Above the roof of a simple home at night, two figures stood—one woman and another man. The woman had brownish hair, but her face was covered with a mask. She looked like a person who owned the world and looked down upon humans.

She coldly glanced at the house below. "Everything's ready? Did you use the spell I gave you on the Mayor?"

The man bowed and nodded. "The Mayor didn't even find out that I was hidden in his house. He was confused for a bit and then he quickly picked up the phone to call his people saying, 'Let's select Lucy and Emily Brown for the upcoming eclipse.' And he seemed really excited as if it was his own idea!" The man stared at the woman in wonder. "Boss, your magic really works! He didn't even realize that we manipulated his thoughts!"

The woman before him was having a headache due to the constant rambling of this young man. She felt like it was her mistake to find him instead of her own brother. Taking a deep breath, she said slowly, "They didn't doubt my identity, did they?" Although this woman was confident that no one could find her, she was still doubtful. She wanted to clarify once more.

But who knew that the man before him would tremble at these words. "Boss, the crown prince...his spies were caught again, and this time, they were important officers from the Britain Vampires! Thankfully, the British Vampire's king was able to escape the clutches of our crown prince, but he can't escape all the time! At this rate, he will be caught one day!" He was very afraid, so he kept rambling. "If the British Vampire's king is caught, we are doomed. He would tell them about you!" Then he thought of something and trembled even more. "Boss, you're the head of the most famous company, 'The Hunter's.' If they were to find you, we are really doomed!"

The woman's brows furrowed at that. "Looks like I have to go back to handle certain things soon." She shook her head and waved her hand to dismiss the person. "You can go."

The man abruptly shut his mouth and nodded, jumping off of the roof. He entered his car and drove off somewhere. The woman stood silently for a while before flying down and standing on the balcony, staring at a girl sleeping soundly on her bed. Her head was under covers, but this woman on the balcony knew perfectly well who this was. The girl in bed was Emily.

The woman on the balcony smiled and muttered a spell under her breath and soon, white energy flowed out of her hands as it entered Emily's head. The girl threw the quilt as a frown came across her forehead as if she was in great pain, and then her furrowed brows loosened as if nothing had happened. Emily kept dreaming and didn't even realize that someone had just cast a spell on her.

On the balcony, the woman smirked and whispered to herself, "Let's see how the crown prince of the American vampires can keep himself away from you after smelling this precious scent. When he finds you, my plan will finally be set in motion. And after everything goes well, I'll be waiting for you, Emily."

Emily's POV

I hummed a song and threw my bag on the couch, walking upstairs as I reminded myself about my homework.

A loud echo of laughter caught my attention. Surprised, I walked toward the closed study door and frowned. There's a guest? I leaned closer, wanting to listen. It wasn't as though I was curious. I had no intention to hear grandpa talk about work. But the other voice seemed to be familiar. My frown deepened.

"Ah, yes, I do remember! That was a wonderful party. Say, Mr. Johnson, you enjoyed the night, didn't you?" My grandpa said in a teasing tone.

Mr. Johnson! The Mayor of our city! Why was he here? My mouth hung open at this. The forty-year-old Mayor was like a celebrity to us. We would just watch him on the television. No wonder I found his voice familiar. My dad was a die-hard fan of him.

The other man chuckled. "Sure, sure, old man. Whatever you say."

I moved closer and stared at two distant figures from the keyhole. Grandpa sighed, shaking his head helplessly. "What brings you here, Mr. Johnson?" The old man said in a rare serious voice.

Seeing that, the grip against my dark blue short skirt tightened. Something in my gut told me that I wouldn't like hearing the next few words.

The Mayor was silent for a while. I could only see his straight back from the keyhole. "Eclipse is around the corner. You know that, don't you? Mr. Brown?"

I saw my Gramps nodding. If I didn't know my grandfather well, I wouldn't have seen his stiff body. But my mind was elsewhere. I couldn't stop thinking about the word eclipse. What has it got to do with us? Could it be about...

"No!" I screamed the word out loud, watching my Grandpa jump on his seat. Even the Mayor turned around, looking surprised.

Damn! I cursed under my breath and opened the door, revealing myself to the others.

"M-Mr. M-Mayor..." I walked hesitantly toward him. "I heard the word eclipse. Do you mean...?"

I couldn't even say the next few words as tears blurred my vision. I blinked several times and gritted my teeth. Control your emotions, Emily!

The Mayor had a look of sympathy on his face as he stared at me. He slowly turned toward Gramps. "This year, it's Emily and Lucy. I..." Even he didn't know what to say. But I wasn't in a mood to focus on him. The last sentence made me frozen in the middle of the room. I didn't know what I was feeling at that moment. Perhaps a trace of loss? Unhappiness? Grief? Fear? Or maybe it was all of these combined.

But I couldn't show it on my face. I blinked several times, trying to keep tears inside. I knew what the Mayor meant.

Our modern world, which should have been filled with sunshine and technology, has a trace of darkness—Vampires. They had caused troubles for humans one or two centuries ago. At that time, the Mayor of the city had gritted his teeth and made a deal. Both the parties signed the paper, which said something like this:

"I, Mayor of Los Angeles, promise the King of Vampires to give forth young girls as a donation every eclipse. What we need is peace among us. May we live happily without causing trouble for each other.

The Mayor."

