Days passed, and Maekal and Evelyn grew closer with each passing moment. Kael had disappeared somewhere, and no one knew where he had gone. For a while, everything felt calm, almost peaceful… but Maekal knew peace like this never lasted. The moment he returned to the Blackthorne mansion, he saw Kael sitting there. His expression changed instantly. "Where did you go, brother?" Maekal asked. Kael looked at him, but for once, there was no mocking smile on his face—only a quiet sadness. Maekal immediately sensed something was wrong, but he chose not to ask. In the following days, Kael didn't do anything unusual or reckless. For the first time, Maekal felt a sense of relief.
One day, Evelyn invited Maekal for dinner. When he arrived, Selena approached Evelyn with a sad expression, asking about her grandmother. Evelyn gently told her they hadn't found her yet, but reassured her, promising they would find her and telling her not to lose hope. Maekal felt a quiet guilt inside him but remained silent. As they began their dinner, a loud noise suddenly echoed through the mansion. When they rushed toward the sound, they found Eren—Evelyn's brother—shouting at the maids. Evelyn stepped forward and asked what had happened, but the maids said nothing, clearly afraid. Evelyn quickly realized the truth—Eren had drunk that potion again and was completely intoxicated. She told him to go to his room, but he refused and continued shouting. Losing her patience, Evelyn slapped him. Instantly, silence filled the hall. No one dared to speak.
Maekal stepped forward and gently calmed Evelyn. "Let me talk to him," he said. Evelyn hesitated, saying Eren wouldn't understand anything in his current state, but Maekal calmly replied, "I'll try." After a moment, Evelyn agreed. Maekal took Eren's hand and led him away—not because Eren obeyed, but because he was too intoxicated to even walk properly. They made their way to the garden and sat down. Maekal looked at him with a soft expression. "You can cry. I won't tell Evelyn." Hearing that, Eren broke down. He cried, his voice filled with anger and pain. "Why did she slap me? What did I do wrong?" Maekal didn't interrupt. He let him cry, shout, and release everything. After some time, he finally spoke. "Your sister slapped you because she loves you." Eren wiped his tears and looked at him. "No… she doesn't love me. She hates me. I know I'm not perfect like her, but she has no right to control how I live my life." Maekal's gaze remained steady. "Do you really think your sister is happy watching her own brother—her own blood—walk toward darkness and ruin his life? Do you think she slapped you in front of everyone because she hates you? Ask your heart… does Evelyn really hate you?" Eren fell silent. Deep inside, he already knew the answer.
After a moment, Maekal spoke again. "I also have a brother." Eren looked surprised. "You do?" Maekal nodded. "We have our differences now… my brother hates me. I saw him going down a dark path, and I didn't stop him. But even in that darkness, he still couldn't let me die. I love my brother… and that's why I want you to be better. I couldn't stop him… but I won't let Evelyn go through the same pain." Eren stayed silent, but his expression slowly changed. Suddenly, he touched his forearm, his face tightening in pain. Maekal noticed immediately. "Are you okay?" Eren quickly said he was fine, but Maekal had already seen the blood seeping through his sleeve. He grabbed Eren's hand and pulled the cloth aside, revealing deep bite marks. Eren panicked and tried to hide it. "What are you doing?" Maekal's voice turned serious. "What happened to your hand?" When Eren refused to answer, Maekal said coldly, "Should I tell Evelyn?" Fear filled Eren's face. "You can't!" "Then tell me," Maekal replied. Embarrassed, Eren hesitated before speaking. "You know… love bite marks…" Maekal frowned. Even for that, the wound was too deep. Eren explained that there was a girl he liked. They had been meeting secretly at night for three months. She was the one giving him those potions, and sometimes she bit him. Every morning, he would feel weak. Hearing everything, Maekal asked for her address, and Eren gave it.
Maekal then used his power, speaking calmly yet firmly, placing a command into Eren's mind. "We only talked. After this, you went to your room and slept. From now on, you will stop drinking potions… for your sister." Then Maekal gave him some of his blood. The moment Eren drank it, the bite marks healed instantly. Under the effect of compulsion, Eren quietly went to sleep.
Maekal returned to the mansion, where Evelyn was waiting anxiously. "I talked to him," Maekal said. "He won't take potions anymore. He'll listen to you." Evelyn's face brightened with relief. She thanked him, though a small doubt lingered in her heart—Eren had made promises before. Still, she chose not to question Maekal.
