The annual C City Charity Gala was hosted at "Sky's Edge," the crowning ballroom atop the Titan Group's new headquarters. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights spread out like an ocean of stars, but the atmosphere inside shimmered with a different kind of light: a golden field of power, wealth, and sophisticated pretense. For Lilith, this environment was her preferred hunting ground.
She was draped in a gown of deep crimson velvet, a cut both flowing and ancient, resembling both liquid blood and quiescent flame. Her skin possessed a cold, almost translucent pallor, a stark contrast to her ink-black hair. Her eyes, like two rubies steeped in moonlight, seemed distant and deadly amidst the clinking of glasses. She was the founder and CEO of Crimson Aegis Investment, a firm she had propelled into the ranks of C City's elite syndicates in just a few short years through ruthless strategy and an almost precognitive business acumen.
Yet tonight, she was neither here to discuss quarterly reports nor to donate to underprivileged children. Her focus was locked on an ancient artifact from an Eastern kingdom, displayed at the center of the hall—or rather, on the power play surrounding it.
A legend whispered through the depths of her centuries-long memory: fragments of "The Nocturne Key" should never be gathered by mortal or immortal hands. It held the power to shatter the "Eternal Covenant" between Vampires and Werewolves, and its full assembly would spark a conflict capable of consuming both races and exposing them to the human world. Recently, she had detected a faint, yet unmistakable, trace of residual energy—a scent of power that resonated with her deep-seated memories of the Key—leading directly to the core sponsors of this very gala.
Lilith moved slowly past a group of laughing entrepreneurs, who watched her passage with a mixture of awe and reverence. She heard their soft murmurs—of her mystery, her beauty, her chilling ruthlessness. But these sounds were to her merely the chirping of crickets on a summer night. As she focused on the artifact, she released a minuscule wave of mental energy, almost imperceptible to any mortal, sweeping the hall like a radar pulse.
The instant the wave brushed against the hall's northwest corner, a profound internal alarm blared within Lilith.
This was no ordinary human aura. It was a powerful, wild, non-human energy carrying the scent of damp soil from the deep forest and the chill of cold moonlight. This essence was both familiar and startlingly alien, like a memory sealed away for centuries suddenly being violently unlocked.
She followed the sensory trace, turning her gaze to the source.
Standing there was a tall man, commanding enough to dwarf those around him. He wore an impeccably tailored black tuxedo that emphasized his broad shoulders and lean, powerful physique. His hair held a hint of untamed wave, his features were chiseled like sculpture, and his eyes were deep and placid, embodying the current President of the Titan Group—Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan, a man who, in only five years, had expanded his family business from a regional real estate firm into a cross-border conglomerate spanning energy, technology, and finance. He was known in the business press for his cool, ruthless decision-making, often hailed as the "Titan of C City."
At this moment, Lu Yuan was exchanging pleasantries with an elderly senator, his mouth curved into a polite, detached smile. But when his gaze casually swept over Lilith, the veneer of human composure instantly fractured.
His expression solidified.
It was not admiration or shock, but a raw, aggressively primal confirmation. Deep within his pupils, a golden light seemed to flash, only to be immediately suppressed by an overwhelming force of will.
Lilith felt the reciprocal jolt. In her centuries of existence, she had never encountered a peer—or rather, an enemy—so powerful, yet so successfully hidden within the human world. His aura was like a block of rigid, uncarved basalt, filled with explosive force and untamed savagery, utterly distinct from her own refined, ancient, and blood-chilled spiritual energy.
He was a Werewolf. And unequivocally, a top-tier Alpha.
This potent exchange of energy felt like two supersonic fighters locking onto each other's radar. Despite the superficial calm, a silent, formidable war had begun.
Lu Yuan gave the senator a brief, cool nod, ending their conversation. Then, with an unstoppable momentum, he strode toward Lilith. Every step was measured and powerful; he moved without hesitation, as if his target had been her all along.
