LOGINThat morning, the sky was still shrouded in gray clouds when a black car pulled away from the mansion. Inside were only Lucas, Lilith, Ingrid, and Selene. Veronica had chosen to stay at the mansion to keep watch. Meanwhile, Victoria, as usual, offered to help Veronica take care of the mansion.“Be careful,” Veronica said before they left.Lilith nodded with a smile. “We’ll be back soon.”Lucas opened the car door for Lilith first. That small gesture made Selene clear her throat softly.“You two really have no shame left, do you...”Lilith immediately blushed, while Lucas looked completely unfazed. “I’m just acting like I always do.”Selene snorted softly. “That’s exactly the problem.”Ingrid, sitting in the front seat, merely gave them a faint smile. For a moment, the atmosphere felt light. Yet they were heading to a place that might change everything.The drive took nearly two hours. The farther they left the city behind, the narrower the roads became, lined with wild trees. Lilith g
The night after they found the black key, rain fell gently, soaking the mansion’s grounds. The library was still lit by the glow of the fireplace. On a large wooden table, the black key lay next to various parchment scrolls that Ingrid had been examining for hours. But the results were still nil. Ingrid sighed softly.“In my entire life… I’ve never seen metal like this,” Ingrid muttered.Lucas leaned against the window. “That means this object was indeed made to last for centuries.”Lilith silently studied the key. The longer she looked at it, the stronger the strange sensation in her chest grew. It was as if the key were calling to her.“Do you feel it again?” Lucas immediately noticed the change in Lilith’s expression.Lilith nodded slowly. “It’s getting stronger.”Lilith gently touched the crescent moon pendant that now always hung around her neck.“It feels… like someone is guiding me.”The room fell silent. No one thought her words were an exaggeration. Because ever since Lilith’
The next morning, Ingrid was once again standing beneath the old tree with Lucas and Lilith. In her hands, she held a few small tools, a dry brush, and a sheet of parchment covered in notes. Selene stood watching beside Ingrid. So the four of them were now gathered around the old tree.“Last night I was thinking about something,” said Ingrid as she brushed away the moss still clinging to the tree trunk.“About what?” asked Lilith.“This inscription doesn’t mention lineage. It talks about chosen blood.” Ingrid pointed to the carving, and Lucas nodded in agreement.“So that means there’s a condition we haven’t fully understood yet.”Selene sighed. “In that case, do we have to wait for the next clue to appear on its own?”“Not necessarily,” Ingrid replied, turning to Lilith. “Lilith.”“Hm?”“Are you willing to try something?”Lilith nodded without the slightest hesitation. “I’ll try anything.”Lucas immediately shot a stern glance at Ingrid. “Don’t put her in danger.”Ingrid smiled sligh
The next morning, Lilith returned to the old tree behind the mansion. For some reason, ever since Lucas had told her about the promise he’d made with her father, the place felt very different. Warmer and more familiar. Lilith gently stroked the rough tree trunk.“What exactly is Dad hiding here?” Lilith murmured softly.“Lilith?”Lucas walked over to Lilith with a light jog. Just like the past few days, Lucas seemed to have gotten used to looking for Lilith in the mansion’s backyard every day. Lilith turned and smiled at Lucas. Soon after, they were standing side by side under the old tree, enjoying the morning air that was still very fresh.“Lucas.”“Hm?”“If you could turn back time, would you still make that promise?” Lilith gazed at the sky, which was beginning to brighten.“Yes.” Lucas didn’t even need a moment to think before answering.“You answered that so quickly?”“I’ll never regret it.”Lilith smiled slightly. “Even though that promise made your life so much more complicate
That morning, the mansion felt much busier than usual. Ingrid had filled the library table with various parchment scrolls, old maps, and ancient books she had collected over hundreds of years. Lucas stood beside Ingrid, reading one of the notes. Lilith arrived carrying two cups of hot tea for Ingrid and Selene, who were still busy with their own search.“It seems like you’ve been busy since dawn…” Lilith murmured.Ingrid gave a small smile. “If my hunch is right, we’re getting closer.”Lilith then set the teacups down on the table. “Closer to what?”Ingrid held up a parchment. “To the place where the original journal is hidden.”Lilith’s heart beat a little faster. For the past few weeks, they had indeed been searching for clues. But for the first time, Ingrid sounded truly certain about the clue she now had. Shortly afterward, Selene arrived carrying a few more books from the mansion’s storeroom.“I found these,” she said, placing the books on the table. “Maybe there’s something here
That night, rain fell gently, soaking the mansion’s garden. The soft patter of rain could be heard through the master bedroom window. Lilith sat on the edge of the bed, reading one of the old books Ingrid had lent her.But for the past fifteen minutes, she hadn’t turned the page. Lilith’s thoughts were wandering all over the place, about her transformation, about Noah, about her mother’s secret journal, and also about Lucas.“You’ve read that page three times already, Lilith.” Lucas’s voice snapped Lilith out of her reverie.Lilith immediately turned to look at him. “Huh?”Lucas closed the book he was reading. “You’re thinking about something.”Lilith gave a small smile. “It’s that obvious, huh?”Lucas nodded slowly. “Always.”Lilith sighed. “I was just...” She gazed at the rain outside the window. “Afraid that all this peace is only temporary.”Lucas looked out the window too. “It is temporary. No peace lasts forever. But... as long as there’s still time to enjoy it, we shouldn’t was
Lilith couldn’t stop thinking about that L & L carving. The small letters, almost worn away by time, were hidden on the side of an old wooden bench near the small lake. But precisely because it looked so old, it felt all the more real. Lucas had truly been there with her.Not just once, not by chan
The morning dawned more peaceful than usual. The rain from the night before had stopped, leaving behind a chill in the air and the scent of damp earth around Lilit’s small rented house. Dim sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, creating a peaceful atmosphere that felt strange after several
The name Margaux once again seemed to strike Lilith’s mind, like something that had never truly gone away. Margaux, the original vampire. A figure who kept appearing in every explanation about her blood, about her family’s curse, about the reason everyone seemed afraid of Margaux. But hearing that
Lucas’s gaze remained fixed on Lilith’s lips, and for the first time, Lilith didn’t know who was more dangerous right now, Lucas or perhaps herself. The air between them felt too warm and stifling. Lilith’s heart was pounding so loudly she was sure Lucas could hear it clearly.And of course, he cou