But Maekal didn't go home. Instead, he went to the address Eren had given. When he knocked on the door, a young woman opened it—beautiful, around Evelyn's age. Their eyes met for a moment… and then Maekal moved. He stepped inside, grabbed her throat, and lifted her into the air. She struggled, trying to free herself. "What is a vampire doing here?" he asked coldly. The girl smiled slightly. "So… you know." She used her full strength, her superhuman power, but couldn't break free. Confusion filled her face—she had thought he was just a human. Maekal threw her into a corner. She coughed violently but quickly attacked again using her speed. Before she could land a hit, he disappeared. She froze. The next second, he was behind her. He grabbed her neck again and lifted her effortlessly. "You turned recently," he said coldly. "You can't walk in the sun. You don't know how to hunt… so you found Eren, used charm magic, and turned him into your blood source." "Charm magic? What are you talking about? I didn't use any charm magic—I really love him!" she cried. "Shut up," Maekal said, tightening his grip.
Suddenly, another woman attacked. Maekal dodged easily and threw the first girl aside. The second woman rushed to her. Caroline are you okay?Caroline looked at Jenna, her eyes trembling as tears began to gather. "Jenna… I'm fine," she said, though her voice betrayed her. She looked like she might break down at any second. Maekal stood a short distance away, his presence heavy and suffocating. His gaze shifted toward Jenna, sharp and unreadable. "What are you doing here, Jenna?" he asked. Jenna met his eyes, and for a moment, fear flickered across her face before she forced herself to speak. "Maekal Blackthorne… the demon even demons fear." Maekal's expression didn't change. "I asked you a question, Jenna." His voice dropped slightly, colder this time. Jenna swallowed. "I heard you stopped drinking human blood… stopped making contracts. I thought… you might have become weak." A faint, dangerous smile appeared on Maekal's lips. "You think you can beat me?" Jenna hesitated, but she didn't back down. "With your current self… maybe I can. But if you were the demon from 1624… I would already be dead."
The air grew heavy for a moment. Then Maekal's gaze shifted toward Caroline. "Take her and leave," he said coldly. "If I see her anywhere near Eren again… I will kill both of you." There was no anger in his voice—only certainty. That made it far more terrifying. Without another word, he turned and walked away.
The moment he disappeared, Jenna's legs gave out. She collapsed onto the ground, her body trembling as she let out a shaky breath. "That monster…" she whispered, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "He hasn't changed at all." Caroline rushed to her side, confused and frustrated. "Who is he? Why didn't you kill him? I could tell… you're stronger than him." Jenna looked at her, her expression darkening. "You're still young… you don't understand anything. If you want to live, stay away from him."
Caroline frowned. "Is he really that strong?"
Jenna closed her eyes for a moment, as if recalling something she wished she could forget. "Have you heard the story… of the disappearance of the Kingdom of Howl?" Caroline nodded. "Everyone knows that story. What about it?" Jenna slowly looked up at the sky, her voice turning heavy. "He's the one who did it. I was there… I saw everything." Her hands clenched slightly as the memories resurfaced. "Trust me… even demons were afraid of him. We are vampires—we're not as strong as demons. We can't walk in the sun. We need blood to survive. We can't even enter a house without permission. But demons… they're different. They're stronger. They don't need blood to live. Even in their weakest form… a demon is still a demon." She looked back at Caroline, her voice firm now. "We're lucky he didn't kill us. Let's leave. Staying here will only make things worse. And I heard Kael Blackthorne is here too… if he sees us, we won't survive."
"Let's go," Jenna urged, grabbing her hand.
But Caroline didn't move.
"I don't want to run anymore," she said softly, but there was stubborn strength in her voice. "It's been three years since I became a vampire… and all we've done is run. How long am I supposed to keep running?" Her eyes filled with emotion. "I love him, Jenna… I love Eren. I didn't use any charm magic. I didn't force him to love me. I only made him forget that I drink his blood."
Jenna's grip tightened. "We don't have time for this—we need to go!"
"I'm not going anywhere," Caroline said firmly.
Jenna's expression hardened. "I've been a vampire for nearly two hundred years. You have no idea how dangerous the Blackthorne brothers are. If we stay here… we will die."
Caroline didn't back down. "Then you go. I'll stay. Dying is better than running for hundreds of years."
Before she could say anything more—
Slap.
The sound echoed sharply in the silence.
Jenna's hand trembled slightly as she lowered it, her eyes filled with anger… and fear. "I turned you into a vampire," she said, her voice shaking. "You are my responsibility. If anything happens to you… it's on me."
