Amidst the suffocating density of the dark, an ancient grandfather clock standing in the center of the hall struck the hour... Gong... Gong... slow and chilling. the faint clinking of metal echoed from below. Luceria stood motionless beside Alice's bed, her fingertips brushing lightly over Alice's hairline as if soothing a child. But beneath that touch lay a festering well of envy and malice.
"Keep dreaming, little unblossomed flower..." Luceria whispered, her gaze as cold as shards of ice. "You shall never wake, not until your final drop of blood becomes his power."
She turned slowly, her deep purple cloak billowing with her movement. Her silent footsteps echoed through the void of the house, which had now transformed into a demon's lair.
As the door closed once more, the shadows clinging to the ceiling and walls began to stir. These were no mere bats, but the "Black Shadows"—creatures animated by the hatred and curses of the past. They moved with a ravenous hunger, as if awaiting a fresh command from their mistress.
The Ancient Ritual Site
By the lakeside, a massive stone altar stood encircled by a magical formation, meticulously constructed to lie in wait for the enemy.
The moon cast its glow upon the altar, but in only a few hours, it would transform into a Dark Moon. Only black candles flickered along the stone slabs, their surroundings etched with rings of blood-red runes that exhaled a murky crimson mist. Faceless servants in black robes circled the perimeter, chanting in a dark tongue. These were forbidden incantations—the same ones that had brought an entire city to ruin a millennium ago. The great stone monolith sat in the open air, its surface frigid, seemingly swallowing the light around it. With every chant, the stone vibrated faintly, like a living creature breathing within.
Tyler had not yet appeared. His vessel still craved the final blood—the blood of a woman pure of heart, whose soul was fused with the power of two races. Upon the wooden stairs leading to the basement, Luceria descended slowly, the click of her high heels cutting through the dark prayers. Every follower turned to look at her with reverence—and some, with visceral fear.
"Everything is prepared," she reported to Tyler. Her voice was so frigid that even the smoke from the candles seemed to freeze in place. "Her body will be moved down shortly."
"Do not allow for a single mistake... This time, we shall awaken the King of Night to reign supreme over all."
"Yes, my Lord," Luceria swallowed hard, bowing until her forehead nearly touched the floor.
The Stirring in the Dark
Upstairs, Alice's eyelids twitched ever so slightly.
Something in the darkness began to waver. An image surfaced within her bleak dream—the silhouette of a man in a black cloak, his silver eyes glowing... calling her name repeatedly. Edward...? The voice did not come from this world, but from her own heart that refused to surrender, even if her life was fading.
Luceria waited at the front door. Two servants carried Alice's unconscious form down from the upper floor. Luceria glanced back at Lake Istanbul—the water was as still as before. No wind, no waves. But her eyes stared vacantly into the distant gloom.
"Come... Edward Haller," she whispered with a chilling smile. "Come see with your own eyes... that you can never change fate."
The Night of the New Moon – The Lakeside Altar
The sound of faint waves hitting the shore could not drown out the thunderous roar of the wicked incantations echoing through the forest. Luceria stood in the center of the stone courtyard, poised and elegant. Her long, jet-black cloak fluttered despite the lack of wind, as if shadow-magic was woven into the fabric itself.
Behind her, from the darkness of the old wooden doors leading from the underground passage, Alice's limp body was slowly levitated up the ancient stairs. Luceria's magic held her suspended in mid-air like a puppet controlled by invisible strings. Her body floated still, hair drifting with the magical current. Her eyelids were shut tight, her face ghastly pale. The moonlight filtering through the thin clouds reflected off the dried tears on her cheeks—the last vestiges of emotion remaining despite the deep magical trance.
"Place her upon the stone altar," Luceria commanded, her voice low but heavy with authority.
The black-robed servants marched out in a line. They cast a synchronized spell, merging dark energy into a gust of wind that enveloped Alice's body, gently lowering her onto the ice-cold stone. The stone floor, etched with runes, seemed to respond. A faint red glow crept along every carved line. As Alice touched the altar, the runes flared brightly across the yard. The heat from the ancient power caused the dry grass at the edges to wither instantly. Luceria leaned over her, her face calm, but her sharp eyes burning with bloodlust.