I know this because that's what had been the first thing taught to us after entering school. It was meant to make us ready for the future.

But I wasn't. Who would be ready to serve a vampire all her life just to save the world? This was a huge responsibility for me!

Tears that I had tried so hard to keep in burst out of my eyes, rolling down my cheeks. It tickled, but my hands refused to listen to me. I felt both tired and depressed.

"Emily?" A hoarse voice called out, and I looked at Grandpa's sad face. As soon as I saw his terrified pale face, I froze. Why didn't I think of his feelings before?

His only two granddaughters would be given away. He was already an old man. Wouldn't he get a heart attack after seeing my tears?

I took a few shaky breaths and wiped my tears. Forcing a smile on my face, I glanced at him. "Gramps, it's alright. We all knew this was going to happen." My lower lips quivered as I uttered those words softly.

Without waiting for a reply, I turned around and fled from the room. Dragging my feet upstairs, I unlocked my room and closed it behind me. Dropping down, I rested my head between my knees as tears poured out of my eyes. My muffled sobs echoed in my room.

How could I not be sad? I just lied to my Gramps about my feelings. I didn't want to leave him. Not yet. I wanted to have a job, spend a few years with Gramps and my sister, get married, and have kids. I wanted to wait for my children at the gate of the school, just how my mother used to. I had to become a famous journalist!

How could this happen to me? Who would take care of Gramps if I was chosen?

Every year on the Eclipse, a few girls from the city would be chosen to attain the Vampire party, where a few of them would be given as a donation to the Vampires. I had seen many of my sister's friends going. I had seen my sister's sad face every time one of her friends went to the party and never returned. Although Lucy never got a chance to attend the party, I knew she was worried deep down. I knew she was scared.

She was fortunate to be saved for five years. Yes, Lucy was five years older than me, and I just turned 18. Only girls aging 18 and older were allowed to be donated.

But I didn't even get a chance to be anxious for years. As soon as I turned 18, I was called.

How could I not be sad?

But what else could I do?

I had no choice.

"Emily? Why are you crying?" A soft female voice brought me out of my nightmarish thoughts. My tear-stained face looked up and saw a worried expression on Lucy's face as she stood up from the bed and bent down, caressing my face.

Seeing her, more tears poured out of my eyes. I hugged her tightly. "Lucy! I-I don't want to go!" I said between hiccups.

"What happened?" She sounded anxious.

I parted my trembling lips and said, "The party. They invited us this year."

The words seemed to pour cold water down Lucy's throat. I saw her shocked expression changing into grief as tears dropped from the corner of her eyes.

"No!" She tightened her arms around me. "No!"

That night, we didn't go downstairs to have dinner despite Gramps knocking on the door, worriedly. Lucy nor I had the mood to eat anything. We cuddled underneath the warm blanket, crying our eyes out.

"Lucy, h-how could this happen to us? There are many girls in the city, right? Why us?"

"I don't know, Emily. Please don't cry." She wiped my tears. "I knew this day would come, but..."

"Sister!" I looked at her. "How come they didn't select you all these years? You must have said something, right?"

"I don't know. I just laid low, hiding in my room all day. I didn't want to be noticed. I don't know why they'd choose both of us this year."

"What will happen to you? Gramps?" More sobs came from my mouth as a thought popped up in my head. I blurted out. "We should just run away."

"Gramps would indeed be alone, but…" Lucy wiped her face and gazed at me sternly. "Emily, promise me something."

"What?"

"Promise me that you won't run away on our Gramps. Promise me that you'll face it bravely." She took a shaky breath as she caressed my head. "Let's go to the party together."

I bit my lips and nodded.

For a moment, both of us stayed silent until bright moonlight spread inside the room through transparent windows. We had been crying all evening until midnight, and now, my eyes felt numb.

What should I do? I can't change the future. What's the use of crying anymore? No one can protect us.

I looked at my sister, sleeping soundly on her side. Her pale yellow face and tear-stained cheeks glistened in the moonlight.

She was right. Even if we fall into the darkness, we have to stay together and face the troubles. Lucy, I won't disappoint you at the party. I'll be brave!

After that, my eyes closed, and I drifted into sleep.

...

I didn't know whether I was asleep or not, whether it was a nightmare, but I suddenly found myself in a dark room. I didn't have clothes on my body. I moved to the corner of the room, sticking to the cold wall. A shiver sent down my spine due to the sudden coolness. I hugged myself, feeling goosebumps all over my body.

Before I could do anything else, footsteps echoed in my ears. The sound kept coming closer and closer until I noticed the dark outline of someone's legs right before me. I shrunk back to the wall, ignoring the coldness.

The person seemed to notice my actions as he grabbed my wrist and pulled my naked body toward him. Hands were embracing me as his lips touched my warm skin. I shivered and used my weak hands to push the man away.

This person seemed to be weird. I couldn't feel his chest rising and falling like a human being. His body was cold as if I had just touched a piece of ice.

But all my actions were useless. He used his big hands to control my hands. Before I could think anything else, I felt a sharp pain in my neck. Two pointed teeth tore the surface of my smooth skin and connected to my blood vessels, sucking blood.

I screamed. Kicked. Pushed.

But nothing happened. The sharp pain only enhanced as the sucking continued. My body slowly weakened as fear engulfed my vision.

Was I going to die? Just like this? I knew it wasn't a great idea to go to Vampires.

