Dayana di Angelo Roseti remained hidden among the twisted roots of the forest, inside an improvised shelter made of stone and damp wood.
In front of her lay the corpse of the creature she had just hunted.
The blood, still warm, slowly ran down her throat.
But she no longer felt satisfied.
It only took the edge off her hunger enough for her to keep moving.
Ever since the death of her father, Count Dimitri, at the hands of the demon Bragoz, the world had lost all its color for her.
Rage had filled that emptiness.
And her hatred for demons had become the only thing still keeping her on her feet.
To avenge him.
That was her sole objective.
But the blood of beasts was no longer enough.
Every hunt ended the same way.
Weakness.
Stagnation.
Her body consumed the blood, but barely gained anything from it.
If she ever wanted to face Bragoz, she needed more.
Vampires could not evolve by feeding on animals.
They needed human blood.
Pure blood.
The thought had barely crossed her mind when a scent swept through the forest.
Dayana froze.
Her body reacted before her mind did.
Her pupils dilated.
A strange pressure spread through her chest.
It was human blood.
But it was not ordinary.
The scent contained such a high concentration of mana that her vampiric instincts awakened violently.
For a moment, she struggled to breathe.
—What... is that?
She closed her eyes.
She extended her perception.
Three presences.
Two women accompanied the owner of that blood.
One possessed a strange, dark mana, as though something foreign had become trapped inside her.
The other radiated a warm, luminous energy.
But Dayana barely paid attention to them.
Her entire being was focused on a single presence.
That blood.
It was too pure.
Too powerful.
A living treasure.
If she could absorb it...
Perhaps she could get closer to Bragoz.
Perhaps she could kill him.
Dayana opened her eyes.
She had already made her decision.
She stood.
Behind her, the creature's corpse trembled.
Its legs twitched.
The body slowly began to rise, despite its torn neck and empty eyes.
There was no life in it.
Only obedience.
Dayana did not even turn around.
—Follow me.
The creature let out a broken growl.
And followed her between the trees.
For the first time in a long while, a small smile appeared on Dayana's face.
Night finally descended upon the forest.
Lusian decided to stop among the enormous roots that jutted from the ground like natural walls.
Emily and Elizabeth raised several barriers around the camp while Thunder moved a few meters away and remained motionless beneath the moonlight.
Lusian watched them out of the corner of his eye.
The two of them were quietly arguing over who would sleep inside the tent with him.
They tried to maintain their composure.
They failed.
Lusian sighed.
He was far too tired to get involved.
Then he felt it.
The darkness.
It had not appeared suddenly.
It simply began to spread between the trees.
Slow.
Silent.
Natural.
To anyone else, that sensation would have been unsettling.
For Lusian, it was different.
The darkness felt familiar.
Ever since Umber's death, something inside him had changed.
He no longer used darkness solely as a magical element.
He could feel it.
His night vision had improved.
So had his reflexes.
Even the flow of mana seemed to reach him with greater clarity.
Umber had left him more than just his core.
He had left him part of his power.
His instincts.
His affinity with darkness.
And although Lusian would never admit it aloud, sometimes he had the feeling that the old wolf was still there.
At his side.
Protecting him from the shadows.
Lusian raised his gaze slightly.
Something was approaching.
He heard no footsteps.
He sensed no fluctuation of mana.
But the darkness warned him.
A figure appeared between the trees.
She moved barefoot across the damp roots with a lightness that did not seem human.
The moonlight barely reached her pale skin.
Her red eyes gleamed from between the shadows.
A vampire.
Lusian watched her.
Then a memory surfaced in his mind.
It did not belong to this world.
It belonged to the game.
Dayana di Angelo Roseti.
A servant of Bragoz.
He did not remember much about her.
In the game, she had been a secondary character.
A small piece within a much larger story.
But this was not a game.
Here, everyone bled.
Lusian disappeared.
Dayana barely had time to blink.
She heard no footsteps.
She sensed no mana.
She only felt the cold steel against her neck.
Her eyes widened.
—What are you doing here? —Lusian asked.
Dayana took a second to answer.
She did not seem frightened.
