Everything had been going relatively smoothly since we traveled back to the past—or at least, it was going well... until now.
I an, sure, I beca a father.
What the hell?!
I was walking through the fading light of the forest path, Amaya on one side, Alicia on the other. The trees rustled gently with the wind, and distant animal cries echoed now and then. It should’ve been peaceful... and yet, pressed against my chest, wrapped in a warm blanket, was a little girl.
A little girl who, apparently, was my daughter.
Mine... and Alicia’s.
Even now, my brain struggled to process that information. The logic just didn’t add up. How? When? Why? There were no clear answers, and no matter how many tis I turned it over in my head, nothing made sense.
But regardless of how little I understood, there was one thing I couldn’t do—leave her behind.
This era we had been thrown into wasn’t kind, especially not to vampires. They were hunted rcilessly, exterminated without hesitation. Adults, children... it didn’t matter. And this girl would be no exception.
I glanced down at her small form curled against my shoulder. She was sleeping so soundly, breathing softly, her tiny hand gripping the fabric of my shirt like it was her anchor to safety. Just looking at her caused sothing in my chest to stir. It wasn’t panic or confusion anymore. It was... warmth.
A sense of connection.
Of responsibility. Of sothing deeper I couldn’t quite explain.
I found myself holding her a bit closer.
anwhile, Alicia walked a few paces away from —no, from us. Whether she was distancing herself from the girl, from , or just the entire bizarre situation, I couldn’t tell. She hadn’t said much since we left the hideout, and the look on her face made it clear she was still trying to wrap her head around this entire ordeal.
Amaya, on the other hand, walked in the middle without a single care in the world. She hadn’t asked for permission to co with us but she followed anyway, like a wandering shadow that simply refused to detach. I didn’t really mind it but I did have a mountain of questions for her.
That conversation would have to wait until we were sowhere safe.
"Are you sure about this, Senior...?" Alicia’s voice broke the silence. She sounded hesitant, like she was trying to tiptoe through her own thoughts.
She was referring to my plan to et with that Samael Falkrona guy and Ernest Olphean.
I gave her a small nod. "Yeah. I’m tired of running. If we want things to change, we can’t keep hiding in the dark."
It sounded idealistic, I knew that. But what other choice did we have? If we could just talk to them—really talk—maybe they’d see we weren’t enemies. Maybe we could reach so kind of understanding. Work together, even.
"But I’ll handle the talking," I added. "And you, Amaya—you keep quiet. Don’t say a damn word about Lakalros. As far as they should know, we just happened to run into you on the way. Got it?"
Amaya stopped in her tracks and stared at .
"I said—do you understand?" I repeated, a bit more sharply this ti. "Or would you rather get caught by the Resistance? Trust , they won’t treat you kindly."
Her eyes t mine—serious, unblinking.
"Will you protect from them?" She asked suddenly.
I blinked. "What?"
She stepped closer, tilting her head up to look at .
"Like you did with Lakalros," she said. "You didn’t let him take . You fought him. So... will you do the sa for if soone on the other side tries to hurt ?"
What kind of question was that?
"What do I look like—your bodyguard now?"
Her eyes didn’t leave mine. "Then why did you fight him? Wasn’t it for ?"
She was persistent—too persistent—and her stare held an intensity that made it hard to deflect.
"I... I don’t know," I said honestly. "It wasn’t sothing I thought through. It just... happened. I acted on instinct."
"..."
She still didn’t stop staring at and it was starting to make uncomfortable. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe sothing else. But for a fleeting mont, I realized why it unsettled so much.
Because when I had fought Lakalros to save her, I wasn’t thinking about her.
I was thinking about Elizabeth.
Trying to shake the thought away, I spoke again.
"You know—instincts. Like the one that made you jump on to suck my blood. Or when you tackled Alicia and drained her like a wine bottle."
Amaya turned to glance at Alicia.
Alicia, who was visibly trying to hold it together. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot, her hands trembling faintly as she clutched the edge of her cloak. I could see her fighting the thirst—fighting it hard.
