Both of them stared at each other without exchanging another word, but there was obvious tension in the room. Cillian replied to Roman, "You do not have to worry about my feelings for her. I don't mean to act on them, but I won't deny that she's important to me too."

  Hearing footsteps coming from the corridor, they turned to look in the direction of the door and noticed Mr. Evans had reached the scene, and so did Melanie, who had a frantic look on her face.

  "Oh, good, you men are here. I was worried that we were going to be late," remarked Mr. Evans, entering the dorm. He looked at Julie and asked, "How is she?"

  "She's going to be fine with a goodnight sleep," replied Roman, and Mr. Evans nodded.

  The counsellor revealed, "Her mother was in a far worse condition when I found her. Though she never told me what happened, I think I know now why…" his voice trailed, remembering the sight he had found Lady Opaline in. He remembered the day it had happened.

  "What happened in here?" he had asked her, his eyes wide in shock on seeing the woman on the ground and in the darkroom.

  "Everything is fine, Sullivan. Everything is perfectly fine," Lady Opaline had offered him a polite smile without explaining more on where she had been. "Go draw a bath. I would need one before the children return."

  Sullivan's eyebrows had furrowed on seeing Lady Opaline's mouth, that seemed bloody, but she had been quick to erase it by wiping it against the back of her sleeves. While he gave her an apprehensive look, his eyes had also fallen on someone's legs behind the chair.

  "Who is that, milady?" he had asked her.

  "This……" and even in pain, Lady Opaline had smiled, and she replied, "This is someone whom I loved and cared for. Make sure to keep in mind that none of them enter the room."

  "Of course, milady," Sullivan had bowed his head before stepping away from the room to draw the bath as he had been ordered.

  Getting back to the present, Mr. Evans said, "As much as I hate the fact that Julie stepped in there, her body for now looks fine. I mean we don't know how worse things are going to be for her."

  "I don't think you have to worry about it," Cillian interrupted Mr. Evans, who in the back of his mind was surprised to see Cilian up and alive. "With Roman here, he will take up the darkness into him."

  Roman had turned his head to the side, coughing blood out and into his hand.

  "Mr. Moltenore, I would recommend you to go and meet Elder Remy. He might be able to find a way to fix things," suggested Mr. Evans, but Roman glared back at him. His glare was enough to have Melanie step backwards because until now, she had never seen anyone give a fierce look as that as if another word would end up in death.

  "I am fine," answered Roman, and then he said, "I would like to stay alone with her."

  "Okay," smiled Mr. Evans, sensing Roman's unwillingness to share Julie's time with anyone and wanting to take care of her. "Well you know where to find me. Ms. Davis, you should go get some rest yourself. I am sure you had a long day too. Ah, I should get the workers to fix the lights in here, it seems like there was a power outage," saying this, the counsellor stepped out of the dorm, walking through the corridor.

  Melanie looked at Julie, and she quietly left for her dorm.

  Meanwhile, Cillian stood there, watching every breath Julie took and released. He said, "I will be outside. If you need my help."

  Roman gave a short nod, watching the man step out of the room. Before Cillian could leave, he stopped the Corvin, "You should fix yourself up. People don't take it kindly if they see another being walking amongst the humans or vampires."

  Cillian, a straightforward man, asked Roman, "Where do I go for them?"

  Roman gave it a thought before replying, "I think Luciano or Castiel's clothes should fit you fine."

  "Thanks," replied Cillian, and he finally left the place.

  Roman went to the door, locking it, and his body shook again. He placed his hand on the wooden door, and his nails dug into the wooden door in pain. A small growl escaped from his lips, feeling his heart pull out of his chest. He coughed out more black blood, his eyes standing out on his face, and he slid down on the ground.

  Was this how much pain Julie would be going through? Asked Roman to himself, and he grit his teeth, trying to control the pain and letting it settle down. With him possessing the dark stone, death wasn't easy to come. But like Mr. Evans had pointed, everything had a breaking point, and after that, there would be no return to it.

  After a couple of seconds passed, where he finally was able to breathe, he stood up, wiping the blood off his hand and sitting on his heels next to Julie. He wouldn't let anything happen to her, keeping her alive. Bringing his hand up to her cheek, he caressed it gently.

  "You knew it was going to cause damage to your body, yet you turned selfless. Stupid girl," he scolded her softly, staring at her face, before murmuring, "My girl."

  Cillian had stepped out of the girl's Dormitorium, already familiar with the grounds of Veteris, he quietly walked towards the mansion of the Elders.

  When he reached the front of the mansion, he caught sight of Donovan and Luciano bickering about something as they usually did.

  Luciano glared at Donovan and said, "I know you have something to do with it. Answer me right now!"

  Donovan rolled his eyes, "I already did. I have no clue what you are talking about. In fact, I was busy with Lady Karina."

  "Who is Lady Karina?" questioned Castiel, who stood on the other side.

  "The damn tree!" Luciano glared at Castiel, who slightly raised his eyebrows. Elder Castiel then turned around and walked towards the plush couch before sitting down. The blonde vampire spun on his heel and demanded from Donovan, "My patience is running thin here, and I will make sure you regret it."

  "Or you will do what?" Donovan didn't like the open possibility that Luciano left, which indicated Roman and Julie's life. "You know if you were spending less time being suspicious about me, maybe you would have the answer yourself. Why in hell's name would I ever want to kill your useless boy or the guards. In fact, that is the last thing I would do, considering how Eloise will probably bleed my ears to death."

  Luciano clenched his hands, turning them into fists, and his eyes blazed in anger. He then said, "I had sent him to go to the right side of the property, and I know you had walked in there too."

  "Actually I did," confirmed Donovan, and Luciano raised his hands.

  "See! This is exactly what I was talking about. Until and unless you aren't caught red—"

  Donovan interrupted Luciano's words by saying, "I went there earlier, but I barely stayed there for more than two minutes. I didn't know what to say to the person's grave and I decided to go there later. My alibi still stands."

  Castiel, who wanted some peace of mind, asked, "Have you both seen Remy?"

  "He must be with the vampiress. Looking for an antidote to what the hunter prepared and presented this morning," replied Donovan in a nonchalant voice.

  One way, it was good that the hunters' children were studying in Veteris. If they weren't here today, they would have never known that a deadly weapon had been created by the hunters to kill the vampires in a much easier way that could put the vampires at a great disadvantage.

  Castiel gave a small nod, "I will go take a look at it then."

  Luciano looked annoyed that his conversation had been diverted, and he demanded, "Where is Griffin and the others, Azazel?"

  "I ain't got a clue," replied Donovan with a tired sigh. "You should probably keep a tracker on him; it would be easier for you to know when and what he is up to. You know…… he must be upset that you haven't given him a cookie lately."

  Castiel stepped away from the two Elder vampires, holding an expression of bliss as he knew being there would only end up being dragged into an unnecessary fight. But when he stepped down from the stairs, he noticed a man in front of him. There was something very peculiar about the person, and his expression turned serious.

  "Who is there?!" questioned one of the guards, who was at the front of the mansion.

  "My name is Cillian. Cillian Blackburn," Cillian introduced himself to Castiel while looking at the Elder vampire and not the guards.

  Hearing the name, Donovan came out to see the person. The person looked familiar, and he remembered seeing the witch near Opaline. It seemed like Julie's visit through the forbidden door was successful.

  "Wasn't that the Corvin's name?" questioned Castiel, and Cillian slightly bowed his head in greeting.

  With a dull expression on his face, Cillian then informed, "I was told to borrow clothes from one of you. Whose ever fits……" The Elders looked at him surprised, while he added, "Gloves and shoes too," showcasing his tree like hand.