"Catch her! Don't let her escape!" shouted the blond man in shining armor, his voice slicing through the burning night. His blade glowed with golden light, the unmistakable mark of the Hero — the one destined to slay the Demon King himself.
And the one they were chasing… was Nocturna Scarleth.
General of the Demon King's armies.
Vampire warlord feared across nations.
She stumbled through the dense forest, vision blurred, blood dripping from a deep wound in her side. Hours earlier, she had stood tall at the head of her battalion, her scarlet cape fluttering proudly behind her. Now, only ashes remained of her soldiers — and she alone fled for her life.
How… how did everything crumble so fast?
My troops… all slaughtered. Just like that.
Damn that human Hero… his strength is monstrous… equal to His Majesty's…
Earlier that evening, she had been ordered to raid the human city bordering demon territory. It should have been a simple mission — a quick, precise strike to intimidate the humans. But the Hero was there. Waiting. As if he knew.
The moment she felt his holy aura spreading through the battlefield, she knew her chances of victory had evaporated.
Her breath came in shallow bursts as she pushed deeper into the forest. Leaves slapped against her face. Branches tore at her cloak. Her legs trembled under her own weight.
Behind her, armored footsteps crashed through the undergrowth.
"Vampire! Stop running and face your fate!" the Hero bellowed, his voice much too close.
Nocturna bit her lip hard enough to draw more blood.
Fate? Don't be ridiculous… I refuse to die here. I can't. Not yet.
There is still something I must… No. I don't even know what it is… but I can't die like an animal chased by dogs.
The wound pulsed again. Her knees buckled, hitting the cold ground. She caught herself with one hand, fingers sinking into the dirt. Her crimson eyes flickered weakly.
My strength… it's fading too fast.
If I lose consciousness, he'll kill me instantly… or worse, take me prisoner.
No. I have fought for centuries. I will not fall tonight.
She forced herself up, staggering forward.
The forest grew darker. Branches twisted overhead like skeletal fingers. She could feel the faint presence of nocturnal creatures watching her — recognizing her as one of their own kind, yet wary of her fragile state.
A flash of golden light illuminated the trees behind her, followed by the Hero's voice:
"I can sense your aura, Nocturna Scarleth! You cannot hide!"
She clenched her teeth.
Damn him… even injured, I'm still faster than any human.
But against a Hero? With holy power? This is so unfair…
She stumbled again, catching herself on a tree trunk. Her fingers left a smear of blood on the bark.
Her heartbeat thundered.
Move… move… MOVE! I must survive — I don't know why, but something inside me is screaming at me not to die here.
She pushed herself away from the tree and ran again, deeper into the labyrinth of shadows.
Behind her, the Hero's golden aura grew brighter… closer… relentless.
And yet, despite the agony, despite the fear she refused to admit openly, something flickered in her chest — a stubborn, burning instinct.
Live.
Live, Nocturna.
No matter what.
Nocturna forced her legs to move, but her strength was leaking out of her body like water escaping a shattered vessel. Each step grew heavier, each breath sharper and more painful than the last. Her vision wavered as though the world itself were trembling around her.
No… not yet… I can still run… I must…
But her body no longer obeyed.
The trees blurred into dark streaks. The forest floor twisted beneath her, rising and falling like the waves of a violent sea. Her head spun. Her knees buckled.
Then—
She slipped on wet leaves and crashed forward. Her body rolled down a small slope, hitting stones and roots, bouncing helplessly until she landed flat on her back. The impact forced the air out of her lungs in a silent gasp.
For a moment, she couldn't move.
The world was a smear of shifting shapes and colors.
Is… is this it?
Is this how I die?
Her fingers twitched weakly, trying to grip the dirt, but they had no strength left. Her arms trembled like they were made of paper. The stars above her blurred into silver streaks.
After everything… after centuries… I fall like this? In the mud? Alone?
A bitter, broken laugh escaped her lips, though no sound came out — only a strangled breath.
She felt cold.
Too cold.
Her heartbeat slowed, becoming a distant echo she could barely sense.
Since I was young, all I've ever known is war… training… survival…
Every morning, waking up with a blade in my hand… every night, sleeping with the knowledge that tomorrow I might kill or be killed…
Is that… really normal? Is that what a life should be?
No one had ever answered her.
No one had ever cared to.
The forest spun again as her eyelids drooped. She could hear nothing but the faint buzzing in her ears. The Hero's footsteps, once so close and terrifying, seemed far away now… like sounds from another world.
Maybe… maybe this is fine.
If this is the end… then so be it.
Her body felt heavy, sinking into the earth as if the ground were trying to swallow her whole. Her chest rose and fell unevenly, each breath shallower than the last.
Her vision dimmed, turning the world into a fog of shadows.
Then—
A flicker.
A movement.
Someone… or something… stepped into her fading field of view.
A silhouette.
Tall but not imposing.
Not the blazing golden glow of the Hero, but something softer… dimmer… almost human.
Who…? Who is… that?
Another enemy? A villager? A hunter?
She couldn't tell. She didn't have the strength to lift her head.
The figure moved cautiously toward her, boots crunching lightly on the forest floor. A warm voice muttered something she couldn't understand — distant, muffled, like words spoken underwater.
Why… are they approaching?
Do they intend to finish me off?
The silhouette crouched beside her.
Nocturna could barely make out a pair of gentle eyes widening in alarm as they looked at her bloody form.
A faint breeze brushed her cheek as the person leaned closer.
Is… this normal?
Is any of this normal?
Those were her final thoughts before the darkness swallowed her completely, and consciousness slipped away like a fading dream.