Lilith walked past them, a book tucked under one arm, a child fast asleep in the other.
"Where should I put her?" she asked calmly.
"I'll take her," one of the caretakers replied, gently lifting the child from Lilith's arms.
Lilith lingered for a moment, her gaze drifting to Dracula. She studied him silently—then gave a small thumbs-up before turning away.
"Diana. Rebecca."
Dracula's voice cut through the room as he removed the cloth from around his neck.
Both women stiffened.
"Be ready early tomorrow," he continued. "We're going to Earth."
"Yes, sir," they answered in unison—then paused.
"...Wait. Why?" Diana asked, confusion seeping into her voice.
"We are going to deal with Sanguinastra's problems at their core," Dracula replied.
Rebecca frowned. "What do you mean?"
Dracula turned to face them fully.
"If we simply kill the Elders, one problem disappears—but ten more are born," he said evenly.
"Fear is the only thing keeping this realm from tearing itself apart. Remove it, and chaos follows."
They listened, frozen.
"The people grow bold. Law collapses. Factions form. Blood is spilled over ideology, over pride, over scraps of land and water."
He continued without raising his voice.
"Resources dwindle. Desperation pushes them to other realms. Wars they cannot win. And eventually—extinction."
Silence fell.
Diana swallowed hard.
I didn't think that far...
Her fists trembled. My anger blinded me.
Rebecca felt the same weight settle in her chest.
Behind them, Lilith watched quietly.
Simply from hearing our pain... she thought.
He already sees the future.
Dracula stepped out of the room, leaving Diana behind to drown in her silence.
Lilith followed close behind.
Varin lingered for a moment, his gaze resting on Diana—unease flickering across his face—before turning away.
Outside the orphanage, Dracula stopped.
He slowly tilted his head, crimson eyes surveying the land beyond the walls. The sky, the soil, the stillness of a realm that refused to breathe.
Lilith stepped out beside him.
"My stomach turns every time I look at this place," Dracula said quietly.
Lilith glanced at him. "Why?"
He drew a slow breath. "I hate this realm."
She studied him for a moment. "And yet... how can you hate what you created?"
Her voice sharpened slightly. "It's like hating a child you brought into the world."
Dracula turned his head just enough to look at her.
"You have quite the tongue," he said calmly. "That's good."
Then his gaze returned forward.
"But I did not create this realm."
Lilith's brows knit together. "What does that mean?"
"It means exactly what it sounds like."
She was silent for a moment before changing course. "Then what is your plan?"
"What plan?" Dracula asked.
"The one for Sanguinastra."
"Oh. That," he replied.
"When I woke, I felt them—vampires scattered across the realms, living among humans in great numbers."
Lilith nodded. "I know. Many have already settled beyond this world."
"Out of every hundred," Dracula continued, "perhaps twenty rise high—power, influence, wealth. Kings in all but name."
Lilith's eyes narrowed. "We make deals. Have them bring resources back to Sanguinastra."
Dracula turned to her again.
"Riddle me this, Lilith," he said evenly.
"With the Elders dead... how do you prevent greedy men from tearing this realm apart once abundance returns?"
She didn't answer immediately.
"We establish authority," she said at last.
"A political power strong enough that none would dare challenge it. Order enforced, not begged for."
A faint pause.
Dracula's expression softened—just barely.
"You have grown into a beautiful, intelligent woman, Lilith."
Lilith didn't answer. She simply stared at him.
"I need a favor," Dracula said at last.
"No."
Her reply was instant. Sharp.
"You didn't let me finish," he said calmly.
"Varin can do it instead."
She turned slightly, voice hardening.
"I'm not a child anymore. I'm already on par with Varin."
Her eyes burned.
"I could kill you a hundred times before you even realized you'd died."
Dracula didn't move.
Didn't blink.
He met her gaze head-on, expression unchanged.
A breath passed.
"...I'm sorry for the outburst," Lilith said quietly.
Then she turned and walked back into the orphanage.
Varin stood by the doorway, arms crossed, watching her approach.
She stopped in front of him. "What do you want?"
Varin stuck out his tongue and raised a single finger.
"I hate you," she hissed, brushing past him.
"Love you too," Varin replied cheerfully.
He turned toward Dracula.
"But you know she's right."
