At the dining room of the Holler residence
The warm aroma of breakfast drifted gently through the room. Edward sat at the long wooden table, a plate of bread and a bowl of steaming soup placed neatly before him. Yet he hadn't touched a single bite.
His pitch-black eyes stared into the distance, unfocused. His face was tense, and his body rigid, as if some invisible weight pressed heavily upon him.
Across the table, Alice lifted her head from her teacup and studied him for a moment before speaking softly.
"Edward, you haven't touched your food… Are you feeling unwell?"
Edward remained silent for a while before answering in a faint voice, barely louder than a whisper.
"…The curse of immortality…"
Alice raised an eyebrow, confusion flickering across her face.
"What?"
He lifted his head. His eyes were filled with turmoil and pain as he spoke again, louder this time.
"The curse of immortality… Never aging. Never dying. But forced to endure endless suffering. Drinking blood just to survive. Breathing… yet not truly living. Like a hollow being who feels nothing. No one to love… condemned to exist like that for eternity."
Alice froze.
She knew immediately that Edward had awakened from a nightmare—one so vivid it was still haunting him.
"It was only a nightmare, Edward. Just a dream," she said gently, reaching her hand across the table.
"Look at you now. You're breathing. Your body is warm. Your black eyes are still bright. You don't have fangs or terrifying claws."
Edward glanced at her hand, which was about to touch him. He let out a heavy sigh and lowered his gaze.
"Alice… um… could you leave me alone for a while? I need to think about the dream… It felt so real. It was terrifying."
Alice hesitated before slowly withdrawing her hand.
"You're really okay, Edward?"
"Just go."
His voice turned cold.
"I said leave."
The words struck Alice like a bolt of lightning. Her brows knitted together instantly as she pushed her chair back and stood up.
"What's wrong with you, Edward!? I was worried about you, and this is how you treat me? Don't forget—this is my house!"
Fuming, she stormed toward the dining room door.
But before her hand could reach the doorknob, Edward suddenly stood and hurried after her—almost as if he had forgotten that he had just told her to leave.
He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist from behind.
His warm chest pressed against her back, so close that Alice gasped in surprise.
She turned her head toward him, frowning again.
"What do you want, Edward? A moment ago you were chasing me away, and now you're hugging me like this…"
She tried to regain her composure before adding dryly,
"Did that dream scramble your brain or something?"
Edward didn't answer.
He simply stood there, holding her.
His hands trembled slightly, beyond his control.
Alice could feel the lingering fear still clinging to him. Her expression softened, and her voice became gentler.
"Are you sick? Do you want to talk about it?"
Edward shook his head lightly.
"No… Soon, my life won't be the same anymore."
She fell silent for a moment before asking,
"Should I call Uncle Hill?"
"No need. It was just a nightmare. I'm fine… Go finish your breakfast. I'll go rest for a while."
Alice hesitated briefly. When she turned back toward the door again, she saw Edward already starting to walk away.
"But you—"
Edward raised an eyebrow slightly, a mischievous glint returning to his tone.
"Or… would you like to come upstairs and sleep beside me? In my bed?"
Alice turned and stared at him.
Then she rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"In your dreams. Go get some sleep, Edward."
He smiled faintly.
"This time… it'll be a good dream for me, Alice."
He walked back toward her, gently took her hand, and placed a soft kiss upon the back of it before letting go, leaving her to finish breakfast in quiet peace.
Deep within a cave in a valley outside Istanbul
The cave was bitterly cold.
Even the flickering torches lining the stone walls could not chase away the chill or the darkness seeping into every corner.
Drops of water fell steadily from the rocky ceiling, echoing against the stone floor in the silence—like the ticking of a countdown toward disaster.
At the center of the cave, a tall figure cloaked in black sat motionless upon a rough stone platform.
His gaze was fixed upon the wall before him.
But it was not empty.
His eyes burned with vengeance, fury, and ambition so intense it seemed ready to ignite at any moment.
Tyler.
His body was now filled with powerful, taut muscles. His skin was pale like that of a corpse, and his blood-red eyes glimmered in the torchlight.
Slowly, he raised his hand, examining the black claws that had grown from the tips of his fingers.
The veins beneath his skin pulsed violently, as though alive with a will of their own.
"Soon…"
His hoarse voice echoed through the darkness.
"Soon there will be no one left in this world who can stop me—whether vampire, wolf, human, or any other race."
