Chapter 154: Through Blood And Mist
Not too far away from the Rosemount Hotel, where the Blood Moon Academy excursion team was currently residing, stood a vast, luxurious castle surrounded by nothing but the thickness of the green. It was bright and sunny outside; however, if one were to look on the inside, beyond the parts of the opulent halls and silk-draped chambers of the castle that were kissed by the sunlight, down in the dark, dingy basement, horrifying screams of a woman echoed, bouncing off the cold, grey walls.
The thick metallic scent of blood permeated the air, as if it were the only scent the stones had ever known.
With the wet sound of a single slash, the woman’s scream was silenced forever, painting the surroundings with a fresh coat of red. Two men with blank expressions and mechanical movements moved instantly, holding the limp body of the woman to direct the flowing blood into a black stone bathtub.
A woman stepped out from the shadows. Beautiful, poised, and terribly calm. Her long brunette hair cascaded over the deep violet of her silk robe. As she moved closer, the faint click of her heels echoed against the wet floor.
Her pale green eyes narrowed as she regarded the tub’s contents, a faint sigh escaping her lips. She clicked her tongue softly, disappointment flickering across her face.
Her mature yet sweet voice rang through the chamber. "Oh...would you look at that...the bathtub is only half filled. Now, how am I supposed to have my beauty spa?"
She narrowed her beautiful but dull green eyes at the limp body of the girl being drained to her very last drop.
"Hmm...as I thought, this one was far too young." Her gaze shifted toward Jareld, who stood in the corner with his head bowed. "Jareld, you must tell my son to bring more mature girls next time. These young ones don’t have enough blood to fill my tub. Now, how am I supposed to greet my daughter-in-law without having my spa?"
The sharp click of her heels echoed as she walked across the floor and came to stand directly before him. "Tell me honestly, Jareld...does he want his mother to look old in front of his new bride? Is that it? Hmm?"
Jareld didn’t dare look up. "That’s not true, Your Majesty. His Highness always thinks of you whenever he’s out on a hunt. I will be sure to pass on your message. He’ll bring a more mature woman next time."
Her sweet, singsong voice chimed again. "That’s right! My son always thinks of his mother! I’m sooo lucky to have him!" She burst into an unhinged laugh that echoed off the blood-stained walls before abruptly stopping.
Her expression cooled into one of mild boredom as she turned to glance at the girl, now completely drained of every last drop of blood.
"Hmm...this won’t do..." she purred, her voice smooth yet laced with quiet displeasure.
Turning back to Jareld, her tone shifted to sharp and imperious. "Find me a presentable servant girl from the castle and fill this tub properly. I have a meeting after this, and I won’t tolerate any delays."
"R-right away, Your Majesty," Jareld stammered, bowing deeply before rushing out, his footsteps echoing down the stone corridor.
Left alone, she clicked her heels lazily against the blood-stained floor, her expression unreadable. "Take this one away," she said with a dismissive flick of her fingers toward the drained corpse. "I don’t think she deserves a place in my collection. Such a disappointment..." She sighed softly, as if she were merely complaining about an unsatisfying meal rather than the lack of blood in the woman’s body.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the men replied in unison, bowing low before dragging the lifeless body through the door, leaving a trail of crimson in their wake.
Once alone, the brunette who was none other than Viva Kaine, the Queen of Dartmouth, slowly slid out of her purple robe, revealing her supple, flawless skin.
Although well into her years, she remained strikingly youthful, her beauty defying the passage of time itself. She gazed at her reflection in the tall mirror before the bathtub, admiring the perfection of her form.
Then, a familiar itch crept across her hand. Lifting it, her pale green eyes narrowed at the sight of faint cracks forming on her skin, brown spots beginning to bloom beneath the surface, and an ugly frown marred her face.
"Look at this..." she muttered darkly. "I suppose I can’t wait for another one to fill it up completely."
With an irritated sigh, she reached for a small glass vial filled with thick black liquid.
Uncorking it, she let a few drops fall into the blood-filled tub, making the crimson hue deepen into an almost black shade. She stepped gracefully into it, submerging herself until only the crown of her head remained visible.