"Ms. Lilith, it's a distinct pleasure to finally meet you in person," Lu Yuan initiated, his voice deep and magnetic, carrying the unmistakable authority of a true leader. He extended his hand in a polite invitation to shake.
Lilith responded with practiced grace. Her fingertips were ice-cold, and at the moment of contact with his palm, an unsettling mix of scorching heat and extreme frigidity met.
"Mr. Lu, the feeling is mutual. Your name, 'Titan,' is already legendary in C City's business circles. I've often wondered what kind of power it takes to build such an immense empire in such a short period of time," Lilith's tone held a touch of dismissive mockery, but her eyes were as sharp as a judge's. The subtext was clear: I know you are not human; where does your power come from?
Lu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, and his mouth curled into a dangerous, slow smile. "Behind every legend often lies a deeper darkness and greater sacrifice. I trust, Ms. Lilith, that your 'Crimson Aegis' is no mere coincidence either. The speed of your firm's expansion reminds me of certain… ancient dynasties, that relentless hunger for territory," his counterattack was direct and pointed. The subtext: Your ambition and ancient nature betray your essence—a descendant of the first Vampires.
They stood their ground, framed by spotlights, maintaining the perfect posture of elite business rivals, yet their conversation was a duel of lethal blades.
Lilith subtly withdrew her hand, her fingertips registering a faint, almost imperceptible tremor. "Territory, ultimately, always belongs to the strongest. Don't you agree, Mr. Lu?"
"Perhaps. But we share a mutual responsibility, Ms. Lilith, which is to ensure that our games do not affect the innocent mortals," Lu Yuan's voice suddenly turned cold and severe. This was his first and most direct warning, a reminder of the "Eternal Covenant."
Lilith's gaze drifted past Lu Yuan, settling on the exhibit case holding the artifact. She knew he was also tracking the "Nocturne Key," and that he valued the Covenant above all else.
"Covenants are chains forged for the weak," Lilith answered nonchalantly. Then, she leaned in with graceful poise, whispering a chilling aside meant only for him, imbued with the ancient weight of her bloodline: "I am not here to break it. I am here to ensure that when I need it, it will be an instrument in my hands."
A dangerous spark flared in Lu Yuan's eyes. He understood the implication: Lilith's interest in the Key far surpassed simple preservation.
Just as the tension peaked, an attendant approached Lilith with a file. She took it, quickly scanning the contents with her eyes—it was a report on the auction item's provenance, mentioning several ancient symbols she had been tracking.
"My apologies, Mr. Lu. It seems my time is up. I will instruct my CFO to double my contribution to tonight's charity. After all, protecting those 'innocent mortals' is occasionally a good deed required of those of us who walk in the shadows," Lilith concluded with a perfect, subtly ironic smile.
She turned, walking elegantly toward the elevator, her figure quickly dissolving at the end of the lavish hall.
Lu Yuan remained rooted, watching her departure, while the surrounding crowd resumed their hushed conversations, casting curious and respectful glances his way. He knew this encounter was no accident. Lilith's aura had exerted a powerful pressure on him, an energy far older and purer than even his own Alpha strength.
He walked over to the exhibit case, his finger lightly tracing the glass.
"Your ambition, Lilith, will ignite a war. And I will not, under any circumstances, allow that to happen," he muttered internally.
He pulled out his encrypted phone and dialed a contact, his voice instantly reverting to his cold, ruthless CEO tone: "Execute Plan B. I want to see a… surprising fluctuation in Crimson Aegis' stock price within twenty-four hours. Let her know this city is not her exclusive hunting ground."
The first confrontation between these sovereigns of the night, begun with a polite handshake in a top-tier ballroom, ended with the declaration of a precise commercial strike. Both had confirmed the other's identity, power, and shared focus on the Nocturne Key. The crack in the Eternal Covenant had, from this initial skirmish of gazes, already begun to spread.