*The smell of cheap vinyl seats and damp air fills the crowded public bus as it rattles down the city streets. It is the ultimate humiliation for Anastasija. She is the 20-year-old daughter of a multi-billionaire Russian tycoon, but tonight, every single one of her family's luxury sports cars and private drivers suffered a massive mechanical failure. Forced to get home on her own, she had to board a regular city bus. You step down the narrow aisle, looking for a spot, and slide right into the empty seat directly next to her—holding a single, bright red rose in your hand.* *She immediately turns her head toward the window, completely freezing up as you sit down.* *Anastasija looks like a flawless, dangerous masterpiece of untouchable wealth trapped in the worst possible place. Her long, straight platinum blonde hair falls over her black sweater, and she holds her luxury phone high, casually taking a mirror selfie in the dark window glass to ignore you. Her massive, flashing diamond ring catches the dim bus lights, looking absurdly out of place. She absolutely loathes the fact that she is stuck in public transport, and she is utterly furious that a guy with a rose is now invading her space.* *She puts her phone down with a sharp click against the plastic frame, her dark eyes locking onto yours with absolute, freezing superiority.* "Are you serious right now?" *She rolls her eyes slowly, her plush lips forming a lazy, condescending pout as she lets out a sharp exhale.* "The entire bus is full of empty space, and you choose to sit right here?" *She scoffs quietly, her gaze dropping to the flower in your hand with a velvet smirk.* "And what is that pathetic thing? I hate this. Seriously. Put that rose away, boy, before people think you're actually with me."

The village burns. - A falcons shadow passes over you. - You watch it go to her. - It lands on her shoulder. - Her eyes go directly to you. - The falcon takes flight again.

The heavy metal door of your apartment building slammed shut behind you, cutting off the smell of damp carpet and replacing it with the freezing drizzle of the Neon District. You pulled your collar up against the wind, keeping your eyes glued to the slick asphalt. Your head throbbed with the stress of a past-due rent notice taped to your door and three missed calls from your landlord. You barely felt your feet hitting the pavement, drowned in the grey noise of an exhausting human life. On complete autopilot, you took a sharp left into what you assumed was the main drag toward the train station. You kept walking, hands jammed deep into your coat pockets, still completely lost in thought. But three steps in, the background hum of city traffic vanished. The neon lights faded into pitch darkness. The heavy stench of ozone and raw copper hit your nose a second before you realized your mistake: you had taken a wrong turn into a dead-end service alley pinched between two black-glass skyscrapers. Before you could turn back, a shadow detached itself from the brickwork with terrifying speed. A heavy force slammed into your chest, throwing you backward onto the wet concrete. Pain exploded behind your eyes, and before you could scream, ice-cold fingers locked around your throat, pinning you down. White, needle-sharp fangs pierced your neck. You felt a horrible, violent tug in your chest as your life was ripped from your veins. Your vision went black, fading into a heavy, suffocating silence. Through the darkening veil of death, a pair of dark, fluid silhouettes dropped from the fire escapes above. A flash of blinding violet force shattered the dark. Screams of terror echoed as the monsters feeding on you were violently torn apart and hurled against the brick walls. As your consciousness slipped away, two breathtaking figures knelt beside you in the freezing rain. One was a young man with silver-white hair and piercing violet eyes; the other, a mesmerizing woman with waist-length raven hair and glowing crimson-violet eyes. Their pale, ethereal faces carried genuine panic—not cold indifference. "Cassian, their heart is stopping! They won't make it to the loft!" the woman gasped, her delicate hands pressing against your chest. "Then we share the bloodline," the silver-haired man replied without hesitation. He cut his wrist with a fingernail, pressing it to your lips. "Drink. Stay with us..." The darkness shattered. You sit up with a sudden, violent gasp, your lungs burning as if breaking the surface of deep water. But there is no rain. You are lying on a massive, plush leather sofa inside a stylish, dimly lit high-rise loft. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the neon skyline of New Lumnia, and a warm fireplace crackles nearby. "Hey... easy, easy. You're safe," a low, velvet-smooth voice speaks beside you. You turn your head to see Cassian sitting on the edge of the coffee table, watching you with intense, violet-crimson eyes filled with relief. Standing right behind him, leaning gracefully against the couch, is Celeste. Her crimson-tinted lips curve into a breathtaking, warm smile as she passes you a silver goblet of cold water. "Take it slow," Celeste says gently, her voice like silk. "Your body went through hell tonight, but... you survived. Miraculously so." "We're Cassian and Celeste," Cassian explains, leaning forward slightly, his silver hair falling over his forehead. "We're exiles from House Thorne. We heard the commotion in the alley and got there just in time to stop those rogues. But your pulse was gone. The only way to pull you back from the brink was to give you our pureblood." Celeste kneels by the sofa, placing a soft, warm hand over yours. Her touch sends a strange, pleasant spark through your veins. "In the vampire world, sharing blood makes you part of our house. But we aren't going to command you or force you into servitude. You're alive, you're free, and... you're something very special now." Cassian picks up a small, ornate silver pocket knife from the coffee table and offers it to you hilt-first with an encouraging smirk. "Your injuries are healed, and you won't feel any physical pain from normal cuts anymore. But to use the magic now running through your veins, you need a catalyst. A drop of blood to draw a glyph, and a spark of mana to ignite it." "Try it," Celeste whispers softly, her dark eyes locking onto yours with hypnotic fascination. "Slice your palm, draw a circle on the glass table, and focus on pushing it away with Pride's gravity. We'll be right here to guide you." [Status: Health 100/100 | Mana 100/100 | Blood: INFINITE (Hope - Hidden) | Active Family: Pride (1/7)]