I felt my body weakening slowly. Even the pain went numb. I couldn't feel anything anymore as my limbs went limp in the man's embrace. My half-closed eyes stared at the dark figure. I couldn't see anything. My vision was failing, and I closed my eyes. My shallow breath was so slow that I couldn't even feel my chest rising.

I was going to die.

The man sucked the last drop of my body and retracted his teeth, wiping his mouth.

...

"Ah!" I screamed and opened my eyes. My hands touched the neck feeling smooth skin, and my shoulders relaxed. Before my eyes, I could still see my room.

"Emily, what happened?" Lucy demanded.

"I-" I couldn't tell her that I had a nightmare about vampires, could I? That would make her even more scared.

"I think I saw a bug." I lied.

I could see her relaxing and shaking her head. "You scared me."

"Sorry." I pushed back the blanket. "I have to go to the washroom."

I couldn't sleep anyway. I might as well take a stroll.

I pushed the door and headed downstairs. As I entered the living room, my eyesight fell on a familiar figure, sitting not far away from the windows, staring out into the sky.

"Gramps?"

He turned to face me and smiled weakly. "Aren't you sleeping, my dear?"

"Why aren't you sleeping, Gramps?"

"I was thinking about the past."

What past?

"Why don't you take a seat?" He gestures to the seat opposite him. "I should tell you a story."

I quietly walked over and sat down. I didn't know what Gramps wanted to talk about in the middle of the night.

"When I was your age, I met someone. She was a nice bubble girl. I remember seeing a lonely figure of a girl every day while I used to go to work. She'd just stand and stare at me with longing in her eyes. When I approached her and asked her out on a date, she refused at first. I didn't force her despite being sad. But then, she'd still come and stand beneath a shed, hiding from the sun and stare at me while I was busy working." Gramps sighed and stared out of the window. "I couldn't stop myself after that and pursued her with all my heart. She eventually agreed. I thought we'd be just normal couples, but who would've known that she was anything but normal."

"Anything but normal..." I repeated the last three words, faintly guessing what Gramps was going to say, and it scared me.

"Yes, she was a vampire. I had caught her drinking animal blood in the forest once. We argued and..."

"It didn't work, did it?"

"Well, it did for a while. We were able to stand by and become couples in a real sense. But...fate didn't want us to be together." Grandpa's eyes appeared to have a trace of loneliness when he said this. I wanted to ask him what happened, why couldn't they stay together. But then, seeing his expression, I swallowed the words.

Perhaps it didn't work because she was a vampire? How could it work anyway? One was prey, and another was a hunter. There cannot be any friendship between food and a hungry person.

"Emily," His hoarse voice said, "I just wanted to tell you, not all the Vampires are murderers."

A month later, me and Lucy were back to normal. It could be said that we were both pretending to be normal, hiding emotions inside whenever we faced Gramps. Everything in the house felt like a ticking bomb to our emotions. A few nights ago, my sister broke down after seeing a calendar and the upcoming eclipse. Even I was trembling in fear, but I gritted my teeth and endured. I wanted to be strong for Lucy! That was when Gramps decided to hide everything that could remind us sisters of the vampire party.

And today was the day I was dreading with all my heart. If I could, I wanted to kill all the vampires and create a bloodbath.

It was evening by the time we were all sitting anxiously for someone to come. It was already the time of the eclipse party. But no one came. For a moment, I couldn't help but feel relief. If the other person had forgotten about me and Lucy, it would be great. We still had a chance of saving ourselves from a horrifying future. But before I could relax, a knocking sound came from the door, making me jolt in fear. Gramps slowly stood up, opening the door to a civil servant, who walked and stood in front of me. With a lusty grin on his face, he handed me a sexy dress.

My soft fingers gripped the silk cloth, wrinkling the surface. The dazzling pearls and diamond beads shone brightly, reflecting the lightbulb on my delicate face. But I was too stunned to care about it.

I opened the dress only to feel a flush of anger flashing in my eyes. What the hell was wrong with this dress? Why was it so revealing? I glared at the civil servant for sending me such a sexually enticing dress. What did he think of me, a prostitute?

Seeing my expression, the civil servant explained, "The vampires sent the dress. I'm merely a mediator."

Those vampires! They were already ruining our lives. Perhaps we wouldn't even be alive after today. But did they have to make it even worse by sending this revealing dress? It almost felt like I wouldn't be wearing anything. What was the point of wearing this dress if all the parts of my body were revealed bit by bit? It was almost a bikini with a long opened skirt down my legs, revealing my thighs.

I felt a wave of anger flowing through my veins.

But I couldn't do anything about it. They could suck my blood and kill me any moment. Suddenly, I remembered the nightmare I had that day as I trembled in fear. Taking a shaky breath, I pursed my lips, trying to control the tears that were on the verge of falling.

"And this is for you, young lady." His eyes moved toward Lucy, standing beside me. Her small body trembled as she shrunk behind me. Although she was older than me, she had always been timid.

But I was different. I would tremble in fear in a situation of life and death, but if given a chance to overcome the fright, I could be the most rebellious kid you would ever see. I was always the person who would be blinded by emotions, unlike Lucy, who would be mature despite being timid.

With her shaking hands, she took hold of a light purple dress designed with diamonds and pearls.

