Zhou Yi gently placed the girl he was carrying onto the deep, plush sofa. He had flown in through the large, open French windows of the living room. Although the sun was fully up, the architectural depth of the room ensured the bright rays were miles from the sofa.
Even when the sun was lowest in the sky, its light would only penetrate a third of the vast hall, designed intentionally to protect priceless artwork from UV damage. Now, this design served as a perfect sanctuary for the Vampire girl.
Perhaps it was her first time so close to the sun, or maybe her first time staying in a man's home. Serana was visibly nervous. She scanned the room like a kitten in a strange environment, the sheer opulence causing her to gasp silently.
Not all Vampires lived in luxury. Most existed precariously, like creatures engaged in illicit activities. Girls like Serana, young and unsupported, often struggled just to survive. Unlike humans, they didn't qualify for welfare; civil servants didn't work at night, even in supposedly democratic America.
"You live in a place like this? It must cost a fortune!" Serana asked, her voice tinged with self-consciousness. This luxurious manor was far beyond the imagination of a poor girl who'd never seen a large sum of cash.
"It's alright, just a place where I can rest peacefully. As long as I'm comfortable," Zhou Yi said. He had shed his Dawn Knight attire and approached her with two glasses of milk. He wisely decided not to mention the villa's $60 million price tag, which would surely terrify her.
"My girl, I haven't introduced myself. I am Yi Zhou. Following Chinese custom, you should call me Zhou Yi, or just Yi." He placed a glass of milk in front of her.
Serana wasn't a financial career woman, nor was Zhou Yi a high-profile celebrity like Tony Stark. She had no idea the power that name represented. She could only conclude that this wealthy Chinese man, who operated under a dual identity and had brought her home, was very rich indeed.
The girl took the milk, playing with the cup awkwardly but not drinking. She felt like an ugly duckling accidentally stumbling into a crystal palace, every movement clumsy.
Zhou Yi sat beside her, gently taking her fidgeting hands in one of his, and stroking her hair with the other.
"Don't be so constrained, Serana. You should treat this as your own home. It's just us here; you don't need to worry, and you don't need to overthink anything."
Serana instantly melted, docile as a kitten. She leaned her face against Zhou Yi's chest, rubbing gently. "I'm sorry, I'm just not used to it. I've never been anywhere like this before, and I'm a little scared."
"Don't be afraid, my good girl. You're just unaccustomed to such a sudden change." Gently smoothing her braid, Zhou Yi suggested, "I think you should take a hot bath and get some good rest. You'll feel better soon."
He realized the milk was unacceptable, so he tried another way to calm her. For this girl, who seemed a decade younger than him, Zhou Yi felt a paternal instinct, much like he had caring for Charisse when she was small.
Carrying her to the guest suite, which was always kept immaculate by a cleaning crew, Zhou Yi first closed the French windows completely to seal out the sun. He placed her on the bed and said, "Rest well, Serana. I will solve all your problems for you."
Shedding her earlier seductive facade, Serana was left only with the shyness and delicate charm of a young woman. She bashfully thanked him, looking like a dewy water lily. Zhou Yi smiled, satisfied, and left the room.
He had much to do, starting with her food. If milk was out, did he really have to procure fresh blood? He was already considering taking inventory from one of his medical institutions.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Blade had run into serious trouble. Having decided to withdraw from the Machinos-Chadnomah farce, he found that the "enthusiastic host" did not want him to leave.
A group of men in full tactical gear, armed with standard issue firearms, blocked his path. There were at least two squads. Even for Blade, fighting them off was impossible; he could only rely on his superhuman physique to endure long enough to escape the encirclement.
But the attackers had planned perfectly, striking at his single weakness.
Two people were pushed forward: Blade's assistants, Whistler and Josh.
Whistler silently shook his head, advising against surrender. Josh offered an awkward smile. "Pal, I have no idea what happened. They just grabbed me."
Had they used any other hostages, Blade might not have cared. But his assistants were a different story. Whistler, his teacher and father figure, was enough to stop him. The Vampires knew that if they couldn't control Whistler's will, threatening his life would control Blade.
Blade had no choice. He had spent three years tracking Whistler. The only reason Whistler had survived multiple captures was Blade's existence. But the Grand Duke Machinos had revealed his true hand; they no longer cared about Whistler's life, only that they needed Blade.
Watching Blade pull the silver-plated sword from his back and stick it into the ground, followed by tossing his firearms far away, the attackers relaxed. Two men in white lab coats, carrying equipment, emerged. Blade recognized one: Kaelo, the man who had introduced himself as the legal advisor at the castle.
Seeing the confusion on Blade's face, Kaelo smiled triumphantly.
"We meet again, Mr. Blade. Perhaps my earlier introduction was incomplete. I can add to it: I am also the Chief Research Scientist for the European Health Financial Conglomerate. I believe we will have a very pleasant experience."
He waved his hand. Two armed men rushed forward, first tearing off Blade's trench coat to check for hidden weapons. This was a critical mistake for Blade, as his coat contained many items he intended to use.
Stripped of his last defenses, the two men smashed the butt of a rifle against the back of Blade's head. Blade merely stiffened, spat, and turned his head. "Pal, haven't you eaten? Hit harder."
The two exchanged glances, then pulled out modified stun batons. The increased voltage was designed to affect even a creature of Blade's strength.
Powerful current coursed through Blade's body. He endured it for less than ten seconds before his resistance failed. To ensure his security, another white-coated man injected a powerful tranquilizer into his neck, not enough to put him to sleep, but enough to eliminate any fighting ability.
Watching a man more terrifying than a lion become docile as a pet, Kaelo's smile widened. He adored this feeling, though he wished he could have him on an operating table, watching him break down in fear.
With Blade subdued, Kaelo waved for the prisoners to be loaded into a large truck. Inside, the captured Blood Clan Guard—useless in the daylight—were already suffering psychological and physical distress.
Chuba desperately held down the Priest, who convulsed wildly on a makeshift operating bed while two medics frantically injected drugs. It was useless. The Priest struggled, his body undergoing a grotesque transformation.
His hair began to fall out. Chuba accidentally ripped off a large chunk of his scalp. His skin rapidly turned a deadly white, unlike the usual Vampire pallor—it was the color of a waterlogged corpse, with twisted, blue-black veins visibly beneath the surface, making him look utterly monstrous.
His eyes changed drastically. The Priest's natural blue pupils clouded over, and the whites of his eyes became intensely bloodshot, quickly turning into the murky gray of foul blood.
The most terrifying change was his lower jaw. It suddenly split open from the flesh, forming a thin line that grew longer and deeper, reaching his throat. It tore through skin and muscle until it reached the bone, which split into two segments, transforming into a writhing, mouth-like structure lined with needle-sharp fangs, all in response to his master's agonizing pain.
Chuba recoiled, no longer daring to restrain the Priest. The circle of people backed away silently. The only sound in the truck was the Priest's indistinct, gurgling cries.
"Kill me. Put me out of my misery. Kill me quickly!"