

?Ethan glanced at Isolde. She gave a subtle nod.

?Ethan turned and walked back toward the house.

?"Inside."

?Caelum followed him across the shattered courtyard, and the door to the Valen residence closed softly behind them.