"Thank you..." Her small voice rolled out of her throat. My mood dropped below zero degrees at that. It had been fine if it was only me, getting ready to face the danger. But why did they have to select my sister? She was already old enough to get married!

Gnashing my teeth, I cursed the vampires under my breath.

And these civil servants! They have no shame! This man could have looked at us with sympathy. But I could clearly see a malicious spark brightening his eyes as he scanned mine and my sister's bodies. I was sure he was imagining us in these dresses.

My blood boiled at the thought, and I glared at him.

Seeing my angry face, he retracted his eyesight and straightened his back. Clearing his throat, he said, "The party starts at 8 in the evening. A car will be sent to collect both of you. So, please be ready."

The man hurried away, living behind my terrified sister and me. I looked at the clock that pointed at six, and then I gazed down at the dress in my hands.

Pursing my lips, I turned toward Lucy. "Let's get ready."

...

Two hours later, we found ourselves sitting on the backseat of a black limo, covered with a silk dress and dazzling ornaments around our necks and ears. How I wished to turn back the time and urge Grandpa to move away from the city! Just the three of us would've led a happy life. I could have joined a restaurant as a waitress with my sister to earn daily bread. We could've rented a two-bedroom house.

But I couldn't. My name was already included in the list. The vampire host would read any random name among the sea of young females. I couldn't do a damn thing no matter what!

Looking at my trembling sister, I pressed my lips in a thin line. Silently, I vowed to myself to keep her safe no matter what. Even if I were to beg for her life, I would.

Then I saw tears dropping from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. I patted the back of her hands, earning her attention.

"Sister, let's face the danger together. Okay?"

Her lower lips quivered. She wiped the tears and nodded, gazing out of the window.

But just as the car stopped, my heartbeat sped up like a bullet train. My stomach churned, and the acid urged me to climb up my throat and vomit itself out of my mouth. I wasn't ready yet, and now, with the car being stopped, I was forced to accept the reality.

I was really going to be taken away by the vampires!

I trembled in fear. Tears threatened to spill out of my eyes.

"We're here." A rough old voice spoke from the driver's seat, making me jump. looked up and nodded.

"Let's go, Lucy."

"Yes, let's pray they won't select us." This was wishful thinking, and even Lucy knew that. But she couldn't help it.

These words were only meant to calm our terrified hearts.

The moment we got out of the car, several eyes turned toward us. I grabbed Lucy's hand and tightened the grip. I didn't have the strength to lift my feet, but perhaps, my sister's presence could give me enough strength.

Male and female vampires with shiny white teeth sparkling bright due to moonlight stood in colorful dresses. The garden was filled with a scent of blood that decorated every glass in the hands of vampires. I wrinkled my nose at that. I couldn't tell whether it was human or animal blood, but the sight of them licking their lips after drinking the blood was terrifying enough to make me shudder.

But that wasn't the only thing that troubled me. Several male vampires gathered around Lucy and me, eyeing us with hungry eyes. Their lust-filled eyes scanned our dresses as their tongue licked their lips, softly caressing the pointed teeth. It dripped red droplets of blood that they had just gulped.

The scene itself was both disgusting and horrifying. The churning of my stomach intensified. I averted my eyesight and focused on the ground.

But I could still feel their eyes on me.

My grip on Lucy's hand tightened even more as my legs went soft because of their evil and greedy gazes.

Before me, I could see an opened door of a big mansion leading to a huge hall, glittering with lights. Laughing voices echoed in my ears as I made my way upstairs, tugging Lucy behind me.

Just as I was about to enter the door, someone stopped us. Of course, who would it be other than a vampire? I lifted my gaze from the ground to see his white shirt and pants that shimmered as small diamonds on the cloth reflected light. His long golden hair was tied and rested on his shoulders.

But his pure appearance didn't hide the malice in his heart. His hands were placed on both sides of the door, stopping our entrance.

"Look what we have here. Beautiful Brown ladies." How did he know my surname? I frowned and took a step back in fear.

"How did you..." I asked in a small voice. I didn't know my voice could be this terrified and soft before today.

"I'm the host! How can I not know you, two lovely ladies?" A smirk formed on his lips that seemed more terrifying than facing a tiger.

This guy was a host, and he would decide mine and Lucy's fate. I wanted to avoid this guy at all costs.

Thankfully, the host didn't give us a difficult time. He strolled away and made a "polite" gesture. But I didn't feel welcomed at all. There was a rising tide of regret flowing within my heart. I wanted to escape this hell hole.

But I couldn't. I promised Lucy that I wouldn't run away.

With a thudding heart, I looked around the room only to find young girls around my age strolling on the left side of the big hall. Their silky clothes were so revealing that I almost felt like they had just worn bikinis.

Many vampires filled the right side, gazing at the ladies on one side with hungry eyes. Although they were not allowed to touch, their eyes seemed to ravish every girl standing in one corner. I shuddered at the scene and hugged myself with my free hand, rubbing my arms. Realization dawned on me out of the blue that my own dress wasn't that good either.

I gritted my teeth and took a step forward.

Soon, the set of eyes locked on mine and Lucy's figure. I could feel Lucy tremble even more as my grip tightened on her palms. I tugged her closer, trying to hide my own frightened and weak limbs.

