Isolde typed steadily on her computer, her sharp fingers gliding across the keys.

By day, she was the poised businesswoman managing Velstrath's empire; by night, the shadow that pulled the strings of destruction.

Balancing both lives wasn't difficult. Though occasionally, she forgot to switch personas, leading to awkward misunderstandings with her employees.

"Hm. Good. Viper Liquor sales haven't dropped," she murmured.

The Velstrath family's fortune was built on their winery and liquor empire. Their brand dominated both the human and vampire markets.

Of course, there were other enterprises that padded their wealth but darker trades were better left unspoken.

Viper Liquor was their most prized creation. Unlike human alcohol, it could intoxicate vampires thanks to its unique ingredient, a refined toxin derived from venomous creatures.

The formula was born from her sister's twisted brilliance, her endless experiments on poisonous fauna finally yielding something both deadly and profitable.

Isolde smirked faintly. The product symbolized what the Velstrath family truly was; elegant poison, wrapped in luxury.

But even with their dominance, tensions remained. The conflict with House Corvane had erased an entire bloodline. Such a feat drew attention, and not the flattering kind.

Many covenants now watched Velstrath with wary eyes. Still, Isolde wasn't concerned, except for their liquor selling which turned out to be fine.

Enemies came and went. Power endured.

She closed one report and opened another. "Now," she murmured, "let's move on to Seamus's enrollment."

The boy was ambitious; eager to rise, perhaps even to become patriarch one day. That sort of hunger was admirable, but dangerous if guided by emotion.

Velstrath needed a leader of control and calculation, not impulse. She would make sure he learned that.

A knock sounded on the door. Without looking up, she said evenly, "You can come in."

Fleur entered, followed by Lulu, both carrying themselves quietly. Fleur stepped forward first, placing a thick folder on the desk.

"My Liege has already left for Draemir," she reported. "This is the document you requested."

"You still call your father that?" Isolde asked, glancing up briefly.

"Yes," Fleur replied with a soldier's composure.

"He asked me to. We share no blood, and I serve as his subordinate, not his daughter."

"I see." Isolde's smile was thin. "So the family act ended when Sarah betrayed Draemir. Fitting."

A flicker of irritation crossed Fleur's face before she quickly masked it. "If we're done, I'll take my leave," she said curtly.

"Oh, don't be so stiff, Fleur. I was only joking," Isolde said, gesturing toward the chair. "Now, explain the report to me in simple terms."

Fleur hesitated, then sighed and obeyed. "The project aims to create a perfect vampire by fusing four Vitalis Cores into one and implanting it into a suitable host."

"The concept comes from an older theory; the revival process that merges two Vitalis Cores," she continued.

"Thousands of test subjects became vampires before they found four compatible blood styles."

Isolde leaned back slightly, intrigued. "And they managed to evolve those subjects first?"

"With difficulty," Fleur answered. "They used a special potion known only to Roanna—which unfortunately I don't have access to. It temporarily forces evolution, but the side effects are catastrophic."

"I see. Go on."

"The next step was finding a vessel strong enough to contain the fused core. Every attempt failed, until the experiment 6666, named Lady Crow."

"Her body was the only one compatible. But even she began to corrode from within and out, unable to withstand the power. They've been working on a new vessel ever since, one that can't be destroyed so easily and finally found the way to."

"However, even that manmade vessel has an expiration date too if Lady Crow used the power too extensively."

"And the method to create that vessel?"

"It's locked inside Roanna's mind," Fleur said.

"Next step is to make the power sustainable as they need lots of Sanguine Veins. They transformed children's bodies into crows and connected them, so their SP could be channeled into Lady Crow through her dominion blood style."

Isolde was silent for a moment, processing. Then she stood, closing the document softly. "I see… I'll read the rest myself. You may go, Fleur."

"And as for you, Lulu, do as you please. I'll make sure you have money and a safe place from all of this."

Both women nodded and left the office.

Isolde walked toward the tall window, the moonlight casting a pale glow over her figure. Her reflection stared back; composed, cold, and calculating.

"So there's another covenant helping them," she murmured. "Or perhaps not a covenant… but an individual?"

She rested her hand lightly against the glass, deep in thought. There were still unanswered questions; how the vessels were made, how humans were turned into crows, and how Roanna was able to make that House of Illusion connected to her realm.

