4

For a moment longer, the thought lingered in his mind like a fading echo.

The girl’s face.

Those strangely fearless eyes.

That unsettling feeling of familiarity.

But with a slow breath, he pushed the thought away.

Such emotions were meaningless. Weak. Human.

And he was far from human.

Just as he turned to leave, a sudden voice sliced through the silence of his mind — cold, sharp, and unmistakable.

A mind-call.

“Damien.”

The voice carried the authority of blood and power. His brother.

“Return to the castle. Father awaits.”

The message faded as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only a faint pressure in his thoughts.

Damien exhaled slowly, irritation flickering across his sharp features.

“Always commanding…” he muttered under his breath, a faint smirk touching his lips.

His crimson eyes flickered once toward the path where the girl had disappeared.

For a brief second, the strange feeling returned.

Then it vanished.

With supernatural grace, Damien stepped back into the shadows of the forest. The air around him seemed to bend as his body moved with unnatural speed.

The wind howled softly through the trees as he sprinted forward, faster than any human eye could follow — a blur of darkness gliding between the ancient trunks.

Leaves rustled violently in his wake.

The forest itself seemed to recoil from his presence.

Within moments, the towering silhouette of Thornvale Castle rose against the darkening sky — its spires cutting through the clouds like the fangs of a sleeping beast.

Damien slowed only when he reached the iron gates, the cold stone walls towering above him.

A faint smile curved his lips.

“Home.”

The gates groaned open as if recognizing their master.

And as Damien Thornvale stepped back into the dominion of night, he did not realize that the small encounter he had just dismissed…

was already beginning to change the course of eternity.

The iron gates of Thornvale Castle groaned open as Damien approached, the sound echoing through the cold evening air.

The towering fortress stood silent beneath the moon of Transylvania, its black stone walls swallowing the last traces of daylight. Flames from tall torches flickered along the entrance, casting restless shadows that danced across the ancient carvings of the Thornvale crest.

Damien stepped inside the grand hall without slowing.

The marble floor reflected his figure like dark glass, and the long crimson banners hanging from the high ceiling barely moved in the still air.

Servants immediately lowered their heads.

None dared look directly at him.

Somewhere deeper in the hall, a calm but cold voice echoed.

“Late again, Damien.”

Leaning against one of the tall pillars stood his brother.

Tall, composed, and far more controlled than Damien ever cared to be. His expression was sharp with quiet authority, the kind that came not from arrogance, but from discipline.

His crimson eyes studied Damien carefully.

“I had wondered if the forest had finally managed to distract you long enough to forget your duties.”

Damien scoffed lightly, removing his gloves as he walked further into the hall.

“Oh please,” he replied lazily. “If the forest wanted to kill me, it should have tried harder.”

His brother straightened slightly, clearly unimpressed.

“Father is waiting.”

Damien rolled his eyes.

“Of course he is.”

But just as he turned toward the grand staircase, his brother spoke again, his voice quieter now.

“You encountered someone tonight.”

Damien paused.

Just for a second.