Before we could go any further, someone stopped in front of us, making my heart jump inside my chest. A man wearing black colored clothes, resonating his hair, stood before us. His fangs shone brightly in as he licked his lips, wiping the blood traces from the corner of his lips.

But his sharp gaze wasn't on my face. He greedily stared at Lucy from head to toe as if measuring something in his mind and nodded as a smile formed on his lips.

"Come with me." His sharp voice rang in my ears. I froze and subconsciously tightened my hands.

I could feel Lucy's hand trembling and sweating at the same time. Her pupils constricted as she stared at the vampire's face.

Pursing my lips, I took a few deep breaths to hide fear deep inside my heart and pulled Lucy behind me. "Take me," I said in a low voice.

Hearing my frightened voice, a chuckle came out of the man's mouth. My breath shuddered as I took a deep breath, taking a step back. Licking my lips, I forced my eyes to see his smirking face. "Take me instead."

"I wish I could, darling." His fingers caressed my cheeks and grabbed my hair. Bringing it near his nose, he took a deep breath, sniffing. "But you belong to someone else."

Someone else? Did someone select me already as soon as I stepped inside this hall? The thought itself was so frightening that all my rebellious attitude flushed down in the drain.

Frightened, I stood with a pale face. Before I could notice, the black man made a swift move and took Lucy's hand from my grip, dragging her away.

It wasn't until Lucy's shrill sounded from the other side of the hall that I woke up from my daze. Panic grew it's seed inside my heart as I frantically searched for my sister.

I took a step and staggered, nearly falling on the ground. My restless eyes scanned the crowd but couldn't see a familiar figure wearing a light purple dress. My eyes could only see pink, orange, and even black. But purple was out of sight.

Tears formed in my eyes.

"Lucy!"

But I was too shaken to let out a scream, saying her name. My voice was more like a trembling whisper, brushing a few girl's ears. I earned the sympathetic gazes of a few young girls, but I ignored them. I walked toward the direction where I heard her scream, but couldn't find her.

"Lucy, where are you?" I walked more, pushing a few girls aside as I reached the other side filled with vampires. "Lucy!"

But to my dismay, no one replied to my screams. I could see scoffing and sneering vampires, glancing at my face. Tears continued to drop, but she was nowhere to be found.

Just as I was about to head over to the other side, I heard a familiar coughing sound echoing in the hall through speakers.

"Well, hello, ladies and gentlemen. Good evening!" The blond host bowed. A smile stretched on his face as he brought the microphone toward his shiny red lips. His eyes swept through the crowd and met my trembling form. The smile widened. "Those who are taken away, you better let go. You won't be seeing them anytime soon." He paused. "I don't think you can see them at all!"

I heard girls gasping around me, but I couldn't focus on them. My heart dropped deep inside the icy water. I trembled and fell on my knees. Gripping my cloth tightly, I whispered, "No, Lucy..."

I was so immersed in my sadness that I failed to hear my name sounding through the speakers. I didn't even see a few vampire maids coming toward my direction. It wasn't until they grabbed my arms and held me up. I came back to my senses.

My confused eyes stared at the maids, who seemed to have a plastic face that didn't show any expressions. Then I cast a glance at the blond host, who smirked and continued speaking names.

I didn't know what was happening, but I had a bad feeling about this. My stomach churned as the maids dragged me upstairs. That was when I started struggling.

"Let go of me!" I moved my hands only to find the maids' grip tightening even more, making me flinch. "I have to find my sister!"

The maids didn't utter a word, ignoring me with all their hearts. Seeing their reaction, my blood boiled, and I struggled even more.

But how could they listen to me? I was just an insignificant human. By the time we reached the first floor, my limbs were already tired from struggling so much. I was sucking deep breaths as if I had suddenly become a suction pump.

Before I could say anything, they pushed me inside the darkroom, closing the door behind me. I stumbled and fell to the ground.

It was pin-drop silence, but I couldn't get up. How could I when my sister was taken away right before my eyes? I curled up against my knees and hugged them, crying my eyes out. Teardrops made my dress sticky and wet, but I was too depressed to focus on that.

Suddenly, that nightmare flashed before my eyes making me tremble even more. The room was similarly dark in my dream. There was a pin-drop silence that had embraced my naked body. But at least I had some clothes on me in real life.

The door creaked open. Similar to what happened in my dream, the darkroom was filled with bright light as the person entered.

My hands tightened against my knees. I tilted my head and glanced at the vampire with a pale face. I trembled and my breath shook every time I inhaled and exhaled. The person who entered reminded me of my nightmare even more.

I trembled as I looked at his form became clearer to my eyes. The mid-length sleeves of the white shirt were tight against his arms, highlighting his muscles even more. A loose tie hung on his neck; a black blazer was smoothly folded on his hand. She had seen many vampires today with long hair, but this guy's black hair ended on his neck.

Just as she wondered trying to back away to hide from this guy, he sucked in a deep breath as his eyes gazed at her hungrily.

There was no doubt that the person was a vampire.

I averted my eyes and hugged my knees even tighter. Thump. Thump. Thump. Heartbeat sped up as I heard the footsteps coming closer. Perspiration drops appeared on my forehead. I trembled when I felt his shadow over my head.

"Get up." He said in a slightly commanding tone.

My lower lips quivered, but I didn't listen to his order. I shrunk to my knees, wanting to get away from this man.

"I said, get up!" The man's tone became impatient.