He rose slowly from the stone platform and stepped down.
His broad shadow stretched across the damp stone floor as his heavy footsteps echoed through the cave.
Ahead of him lay the body of an unfortunate young man.
A hiker who had wandered into Tyler's cave without realizing it.
The man was chained tightly to a stone pillar, his limbs weak, his eyes filled with terror and confusion.
"Please… let me go… I just got lost…" the man pleaded.
Tyler leaned down, studying his prey. A horrifying smile twisted across his face.
"Lost, you say?"
He chuckled softly.
"How lucky… because I was just looking for a snack."
In the next instant, he lunged.
A scream tore through the cave—then vanished within seconds.
All that remained was a shriveled corpse.
Tyler wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand before lifting his head and drawing in a deep breath.
Power surged through his body once more.
"Ordinary human blood… isn't enough anymore."
He murmured.
Walking toward an ancient mirror embedded in the cave wall, he stared calmly at his reflection.
The image revealed a man transforming into something monstrous.
Half demon.
Half vampire.
His crimson eyes burned with insatiable thirst.
"It's time… to hunt my true target."
He reached out and touched the mirror.
The reflection shifted instantly.
The image of Edward appeared, as if conjured by magic.
Edward stood in the dining room, looking troubled, while Alice stood beside him, smiling.
"You are the key to the end of this world… Edward," Tyler whispered.
"I will destroy everything you love… and devour you alive… until my power becomes perfect."
The torches throughout the cave suddenly flared violently, as if responding to his vow.
Hill observing Edward's training
In the hidden garden behind the Holler mansion—surrounded by towering trees and the scent of damp earth carried by the night breeze—Edward stood motionless in the center of the lawn.
Sweat glistened across his face, yet his eyes were unwavering.
A vein throbbed at his temple as he pushed his inner magic to the surface.
"Gather the power in the center of your chest… release it only when you're certain," Henry instructed firmly from nearby.
Ethan stood a short distance away, arms crossed as he watched calmly.
Yet his sharp eyes never left Edward.
He was not merely a trainer.
He was a guardian, ready to intervene in an instant if the young man lost control.
Further away, beneath the shadow of a great tree, Hill stood silently.
Hidden from everyone's sight.
He spoke no words.
Gave no commands.
He simply watched his son with a steady, sorrowful gaze.
Edward raised his hand.
The air around him trembled.
Pressure gathered densely, causing the leaves to rustle violently as a faint rumble of thunder echoed within the surge of power.
This child… is about to surpass ordinary humanity, Hill thought.
He knew all too well that the blood flowing within Edward was no ordinary blood.
It was a hybrid lineage—one that could awaken a power that should never be awakened.
One wrong step… and he could become just like Tyler.
Hill clenched his teeth.
A sharp pang of emotion struck his heart, forcing him to turn away and walk back into the mansion.
He did not want to watch his son suffer under a power too great to control.
He did not want history to repeat itself.
The Holler mansion's living room
Hill returned to the large sofa in the center of the living room.
He picked up his wine glass again but did not drink.
Instead, he stared quietly at the dark red liquid within—so deep it resembled blood.
Moments later, the door opened softly as Ethan and Henry stepped inside.
"Master… what are you thinking about?" Ethan asked.
"You're worried about the young master, aren't you?" Henry added.
Hill sighed softly before answering in a calm yet heavy voice.
"If one day… I'm no longer here… will you take care of him for me?"
Both men froze.
Henry was the first to respond firmly.
"Master… please don't say things like that."
But Hill shook his head.
Concern shone plainly in his eyes.
"No one knows what will happen. I'm not afraid of dying… but I'm afraid he'll be left alone."
He paused before continuing more clearly.
"Edward may appear strong… but inside he's still confused. And the power he holds… without control… it could consume him."
He looked up at them both.
"Just like Tyler."
"Master…" Henry murmured, his voice trembling slightly.
"Please take care of him for me. If something happens to me… stay by his side. Guide him. Remind him… the way I always have."
Ethan nodded silently.
Henry clenched his fist.
"I promise… I'll take care of him the best I can. Not just as a servant…"
He took a steady breath.
"But as family."
Hill lowered his gaze slightly, as though some of the burden in his chest had finally lifted.
"Good… because the thing I fear most isn't death."
He paused.
"It's leaving him alone in this world… with no one who truly understands him."