Dracula sighed. "Please... don't start."
"Time moved on while you were asleep," Varin continued.
"She's not that scared little girl anymore."
A pause.
"That's a monster."
"Aren't we all?" Dracula replied.
Varin smirked. "Fair."
Then, more seriously, "My point is—she can go on missions with you."
Dracula hummed thoughtfully.
"I suppose I could leave you behind and take her instead—"
"Noooo!" Varin shouted, cutting him off.
"I enjoy our alone time."
Dracula looked at him with undisguised disgust.
"...What is that look?" Varin asked.
"Freak," Dracula muttered, turning away.
"Hey—wait for me!" Varin yelled, rushing after him.
THE NEXT DAY
Diana and Rebecca stood before Dracula's castle.
"...Is it just me," Rebecca said slowly, "or does his castle look bigger than before?"
"I honestly don't know," Diana replied. "Was it always like this?"
"Should we knock?" Rebecca added.
The ground answered first.
It shook violently—stone roaring beneath their feet. Both of them lost balance and crashed to the ground.
"What's happening?!" Rebecca shouted.
"I—I don't know!" Diana yelled back.
The tremors stopped as suddenly as they'd begun.
Then laughter echoed from above.
"You two looked pathetic."
Varin stood within the open gates, leaning casually as if the earth hadn't just tried to swallow them whole.
"Come on," he said, turning away. "Hurry up. He's been waiting."
They scrambled to their feet and rushed after him, the gates slamming shut behind them with a heavy finality.
They entered a chamber made entirely of glass.
Light refracted through it in countless colors, bending and overlapping, as though reality itself were being folded. In the center of the room stood Dracula and Lilith.
Diana's eyes widened. "What is all this?"
"It feels like a completely different reality."
"It's a Bifrost," Rebecca said, awe creeping into her voice.
"The only means of traveling between realms. We had one back in the cult—before it was raided by the Elders' forces."
She swallowed. "But this... this is on another level entirely."
"You're quite knowledgeable, Rihana," Varin said.
"Rebecca," she corrected flatly.
"That's what I said."
She stared at him.
"Am I a joke to you?" Varin added, offended.
Rebecca opened her mouth to respond—but Lilith smacked the back of Varin's head.
"Behave."
"Rebecca," Dracula called.
"Yes, sir."
"Vampires must leave this realm to acquire resources," he said.
"But without a Bifrost, such travel is impossible."
He turned his gaze to her.
"How many Bifrosts are you aware of?"
Rebecca cleared her throat.
"There was one at the cult. We offered realm travel in exchange for... payment. Sometimes money. Sometimes male children."
Her voice hardened.
"I worked in that department."
"There's also one in the Citadel. I've never seen it personally, but the mana output matches ours."
"So," Dracula said, "two—plus mine. Three."
"No," Rebecca replied.
"When Charles and others tried to revive you and obtain your blood, the Elders' lackeys raided us. Ours was destroyed."
Dracula's gaze drifted to her cloak.
"What's with the cloak?"
"It's for protection," Rebecca answered.
"Protection from us?" he asked.
"No," she said quickly. "From the sun."
Dracula frowned.
"Oh," Varin said. "You're one of those vampires with the weird disease that makes you burn in sunlight?"
"...Yes."
"We'll continue this later," Lilith cut in.
"Right," Varin agreed. "So—where do we start?"
"Earth," Dracula said without hesitation.
Lilith raised her hands.
The glass beneath them shifted, rising and reshaping itself into a crystalline table. Ten holographic spheres bloomed into existence, rotating slowly before her. One expanded as she focused on it.
"Setting coordinates to Earth—Eryndor alignment," she said.
"Let's start with America."
Dracula, Varin, Diana, and Rebecca gathered together as a translucent glass sphere formed around them. Mana flooded the room, pressure building in the air.
"...Is this safe?" Diana asked nervously.
"As long as you keep your hands to yourself," Varin replied.
A radiant beam of prismatic light crashed down upon them.
The castle released a massive mana shockwave as the light shot skyward, tearing through the heavens before vanishing from Sanguinastra entirely.
Far away, Tharion felt it.
"...Oh my," he muttered.
"What are you planning now?"
A pause.
"Whatever it is—return soon, Dracula."
"Your judgment awaits."