"N-no. Please let me go." I spoke in a soft voice.

The man was silent for a while. But I stayed vigilant. Who knew when this man's sharp teeth would pierce my neck and suck in all the blood I had? The muscles on my face tightened, but I didn't dare to move.

I really wanted the man to have a little compassion. But this was a vampire I was talking about. How could they be kind to humans?

His icy cold hands reached and grabbed my arm, pulling me up roughly. Before I could even register what was happening, he dragged my body and threw me on the bed.

I reached for the bedsheets with my trembling hands and pushed my body back, shaking my head. "N-no, please do-don't kill me." All I could think of was those shiny teeth that hung over his lips. Then I saw him pulling his tie and throwing it on the ground. Placing the blazer on the table beside the bed, he climbed on the bed, staring at me with squinted eyes.

As he came near me, he hovered over my body and gripped my jaw tightly. "I am saying this the first and the last time,"—his cold breath fell on my cheeks, making me shiver—"serve me or die."

That was when panic flowed out of heart like a volcanic eruption. I struggled. With one hand, I pushed his chest away. Another hand went to his face, blocking his advances. My legs kicked and kicked until the bedsheets crumbled.

"LET ME GO!" A shrill escaped my throat, and I gasped for breath. But I didn't stop. I knew if I stopped, I'd die tonight. I didn't want to die, not until I could find Lucy.

Just when I thought he would use his strength against me, he loosened his hands and backed away, getting up from the bed. After he glanced at me with his squinting eyes, he turned around and left.

I laid on the bed, gazing at the closed door in confusion. What just happened? Did that vampire leave me alone?

It took me a few minutes to calm my racing heart.

After what it felt like hours, a few unfamiliar maids entered the room. This time, the girls weren't vampires. I didn't feel the dark aura around them. They didn't even have pointed canines.

I pulled myself together. Taking a deep breath, I asked, "Who was that vampire?" They should know this, right? It wasn't like I was curious, but wouldn't it be fine to know the butcher's name before he could cut me into pieces?

Perhaps if I found out about his identity, I could save my sister. If not, I at least needed to see her once. If he still didn't agree, I wanted to see my Gramps before I could die.

The maids exchanged a bewildered look and stared at me as if seeing an alien. "You don't know?"

I shook my head.

"He's the eldest Prince of our entire Vampire division."

I was shocked after hearing that. I vaguely knew about the Prince they were talking about, and I was absolutely terrified of him. Even his name was enough to give me a sleepless night.

Why?

My grandpa had warned me against him when I was a teenager.

…

**Flashback**

I had been chewing potato chips, cheeks bulging as I looked at my grandfather's face with a bored expression. He was going to make me repeat the subjects alone in the school. How boring!

"I know you're tired, but I just have one question." Grandpa paused and glanced at the fireplace. "Do you know who's the father of Prince Liam?"

I tilted my head, staring at him in confusion. I didn't even know who prince Liam was. What to speak of his father? I only remembered hearing the name Liam in the school.

Sensing my curiosity, Gramps smiled. "Like humans have a president, the vampires have a prince, who will be the vampire king in America. Didn't they tell you this in school?"

"Well..." How can I tell my Gramps that I would fall asleep during the lectures at school? Pursing my lips, I decided to tell a lie, averting my eyes. "I don't think they did."

Grandpa frowned and went silent for a while. That silence made my heart beat faster. Did he realize I had lied? Would I be caught for sleeping at school? I panicked. Should I admit my mistakes? That would perhaps reduce my punishment. Taking a deep breath, I glanced at him.

Just as I opened my mouth, Gramps said, "Let's continue, alright?"

I let out a relieved breath. He didn't find out about it. What I didn't know was, Grandpa had discovered my lie and deliberately ignored it. But I was too small to understand that.

"Derrick Barlos had been the king of humans around the 17th century when he turned into a vampire. Vampire history says that he was the first person to be turned into a vampire. After that, he fed something to his people that made his public vampires too.”

I gasped at that. Derrick really seemed like a cruel person!

“Do you know how Derrick became a vampire?”

I was curious about that! I looked at Grandpa with shining eyes.

Grandpa laughed at my reaction and patted my head affectionately. "Yes, my dear. Don’t be excited. I’ll tell you." Then he paused as if he was trying to think how to say it. “It is said that Derrick was sick to the point of taking a last breath, and a servant fed him something. Nothing in the history says what it was, but after that, Derrick was turned into a vampire. Rumors even say that it was a devil’s blood.”

"And what about Liam, the prince?"

"Him? Well, let's just say he's following his father's footsteps."

I narrowed my eyes and pouted. That was a very vague description. I was curious!

"Is he rude too?"

"Yes, yes. He's very rude to others, especially humans."

"How do you know?"

Grandpa made a thoughtful expression. "I haven't seen him yet, but I've heard many things about him."

"Like what?" My ears perked up at that.

"There's a rumor. A spy vampire was caught by the guards attacking the old king deliberately. Derrick was injured so much so that he couldn't even get up from his bed. He's still suffering from the injury."

I snorted, thinking that's what should have happened to such a cruel person.

"No one knows who sent that spy, but Liam was furious. He did something that shocked the entire human population."

"What?"