"She needs blood," Amaya said matter-of-factly, looking back at .
"Oh, does she now?" I deadpanned. "Well, since you drained her without permission, how about you give her yours in return? Seems fair."
Amaya shook her head gently. "I can’t give my blood to anyone."
"What do you an you can’t?" I raised a brow.
"It’s no good," she said simply.
"No good?" I repeated, eyes narrowing.
She gave a small nod but didn’t elaborate. Just fell quiet again, like she’d said all there was to say.
I turned my gaze to Alicia. She was avoiding my eyes, biting her lip—clearly not okay. Not even close.
"I—I’m fine..." She muttered unconvincingly.
No, you aren’t.
And I knew how this would end. There was no point dragging it out. In the end, I’d have to give her my blood again. And honestly, I was still feeling a bit lightheaded from the blood drain as well. But I didn’t say that. I just sighed and kept walking.
Two long, silent hours later, we finally reached the gates of Teraquin Capital.
Alicia and Elizabeth were both cloaked, hoods pulled low to hide their features. Their identities as vampires couldn’t be exposed here obviously.
The journey had been exhausting, both ntally and physically, but sohow, we’d made it. We hadn’t drawn too much attention. Or so I had hoped.
Unfortunately not.
"Well, well... You’ve got so serious guts, coming back here. And of all places, you walk straight into one of the most heavily guarded Resistance territories."
Ernest Olphean stood before us, flanked by a contingent of soldiers. Elves, humans, even a few werewolves—all clad in the colors of the Resistance, weapons at the ready.
"I ca to talk," I said calmly.
"Talk?" Ernest scoffed. "That so kind of joke?"
I gave a slight smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. "How’s your nose, Prince Ernest?"
Alicia let out a quiet sigh beside —probably wishing I could keep my mouth shut for once.
Ernest’s expression darkened instantly.
But before the tension could escalate, a voice rang out behind him.
"Now, now, Your Highness. He said he wants to talk. Let’s not be too hasty."
I looked past Ernest to see Samael Falkrona approaching, flanked by the two won from before. The blue haired was glaring daggers at like I’d just insulted her ancestors.
Samael, on the other hand, smiled pleasantly. "We’re not savages, are we?"
Ernest turned slightly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His eyes flicked between Samael and before he finally exhaled sharply and lowered his hand. "Fine. You’ll talk."
Then he turned to his soldiers. "Surround them. We’re going to the castle. And don’t let your guard down."
As the Resistance knights began to encircle us, I clutched the sleeping girl in my arms a little tighter.
"You’re making too much noise," I muttered, shooting a sharp glance at the armored knights walking behind .
Their heavy steel boots clanked noisily with every step, tal plates scraping and jangling like a dozen rattling chains. It was almost painful to hear. I couldn’t help but compare them to the sleeker, quieter versions I’d grown used to in the present I ca from—armors designed not just for protection, but for practicality and movent. These old relics sounded like walking tin cans.
They glared back at in silent protest, clearly holding back words they wanted to spit in my face. I could read it in their eyes—the contempt, the suspicion. To them, I was no longer one of them. A traitor of humanity. A man who now walked hand-in-hand with creatures they were raised to fear and hate. Vampires.
Eventually, the looming silhouette of Teraquin Castle ca into view.
The sight pulled a strange feeling from —part warmth, part nostalgia, part regret. After the Utopian War, I’d stayed here for a short while—two weeks, to be exact. It had been a peaceful ti, one of the rare ones. I’d spent those days with Alvara so I rembered them fondly.
But now... now it felt different. Subtle changes clung to the walls. Furniture moved, guards unfamiliar, the energy just slightly off. Still, the bones of it were the sa.
We were eventually ushered into a drawing room—one clearly ant for private etings. Polished floors, thick curtains draped over tall windows, a few statues of forgotten elven heroes. There was a sense of forced elegance in the space, like it was trying to remind you of power.
Only Ernest, Samael, and the two won that accompanied him stepped inside with us.
I saw a couch in the center and dropped onto it without hesitation. My legs felt heavy.
My mind even more so.
