⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
Lyss was ancient — older than any living human could possibly imagine — and yet, she was the youngest among her bloodline.
Throughout her long existence, no one had ever dared to refuse her. Her beauty was not merely physical: it was a curse, an enchantment that bound both eyes and hearts.
But time had revealed a cruel pattern. Her passions burned bright but brief — like a spark in the wind. In the beginning, everything was perfect: smiles, promises, long nights of pleasure and blood.
Then, as the days passed, Lyss changed. Jealousy seeped in like poison. Love became possession.
And the vampire turned into something that even the dead would never dare to love.
Lyss was extremely jealous and possessive. When her authority was threatened, she turned to violence — both physical and psychological.
Only she could be right. The world existed to please her whims.
And those who dared defy her often died before they could even think of running away.
Dating a vampire was dangerous.
Dating Lyss was a death sentence.
And yet, the unthinkable had happened — someone refused her.
Not only refused her, but did it with indifference. With laziness.
As if she were... nothing.
Her stomach twisted. Rage pulsed in her veins. And then, as always, she chose violence over heartbreak.
In a single instant, Lyss stood up. Bones cracked. Flesh shifted. Her frame distorted beneath her pale skin.
Her hands stretched, turning into razor-sharp claws. The green in her eyes flared into a feverish red, and her fangs extended, slicing through her lower lip.
With a guttural snarl, she lunged at Victor — aiming straight for his throat.
But the attempt failed.
The Metamorph shifted his body aside with inhuman calm and countered in the same motion.
A punch.
Simple. Direct. Precise.
Lyss first felt the push — light, almost like a touch. Then the air itself exploded.
Pain followed, white and blinding, as if the entire world had been swallowed by light.
Her body was hurled through the alley, stone and dust bursting around her, until she crashed onto the street.
She lay there, motionless, her face partially shattered from the sheer force of the blow.
Her thoughts blanked out, lost in a distant echo.
'He… hit me?'
The thought felt impossible. Unthinkable.
In centuries of existence, no one had ever dared to touch her that way.
Slowly, she stood, one hand pressing her face as regeneration began its work.
The sound of flesh knitting back together filled the silence.
She couldn't tell what she felt — anger, fear… or admiration.
But before she could decide, the stench of rotten flesh drew her attention.
The ghouls — dozens of them — surrounded Victor. Pale, twisted creatures, moving like starving dogs. They lunged together, teeth and claws flashing.
The first bit into his shoulder — and shattered its own teeth.
The second struck his chest — and didn't move him an inch.
The third, the fourth, the fifth… nothing.
Victor only looked at them — expressionless.
His silence was more terrifying than any roar.
Then, he raised his hand.
Scarlet flames ignited at his fingertips — [Fire Manipulation].
A single gesture, and the alley was consumed in heat. The nearest ghouls turned to ash instantly.
Moments later, the air froze.
Crystals of blue ice formed around him, sharp and spinning like blades. [Ice Manipulation].
The shards pierced through the remaining undead.
Some were torn apart by Victor's claws, others kicked away, losing limbs and torsos alike.
Lyss watched, entranced. Fascinated.
The sound of flesh being torn mixed with the soft night breeze — and for a brief moment, she smiled.
'Could this… finally be the love of my life?'
The thought thrilled her. A predator, stronger than her. Something she couldn't control. Something that could truly hurt her.
Her shadows began to move.
With a flick of her wrist, she activated three of her extra skills: [Shadow Manipulation], [Treasure Summon], and [Ruler's Weapon].
Darkness spread beneath the corpses, and she emerged from it.
From her hand, a thin, needle-like blade appeared — forged of demon silver, wrapped in black chains. Shadows pulsed around the weapon, infusing it with dark energy.
She appeared beside Victor — point-blank.
The strike came like thunder.
But Victor reacted before sound itself existed.
[Phantom Step] — a displacement technique that folded space for a single second.
He dodged and, in the same motion, slammed an elbow into the vampire's face.
This time, Lyss felt her neck snap.
Blood burst. The ground rushed to meet her — but she regenerated before touching it.
With a scream, she charged again. The air cracked around her as shadows took shape — spears, whips, blades. All useless.
Victor moved back, silent and composed. He didn't know what her abilities did, so he couldn't afford to be struck.
Raising a finger, flames began to condense around it. The small sphere spun faster, growing denser until it became a straight beam — a blazing line of energy fired like a laser.
Lyss raised her sword and drew the shadows forward. Darkness took the shape of a thick veil — [Shadow Wall], a defensive variation of her [Shadow Manipulation].
Victor's attack collided and vanished within it.
The wall pulsed, draining mana from the fire until the beam faded into smoke.
A simple yet brilliant defense.
Shadows were usually used for curses and fear effects, but Lyss had adapted them into a mana-draining barrier — an advanced and nearly forgotten technique.
Indeed, few today possessed that level of elemental mastery.
In that sense, Lyss was a genius.
But genius didn't mean invincible.
Victor vanished.
By the time she realized it, it was too late.
A kick to the abdomen — she was launched upward.
Midair, she tried another strike, descending at full speed.
He jumped, caught her leg, spun, and slammed her into the ground with brutal force — then kicked her again, sending her crashing through the streets.
Each impact shattered the pavement, sending dust and debris flying.
Victor, meanwhile, didn't speak a word.
His eyes were cold, distant.
As if the "Victor" she knew had been replaced by something else entirely.
Lyss, trembling and broken, felt shame.
And something deeper.
'He's so... cruel…'
Before another blow could land, she dove into her own shadow, using [Shadow Manipulation] in evasive mode.
Her body dissolved into darkness and vanished from the battlefield.
The remaining ghouls, now without a master, evaporated along with her.
The mist began to thin.
Victor blinked, confused.
Silence settled for a few moments before he sighed wearily.
"What a strange girl."
That night, there were fewer victims than usual.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