She was trying to understand what had just happened.
—How did you get behind me?
Lusian moved the sword slightly.
—I asked the question first.
Dayana smiled.
—I'm trying to answer it.
Her eyes dropped toward the sword.
—Although it's becoming difficult to think with that against my neck.
Lusian did not respond.
Then Dayana inhaled.
Her expression changed.
Hunger appeared all at once.
Her pupils dilated.
—No...
She breathed in again.
This time more deeply.
—It can't be.
She took a step.
Lusian did not retreat.
Another.
The blade remained pressed against her neck.
—If you let me taste just one drop...
Her voice had lost its confidence.
—Just one.
Dayana closed her eyes for a moment.
—I'll give you whatever you want.
—Whatever I want?
—Anything.
She opened her eyes.
—Your servant. Your shadow. Whatever you need.
Her breathing quickened.
—Just let me taste it.
Lusian looked at her wearily.
—You have a rather strange idea of how to negotiate.
Dayana gave a small laugh.
—I'm hungry.
She looked directly at him.
—And you smell like something that shouldn't exist.
Lusian was about to answer when he remembered something.
—Where is Bragoz?
The smile disappeared.
The change was immediate.
—What?
—Bragoz.
The sword pressed slightly against her neck.
—Where is he?
The hunger disappeared from Dayana's eyes.
In its place appeared hatred.
—That monster killed my father.
Her voice became low.
—He destroyed everything I had.
Lusian remained silent.
Dayana looked away.
—I've been hiding in this forest ever since.
Her fingers slowly curled into fists.
—The blood of the creatures here barely keeps me alive. But it isn't enough.
She raised her eyes.
—I need to become stronger.
Lusian understood.
He was not facing a simple hungry vampire.
He was facing someone who had spent a year surviving with a single purpose.
Revenge.
—If you let me taste your blood —Dayana said—, I could help you.
—No.
The answer was immediate.
Dayana blinked.
—How cruel.
Then a voice came from the camp.
—Lusian?
Dayana turned her head.
Elizabeth emerged from the tent.
The moment the vampire saw the dark mana surrounding the princess, she stepped back.
Her fangs appeared.
—What are you?
Elizabeth froze.
—What?
Dayana looked at Lusian.
—Why are you protecting a demon?
Lusian's expression changed.
—She is not a demon.
—That mana...
—It's the result of a ritual.
Lusian lowered his sword slightly.
—They tried to turn her into the vessel for a demonic summoning. The ritual was interrupted, but part of the power remained trapped inside her.
Dayana looked at Elizabeth again.
This time, she paid closer attention.
—Then you carry it inside you.
Elizabeth held her gaze.
—I control it.
There was no pride in her voice.
Only determination.
Dayana remained silent.
She was not convinced.
But neither could she ignore the difference.
That was not the mana of an ordinary demon.
It was something stranger.
—What's going on?
Emily appeared behind Elizabeth.
Her gaze moved from the princess to Lusian.
Then stopped on the vampire.
Her reaction was immediate.
The light around her body intensified violently.
Her eyes narrowed.
—A vampire.
Her hand went straight to her weapon.
Dayana bared her fangs instinctively.
—Emily.
—Stay away from her.
The heroine's voice had changed.
There was no doubt in it.
Only hostility.
—She's a creature of darkness.
Emily drew her weapon.
Light raced along the blade.
Dayana took a step back.
—I haven't attacked anyone.
—Yet.
Emily advanced.
—I'm not going to wait for you to do it.
Lusian stepped between them.
—Lower your weapon.
Emily stared at him in disbelief.
—Are you defending a vampire?
—I'm preventing an unnecessary fight.
—Lusian, she's a vampire.
—I know.
—Then you know what they are.
The light around Emily intensified again.
—Let me kill her.
Dayana remained motionless.
She did not appear frightened.
But her eyes followed Emily's every movement.
—Curious hero —she murmured—. Do you kill everything you don't understand?
Emily took another step.
—I don't need to understand a monster to know that it's dangerous.
—Emily.
Lusian's voice was firmer.
She stopped.
—Don't attack her.
—Why?
