Chapter 10
Upon hearing this, the nobles abandoned any shred of mercy they might’ve had.
One by one, they summoned their powers, all aimed at me, determined to end me as swiftly as possible.
But every attack they unleashed vanished the moment it touched me-like stones tossed into the ocean. Not even a
ripple.
I simply lifted my eyes toward one of them. He disintegrated before he could scream, reduced to ash in a blink.
“Celeste… what are you?”
Lilith’s fear was written all over her face. But even through the terror, she forced herself to raise her hand again, to kill. “I don’t care what kind of freak you are, even a monster like you can’t survive against all of us. You won’t leave this place
alive!”
I stared at her coldly. So loud. So beneath me.
As I began to gather my power to strike her down, something stopped me. A powerful force hit me
Lucien. He had attacked me… to protect her.
“Celeste… this is my fault. I made you into this… But I carry the weight of the bloodline… I… I’m sorry.”
He activated all his abilities, then painfully closed his eyes, ready to kill me with his own hands.
But then, the gates of the Hollow creaked open…
Out stepped several ancient vampires-guardians of the shrine of the Progenitor. With a single gesture, they they
dispelled every attack aimed at me.
“Celeste Winslow is a direct descendant of the Progenitor. Her bloodline is purer than even Lucien Blackthorne’s. All your power, all your lineage, comes from the Progenitor’s blood. And now you dare raise your hands against her?”
At these words, all vampires dropped to their knees. Nobles bowed their heads to me.
But I pointed to one of them. “You, I can see your gift. Extract Lilith’s memories. Let Lucien see for himself what she’s
done.”
Lilith’s cruelty and deceit were laid bare. Lucien’s expression twisted into rage. Fury surged through him.
Lilith collapsed to her knees, clutching his leg. “My lord… please. I followed you willingly. You know how deeply I love you.
I gave up everything for you-even my parents, even the hunters who raised me.”
“I was wrong. I shouldn’t have schemed against Celeste. I let jealousy poison me. But I swear-I did it because I loved you
too much!”
Before she could say another word, the noble who read her mind coldly interrupted. “It’s true she came willingly, my lord-
but not for love.”
“Lilith was dying. Terminal illness. She wanted your Embrace – craving both the immortality of a high-ranking vampire and
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a share of your power.”
Lucien’s fury snapped.
Without a word, he gripped her throat and snapped it clean.
Lilith dissolved into ash, her schemes and sobs vanishing with her.
Lucien took a step forward to me, his eyes red with grief and guilt. “Celeste, I know you remember what we once were. I
let her deceive me. I failed you.”
“Please… give me one more chance. Let’s start over.”
I stared at the handsome face I used to love. Every time I’d seen it, it had made my heart flutter.
Now, I felt nothing but disgust and contempt.
I curled my lips into a cold smile. And with the weight of the Progenitor’s bloodline surging in my voice, I forced Lucien
Blackthorne to kneel.
Then, with three words, I shattered his last hope.
“You’re not worthy.”
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