I sighed, not bothering to hide my exhaustion.
Ernest’s brow twitched, clearly annoyed at my casual deanor, but his focus shifted imdiately to Amaya, who still had her hood up.
"Who is this woman?" He asked with a pointed tone.
I waved it off. "It’s fine. You can lower your hoods now."
Both Alicia and Amaya pulled back their hoods. The mont they did, Ernest’s eyes narrowed. He must have instantly recognized she was a vampire as well. But Amaya wasn’t just any vampire. She had an unusual presence even for after all.
Then, the little girl nestled in my arms stirred.
"Un... Papa..." She murmured groggily, blinking open her crimson red eyes.
"You sleep well?" I asked softly, smiling down at her.
"Um!" she nodded with a bright smile and clung to my shirt, though her gaze wandered nervously around the unfamiliar room. She was clearly uneasy.
"You..." Ernest was staring at , eyes wide in disbelief. "You left and ca back with another Vampire and a child?"
When he said it like that... yeah, it did sound kind of crazy.
Samael took a step forward, a curious look in his eyes. "Is she your daughter?"
I hesitated. My mouth opened, then closed again. How was I even supposed to answer that? I barely understood it myself.
Samael turned his attention to Alicia, who was standing nearby gripping her arm. "And I suppose... she’s the mother?"
Alicia flinched at those words.
"Mama!" The girl suddenly cried out, stretching her small arms toward Alicia.
But Alicia didn’t respond. She turned her face away, her eyes avoiding the child’s gaze entirely. She was still clearly overwheld, drained, and in desperate need of blood. She wasn’t in any state to be anyone’s mother right now.
When the girl’s happy expression began to wilt into a confused, hurt frown, I gently stroked her blond hair. She turned to look up at , her eyes searching mine.
"What’s her na?" Samael asked again.
I stared down at the girl in my arms, really looked at her. Those wide, curious eyes. That strange warmth I felt the mont I t her. A connection that didn’t make sense—until now.
I rembered what Roda had told , back when I was with Levina. When she asked whether she was related to or not because she slled like .
And deep down, I already knew the truth.
Maybe I had known it from the very mont I laid eyes on her after she ca out of the cocoon.
"Levina," I said quietly.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Alicia’s body tense.
A small reaction. Subtle, but telling.
She knew too.
The strange bond we both felt toward this girl—this child—wasn’t just so coincidence. It was the sa one we felt toward Levina, that girl from the present.
Now, we understood.
"Do you like it?" I asked as I looked down at the little girl nestled in my arms.
Levina’s eyes sparkled. Her smile blossod like a flower in spring. "I love it, Papa!" she chirped before tightening her grip around in a small but fierce hug.
I smiled as I gently ran my fingers through her blond hair. I wasn’t sure when the walls around my heart had cracked—but they had. And now that she was here, in my arms, smiling like that...
There was no going back.
I didn’t care about logic or explanations anymore. I had no intention of ever letting her go.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the blue-haired woman watching us. A faint smile tugged at her lips, a rare softness in her otherwise annoyed expression. Even amid all the tension lingering in the room—centuries-old grudges, suspicion, and the uneasy air that ca from humans and vampires sharing the sa space—Levina was like a light cutting through the fog. Innocent. Pure.
Even Ernest, who’d practically snarled upon seeing Alicia and Amaya, was silent now.
"Interesting..."
I looked up and found Samael watching Levina with a hand to his chin, a smirk curling his lips.
"What’s with that creepy chuckle?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.
"Creepy?" He asked, raising a brow like I’d just insulted his entire bloodline.
"Yeah, you," I said, waving a dismissive hand. "So how about you take your weird smirk and join the others over there? I still don’t trust any of you. Especially after you tried to kill ."
"We didn’t try to kill you," said the platinum-blonde woman coolly.
"Yeah!" the blue-haired one snapped, folding her arms beneath her chest. "If we really wanted you dead, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now."
"Mm. No doubt about that," Ernest muttered as he stepped forward. "So enough gas—just tell us what you’re here for, Amael."
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