—Because she hasn't done anything yet.
Emily tightened her grip.
—That doesn't mean she will stop being dangerous.
Lusian held her gaze.
—If she tries to attack, you can kill her.
Emily remained silent for several seconds.
Finally, she lowered her weapon.
But she did not put it away.
—I'll keep an eye on her.
Dayana smiled faintly.
—How kind.
Emily gave her a cold look.
—Don't misunderstand me. If you make a single move against them, you won't get a second chance.
Dayana said nothing. Her eyes returned to Lusian and, slowly, a smile appeared on her lips.
—I feel loved.
Lusian ignored the comment.
—What are you doing here?
Dayana looked at him.
—Surviving.
—I can see that.
His gaze dropped toward the creature's corpse.
—Why did you follow me?
Dayana took several seconds to answer.
—Because of your blood.
Emily raised her weapon again.
—Not this again.
Dayana ignored her.
—I've never smelled anything like it.
She stared intently at Lusian.
—Your blood has an absurd concentration of mana.
Lusian narrowed his eyes, his hand still firmly gripping the hilt of Dainslein.
—So?
—One drop —she pleaded.
—Why?
Dayana lowered her gaze for a second.
—To become stronger —her expression turned cold, almost razor-sharp—. I need to kill someone.
Lusian remained silent, weighing her words.
—Who?
Dayana raised her eyes.
—Bragoz.
The name fell between them like a heavy stone. Lusian froze completely. For an instant, the palace courtyard and the bloodstained snow seemed to disappear from his mind. In their place came memories of his previous life: the game screens, the quest interface, and the list of bosses.
Bragoz.
And, above all, the reward obtained after defeating him: the unique fruit capable of purifying demonic corruption.
The pieces fell into place in his mind with chilling precision. He did not know what distortions had brought Bragoz to this point in the story or why the original events had deviated so much, but he remembered the exact property of that fruit.
It could save Elizabeth from possession without having to resort to the execution carried out by the Temples.
Lusian's eyes discreetly shifted toward the princess, who was watching her interaction with Dayana from a distance, still unaware of what had just changed on the board.
Lusian turned his attention back to the vampire.
—Why do you want to kill him?
Dayana clenched her fists.
—He killed my father —her voice became a cold whisper—. Dimitri died protecting me.
Lusian did not respond. Memories of the game surfaced in his mind: he knew Dimitri and remembered with bitter clarity the event that had destroyed his lineage. But there was no way for Dayana to know that he already knew about her tragedy.
—I've been trying to find him ever since —she continued, looking toward the dark depths of the forest—. But I'm not strong enough. The blood of the creatures in this area barely keeps me alive.
—Because they have a ridiculously low mana density —Lusian added.
Dayana looked at him, surprised by the precision of his words.
—Yes.
—And you need a purer source to stabilize yourself.
—Exactly —Dayana took a step toward him, her eyes gleaming in the darkness—. That's why I want a drop of your blood.
Emily immediately stepped between them.
—No.
Dayana let out an annoyed sigh.
—Does she always speak for you?
—When it comes to a vampire trying to drink my fiancé's blood, yes —Emily replied firmly.
Lusian gently raised a hand.
—Emily.
She fell silent, though displeasure and distrust remained clearly visible on her face. Lusian returned his attention to Dayana.
—What will happen if you drink my blood?
—I don't know.
—Could it kill you?
Dayana gave a faint, almost melancholic smile.
—Yes.
Emily's eyes widened in astonishment.
—And you're still willing to take the risk?
—I've spent a year feeding on vermin that barely lets me breathe —Dayana replied, gesturing with her chin toward the frozen corpse of the Frostblight—. If I continue like this, I'll never be able to face Bragoz. I'd rather die trying.
Lusian remained silent.
In his mind, the pieces were falling into place. Bragoz was not an ordinary creature: he was the key to obtaining the fruit capable of purifying the demonic corruption threatening to consume Elizabeth.
Lusian made a decision. Not out of pity for the vampire, nor out of faith in her loyalty, but because their paths shared the same destination.
She sought Bragoz's head for revenge. He sought the reward that would save the princess.
