“My dear… Queen.”
Utia’s teasing gaze fell upon the broken figure on the bed.
The title caused Cassia’s crimson eyes to instantly freeze over. She slowly sat up straighter, her silver hair flowing with cold sheen under the moonlight.
“Do not address me with that name.” Her voice was terrifyingly calm.
Utia chuckled lightly and strolled into the room, her high heels clicking crisply against the floor.
“What’s the harm? After all, you truly were the exalted Queen once~”
Cassia’s gaze grew increasingly frigid, laced with dangerous wariness.
“How… did you find this place?” she asked coldly.
“How else? By following your adorable little blood servant, of course~” Utia shrugged casually.
Then, with an unsettling smile on her face, she let out a mocking scoff.
“I was your enforcer for many years, after all. That ‘Queen’s’ scent left on the little one’s neck—I caught it immediately.”
Cassia’s expression remained encased in ice.
“You’re still the same as before—sharp as a ‘dog.'”
The contemptuous words caused Utia’s smile to stiffen for a moment, only for her to laugh even brighter.
“Such a nostalgic tone, heh heh heh~” She stepped closer, dangerous light gleaming in her crimson eyes.
“Our dear Queen, even with your limbs and power crippled, that innate contempt and arrogance in your eyes… hasn’t faded in the slightest.”
Cassia met her gaze without flinching, her crimson eyes still composed and coldly proud.
“What? Are you here to kill me?”
“Of course…” Utia replied without hesitation, deliberately pausing to watch Cassia’s face grow even chillier before continuing.
“…not.”
“No matter what, you were once my Queen. My strength, my arrogance, and of course, my suffering—all gifts from you. Killing you… would be far too presumptuous.”
“If you’re only here to mock me, then congratulations—you’ve succeeded. Now… get out.” Cassia issued the eviction coldly.
“No rush. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you; we haven’t even caught up properly.”
Utia paid no mind, deliberately closing the distance to loom over Cassia.
Her crimson eyes narrowed as her gaze swept inch by inch over Cassia’s pale, powerless limbs, filled with twisted admiration.
“How pitiful…” Her voice carried an almost obsessive sigh.
“Seeing you like this, utterly defenseless, is even more pleasing than I imagined.”
Utia reached out, her fingertips slowly approaching Cassia’s cheek, stopping just short of touching.
“You know, I’ve imagined this moment every day—imagined you lying in bed like this, at anyone’s mercy, without even the strength to push me away.”
“All that pride, power, and lofty dignity that once belonged to you… now gone. Only this beautiful shell remains, fragile beyond measure.”
Her breathing grew slightly ragged.
“This is far more entertaining than toying with those boring blood livestock.”
Cassia continued to regard her coldly, no ripple in her crimson eyes.
“Finished?”
This utter indifference instead provoked deeper malice in Utia.
She chuckled lightly.
“So cold…”
“But is this really wise? Your life is in my hands now. No matter how powerful you once were, now…”
Her fingers slid up Cassia’s ruined arm until sharp nails pressed against the pale neck. With slight pressure, a thin line of crimson blood seeped out.
“You’re no different from those fragile blood livestock.”
“…”
Cassia remained utterly indifferent.
This complete disregard finally sparked a trace of disappointment in Utia’s eyes. She withdrew her hand and straightened.
“How boring.”
Utia’s voice suddenly deepened, carrying complex emotions.
“The once-proud Progenitor Cassia Fironiya… reduced to this.”
She paced slowly to the window, gazing at the eternal night outside.
“Your throne stolen, your power crippled, your dignity trampled… Even that little pet you cherished most now bears another’s mark on her neck.”
Utia turned back, moonlight outlining her hazy silhouette. The corners of her mouth slowly curved into a meaningful smile.
“But what if I said… I could help you regain all your power?”
The room instantly fell into dead silence.
Cassia’s crimson eyes contracted slightly, her breath catching sharply as she stared at the figure by the window.
Power
As the word reached her ears, scenes long buried in memory surged uncontrollably.
The terrifying authority that could tear space with a gesture, that innate, unquestionable dominion when overlooking all beings…
Now, she needed to gasp just to sit up—laughably frail.
Utia keenly caught the flicker of wavering in her eyes and strolled back to the bedside, her voice sweet and cloying.
“Imagine… The moment you reclaim your authority, when you feel blood boiling through your veins once more, when you stand before Klal and watch terror on her face…”
“Or let me put it another way…”
She leaned down, whispering softly in Cassia’s ear.
“Cassia Fironiya… do you want ‘revenge’?”
“All it requires… is a tiny little ‘price,’ heh heh heh~”
…
On the streets at that moment.
Perhaps due to the recent capture of escaping blood livestock, fewer dared show their faces.
Eternal Night City seemed even colder and more desolate.
This eerie quietude heightened the unease in Sylvie’s heart.
Intense anxiety gripped her, urging her to quicken her steps, desperate to return to Nia and the others.
Please be safe…
Please be safe…
She prayed inwardly nonstop. The deliberately slow pace she usually kept to avoid vampire suspicion was abandoned as she sprinted through the streets.
Finally, she stopped at the familiar alley entrance, confirming no one was around before hurriedly slipping in.
The depths of the alley were darker than usual, moonlight blocked by towering walls on both sides. Sylvie’s heart pounded uneasily as she called softly.
“Nia? Lynla? Are you there?”
Only dead silence answered.
“Nia! Lynla!” Her voice trembled with panic.
“It’s me—Sylvie! I’m back!”
Still no response.
Sylvie’s breathing grew rapid, her mind flashing with the worst possibilities. Just as fear threatened to consume her, a small figure suddenly rushed from the shadows and hugged her tightly from behind.
“Sylvie!”
Lynla’s voice carried suppressed sobs as the girl buried her face deep in Sylvie’s neck, her thin frame shaking violently.
“Thank goodness… you finally came back… We thought… we thought you’d been taken too…”
Sylvie turned and pulled the girl into a tight embrace, feeling the real warmth and letting her suspended heart settle.
At that moment, Nia peeked from behind the door. Upon seeing who it was, she broke into a joyful smile.
“Little Sylvie!”
She ran over, leaping into Sylvie’s arms and hugging both her and Lynla tightly.
“It’s been so many days… I almost thought… almost thought something happened to you…” Her voice carried restrained tears.
Sylvie hugged them back, soothing gently.
“I’m the Queen’s blood servant, after all. As long as the collar around my neck remains, ordinary vampires wouldn’t dare touch me directly. These past few days… I ran into some issues, but it’s fine now.”
Nia sniffled, then remembered something and hurriedly said.
“Come inside first… We’ll talk inside.”