Chapter 25: Worlds Apart

"Barrier, activate." Alastor’s voice rang out abruptly, exceptionally cold in the air. A transparent net expanded in all directions, locking down the mist.

"Shatter!" Sol spoke in a low voice. The surrounding air suddenly turned freezing, thick like a fog.

"Take him down. Dead or alive." A soft voice sounded suddenly, but it was laced with murderous intent.

I turned my head. It was the Vampire Queen. She was standing at the doorway at some unknown moment, still barefoot, looking every bit the pitiable child.

A blade of light suddenly struck. Sol leaped into the air, his black wings slowly unfurling.

"Can Miss Aurora also be dead or alive?" Holding me firmly in his embrace, Sol spoke slowly.

I secretly feared the worst. This Queen had no connection to me; why would she care about my life? Sure enough, a more powerful blade of light pierced through. Sol staggered slightly, only barely managing to steady himself.

With a cruel smile on her pale, youthful face, the Queen slowly raised her hand. Roses filled the sky, shooting toward us like sharp arrows.

Heavens, I’m going to become a porcupine... I couldn't help but scream.

The attack stopped abruptly. I looked at the Queen in confusion; she was staring coldly at me, and Alastor had blocked her attack.

I stared blankly at Alastor, who was covered in blood.

Sol laughed softly, raising his black cloak to wrap around me as he vanished into the air.

By the time I regained my senses, Sol had thrown me roughly onto the ground.

"Hey, you—" Just as I was about to protest, a heavy weight pressed down on me. Sol had actually collapsed heavily on top of me. "Hey, hey! Don't do anything reckless!" I shouted.

"Shut up." A cold breath brushed my face. Sol’s head hung powerlessly, his slightly curly wine-red hair brushing against my cheeks.

Only then did I notice he was injured. His left arm was a bloody mess, a severe wound. His display earlier had been a bluff.

Looking around, I was surprised to find we were still inside the castle. Seeing that he was no longer moving, I hurriedly pushed him off, my instinct being to flee.

"Mal... achi..." A soft, faint murmur—it was Sol’s voice.

My retreating steps paused involuntarily. I suddenly remembered Malachi’s faint smile. Shifting my weight slightly, I turned back toward the fallen Sol.

His eyes were closed, wine-red hair half-covering his white mask. I was suddenly curious—what kind of face lay beneath that mask?

What did the person Malachi was waiting for look like?

After much hesitation, I walked to Sol’s side, knelt down, and reached out to remove his mask.

Suddenly, a hand tightened around my wrist. Sol grabbed me, and I gasped. Curiosity killed the cat... I should have run while I had the chance.

The mask slid to the floor. A wicked and enchanting face was mere inches from mine, narrow phoenix eyes slightly squinted, radiating a raw chill.

Forget the regret—I was utterly dumbfounded.

This face...

This face... was clearly Malachi!

The coldness in his eyes began to dissipate bit by bit as he looked at me blankly.

We stared at each other.

Suddenly, I felt a coolness on my lips. My eyes widened. That guy... he was... he was kissing me!

His icy lips brushed over mine like a butterfly. He slowly lowered his head, burying his face in the crook of my neck. "Finally... I found you... Malachi..."

A cold liquid dripped onto my neck.

I turned to stone.

The perverted vampire... was crying?

"Hey..." I pushed him.

But he held me tightly, so stubbornly that I couldn't push him away.

"Malachi... Malachi... Malachi..." he murmured softly, clearly having lost consciousness.

I let him hold me, dazed, but my mind was working at full speed. The Malachi with the split personality, the Sol who looked exactly like Malachi... A thought began to take shape in my mind, though I hoped my guess was wrong.

Could it be that Sol... is another soul hidden within Malachi’s body? That would explain why the castle was so heavily guarded, yet Sol entered as if it were an empty field.

Because Sol is Malachi.

They spent four hundred years waiting and searching... yet they had no idea the person they were seeking shared the same body?

Like the sun and the moon, forever missing each other, forever unable to meet?

Wasn't this... too cruel?

A slight pain in my neck snapped me back to reality. I bared my teeth and kicked him away.

How dare he bite me! And here I was just feeling sorry for him.

He lightly licked his lips, traces of bright red blood still clinging to them, making him look as enchanting as a rose. That face was unmistakably Malachi’s.

He lowered his head, sliced his own wrist, and then moved closer, smiling at me. "Drink my blood."

What? I stared at the blood slowly oozing from his pale wrist.

Has he lost his mind?

Definitely crazy...

"Why won't you drink my blood?" He moved closer, his full lips curling into a bewitching arc. He spoke softly, his icy breath brushing my cheek. "You are mine. You are mine. Why won't you drink my blood?"

I wanted to cry but had no tears. I would much rather face a normal perverted vampire than a madman.

"You want to leave me again, don't you? You’re lying to me again, aren't you? You want to sacrifice me to your Queen, don't you?" He spoke softly, then laughed wildly. "Let me tell you, Malachi, don't even think about leaving me again. You are mine, mine!" He spoke through gritted teeth. "Except for you, no one else will ever drink my blood!"

I could only manage a bitter smile.

He lowered his head and sucked fiercely on his own cut wrist, then grabbed me and pressed his lips to mine.

My eyes widened as I felt him forcing his blood into my mouth, bit by bit.

"I am willing to live eternally in the sunlight with you," he whispered, holding me.

In an instant, I felt as if I were in a sea of fire, a pain identical to the moment of my First Embrace...

I couldn't move.

"You are mine, you are mine..." He held me, stroking my cheek. "We will live forever together, in the sunlight forever. No Sabbat, no Camarilla, no human world, no Demon Realm... only you and me, only you and me..."

With a "bang," the door shattered.

"Rory..." Alastor rushed into the room.

With difficulty, I turned my head to see Alastor leading a crowd at the door.

Sol tried to stand while holding me but failed. He was severely injured; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so delirious as to mistake me for Malachi.

He could barely hold me anymore.

Alastor stepped forward and gathered me into his arms without the slightest effort.

I saw that Alastor was covered in blood—left over from when he had blocked the Queen's attack for me earlier.

"The heroic knight always makes his entrance at the very end to save the princess from danger. Isn't that beautiful?" Winking his deep blue eyes at me, Alastor said with a grin.