—All right —he agreed.
Emily spun toward him.
—Lusian?
He calmly ignored her protest and held the vampire's gaze.
—One drop. But there are conditions.
Dayana's eyes widened in surprise.
—Whatever you want.
—When we find Bragoz, you will fight alongside us.
Dayana's smile returned, brighter than before.
—That's exactly what I intended to do.
—And as long as you remain with us —Lusian added, glancing toward Elizabeth and then Emily—, you will not touch either of them.
Dayana tilted her head elegantly.
—I accept.
Lusian drew a stiletto from his belt and extended his hand.
Emily watched in complete disbelief.
—Lusian...
—Trust me —he replied in a calm but unquestionable tone.
She pressed her lips together. She did not seem to trust the situation, much less the vampire, but her devotion to Lusian ultimately prevailed. She finally lowered her weapon, though she did not release her grip on the hilt.
Lusian drew his blade only a few centimeters. The steel grazed the tip of his finger with surgical precision, drawing a single drop of blood.
Instantly, the air seemed to freeze. Dayana stopped breathing; her vampiric instincts reacted like a spring, and she instinctively took a step forward.
Emily tensed again when she saw her close the distance.
—Only one —Lusian warned, keeping his eyes fixed on Dayana—. Nothing more.
The vampire approached cautiously and extended her tongue. The drop disappeared in an instant.
For several seconds, absolute silence reigned. Dayana blinked, bewildered.
—Is that all?
But the words had barely left her mouth when her entire body froze. The expression on her face changed from confusion to panic.
A wave of suffocating heat rose from within her. It was not a quick flash; it was a slow, dense, heavy current that began spreading through her veins. Her body had begun digesting the blood.
Dayana collapsed to her knees in the snow.
—Ah... —she gasped, clutching her chest.
Emily immediately raised her sacred staff.
—Lusian!
—Wait.
—She's suffering!
—I know.
Dayana clenched her teeth so hard they cracked. The Shadow mana contained within that tiny drop moved through her body like liquid fire. It was not granting her power instantly; her vampiric physiology was desperately struggling to process it, assimilating every particle at a tremendous physical cost.
The concentration of energy was absurdly high for such a weakened body.
—It's... too much... —she managed to say, choking on her own breath.
—What's happening to her? —Emily asked, torn between distrust and concern.
Dayana raised her eyes with difficulty, her pupils dilated.
—My body... —she swallowed with effort—... is trying to digest it.
Lusian watched with cold fascination. He confirmed that the blood did not act as an immediate magical catalyst, but rather as an extremely concentrated source of nourishment. If Dayana's body managed to process it completely, the true consequences of that assimilation would only become apparent with time.
Dayana closed her eyes and curled up in the snow. Little by little, the spasms subsided and the sharp pain began to fade. Her breathing, previously chaotic, gradually returned to a steady rhythm.
When she finally opened her eyes, she looked at her own hands.
She still did not feel an enormous increase in strength, but she could sense it deep within her veins: a fraction of that pure, dark mana had permanently integrated itself into her.
Dayana raised her gaze toward Lusian, her pupils still dilated and her lips slightly parted.
—Your blood... —she paused, swallowing with difficulty—. I want more.
Lusian stared at her. For a moment, the vampire seemed on the verge of madness, blinded by the instinctive addiction to such dense mana.
—Control yourself or you'll die —Lusian stated coldly.
Dayana seemed to snap back to reality for a moment, though her breathing remained ragged and erratic.
—Can't you give me just a little more? —she murmured, almost pleading.
Lusian closed his eyes for a moment.
What a troublesome woman.
—We're going to find Bragoz.
At the sound of that name, the fixation in Dayana's eyes vanished instantly. Her hunger gave way to her oldest hatred.
—Then... perhaps I can finally avenge my father.
Lusian turned his gaze toward the depths of the frozen forest.
No one there suspected that the two of them had just crossed paths on the way toward the same objective for entirely different reasons: Dayana fought for revenge; Lusian, for the purifying fruit.
And Elizabeth... Elizabeth still did not know that this hunt would become her only chance to stop the shadow threatening to devour her mind.