Chapter 111 – The Seed of Doubt Has Been Planted
"Of course," William said with that bright, easy smile again. "No problem."
Both USP Match pistols appeared out of thin air, grips facing Selene, slowly floating toward her.
Tonight's events had shaken her more than she let show.
"You… what are you? Human, or—"
She stopped herself.
The question hung in the air.
A seed of doubt had already been planted.
"Selene," William said calmly, "don't worry about what I am. Focus on what you need to do. Fate already set things in motion."
He lifted a hand. The rear car door swung open on its own. He hoisted the still-unconscious Michael over his shoulder and started walking back toward Michael's apartment.
Selene stood there, silent, watching his back fade into the rain-damp night.
But his words echoed in her mind.
Kraven is a traitor.
She had always despised the smug politician — but betrayal of Viktor? That was unthinkable.
Still, it was only William's word.
Unverified.
Yet her instincts told her… he might be right.
The fragments of information tangled in her thoughts. After a long pause, she exhaled.
No amount of thinking would solve this.
She needed proof.
She got back into the car and drove off.
Meanwhile
William carried Michael back toward the apartment building. Sirens wailed in the distance — someone had already called the police.
He had no intention of harming Michael anyway.
So he left him on the roadside and quietly removed the mental mark he had placed on him.
Perfect timing — the police would find him soon.
Now William had something more important to handle.
A train was about to arrive in Budapest.
Inside it—
Elder Amelia.
In the original timeline, she died — ambushed by Lycans while unarmed.
But William had remembered most of the plot by now.
And Amelia was his next target.
Mission or not, he intended to save her.
It wasn't about lust. Sure, she had an impressive figure, but her looks weren't his type. Mandy-tier at best.
What mattered was her power.
One of the three Vampire Elders.
An entire American vampire faction under her influence.
And the MCU's main stage?
The United States.
Far more valuable than the stagnant European covens.
Truthfully, even Lucian's Lycans were on William's radar.
Vampires were strong — but decadent, pleasure-addicted immortals couldn't build a real power structure alone.
Their biggest flaw wasn't arrogance.
It was daylight.
To solve that, he'd need Alexander Corvinus's original virus.
Only that could create daylight-resistant vampires in bulk.
Research could come later.
Right now—
Convincing Amelia was the highest-value move.
William pulled out the map he'd taken earlier from the bookstore and started planning his route.
After confirming the location of Budapest Railway Station, William tore down the road on his KTM.
Time passed quickly.
___
A Castle on the Outskirts of Budapest
An ancient fortress stood in the darkness.
Security was extremely tight — armed guards with live ammunition patrolled the grounds. No private estate should have security like this.
This was the Viktor bloodline's vampire stronghold.
Selene's Room
She sat quietly, leather coat removed, a simple leather vest hugging her frame. Pale moonlight washed over her cold, sculpted face.
"What are you…"
She still couldn't stop thinking about William.
The way he could strip someone of power… then give it back.
She didn't want to call it divine.
But the evidence stood before her.
After six hundred years of existence, she believed in one thing more than most:
Gods might be real.
"Selene. Kraven wants to see you."
A blonde, blue-eyed vampire with soft features entered.
Erika.
Obsessed with Kraven. Desperate to become his queen.
In the original timeline, she even helped Selene escape — not out of kindness, but to make Kraven lose faith in Selene so he'd choose her instead.
Unfortunately, Erika understood romance — not politics.
No matter how rebellious Selene was, she was Viktor's adopted daughter.
Kraven could never pick a nobody like Erika to solidify his rule.
Selene considered for a moment, then agreed to see him.
William's words echoed in her mind.
Doubt had taken root.
Maybe she could draw something useful out of Kraven.
---
The Audience Chamber
Escorted by Erika, Selene stood before Kraven.
"This is completely unacceptable!" Kraven snapped. "You openly defied my orders! Spent the night outside — for a human?!"
His eyes were dark with anger.
Did he love Selene?
Not really.
She was a political necessity.
Selene met his glare without flinching.
"Kraven, I have no interest in arguing. But you should understand how important Michael is to the Lycans."
At the sound of Michael's name, Kraven sneered.
"Oh? You're on a first-name basis now?"
To outsiders, it sounded like jealousy.
In reality, he wanted to avoid talking about Lycans at all.
If his alliance with Lucian was exposed, he'd be finished.
"Will you let me finish?!" Selene snapped.
Kraven ignored her.
"Why are you obsessed with this ridiculous theory? Lucian would never be interested in a human. Not Michael. Not anyone."
Selene froze.
Lucian?
She had said Lycans.
Not Lucian.
Kraven realized his slip instantly.
But as a politician, he didn't show it.
He pivoted smoothly.
"Wait… don't tell me you're infatuated with him?"
Selene's heart jumped — not because of Michael…
But because she suddenly thought of William.
"That's the ridiculous theory," she shot back.
"Is it?" Kraven said coldly, then stormed out.
Selene watched him leave.
She wasn't politically sharp.
But she wasn't blind.
He had slipped.
And he'd been nervous.
The seed of suspicion had now begun to sprout.
---