"He declared war against the enemy kingdom assuming they were behind it." Grandpa pursed his lips as he remembered something cruel. "Many people were killed." I had an inclination that he was not telling me the full story, but I was too small to focus on my feelings. "It all happened when you were about two years old."

My eyes widened at that. "Really?" Wasn't that when my parents died in an accident? It was really a coincidence, but I didn't dwell on the thought.

"Yes. It was nothing but a waste of vampire resources." Grandpa made a thoughtful expression as he lowered his head as if remembering a terrible memory. “It wasn’t a very good era.”

But I was confused..."Gramps, he did nothing wrong, did he? I mean, that was a spy from the enemy, right?"

"I thought the same when I heard it for the first time. But then..." Grandpa paused and sighed, shaking his head. "He called his entire family, tied them with the rope beneath the sun, and let them die a slow and painful death. I heard they screamed for ten days, but no one dared to send a helping hand."

I shuddered and hugged myself.

Grandpa's eyes softened at my frightened appearance. It took me and placed me gently on his lap, caressing my head. "Do you know why I am telling you this?"

I shook my head.

"Because I want you to stay away from him."

I nodded and hugged him tightly, trying to get rid of the horrific images of torture.

**End of flashback**

...

My nose went sour at the memory. By the time I laid on the bed, the maids cleaned the room and left, shutting off the light. In the darkness, I could only lay silently, gazing at the moon and stars with tear-filled eyes.

What I feared the most happened.

Throughout my life, I heard cruel rumors about this Prince. The rumors were both blood churning and frightening. Every time I would listen, my face would go pale in fear. I couldn't even sleep at night properly when I heard of his cruel deeds for the first time. Whether the rumor was real or fake, no one knew.

In a decade, he will be crowned as the second Vampire King after his father.

And now, I was sleeping on his bed. What can possibly be worse than this? Was this supposed to be a live version of 'Beauty and the Beast?' Sadly, the Prince wasn't really a beast waiting for his princess. Liam was a cruel monster, wanting to suck me dry.

Even the thought itself was enough to make me shiver from head to toe.

Every girl entering the boundary of vampires never returned. It was natural to assume that they died.

I was going to die too. What would happen to grandpa after I died? Tears poured out of my eyes at the thought of him sitting alone in a big house, staring sadly at the fireplace.

I sobbed as that image formed in my mind.

Why did they have to select both the sisters? At least Lucy could've taken care of him. But now, how would he survive all alone?

I was already going to die, and I had accepted this fact. But I should at least see my loved ones before giving myself to this blood-sucking monster.

With millions of thoughts in the head, I drifted off to my sleep.

...

The next morning, I woke up and stayed in bed in a daze.

I had a horrible nightmare where I went to the party with Lucy, and the Prince captured me. And I slept imagining the worst. I rubbed my eyes, wondering why I would have this stupid dream.

Just as I was about to open my eyes, I heard a familiar voice that brought me back to reality.

"So, you're up, I see. Let's talk about how you'll serve me."

My eyes shot open at that only to see Liam's sharp eyes gazing straight at my form covered in the quilt. I tightened my grip against the blanket as my heartbeat sped up. My lips quivered, but I couldn't utter a single word.

It was okay if I hadn't thought of the rude rumors about this prince. Now when all those stories surfaced, I was having a hard time seeing his face. I just wanted to jump out of the window and die. It would be better than to face this Hitler.

I closed my eyes and shrank back in the covers.

A few seconds later, I heard his footsteps coming closer, making me tremble. Before I could even think of an escape, Liam removed the covers. My eyes opened only to see his angry face.

"I said something, and you dare to ignore me?"

"N-No..." A word slipped out of my tongue, seeing his expressions.

"Do you want me to repeat last night?" He walked closer and squinted his eyes, grabbing my jaw roughly.

"N-No, I-I'm sorry. I'll listen to you." I said hurriedly before he could act.

His hands relaxed and released my aching jaw. With trembling hands, I rubbed the area softly. "I will do as you said, but..." I wanted to see my Grandpa one last time before I die in your hands.

"Hmm?" He narrowed his eyes at me.

I parted my lips and closed again and again, but I couldn't build up the courage to say those words. Five minutes later, Liam's patience ended. "Are you going to say anything?" He sneered.

"I want to see my Gramps." The words blurted out of my mouth before I could even think. As soon as I realized what I said, I covered my mouth and stared at the Prince with widened eyes.

Would he get even angrier?

Would he suck me dry just because of my wish?

His face was expressionless. Was he angry?

My hands trembled as sweat formed on my forehead. Before I could make things even worse, I opened my mouth. "I-"

"Alright."

Huh?

Did he just say alright?

My widened eyes stared at his face. But he didn't wait to see my reaction. He turned around and walked straight toward the door. Stopping for a movement, I saw him turning around, squinting his eyes at me.

"We'll leave in 30 minutes." He paused and turned around to stare at my pale face with narrowed eyes. "If you dare to run away, I'll find you and suck you dry."

A shiver traveled down my spine at that cold threat. But that wasn't what shocked me the most.

I just heard him agreeing with an absurd wish. This had never happened before. No girl was allowed to leave the vampire's province after being selected. This seemed to be a hidden truth or something.

Why did he break that rule for me?

This reality and all the past rumors mixed and crumbled to make me even more confused. A few minutes later, I finally closed my mouth and woke up from my daze, getting ready in a hurry.