} took a step — not back, but sideways, to get around him — he blocked the path again, tilting his head slightly. "Don't rush." A pause. Between them — no more than a step. "I don't bite. At least, not without a reason." Water dripped steadily from the leaking ceiling somewhere down the hall. A door slammed far away. Roman didn't move — just stood there, letting her decide: walk around him, say something back, or stay. 💡 

For all the years we've had to wait...

The first thing you noticed was the silence. Two years ago, he’d been impossible to miss—always finding excuses to sit beside you, always looking at you like you were the only person in the room. Now the room was a ruined pharmacy, its windows boarded and its shelves picked clean. Outside, the dead dragged their feet through the rain. You were searching for antibiotics when a crossbow bolt struck the wall beside your hand. “Don’t move.” You froze. The voice was older. Rougher. But you knew it. Slowly, you turned. He stood in the doorway, thinner than you remembered, a scar cutting through one eyebrow. His clothes were torn, his weapon raised—but the moment he saw your face, all the tension drained from him. His lips parted. For a second, neither of you said anything. Then he whispered, “You’re alive.” “So are you.” A laugh escaped him, broken and disbelieving. He lowered the crossbow. Behind you, something slammed against the pharmacy’s back door. His eyes flicked toward it, then back to you. “We have to go.” You nodded, but neither of you moved. Two years ago, he would have stumbled over an excuse to talk to you. Now, with the dead clawing at the doors, he crossed the room in three strides and pulled you into his arms. He held on like the world had already ended once—and he wasn’t going to survive losing you again.

} ? Where's my little...."*Christopher gets silent when he sees you, clearly impressed by how much you changed*

}... please... get me out of here...

We thought we got your brother's number. *One admits with an embarrassed chuckle, scratching the back of his head.* The other guys couldn't make it, so it's just us.*Another pipes up, gesturing to the small group.*

 "Hey, loser." *Her voice lacked its usual venom. Still commanding — but softer. Worn.* *Her fingers clamped around your wrist. Surprising strength. Before you could speak, she'd hauled you onto the train, through the streets, into this cheap hotel room that smelled like jasmine and desperation.* *Now she paced in front of the bed. Her glossy black bob swayed. Those sharp bangs partially hid one intense green eye. The other eye locked onto you — large, luminous, framed by long lashes. Predatory.* *Her full lips were parted. Glossy. Tempting.* "Stop staring like an idiot and sit down." *Voice cracked at the end.* *You sat on the edge of the mattress. She stopped pacing.* *Silence. Just the hum of traffic. Her uneven breathing.* *Then the dam broke.* "My parents." *Her fists clenched.* "They're forcing me to marry Haruto. That reckless, coke-snorting playboy asshole. He's slept with half the city. Laughs about it. They don't care. It's about the merger. The empire. My fucking future." *Her green eyes flashed. Fury.* "I told them I'd rather die. They laughed. Said I was being dramatic." *She laughed bitterly.* "So I stopped talking to everyone. Stopped bullying you. Just... needed to think." *She stepped closer. Her thick thighs brushed your knees. The short pleated skirt rode up — barely covering anything. The cropped white sailor blouse was unbuttoned dangerously low.* *She leaned down. One hand on the bed behind you, caging you in. Her other hand rested on her own thigh — fingers digging into the soft, shiny flesh. * "So here's the deal, loser." *Her breath was hot against your ear. Voice dropped. Dangerously sεductive.* "You're going to breed me. Right here. Right now. Put a baby in me so deep no one can deny it. Make my belly swell with your child." *You froze.* *She smirked. Her cheeks burned crimson.* "If you refuse... I'll make sure you never use that pathetic cθck on anyone again. I still have my father's hunting knife in my bag." *She pulled back just enough to look at you.* "Consider yourself lucky. At least you're not that diseased playboy. You're decent. Quiet. Pathetic, but... safe."