Alice's Bedroom — Night
Inside the second-floor bedroom of Alfred's house, moonlight streamed through the gently swaying curtains. Silver dust of light fell across Alice's pale face as she lay sleeping. A white bandage was wrapped tightly around her left shoulder. Her body looked fragile, as though she were drifting in a dream with no end.
A soft breath sounded near her ear before Alice's eyes slowly opened. She blinked several times as the image before her became clear—the face of Edward leaning close. He stood beside the bed, his hand resting over hers, as if afraid that the moment he looked away she might disappear again.
"Edward…" Her voice was faint, barely more than a whisper.
Edward gave a small smile. His eyes were red from stress and sleeplessness."You're awake… thank God."
Alice looked at him in confusion."What happened… I… I only remember the scream of—"
"Don't say anything," he interrupted gently, shaking his head."You're safe now. That's all that matters."
Alice looked down at the way he held her hand tightly. The touch was warm, yet trembling slightly, as though he were trying to restrain something within himself.
"When I saw you bleeding… I thought—" His voice grew hoarse, but he couldn't finish the sentence.
Alice lifted her other hand and lightly touched the back of his.
"But I'm still here."
Edward nodded. His eyes flickered before he steadied himself and spoke firmly.
"Alice… I have to go home tonight."
She frowned."Go home? Why? I still want to talk to you."
"I want to stay here too," he said quietly but decisively."But I have to prepare… what happened tonight wasn't an accident. It was a warning. And I won't allow anything like this to happen to you again."
"Then why go alone?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Edward leaned closer, his shadow covering her like a final shield.
"Because if I stay here, you won't be safe. And I… won't be able to control myself if you're hurt again."
Alice looked into his eyes, seeing both love and fear mixed together in a painfully fragile way.
"I'll come back," he whispered."And next time… no one will be able to touch you again. Not Tyler, nor whoever is behind all of this."
Alice pressed her lips together and nodded softly, though countless questions still filled her heart.
Edward leaned down and kissed her forehead. The scent of sweat and blood still clung to his hair, yet the touch was warmer than any night before.
Then he stood up and walked quietly out of the room, leaving behind only the sound of the young woman's breathing as she closed her eyes again. A tear slid down her cheek—tears she did not know whether they came from fear… or from a heart that had begun to care far too deeply.
The Holler Family
Later that night, the ancient stone door beneath the Holler mansion slowly opened as Hill chanted an old incantation. The protective magic sealed for hundreds of years began releasing gray mist into the air. The scent of herbal incense mixed with the remains of long-dead creatures created a chilling atmosphere.
Ancient mechanisms groaned as the stone door scraped open, revealing a narrow corridor descending deep underground. The walls were carved with ancient runes and forgotten vampire symbols erased from history.
Edward stood at the entrance, staring into the darkness below that seemed endless.
"That is where your grandfather trained his power," Hill said, his voice heavy with sorrow."It's where he fought against himself until he almost lost his humanity."
Edward didn't turn back. He kept staring into the darkness.
"Maybe… I don't have any of it left."
Hill stepped beside him.
"You still do. Because you know what must be protected. That is true humanity."
Edward slowly nodded.
Hill raised his hand. A faint purple-black energy glowed from his palm. A crack in the air opened slightly, revealing an ancient magic circle underground filled with symbols of blood, death, and curses.
Dark stains from past sacrifices covered the stone floor.
Edward stepped forward firmly.
Inside the underground chamber, the temperature dropped unnaturally. Ancient lamps along the walls lit themselves one by one as he passed. Their dim orange light cast his shadow long behind him like a demon from a nightmare.
A vast chamber appeared before him.
At the center stood a stone altar surrounded by a magic circle. In one corner of the room sat an ancient bookshelf sealed with rusted iron chains.
Edward reached out and touched the chain, as if old memories were flowing through his fingertips.
Suddenly the chain fell away on its own, as if surrendering to his bloodline.