After several moments, she sank fully beneath the surface, then emerged again, with dark red liquid streaming down her body like liquid silk.
As the warmth enveloped her skin, a deep, satisfied sigh slipped from her crimson lips. The blood clung to her body like silk, glimmering faintly under the dim candlelight. She trailed her fingers through it lazily, across her bare shoulders as if she were an artist admiring her own masterpiece.
"Mmm... there it is," Viva whispered to herself, her voice dripping with indulgence.
"Perfection."
Her reflection shimmered in the surface of the blood...at first radiant and young, then flickering grotesquely, revealing a glimpse of what lay beneath the illusion: sagging skin, hollow eyes, and veins blackened with decay.
The sight only made her smirk. She pressed her hands against the liquid surface and murmured an incantation under her breath. Blood rippled around her, glowing faintly as whispers of the agonising souls filled the air before she finally felt it.
A slow, ecstatic shiver ran down her spine as the magic took effect. The brown spots from her hand vanished, her skin tightening once more into flawless perfection. Her hair gleamed, her lips regained their youthful rose hue, and the shadows under her eyes disappeared.
She threw her head back, laughing softly, a sound too beautiful to belong to someone so monstrous.
She let out a soft sigh and murmured, "I wonder...what my dear daughter-in-law’s blood would do to this body." Her hand trailed slowly down her skin, and a shiver of anticipation coursed through her at the thought. "Ah...I cannot wait!" She broke into another wicked laugh, the sound echoing through the dark chamber, filling it with her twisted delight.
....
[Music Recommendation: Bleach OST : Soundscape to Ardor - tybw version]
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In the familiar surroundings of a misty forest, Evelyn stood in a long, white, backless dress. As she took small steps forward, her bare feet sinking into the dew-kissed grass, her blue eyes searched for a familiar stranger she often encountered in this place. Not able to find anyone, she continued forward, and the mist began before her, as if guiding her in a particular direction.
Soon, she came to a halt when her gaze caught a familiar figure standing tall, his strong back facing her. The mist cleared a little more, and she realised he was standing right at the edge of a cliff. Her clear blue eyes slowly widened when she recognised the massive willow tree beside him....the very one that overlooked the blanket of clouds through which the mountaintops peeked.
Her breathing hitched as she understood where she was...this was the very place Ivan had brought her to on their very first date, through teleportation.
The man remained unmoving, but as if sensing her presence, his deep voice broke the silence for the very first time, "You’re here..."
The mist grew thicker as he looked over his shoulder, his molten-red eyes softening when they met her blue ones.
"You’ve kept me waiting for far too long..."
The golden light behind him flared brighter, casting his form into a silhouette as he turned fully to face her. Yet his warm, molten gaze remained visible...glowing with a longing so deep it seemed to reach across the very air between them.
Eve’s heart thundered in her chest as she watched him extend his hand toward her. Her vision blurred, and before she realised it, warm tears were streaming down her cheeks. She couldn’t look away from the man whose name she only knew as Kai; the man who looked at her as though she were the only being in existence worth seeing.
And more than anything, it felt as though her very soul had been waiting for him...only him.
With no words or questions leaving her lips, Eve moved on her own, one slow, trembling step at a time...drawn to him by something deeper than reason. She wanted to see him clearly...to know him.
But as she closed the distance, the golden radiance surrounding him began to flicker, then dimmed. Suddenly, shadows crawled over the light like ink spreading through water.
The man’s body jerked as he stumbled backwards, falling to his knees, his hand clutching his chest as if something unseen was tearing through him.
Eve froze, "What...what is happening?" she whispered, her voice breaking into the mist.
Panic surged through her veins, and she took a step toward him, but the world began to tremble. The forest dissolved into streaks of smoke, the ground vanished beneath her feet, and she screamed, "No!" as everything she reached for slipped away.
Then came the vast and consuming darkness. Out of it, a voice, soft and ancient, echoed behind her:
"Save him...before it is too late..."
Eve spun around, desperate to see who spoke, but before she could, her eyes flew open.