"Soon... the blood of the moon will flow into the stone, and Tyler—my master—will return to greatness, superior to all living things."
The chanting grew louder, as if every creature in the forest sensed the approaching death. Animals fled, birds fell silent, and blood-bats circled the sky, casting dark shadows over Alice.
Upon the Ridge
Edward's group heard the chanting clearly. Edward stood frozen, his face grim, his heart pounding as if it sensed the peril she was in. He didn't need to see—just by the sound, he knew Alice's time was running out.
In the Abyss of Dreams
Within the lightless subconscious, Alice felt as though she were drifting in an ocean of shadows. She could not move, could not open her eyes. The wicked prayers boomed like hellish thunder, tearing her consciousness from her body bit by bit. It felt as if invisible hands were pulling her deeper into the void. She was exhausted—mind and body—too weak to hold onto anything.
But then... in that darkness—something warm and gentle touched her heart, like a tiny light dancing beneath the massive black waves. A voice spoke...
"Alice... wait for me..."
Her eyes in the dream flew open. Internal tears flowed. The confusion and fear seemed to be held back by that voice. It was the voice she remembered best—his voice... Edward's.
"I am coming... I will not let you vanish from me again, no matter the cost." His voice didn't pass through her ears; it resonated in her heart. it was a sound that pierced through the veil of death and into the depths of her soul. Warm... sincere... and filled with the power of love. Alice knew instantly—he was coming.
"Edward..." she called out through her mind, her voice a mix of hope and terror. "I'm scared... I don't know how much longer I can hold on... my blood will be used... I will disappear..."
Suddenly, a light ignited within her mind. An image of Edward standing amidst the wind on a cliff's edge appeared. His body was draped in a black cloak, his eyes flashing red with unwavering resolve.
"You will never vanish from me, Alice... not in this world, nor any other. I will pull you back—with my own hands."
Those final words shattered the darkness and tightened the bond between them. Alice's heart shivered. Tears streamed down her cheeks in the dream world. Even as her body lay still on the stone altar amidst the black magic... even as her blood was about to be offered to a demon... she knew. He was coming. And she would wait.
The Arrival of Tyler
Above the frigid black rocks, Alice remained still, covered in a shroud of blood-red magic. The faint chanting shifted into a vibration that shook the forest floor, as if the earth itself were beating to the rhythm of ancient sorcery. Suddenly, the atmosphere went dead still—as if everything had stopped breathing.
"He is here..." Luceria murmured, her eyes narrowing with a reverence for something higher. Even she, a vampire resurrected by dark arts, felt the weight. A grey mist crept toward the altar as if alive, parting to reveal a tall man in a jet-black cloak that reached his ankles.
Tyler—the Prince of Shadows, who had vanished from the world for decades, had now returned. His skin was as pale as marble, his eyes pitch black and gleaming like the void of the deepest hell. His long hair flowed in a directionless wind. His footsteps on the stone were silent—yet they made the hearts of everyone present tighten with dread. He stopped before Alice... and stared.
"Her blood... is the final key to unlocking the thousand-year seal," he whispered, his gaze lingering on her white throat. Luceria stepped forward, bowing her head in total submission.
"The moon is entering the path of shadow. Soon... you shall reclaim your true form."
Tyler looked up at the sky. Amidst the darkness, the moon moved slowly across the sun. An eclipse was drawing near.
"When the moon eclipses the sun, I shall become one with the darkness forever."
His voice was faint yet boomed in the hearts of all—a declaration of an irreversible darkness. He reached out over Alice's body, dark magic swirling around his hand like a cyclone, blotting out the first rays of the moon.
"Take her blood... before the first shadow crosses the stone."
Luceria nodded. She drew an ancient ritual dagger from a stone box—it glowed a deep crimson, as if it had already drunk hundreds of lives. But before the tip of the blade could touch Alice's skin... something struck the outer magical veil—a powerful, violent counter-force.
Edward...? Tyler's eyes narrowed.
"They are here sooner than expected..." He turned back toward the forest entrance. The rustle of leaves, the roar of the wind, and the sound of urgent footsteps were drawing closer.
And in the depths of her slumber... Alice's heart vibrated. She knew he had arrived.
"Don't die before I can see the light in your eyes again... Edward."