She stopped a few steps in front of him.
"But you…"
Her eyes narrowed slightly, studying him.
"…you ask questions."
Draven didn't respond.
Didn't move.
Serethra hummed faintly.
Then gave a small shrug.
"I suppose it doesn't matter."
She gestured lightly around the chamber.
"This place?"
A soft laugh escaped her.
"It's just a collection point."
Her gaze swept across the rows of chained people.
"People with value."
"People with… potential."
Her eyes flicked back to him.
"We sort them."
"Prepare them."
"And then—"
A slight pause.
Her smile deepened just a bit.
"…we send them where they're needed."
Draven's eyes didn't change.
"Needed for what?"
Serethra tilted her head.
"That depends."
Her voice softened.
"Some are sold."
"Some are used."
"And some…"
A faint glint appeared in her eyes.
"…are taken somewhere much more interesting."
Silence.
Then she stepped closer.
Just a little.
"And you?"
Her gaze lingered on him.
"I haven't decided yet."
Behind her—
The boy watched.
Tense.
Confused.
Because somehow—
The focus had shifted.
Completely.
And Draven…
Still didn't look like someone trapped.
Serethra's gaze lingered on him.
A slow smile curved her lips.
"You know…"
She tilted her head slightly, studying him more closely.
"You have a rather nice voice."
Her tone softened—
Almost thoughtful.
"It's calm… soft… steady…"
She took a step closer.
"I like it."
Her eyes traced over him again.
Then something shifted.
A flicker of curiosity.
"…Now that I think about it…"
She began to circle him slowly, each step deliberate.
"Since the moment we crossed paths…"
Her fingers lifted slightly.
"You've always kept that hood on."
She stopped directly in front of him.
Close.
Too close.
"And now…"
Her voice dropped just a fraction—
"…I'm dying to see what you're hiding."
Before he could respond—
Her hand shot forward.
She grabbed the edge of the cloak—
And pulled.
**SWISH**
The hood fell back.
The cloak slid down.
Revealing him fully.
For a moment—
She froze.
Her eyes widened.
Her usual composure—
Gone.
White hair.
Dark skin.
Sharp red eyes staring straight back at her.
And a face—
Far younger than she expected.
Refined.
Almost delicate.
But beneath that softness—
Something cold.
Something dangerous.
"…Oh."
The word slipped out quietly.
Her pupils dilated slightly.
Her expression shifted.
Surprise.
Interest.
Something deeper.
Her gaze didn't move.
"…Well now…"
A faint breath escaped her.
"That's…"
A pause.
Her lips curved again—
Slower this time.
"…unexpected."
Then—
Recognition.
Her eyes sharpened.
"…Oh."
A soft breath followed.
Then—
A slow, delighted smile spread across her face.
"Well now…"
Her eyes locked onto him, gleaming with something dangerous.
"To think…"
A quiet laugh escaped her lips.
"…I managed to get my hands on the one everyone's looking for."
She stepped closer.
Closer than before.
"The son of the Demon King…"
Her voice dropped, almost breathless.
"…right in front of me."
Excitement flickered through her.
"Seems I'm quite lucky."
But then—
Her gaze lingered again.
Not on the title.
Not on the danger.
But on his face.
Her expression shifted.
Her cheeks flushed faintly.
Then deeper.
A visible red spreading across her skin.
Her smile widened—
No longer calm.
No longer controlled.
Something far more unstable.
"…I can't…"
She let out a soft, uneven breath.
"…I really can't hold myself back."
Her hand lifted slowly—
Hovering near his face.
Her eyes locked onto him as if she had found something precious.
"…That face…"
A quiet, giddy laugh escaped her.
"…it's so… so cute."
Behind her—
The boy stared in disbelief.
But Draven—
Didn't react.
Not even slightly.
Only those red eyes watching her.
Cold.
Calculating.
As if—
This reaction…
Was exactly what he had expected.
A thin thread of mana gathered at her fingertips.
Then—
She swung.
**SLASH**
The strike carved cleanly across Draven's face.
Blood traced down his cheek.
Fresh.
Sharp.
The boy flinched instinctively—
But Draven didn't.
Not even a blink.
He simply stared at her.
Unmoving.
Serethra's smile widened.
Unstable.
Her breath grew uneven.
"…Ah…"
She leaned in slightly, eyes shining.
"…this is—"
She stopped.
Her gaze fixed on the wound.
The blood slowed.
The cut—
Closed.
Flesh knitting itself back together before her eyes.
Perfect.
Unmarked.
For a moment—
She froze.
Then—
Her smile stretched wider.
A soft, almost delirious laugh escaped her.
"…I knew it."
Her voice trembled with excitement.
"…a vampire."
Her eyes gleamed—bright, almost feverish.
"Of course you are…"
Her hand lifted again, hovering near his face.
"…you can repair yourself."
A slow breath left her lips.
"That means…"
Her smile twisted.
Darker.
Sharper.
More dangerous.
"…this is going to be fun."
Behind her—
The boy's body tensed.
Because the way she looked at Draven now—
Was worse than before.
Not just obsession.
Not just curiosity.
But something deeper.
Something far more dangerous.
Like she had just found—
The perfect toy.
And Draven—
Still didn't react.
No fear.
No anger.
Just those cold red eyes…
Watching.
Waiting.
Her eyes glittered with manic fascination as she spoke again, her voice trembling with excitement.
"You know…"
"I could go all out now."
"No holding back…"
"And you wouldn't even break."
Her gaze moved over him slowly.
"You'd just repair yourself."
"Over… and over…"
Her lips parted slightly.
"Stronger than anyone."
"Better than anyone."
Her expression softened for a brief second—
Then snapped back into intensity.
"And…"
She exhaled slowly.
"You're beautiful."
Her voice dropped.
"More beautiful than anyone I've ever loved."
Draven didn't flinch.
Didn't react.
His red eyes remained cold.
Unshaken.
"Freak."
The word came out quietly.
Almost absent.
The silence that followed—
Lasted only a heartbeat.
Then—
She smiled.
Wide.
Unrestrained.
Dangerous.
"Oh?"
Her voice turned playful.
Teasing.
"Trying to confess your love to me, darling?"
And then—
She moved.
No warning.
No hesitation.
Mana surged.
Her strike tore through him.
**SLASH—!**
Blood exploded outward, painting the walls of the cell in streaks of red.
The boy recoiled in shock.
But Draven—
Didn't scream.
Didn't flinch.
His eyes remained open.
His expression unchanged.
The wound sealed almost instantly.
Flesh reformed.
Blood stilled.
As if nothing had happened.
And still—
She smiled.
Because this—
This was everything she had wanted.