"No need to rush," she whispered with a faint smirk. "Sooner or later, I'll find them."

Her gaze hardened slightly, shifting back to her desk. "But first, I should decide what to do with that boy."

***

The morning came quickly. Seamus sat in his room in the Velstrath manor—if it could even be called his—staring at his phone.

The message he typed still lingered unsent on the screen:

[Dad, I need to talk about something. Can we meet?]

He took a deep breath, thumb hovering over the send button. The hesitation clung to him like a weight.

Just as he was about to put the phone down, the door burst open. He jolted, and his thumb slipped, sending the message before he could stop it.

He groaned. "Perfect."

Standing at the doorway with her hands on her hips was Diane.

"Coward. Do I really have to barge in just to make you send it?" she said.

"I should be the one asking why you don't know how to knock," he replied, frowning at the screen.

The message tick had already turned blue, too late to undo it now.

"I've been waiting for you to come out. I got impatient. You know Lulu's leaving today, right?"

His eyes widened. "Ah. I forgot. Let's go."

They made their way to the foyer on the first floor, where Lulu stood fidgeting as if she'd been waiting for hours. Her face brightened the moment she saw them.

"Ah! You're finally here! I was just about to go!"

"Where are you headed? Be careful," Seamus said.

"True," Diane added. "You don't exactly look like someone with survival instincts."

"Why would she need to survive the wild? She could live in a small town or in a village. Just make sure there aren't any crazy covenant members that want to destroy it…" Seamus said, placing a hand on Lulu's shoulder.

"Just don't trust people too easily. And if someone tries to fight you either fight back or run."

"Either way, take care, Lulu." He sighed and gave her head a gentle pat.

"It's a shame you want to go your own way. You're like the sun in this cold night called Velstrath. I'll miss you. Can I have your number before you go?"

Lulu froze, trembling slightly as her eyes filled with tears. She gripped his hands tightly.

"Really? Am I that important to you? You'll miss me? Can't I just stay here?"

Diane stepped between them and pried their hands apart. Her tone was sharp.

"Of course you can stay. Who told you to leave? And for the record, Seamus is mine. Don't even try."

"Eek!" Lulu yelped and took a step back, while Seamus rubbed his forehead.

"Don't be like that, Diane. Seamus is for everyone," another voice chimed in.

They turned to see Leah descending the staircase, her heels clicking against the marble. She stopped beside Lulu, her smile bright and a little too casual.

"If you join Velstrath, you can have Seamus too. His blood, his heart, his sperm. You can even sleep with him," she said cheerfully, as if it were some grand membership benefit.

Seamus buried his face in his hands. Lulu, meanwhile, went bright red.

"S-sleep with him?!" she squeaked, horrified.

"I'd honestly join right now," she continued, "but Isolde scares me. I can't even tell what color her eyes are, gold or crimson."

"Don't worry about her," Leah added, smiling sweetly. "She's just cruel on the outside… and unfortunately, inside too."

Seamus snorted, earning a smack on the arm from Diane.

"But she must have kindness somewhere in her heart. Everyone does, right?"

Leah said, though her doubtful tone betrayed her own uncertainty.

Seamus sighed. "You don't have to see her every day. I do, and she's not any less terrifying the more you get used to her."

He closed his eyes briefly realizing his words won't help her any better and just added to her anxiety.

"Still, just join us. We need you here, Lulu. And no one's going to bully you like Hesse did."

Lulu's expression softened, her eyes bright with warmth. "No one's ever said that to me before… Thank you, Seamus. I guess I'll join after all."

"That's good to hear," he said, smiling faintly.

"This place is also way better than the villa Isolde gave me," Lulu added with a laugh.

"That one's in the middle of nowhere, right next to the old nuclear site. I think there is still some radiation to it… Can a vampire die of radiation?"

Seamus and Diane exchanged a look. They both knew that was exactly why Isolde had given Lulu that villa.

The Matriarch clearly wanted her to join. The poor girl was too innocent to realize it.

A sudden ding broke the moment. Seamus pulled out his phone.

A new message appeared on the screen.

[Yeah, let's meet at X Restaurant tonight at 12 PM.]

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