Three Years Later
Cane's hands trembled as he held the phone to his ear. His heart thudded violently in his chest, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Carl… You need to come to my lab. It's about your son. It's urgent."
There was a beat of silence on the line.
"I'll be there in ten," Carl answered, his voice low and clipped.
As the call ended, Cane stared at the microscope in front of him. The screen showed something that shouldn't exist—something forbidden by the very laws of their bloodlines.
He began pacing like a caged beast.
How did this happen?
Is this even possible?
If anyone finds out...
He was still trying to piece his thoughts together when Carl walked in, tall and calm as ever, with his bodyguard trailing behind.
"Hey, you okay?" Carl asked, raising a brow. "You look like you saw a ghost."
Cane didn't reply. Instead, he closed the door behind Carl, turned to the guard, and said in a tone that brooked no argument, "Wait outside."
Once the lab door sealed shut, Cane grabbed Carl by the arm and pulled him toward the screen. His voice was low, deadly serious.
"Look."
Carl leaned over, eyeing the projection from the microscope. At first, he frowned. Then his eyes narrowed. "These… they look like vampire cells."
"Exactly. And now—look at the one next to it."
Carl's gaze sharpened. His breath caught.
"...Lycan cells?" he whispered.
He slowly turned to face Cane, horror dawning in his eyes.
"Whose blood sample is this?"
Cane's silence said it all.
Carl's entire body went rigid. "Don't joke about this, Cane."
Cane met his gaze. "It's from Caveen. Your son."
Carl took a staggering step back, like someone had punched the air from his lungs.
"That's not possible. Aster was human. I know her blood. I would've sensed—"
"I thought the same," Cane said. "I monitored her during the pregnancy. I even ran DNA from old samples. She was human, Carl. I tested everything."
Carl's voice dropped, sharp and urgent. "Who else knows?"
"No one. Just me. But... Carl, it started yesterday. Caveen had a high fever. His canines were growing unnaturally fast. Then his eyes—they turned green, then back to blue. I thought I was hallucinating. I took his blood. Ran it thrice."
Carl's jaw clenched. "He's normal now. The fever passed. But this—this changes everything."
He turned away, fists tightening at his sides. "Don't tell anyone. Not yet. I need to know what really happened three years ago."
Cane nodded.
Carl left the lab in silence. But his heart was screaming.
---
Flashback: Three Years Ago
The past clawed its way back, drowning Carl in memories he had buried deep.
It was supposed to be a triumphant day.
He had finally cornered the rogue they'd hunted for months—deep in the isolated villages of S Country. The mission was complete. The victory, theirs.
Until his phone turned back on.
Over a hundred missed calls. Dozens of unread messages.
One voice message stood out—from Cane.
> "Aster's pregnant. Twenty weeks along."
Then another.
> "Master Landon has relocated her to the mansion. She's safe. For now."
Carl's heart exploded with joy. He was going to be a father.
"Prepare the private jet. We're flying home—now."
But as the plane neared Santossa, smoke choked the sky.
The mansion was burning.
Carl's joy turned to dread.
"Pilot—land five kilometers out. We approach on foot. Gear up," Carl ordered, already shifting into a warrior's mindset.
He was too late.
By the time they reached the gates, the air reeked of blood and ash. Growls echoed through the trees. The mansion was under siege.
Carl's claws extended.
He charged forward.
At the side wing, Cane was holding off a pack of werewolves, defending the clinic.
"Carl! Grandfather—he's at the front! He's holding the gate!" Cane shouted.
Carl bolted.
And then—he saw him.
Master Landon, covered in blood, slumped against the clinic door, his breathing shallow.
"No—no, no, no—Grandfather!"
Carl dropped to his knees, lifting the dying man into his arms.
"Carl… good… you came," Landon whispered. Blood bubbled at his lips. "She… she ran. Into the forest. With the doula. I… bought them time."
Carl's voice cracked. "Don't talk. We'll get you help—"
Landon smiled faintly. "Don't cry, my king. You'll meet your son soon."
With that, the old man's hand fell limp.
Carl's roar shook the heavens.
He shifted. His beast exploded.
That night, the mansion was drenched in blood. Every enemy perished by his claws.
But Aster—she was gone.
He searched the forest for weeks. Every tree, every cave. Nothing.
Only the whisper of wind and the faint scent of magic lingered.
Aster had grown up among witches. She must've used a spell.
He refused to believe she was dead. Her body was never found.
And now—three years later—his son bore the blood of both vampire and Lycan.
Which meant only one thing.
Aster wasn't human.
Or she hadn't been—entirely.
---
Carl's fingers curled against the steering wheel as a dark suspicion slithered through him.
What the hell happened three years ago?
And who… or what… was Aster really?