From Cornelia’s point of view, sohow everything felt wrong, but it’s not in a way she could point to or na whatever it is. Not fear.
Not dangerous. Just... wrong. Like when waking up for so unknown reason and sothing about the room feels different, but she can’t tell what changed.
She had returned to the Moonshade Family with news that should have mattered.
It should have ant sothing.
Advancing twice in blood mana mastery wasn’t normal. It wasn’t even rare in a comforting way. It was the kind of thing elders argued about, the kind of thing people said shouldn’t happen unless sothing went very, very wrong.
Cornelia had expected questions. She had expected disbelief. Maybe even suspicion.
Ivira hadn’t given her any of that.
Ivira had only looked at her, calm as ever, and said she had done the sa thing. No... she experienced the sa thing.
Just like that.
No pause.
No emphasis.
As if Cornelia had said nothing worth reacting to.
Afterward, Cornelia stood there feeling embarrassed for no real reason. She knew she was fine, but the feeling didn’t go away right away.
That alone would have been enough to unsettle Cornelia, but then Ivira spoke of Cain, of his thoughts, of the impossible title he claid for himself.
An Overgod.
Cornelia had wanted to deny it instantly, to dismiss it as madness brought on by unstable blood mana or stress from the battlefield. But denial beca harder each ti Cain’s thoughts slipped into her mind without warning, clear and vivid, layered with emotions and intentions that no normal vampire should possess.
Even so, she could not fully believe him. Claims were easy to make, and even strange abilities could be explained by rare talents or unknown bloodline quirks.
What made her uneasy had nothing to do with how strong he was. Power could be asured. Identity could be uncovered.
His intentions could not.
He saw himself bound to the Moonshade Family by a blood pact, sothing heavier than responsibility, sothing that refused to loosen no matter how far he pulled. And the solution he had settled on made her chest tighten.
For the bond to break, she or her sisters had to co to hate him without reservation.
Not argue with him. Not resent him for a mont. Truly despise him. And everything he did today felt like a careful step toward that outco.
Cornelia kept her eyes on him as Cedrick spoke. Every accusation landed hard, one after another, yet Cain didn’t react the way she expected. No tension in his shoulders. No sharp reply. He simply allowed it, as if being accused was sothing he had already prepared for.
When he finally denied it, his voice carried confidence. Anyone watching would think he was offended, maybe even cornered.
It sounded convincing.
Too convincing.
Inside his thoughts, though, he was almost cheering.
The contrast unsettled her. It was like watching soone walk into a fire without hesitation, knowing they would burn and choosing to step forward anyway like soone who wasn’t losing control but at the sa ti, insane.
He was guiding the situation straight into pain on purpose, and that intention was what frightened her most.
Cornelia needed proof.
Not words.
Not thoughts.
Sothing heavy enough to crush doubt.
The courtyard exploded. Everything shook. Dust, smoke, stones flying, heat burning her skin. She stepped back, almost drew her sword, then froze. Her eyes went to the blast, and her heart... skipped. She knew it.
That direction.
Before returning to Moonshade territory, she and Vanguard had found it, a portal to another plane.
It had been unstable and faint, easy to ignore in the face of more imdiate threats.
They found humans. Strange humans that wielded mana freely without blood contracts or submission to ancient races unlike the humans in this nightmare realm.
After defeating them, they took them here in the Moonshade territory. But now, it seems they escaped from the blood restrictions they put on them.
It wasn’t just an explosion. It was everything at once. Stones, heat, dust, smoke, screams. Her ears rang. Her chest slamd into the floor like gravity had doubled. Cornelia’s hand went to her sword, then stopped. She couldn’t move. Her eyes... they went to him. Of course. Cain. Always Cain.
It was strange. He stood there, calm. And the chaos around him seed like it didn’t bother him. He didn’t flinch. Didn’t even blink.
The humans were yelling, forming so kind of stupid cage around him, blue lines flashing, mana snapping into place. Cornelia wanted to tell them to stop. She wanted to smash the lattice herself. But her body wouldn’t move. Because she knew.
He was doing it on purpose. Every stagger, every drop to his knees, every "plead" was performance. He was acting pitiful. And she hated him for it. And at the sa ti... she couldn’t stop watching.