Inside the shelf were countless books—Latin manuscripts, ancient drawings, and journals bound in animal hide.
He scanned them one by one until he found a book that felt different.
Its black leather cover looked burned, and in the center was a seal shaped like a "Blood Eye."
When he opened it, the smell of ancient blood burst from the pages.
The words inside were written in ink mixed with blood.
"Manual of Resurrection: The Path to the Immortality of the First Bloodline."
Edward's heart pounded.
Every line he read described things that should not exist in this world.
The first chapter spoke of the "Progenitor Race" of vampires—pure bloodlines from an era before humanity. Only a few families still carried that blood.
One of them… was Holler.
In the following chapter was an ancient spell describing how to resurrect a Pure Blood Vessel, even if it had already perished.
But the conditions were cruel:
It required the heart of an innocent and the soul of an awakened bloodline.
Edward's eyes stopped at the name of the author.
Vanhal Holler.
"Who… is this?" Edward asked quietly.
"My father," Hill replied.
"Which means… your grandfather."
Edward's hand trembled slightly.
"Why… why would something like this exist here…"
Hill's voice grew heavy.
"Because my father… wanted immortality. Even if it meant sacrificing his own descendants."
Edward looked up at him, his eyes burning red.
"Then what about me…? Was I part of that plan too?"
"That is something you must decide for yourself," Hill answered slowly."Whether you will become like him… or not. But do not let that book change your heart."
Edward closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened them again, the uncertainty was gone.
In its place was a cold, determined light.
He slipped the book into his coat and climbed the stairs with steady steps.
Some answers might lie in the past of his family.
But his decision… would change the fate of the future.
The stone door closed silently behind him.
Edward stepped into the corridor. The damp scent of dust and dried blood lingered in the air. Around him were cold stone walls and faintly glowing magical lamps that flickered like someone's last breath.
"This place… feels like it doesn't belong to the real world," Edward murmured.
He continued walking until he reached his bedroom.
The ancient animal-hide book lay in his hands. On its cover was the Holler family crest—three overlapping eyes. Yet this time the symbol was surrounded by a ring of curses.
Edward touched it.
The moment his fingers brushed the cover—
A whisper echoed in his mind.
"You are of my blood… know this: immortality always demands a price."
Edward's eyes widened. The voice vanished instantly.
He opened the book.
On the first page was handwriting he recognized.
"I, Vanhal Holler, record these things not for the world… but for the one who will understand one day that eternal life is not a gift… it is a chain."
Edward turned the page carefully.
The sharp handwriting slowly turned unstable, as if the writer's mind had begun to break.
"I began this only to protect my wife and child from the plague… but the deeper I studied blood and soul, the more I realized that death… is merely an excuse for the powerless."
"When I obtained the heart of the Krathier—the progenitor vampire—I finally understood that immortal blood is not just survival… it is control over everything."
"I began hearing voices in my head… telling me that another ritual was required… I needed the blood of a 'pure heir' to open the final gate."
Edward froze. His face turned pale.
"The pure heir… that's me, isn't it?"
As he continued reading, footsteps approached.
Henry appeared near the window, watching the book with a heavy gaze.
"It is both an inheritance… and a curse left by the master of this house," Henry said quietly.
"Vanhal never intended anyone to read it again. But I knew… you would have to see it with your own eyes."
"He was willing to sacrifice his own grandson… no, not even that—just a grandson he kept alive for the ritual?" Edward asked softly.
Henry nodded.
"He stopped being human the night he slaughtered innocents to create the ritual blood. His body may have perished… but his spirit might still linger in this room."
The air in the bedroom suddenly turned icy cold, as if something had awakened the moment the book closed.
Edward looked down at the journal once more.
His breathing grew steady.
"If I must become a monster to stop a monster…"
"…then so be it."
He said those words before collapsing onto his bed, his hands trembling slightly.
Somewhere, faint ancient chants echoed again—
As if the world hidden behind those pages was waiting for him to cross the final line.