Chapter 2
The ancient clock struck three, and the beast cage’s door creaked open slowly.
All the vampires rose in unison, their glowing eyes fixed on us ten human girls in eerie silence.
Like crimson beacons blazing in the darkness.
The hourglass turned over, sand streaming through its narrow waist. Five minutes-that was all we had to hide
With our limited stamina as women, we could barely make it through a fraction of this labyrinthine manor.
Vampires were born with supernatural senses. No matter how well we hid, we were nothing more than meals they could
easily track down by scent.
And Lucien had made sure to unleash the Ferals-those lower-class monsters who knew nothing of restraint. They wouldn’t just feed. They would drain any prey they caught completely dry.
This wasn’t a game. It was a one-sided massacre dressed in ceremony.
Through the chaos and trembling whispers, I heard the steward’s voice, hushed and hesitant.
“My lord… will you be hunting Celeste as well?”
Lucien drawled dismissively. “No. I have other scum to deal with.”
His tone sharpened. “Celeste is mine. If any of those mongrels so much as touch her, I’ll hunt them down and make sure
their heads roll.”
The butler Harrow exhaled in relief. “Then shall I remove her from the game? Or post guards to protect her in secret?”
“No need. She carries my mark. As long as she stays hidden, no one will be able to trace her scent or presence.”
Remembering how Celeste had trembled in terror before the game began, Lucien’s eyes flickered with something almost
like pity-but it was gone in an instant.
“If I hadn’t intervened in time, Lilith would’ve been devoured by the Hollow’s guardians. Today’s little lesson is just to let
Celeste taste what Lilith once felt. Fear. Helplessness. Maybe then she’ll learn her place.”
Meanwhile, I was stumbling through the manor’s endless corridors.
There was a time when this place felt like home, and I could move freely. Now, every door looked like gaping maw of an
abyss.
Waiting for me to push them open, then swallow me.
The clock tolled again, heavy and merciless -a dirge for the doomed.
Desperate, I yanked open the nearest door, curling up fearfully in the spacious wardrobe.
Screams echoed from the distant halls, getting closer and closer.
Perhaps it was paranoia, but even with the doors closed, I could smell the metallic tang of blood seeping through the air.
The door creaked open with a groan.
I shut my eyes and clenched my jaw, steeling myself for the fangs.
Chapter 2
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But the vampire only lingered at the threshold, sniffed the air with frustration, and left.
Why hadn’t he sensed me? I didn’t know. But I just needed to hold on one more minute. Just one more, and the hunt would be over. I might actually live.
Just as hope flickered back to life inside me-
the wardrobe door was wrenched open from outside.
Lilith stood there, smiling sweetly, yet sent chills down my spine. “Found you, Celeste.”