He looked at her, just slightly, and his thought slipped in, quiet, teasing. Now let see what you think of .
Cornelia’s fingers dug into the hilt. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run forward. She wanted to—do sothing. But nothing would reach him. Nothing except herself.
...Sothing is bad.
The honesty of that single thought sent a chill through her.
Imdiately, the smoke parted fully, revealing five figures stepping forward.
Cornelia felt it instantly, mana that answered to no bloodline and bowed to no ancient pact.
One of them lifted his hand, fingers weaving symbols through the air as his eyes locked onto Cain.
"There," he said sharply. "That one."
Another nodded, gaze sweeping over Cain with narrowed focus.
"He looks important," a woman replied. "Weak aura, but noble posture."
Cain’s eyes flickered. He blinked slowly.
...Seriously? ?
The humans moved fast, precise, but their voices cracked as they shouted in desperation. Cornelia barely registered the words over the thrum in her chest, the hum of magic snapping into a cage around him.
"Mana lattice, converge!"
"Bind structure, lock axis!"
"Form the cage!"
Blue light flared, lines snapping into place. Stone cracked under Cain. Dust and heat rolled past Cornelia, and she stumbled, heart hamring. He stared at the cage, then the humans, then her.
...? Really?
His disbelief made her stomach twist. She wanted to yell at the humans. She wanted to tell Cain to run, to stop playing. But she couldn’t. She just stood there, chest tight, watching the impossible unfold.
"Don’t stop," one of them shouted. "This plane is unstable. If the cage drops, we’re dead."
Cain raised a hand and pressed it lightly against the barrier. There was no ripple, no resistance he could feel, nothing that suggested the spell held any real threat to him.
...This thing couldn’t trap a newborn godling.
Then his thoughts shifted, he had an idea.
Wait.
Isn’t this perfect to act pitiful? And confessing a lie that I indeed beat them up using a magic scroll? Hehehehe!
My beautiful Cornelia, you will hate for sure as long as I act pitiful just like in my last life!
On the other hand, hearing those words... Cornelia’s fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword.
Inside the barrier, Cain suddenly staggered backward, slamming his shoulder into the barrier with a sharp cry. He clutched his chest, breathing hard, face paling as if the effort had cost him dearly.
The humans grinned.
"See," one said triumphantly. "He can’t break it."
"The more he struggles, the more it drains his mana," another added, pride thick in his voice.
Cain nearly laughed inside his own head.
Drain?
You idiots wouldn’t drain a drop even if I slept here for a century.
Still, he needed to keep acting, so... he staggered again, knees buckling as sweat ford on his brow.
Cornelia’s chest tightened painfully as she watched him play the role, watched him bend himself into sothing small and pitiful for a reason she feared she was beginning to understand.
Suddenly, Caun cried out.
"Wife, save !"
He continued.
"Save !"
Cain slamd his fist against the barrier again, voice echoing across the courtyard.
"Let out!"
The humans stiffened as he raised his voice.
"I’m a noble of the Moonshade Family!"
"Quiet," their leader snapped. "You’re our leverage."
Cain dropped to one knee, breathing ragged as if the effort had drained him completely, and Cornelia felt her vision blur for a brief mont.
"I was wrong," he shouted, voice cracking. "I swear I was wrong!"
The injured soldiers gasped behind her.
"I won’t ever bully the Vanguards again!"
Cornelia’s nails dug into her palm.
"I won’t use my status again!"
His voice broke, raw and desperate.
"I won’t use magic scrolls!"
Her chest felt tight as if sothing heavy pressed down on it.
"I’ll obey orders," Cain continued, lifting his head with shaking hands. "I’ll stay out of the training grounds. I’ll do anything! Just help , wife, help !"
The humans shouted over him, their weapons raised.
"Negotiate," one yelled. "Back off or we crush him!"
Cornelia took a step forward without realizing it.
"Release him," she demanded, her voice cutting through the noise.
The humans laughed nervously, tightening their grip on the spell.
"Not until you open a path back to our world."
Cain collapsed fully to the ground inside the cage, shoulders shaking as if he were crying.
"I’ll do anything," he repeated weakly.
Inside Cornelia’s mind, beneath the noise and fear and confusion, Cain’s final thought slipped through, quiet and sharp, filled with anticipation.
Now let see what you will think of .
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