Caroline slowly touched her cheek, but she didn't look away. "I'm the one who asked you to turn me," she replied quietly. "This is my choice. I'm not going anywhere… even if I die."
Jenna stared at her, her emotions in turmoil—anger, fear, helplessness. But deep down, she knew… Caroline wouldn't change her mind.
And that scared her more than anything.
Jenna looked at Caroline, anger and helplessness clashing in her eyes. For a moment, it felt like she wanted to say something more, to force her to understand, but the words never came. Her jaw tightened, her fists clenched… and without another word, she disappeared into the night. After some time, she stood in front of the Blackthorne mansion. Her steps slowed as she looked up at it. The towering structure felt less like a home and more like a beast waiting in silence. A cold shiver ran down her spine. Even after living for nearly two hundred years, fear like this was rare… but this place, and the people inside it, were different. This is not a mansion… it's a demon's cave. Her fingers trembled slightly as she raised her hand and knocked.
The door opened, and Maekal stood there. His calm, unreadable eyes fell on her, yet his mere presence made the air feel heavier. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice steady but suffocating. Jenna swallowed, forcing herself to remain composed. "Can I come in?" For a brief moment, silence stretched between them before Maekal stepped aside. She walked in, her senses alert, her guard never dropping. They sat facing each other, and Jenna began explaining everything—Caroline, her feelings for Eren, her refusal to leave. Her voice wavered slightly despite her effort to stay calm. "…I just need some time," she said quietly. "I'll convince her to leave." Maekal watched her carefully, his gaze sharp as if dissecting every word. "Fine," he said at last. "But if I find her near Eren again… I will kill her." The cold certainty in his voice made Jenna's chest tighten, but she nodded. "Don't worry. It won't happen." For a brief moment, the tension eased. Maekal looked at her and said, almost unexpectedly, "You've grown a lot." A faint, warm smile appeared on his face. "You're the one who taught me how to control my bloodlust when I first turned." Jenna blinked, slightly caught off guard by the sudden shift. For a second, the past flickered between them—simpler times, before everything turned dark.
They spoke for a while, the conversation carrying a strange mix of nostalgia and unease… until the door opened again. Kael walked in. His eyes landed on Jenna, and a slow, mocking smile spread across his face. "Jenna…" he said, dragging her name slightly as he walked closer and casually sat beside her. "The crybaby vampire has grown quite a lot." Jenna's expression hardened instantly. "I still haven't forgiven you," she said coldly, "for killing the others." Kael let out a soft chuckle. "I'm sorry," he said casually, as if the words meant nothing. He poured her a drink, his movements relaxed, almost playful. "So… why are you here?" Jenna forced herself to remain calm. "I recently came to this kingdom. I heard you both were back, so I thought I'd visit… it's been seventy-nine years since I last saw you." Kael leaned back slightly, smirking. "Has it really been that long? I still remember you crying the first time you killed a human… begging for forgiveness." Jenna's cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anger. "That was a long time ago… and it was my first time," she muttered. "You've always been cruel, Kael."
After some time, Jenna stood up. "I should go." She turned to leave, her steps quick, wanting to get out of that suffocating place as soon as possible. "Jenna." Kael's voice stopped her. She froze for a second before turning back. "Is something wrong?" Kael slowly walked toward her, his smile still there—but his eyes had turned cold. "You didn't tell me the real reason you came here." Jenna forced herself to meet his gaze. "I already told you. I came to see you both and talk like old times." Kael stared at her for a long moment… then suddenly moved. A wooden stake pierced straight through her stomach. Jenna gasped in pain, a sharp cry escaping her lips as her body trembled. "You think I'm a fool?" Kael said quietly, his voice now completely devoid of warmth. "You're still terrible at lying, Jenna." She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to endure the pain, her eyes locked onto his. "Believe me or not… that's the truth." The air grew heavy as they stared at each other. Seconds felt like minutes. Then, after what felt like an eternity, Kael suddenly pulled the stake out. Jenna staggered slightly, barely holding herself steady. Kael smiled again, as if nothing had happened. "Then it was a misunderstanding," he said lightly. "You can go."
Jenna didn't reply. She turned and began walking away, her steps unsteady but determined. Just as she reached the door, Kael's voice echoed behind her, colder than before. "If you try anything… don't forget how I killed your friends." Her body stiffened for a split second. But she didn't turn back. She simply walked out… her silence heavier than any response.