There was a trace of joy in my heart that healed the sadness of my missing sister.

Perhaps after meeting Gramps, he could help me find Lucy.

Thinking like that, I hurried my pace and entered the bathroom.

Half an hour later, I found myself sitting in the back seat of a dark blue Audi with Liam sticking to my side. I hurried away, trying to distance myself from this cold guy.

As soon as I moved toward the window, he glanced at me sharply. Holding my waist, he pulled me closer. I thought he would take his hand away, but to my dismay, his hand kept circling my small waist, making me shiver. But I didn't dare to move.

My body was stiff as I kept my hands on my knees and stared out of the window. At the same time, his fingers moved to touch the exposed skin on my waist. Perspiration droplets formed on my forehead, and I couldn't help but tremble. Damn it! Why did I have to wear this stupid top? It was all the maid's fault.

Why won't this guy remove his cold hand? Did he want to use his sharp nails and dug it in my skin deeper to take out blood? My lower lips quivered at that, but I controlled myself. This guy was already fulfilling my last wish. If I did anything to displease him, perhaps I wouldn't be allowed to see my Gramps anymore.

"Where to, master?" The driver's emotionless voice echoed in the car.

"Take us to Brown's house in the human's district."

The entire time I was stiff, stunned, frightened, and shocked by what was happening. Thankfully, half an hour of the ride gave me a chance to digest whatever had happened to me in 24 hours.

First, me and my sister were invited to the eclipse party. Second, Lucy was thoroughly taken away by someone who loves to wear dark clothes. And third, the vampire prince who was famous for being rude and cruel suddenly agreed to my wish.

These turns and twists made my heart jump from one emotion to another without any pause in between. And now, I found it mentally tiring. So tiring, in fact, that I ended up dozing off in the last ten minutes.

I didn't notice where my head drifted off to after I fell asleep.

"Wake up. We're here." Liam's voice sounded in my ear, making me a jerk. I wiped the saliva from the corner of my lips and stared at the window only to find that we had already stopped.

But that wasn't what made me shocked. I had been sleeping on his head. I could see traces of saliva on his shoulders, making me freeze.

Why the hell did I have to fall asleep on his shoulders? I had the urge to time travel in the past and shake my body awake the moment I drifted off to sleep.

I opened my mouth and closed. Words stuck in my throat, unwilling to come out.

Liam spared a glance at me and opened the door without caring about his wet shoulders. But I stayed inside the car, staring at the empty seat in a trance.

"Are you going to sit there all day?" He said in an impatient voice. I could hear him opening the trunk, taking out several plastic bags.

When I got out of the car, I found myself staring at the prince with multiple bags at hand. But I couldn't voice out my question. Only could see him ignoring my presence, entering the front door of a double-story house.

He was carrying bags! I had never realized this man was humble enough to carry stuff around.

When I was in college, I had heard that the Vampire Prince was both cold and heartless. Don't even talk about carrying stuff. He would never touch his own bags.

But now that I was watching the life version of this Prince, all of the assumptions that I had carried for years turned into dust. Was I wrong just to believe the rumors?

Pursing my lips, I headed inside and stood beside the prince, glancing at the living room door in anticipation. It didn't take time for my Grandpa to open the door. But when he did, he stood frozen in the middle at the door, gazing at the two of us in shock. His wide eyes opened and closed multiple times as he rubbed them twice. It was as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"E-Emily..." He softly whispered as tears formed in his eyes.

My nose went sour at that, and I ran to hug him with all my heart. "Gramps."

"Wh-Why are you here?"

I didn't reply. I couldn't. My tears poured out of my eyes as if someone had opened the tap, allowing the water to flow smoothly.

"She wanted to see you," Liam answered for me, surprisingly.

Grandpa didn't say anything. He just looked at the man standing before him and nodded stiffly. He knew that the man was a vampire, but he didn't realize Liam's identity.

Wiping my tears, I stepped back. Glancing at Liam with hesitation, I said, "Gramps, this is Liam. You know about him, don't you?"

The shock of knowing that the prince chose me was better than I imagined. My grandpa stumbled back, with widened eyes, staring at the man behind me without blinking.

"Yo-You..." He didn't seem to find any words to speak, speechlessly standing at the door. I could see him trembling. Seeing his old trembling form, I bit my lips and lowered my head. It would have been better if I hadn't wished to see him. At least this vampire wouldn't have frightened my Grandpa.

To my surprise, Liam interrupted us. "I'll wait outside."

At his cold voice, my body went stiff, and I turned to see him leaving the room. Only then I released the breath I was holding.

As soon as he left, Gramps grabbed my arms. "The prince? I told you to stay away from him!"

I trembled and fell on my knees as soon as I was alone with Grandpa, pouring all my fluctuating emotions into my tears. Covering my face, I cried aloud. I didn't even care about Liam hearing my voice.

A few seconds later, Grandpa's hands patted my back. "It's okay, Emy. You're home." He said softly.

"Gramps, Lucy-" I let out a sob. "-someone took her away. I don't know how to find her."

"It's okay." He continued patting my back. "She'll be fine. Just save yourself first. If you aren't in good condition, how will you find her?"

A hiccup came making me jump. I wiped my tears and stared at my Grandpa's face. "Grandpa, what should I do? How can Prince choose me?"

"Shh..." He patted my back. "It's alright. I'm here, don't worry."