[ IN WHICH SHE LIES ] Sin got back that same night. They all arrived safely that same night — no scratches, no cuts, no injuries. They had arrived all in one piece, chanting a victory song. The warriors who had accompanied Sin to the battleground were full of light despite being surrounded by the darkness. Anyone could tell that they had conquered effortlessly and accomplished their goal of saving a fellow member of the Grand Alkhemi. They had Jacqueline with them. She had a blanket around her. She was the only one with bruises and cuts on her face. Her white hair had been stained with blood. By the way she gripped the blanket around her shoulders, I knew she had been desperately trying to cover up her other bruises. When I laid eyes on her, I was filled with so much anger that I wanted to teleport to the Land of Avsky myself, find Luca and beat the crap out of him. But who was I to talk? I was just as evil as Luca. I had done something so despicable that I deserved to be punishe

[ IN WHICH SHE IS FOOLISH OR MIGHT HAVE COMPLETELY LOST HER MIND ] NOVEMBER'S P.O.V —If my hours spent with Jacqueline has taught me one thing, it is that — 'do not live your life with regrets'.Regrets eat you up, slowly. They devour you. They diminish you and shatter your whole being. So, I promise to live without regrets. Honestly, Jacqueline's situation isn't so different from mine. With each decision I make, I feel like I am self-destructing, leading myself closer and closer to my death. Because why the hell did I give into Rome? Why did I let my emotions control me? Why did I give into lust? Why did I let him touch me? And why did I like it so much? Why do I crave his touch every second of the day? And why do I crave him more than I crave Sin?This secret will be the death of me.But I am glad that I have come to this realization. So, now, I will stay away from Rome — the secret and the mistake. He might as well be a temptation.If I make a mistake that I come to regret in the

[ IN WHICH SHE WILL LIVE WITH REGRETS ] NOVEMBER’S P.O.V — Maybe I should not have left the Grand Alkhemi. Maybe I should have just stayed home.Maybe I should have listened to the voice in my head. Maybe then, I would not be in this situation. The minute I arrive at Vrys — the vampire kingdom — I am hit with rotten air. The air surrounding the Kingdom has something in it that makes my skin crawl. It makes me feel sick to the core. And no, there isn’t a foul smell in the Kingdom of Vrys; the air smells fine, purified even. That is not what has gotten me sick. It is the general vibe and aura of the Kingdom that makes me feel repulsed. It seems there is something dirty, bloody and sinful hidden in the grounds. I feel this way, because each time I take a step forward, my bones chill instantly and I shiver intensely.It feels like they have people buried beneath the Kingdom. I know this because I am the gate-way to the afterlife. I can feel the dead souls tugging at the sleeves of my

[ IN WHICH SHE HAS REGRETS ]My head buzzes in shock. Blood continuously pours out from the hole in Darius’ chest. My hands grow cold. The temperature in the throne room had dropped the second the King dropped to the ground. It was like he had been the one keeping the Castle alive. The fire torches also died the minute Rome's claws ripped the King's heart out. Now, a scary cloud of darkness has come to surround and taunt us. The only source of light is the familiar soft glow from the evening sky. I hadn’t even realized that night had fallen over the land. Traveling down to Vrys took almost four hours. I wonder how I do not feel drained from riding on a horse for that long. But how could I worry about that now? That is the last thing I care about. The Vampire King and the possible implications that his death could cause are the two things on my mind. My eyes stay glued on the lifeless King at my feet.My jaw starts to ache from hanging them wide open in shock. The muscles in my legs

warning: this chapter is labelled mature for it contents elements of bdsm practice. viewer discretion is advised. [ IN WHICH HE REVEALS A PART OF HIMSELF ]ROME'S P.O.V —“Where are you taking me?” At the sound of her disconcerted voice, I stop pulling her behind me. I pause in my tracks for a moment, and I turn to stare at her. She shifts, foot to foot, rubbing her left wrist; the wrist I had previously been holding. A subtle feeling of shame falls over me. I hadn't known I had been gripping her hard. I didn't mean to cause her discomfort or pain. All I had meant to do was show her a special room inside of my Mansion — a special room that only I had accessed to. But of course, I had been excited and nervous, also a little scared. Maybe that is why I had gripped her that tightly. I was afraid that she might run from me once she saw the room; once she saw the other side of me.I am still afraid, but I manage to say, “I want to show you something.”“Hate to break it you, but I do not