They were each given their own rooms—spacious, comfortable, and far too luxurious for a mere stopover.
Viola sat on her bed.
Leaning back, she stared blankly toward the window. Beneath that calm expression, her thoughts were in chaos. Sofia was recounting everything she knew—everything from the novel she had read. She was now in Chapter 50, the latest chapter. There was no continuation. No spoilers.
And that was frightening.
Sofia knew that starting from this chapter, Viola and Jota would arrive in the city of Jormun—a city plagued by rumors of serial killings caused by vampires. But the details beyond that were blank. She had no idea what dangers awaited them.
Without her noticing, the mattress beside her dipped slightly.
A man was already sitting there.
"It's rare to see you spacing out," Jota said casually.
"Kyaa!" Viola—or rather, Sofia—let out a reflexive scream.
"What the—?! Why are you here?!" she snapped, too loudly.
The moment the words left her mouth, Sofia panicked.
This wasn't how Viola reacted. In the novel, Viola would hit first and talk later.
Jota raised an eyebrow. "Usually you punch me right away. But this time you just screamed."
Sofia's chest tightened. Yet Jota showed no suspicion at all. He only looked puzzled—and that alone was a relief.
Jota reached for Viola's cheek, gripping it firmly. Sofia froze. The distance between them narrowed until she could feel Jota's warm breath against her face.
She wasn't Viola.
She wasn't used to being this close.
Jota whispered into her ear, his voice low and calm. He explained the reason for his presence—the reason he was always by Viola's side.
"Because of the thread of fate," he said. "We are bound by it."
Sofia was startled.
This part wasn't in the novel.
She had read up to Chapter 50, and the detail about a "thread of fate" had never been mentioned. In her mind, Sofia could only guess—perhaps some cliché romantic concept, like an invisible red string connecting two people.
Jota released his grip on Viola's cheek.
"To be honest, I don't really believe in the thread of fate," he continued. "But I want to know… whether it's real."
His tone returned to its casual calm, as though he hadn't just said something capable of stopping someone's heart.
"My main reason is the same," he added. "We hunt vampires together."
Sofia lowered her gaze slightly.
She knew that reason. In the novel, at the beginning of the story, Jota had indeed been bound by an agreement that benefited him—Viola was a vampire who despised her own kind, the perfect ally for a vampire hunter.