Blood Contract

[ROTHNIA, DEMESNE EMPIRE, 446TH CENTURY, AUTUMN]

A year after the tragedy.

Inside the reading room, Madame Abellone sat in front of the window. Her gaze was distant, dull, and lifeless as she looked outside the window. She smiled a bit as she saw a shadow of young Lucas Abellone playing in the rain.

But it was nothing more than a broken memory. Outside, raindrops tapped rhythmically on the windowpane, mirroring the steady rhythm of her sadness at losing her son.

A faint knock followed from outside the room.

<knock…knock >

"Grandmama…" Ophelia's voice could be heard, along with a slight creak of the door as she walked inside to see her grandmother's melancholic shadow.

"Grandmama…" she called softly, yet there was no answer from the old woman. Ophelia walked carefully towards Madame Abellone with bread and water in her hands. Then, she tapped on the old lady's shoulder.

"Oh, Ophelia…" she threw a mourning smile before looking towards the window once again.

"Grandmama, please, you must eat…" Ophelia's insistence was met with no response. The girl released a long-held breath as she walked outside the room.

Bread and water on the table, slightly covering Madame Abellone's shady figure that was still looking outside the window, ignoring Ophelia.

Ophelia arrived outside as she closed the door. At the time, Ophelia immediately crouched, her shoulders slumped, burdened by the crushing weight of sadness. Not only had she lost both of her parents, but also her grandmother.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months.

Yes, Ophelia encountered her second loss, Madame Abellone's death. There, she stood beside the grave with eyes that had become hollow chasms.

Surrounding her, muted shades of gray with no glimmer among them. The sun set, leaving the grave.

Ophelia walked slowly into the woods with a broken glass in her hand. Her path became darker as the moon began to rise. After a few minutes of walking, Ophelia stopped at her usual place as her feet began to fail her.

Ophelia broke into tears as she swung the broken glass towards her abdomen—

<swung, grasp>

At that moment, she thought the glass had already pierced her body. Ophelia could feel a cold hand holding her wrist.

She opened her eyes slightly, and suddenly, a chilling breeze stirred the fog inside the woods, creating a symphony of broken branches and rustling leaves. Along with it, the figure of a man dressed in all white appeared in front of her.

Ophelia pushed herself away from the unknown man, "W-who are you?!" the young girl stumbled.

The figure walked closer towards her as the moon shone upon him, revealing crimson-red eyes, tied black hair, and pale skin as if it were kissed by some celestial light, glowing within his all-white tunic.

Ophelia could feel her body shiver with every step the man took. Seeing the trembling figure, the man halted as he smiled at her.

"Do not be afraid, young lady," his deep voice echoed throughout the rumbling symphony of the woods. "I have no intentions to harm you…I happen to— "

"— smell your despair," he continued as Ophelia felt her body shiver along with the sentence. "What is your name, miss?" The man asked.

Ophelia gulped, answering carefully, "O-Ophelia…Ophelia Abellone…"

Upon hearing the name, the man's crimson eyes lit up like a fire. He stepped closer, this time, cautiously towards the girl. "Pray to me, Ophelia Abellone…" he mumbled. The man kneeled before the girl, reaching her hand gently. "Show me your desire, and I will show you everything you wanted."

The man's eyes captivated her, like a living beauty, paradoxically along with terror. Ophelia gazed upon the figure with her brows furrowed.

Uncertainty echoed inside her mind, then, suddenly, Ophelia heard cries from afar. Familiar voices. Mother. Father. Ophelia gazed back towards the man; her blue eyes pierced towards him.

The man smirked as he pulled Ophelia's body into his embrace. "By a blood contract, you shall be my lady," his captivating smile created a mixture of fear and fascination.

Ophelia's heart pounded as she gazed upon the man. As Ophelia was hypnotized by his beauty, then, he grinned.

Sharp and predatory teeth, and his hunger that transcended mere bloodlust were revealed as the figure immediately transferred a sharp pain that shot through Ophelia's wrist.

That delicate bite made Ophelia's eyes widen as she saw a glimpse of the past.

- - - - -

[Lucas Abellone was lying on the ground, beside Marianne Abellone's body with her head already chopped off.

A masked man walked towards him with a sword in his left hand. Lucas Abellone glanced sharply towards the man, "N-nobody…can replace…the Abell— "

<sang >

The masked man swung his sword upon Lucas Abellone's head. Blood flooded the floor of the Abellone House. The man stepped forward as he mumbled, "Long live the Theme Empire…".

He swept his hand, directing flames to burn the house along with the members' bodies, scattered around like pieces of trash.

The house, once a sanctuary of warmth, turned into chaos and ruin. It crumbled under the flames, sending embers spiraling into the night sky.]

- - - - -

The vision zoomed out to teary and misty eyes that belonged to Ophelia. Those eyes slowly turned into raw emotions of anger and a storming rage. She lifted her head and stood upon the ground, along with the man beside her.

A contract made by a delicate bite changed Ophelia Abellone's life.

- - - - -

—to be continued