The echo of high heels rang through the opulent corridor.
Fengmi strode forward in a bright crimson dress, her long hair pinned neatly at the back of her head, clutching a stack of folders. Her gaze was sharp, unwavering.
She stopped at a carved wooden door depicting the creation of man, glancing at the two guards in suits standing rigidly beside it. Then she knocked.
"It's me, sister."
"Come in," came a melodious voice from inside.
Pushing the door open, Fengmi stepped into a grand room bathed in soft light. Eve stood by the window, a black gown draping her figure, her eyes scanning the city outside through the curtains.
"I've finished what you asked," Fengmi said, placing the folders on Eve's desk.
"Hm." Eve acknowledged briefly, then turned to ask, "Any anomalies around the estate?"
"None. I checked thoroughly," Fengmi replied.
Eve nodded, slowly moving toward the desk. She flipped through the files briefly before setting them down.
"It seems they're planning a cautious approach."
"Could they even dare anything else?" Fengmi chuckled. "You've hired every security company in the city. Even a full battalion wouldn't stand a chance if they tried a frontal attack."
Eve's gaze swept over Fengmi, expressionless. "Their caution shows weakness. The best course is what I've planned. Risky, yes—but it ensures a one-time, decisive solution. If we wait until tomorrow night, they'll fall into my trap instead."
"Trap?" Fengmi frowned.
"They're hesitant. They plan to strike when I attend tomorrow's opera premiere." Eve blinked slowly, eyes fixed on some unseen point. "Tomorrow night… will be the climax."
Fengmi's face fell. "Sister, you mean they'll…? Then we can't go!"
"No." Eve turned toward the wall behind her, where a portrait of Adam hung—a plump, cheerful face from before he became a vampire.
In the painting, Adam happily bit into a harvest apple. Behind him stood Yilin, holding apples with a neutral expression, and Eve herself, rigid and unreadable.
The portrait had hung there for two thousand years. No matter how many renovations the estate underwent, it was never removed. Its true meaning remained a secret to all.
That year, Eden had celebrated a bountiful apple harvest. Adam insisted on a festive gathering. He detested indulgence, yet cherished apples—they marked his triumph over God. The apples granted humans wisdom, sparking civilization itself.
Yet, who would have thought? Humanity would abandon the one who gifted them knowledge.
"Because they have a plan, I must go," Eve said, eyes lingering on the portrait. "Compared to Adam, they're weak, indecisive. Tomorrow night, I will attend the premiere. Covertly, I'll deploy our strongest defenses. Around me, on the perimeter—all of it. If we survive this, the city will be mine again."
She looked away from the portrait. "Notify the young faction leaders. Arrange every hand. If an attack occurs, I'll give the city-wide announcement immediately, before the council can react."
Her voice was calm, elegant, yet radiated absolute pride. Fengmi was entranced.
She had always known Eve was beautiful, but post-awakening… Eve's beauty was godlike. How had her "brother-in-law" made her sister so devoted, willing to take such risks?
Fengmi thought of the myths she learned in school—Adam and Eve… Yet she trusted her sister completely. If Eve said it must be done, she would follow without hesitation.
Eve had decided to confront the council from the start. Her firm demands were meant to force rebellion. Only by uprooting them completely could she reclaim control.
She was not Adam's wife and often opposed him. In Eden, even after political upheavals, Eve had pulled small tricks on Adam. Yet as long as she didn't cross a line, Adam never retaliated.
Fengmi realized, the moment Adam stood at the bow of the ark against the angels, that Adam's heart was vast—wild, grotesque, sometimes maddening—but capable of holding the world.
After two thousand years of preparation, Eve now understood: the one she truly cared about was the man from her own world, the one she had once opposed.
It wasn't love. It was concern. Dependence.
"Give me some time, Adam. I'll return what's yours," Eve whispered to the portrait.
Night fell silently. Adam spread his wings and soared through the sky, Silver Bell clinging to him, persistently insisting on following.
Life in the basement had been monotonous. Wing Jia constantly recounted his tragic past. Silver Bell cried at the slightest provocation. Adam spent most of his time consoling them.
To solve Wing Jia's two problems, the best method was simple: rob pirates. Eliminate them, and gain treasure.
But where were the pirates?
Clearly, their base had to be on some island. Humans can't live underwater.
Still, Adam couldn't simply wander the seas. One misstep, and another vampire could spot him. His location would be exposed. The only option: wait for the pirates to strike again.
Days of tense monotony passed—until opportunity arrived.
Tonight, a nearby town sent an SOS. Pirates were attacking—a familiar routine. Merchants rarely sailed here anymore, and local militias had learned to flee at the first sign of pirates.
Defense relied entirely on towns' own forces. In reality, it meant almost nothing.
Finally, Adam reached the target town from above. The streets were lit, torches blazing along mossy stone paths.
The town had already been overrun. Villagers were rounded up in the square. Bodies littered the open ground. Pirates ransacked houses for valuables.
Their ships floated offshore.
"We go to the ship," Adam said.
"The ship? Aren't we going to save them?" Silver Bell asked.
"Our goal is the pirate base. Loot it, then erase it from this world. Saving people isn't our business," Adam replied coldly.
They flew to a reef a few hundred meters from the ship, transformed into humans, and swam toward it.
A few pirates patrolled the deck, oblivious to the low-flying duo.
At the ship's hull, Adam pried open a side window. They slipped inside quietly.
Silver Bell hid easily as a bat. Adam had more trouble. The cabin was bare—no cover in sight. It appeared the pirates had cleared it to store loot.
Adam climbed back outside, gripping the keel with his hands, hanging in the water, waiting.
Hours later, pirates returned with treasures. Moving the loot took four hours; loading onto the ship took another. Then they set sail, indifferent to any naval presence.
The government forces had already fled.
Adam stayed submerged, waiting for sunset. Daylight was too risky. He had warned Silver Bell not to appear before then.
Transformed as a second-generation vampire, Silver Bell could endure sunlight better than others, though still weaker than Adam. Yet she enjoyed basking occasionally… a vampire who liked the sun. Strange.
Finally, the sun dipped below the horizon. Adam surfaced quietly.
"Silver Bell, come out. Check the shore," he whispered.
On the island, bats were abundant. Silver Bell's bat form offered excellent cover.
Moments later, she emerged from the deck's exit, startling two pirates briefly before vanishing into the night.
"What the hell? Bats on the ship? Someone slacked off!"
"Wait… that bat… it was pink!"
"Rubbish. Bats aren't pink."
Hidden from human ears, Silver Bell relayed the surroundings to Adam.
"We're in a giant semi-mountain shelter. Hard to spot from outside. Sunlight barely reaches us."
"Four pirate ships in total. One massive ship offshore—three times the size of ours. The other three are docked together. We're on the rightmost of those three."
"Many pirates onshore, gathered around bonfires. Some are fishmen. Three guards stand behind rocks near us. Watchtowers are scattered throughout. Patrols include fishmen. Security is tight."
"Any weak points? I want to land first," Adam asked.
"To the right, a complex reef. Only two guards. That's the outer perimeter."
Adam grinned. "Perfect."
Midnight raids—this was his favorite kind of thrill.