ログインElaraThis wasn't what I had signed up for when that masked bastard told me to win the competition and marry that insufferable jerk of a King.That idiot had also promised to help me through this competition, yet that fuck-face was nowhere to be found. My frustration wasn't helping the situation, but what else could I do?All I could see was endless snow and towering trees stretching toward the grey sky. There wasn't another contestant in sight. The silence of the forest was unnerving, and I was terrified to venture deeper and discover what lurked within this frozen wilderness. But standing still wouldn't change anything so, I forced myself to move forward.This realm had always been cold, but not like this. This cold felt different—deeper, sharper, as though it seeped straight into my bones. I suppose vampires were creatures of chill by nature. I still remembered the icy touch of Lu's fingers against my skin.The massive trees made me feel insignificant, like a tiny ant wandering thr
ElaraToday was the next level of the competition, yet I had no idea what awaited us and, as usual, Nina was far too excited about it.She had been fussing over me since dawn, endlessly talking about how I would become Queen and marry the King. I didn't have the heart to tell her about my doubts.Yesterday, when I met Lu, I hadn't mentioned any of my concerns to him, neither about the competition nor about the possibility of marrying the King.After all, what was there to say?I had only met him twice. Philos had said that vampires couldn't control their bloodlust, and the only unusual thing Lu had done was lick the blood from my neck. The other encounters had been pure coincidence. Yet somehow, my foolish mind had convinced itself that he was interested in me.What stupidity.And then there was Philos. Just remembering his vampire face made my stomach churn.After that bloody chaos, he had disappeared without a single word. Even now, the memory of his transformation sends shivers dow
LucienI yearned for warmth—a sensation I had never sought before, never needed, never even considered.Why now?It made no sense.We vampires had long ago made peace with our curse. We accepted that we could never truly withstand the sun. We accepted the endless nights and the eternal cold. It was necessary. The cold kept us sane.The older a vampire became, the colder their body turned. Centuries passed, and warmth slowly abandoned us until nothing remained but ice beneath immortal skin.I was ancient.Cold through and through.Yet lately, all I craved was warmth.A warmth that did not belong to me.A warmth I had never known.I frowned to myself as I walked.Usually, daylight hours passed in sleep. While I could remain awake during the day if necessary, I rarely endured an entire day conscious. Yet today, sleep refused to claim me.So I wandered.The guards insisted on accompanying me, but I dismissed them with a wave and continued alone toward my cabin.The forest was unusually pe
Elara Again. Somehow, against all odds, I had been selected for the next level. Again. The problem was that I had absolutely no idea why. Ever since that masked stranger had appeared and promised he would help me survive, my life had become a tangled mess of confusion and unanswered questions. He vanished when I needed answers, leaving me to stumble through each challenge blindly. Sometimes I wondered if he was secretly pulling strings behind the scenes. Other times, I suspected I was simply jumping through every ridiculous hoop on my own while convincing myself he was helping. Neither possibility made me feel any better. Lost in those thoughts, I wandered through the palace gardens. The vast grounds stretched endlessly beneath a sky permanently cloaked in gray clouds. The flowers were beautiful in an eerie sort of way—dark roses, silver lilies, and vines bearing blossoms in colors that didn't seem natural. A cool breeze drifted through the trees, carrying the scent of damp ear
ElaraAfter that, the grey-eyed man left me standing in the bathroom, my skin burning despite the chill lingering in the air around me.I couldn't stay there any longer. Slipping through the crowd, I made my escape from the ballroom. To hell with the competition and whatever ridiculous dance spectacle they were hosting. My thoughts refused to focus on anything except him.His cold tongue against my neck. The memory haunted me. He was cold. His touch, his presence, even his breath.Everything about him felt like a smooth breeze sweeping across sun-scorched skin after a long summer day. Refreshing. Dangerous. Addictive. I had never felt aroused like that before.Why?Bryan had been the only man to ever kiss me or touch me intimately, and even then, I had merely followed his lead. Every moment with him had felt more like an obligation than a desire.But this...This was different.When Lu leaned closer, my entire body tingled. A spark had ignited beneath my skin the moment his cold touch
LucienI didn't know what I was doing. More importantly, I didn't understand why I was doing it. Meeting her again was a mistake.Contestants were not supposed to have contact with me before the final round of the selection. Those rules had existed for centuries, and I had upheld them without question. I had never cared enough to break them.I had never been interested in the women chosen to compete. Even on my wedding days, I rarely spared them a second glance.Yet somehow, after meeting this girl only once, my thoughts kept circling back to her. It was maddening.Questions I shouldn't care about occupied my mind at the most inconvenient moments. Why had she been targeted? Who would benefit from harming her? Was she still trembling from fear? Did she still hide beneath her bed whenever anxiety consumed her?The absurdity of those thoughts wasn't lost on me and yet, they persisted.For centuries, I had existed in a state of numb indifference. The world had become shades of gray—predic
ElaraWho was that man?And why had he looked so unbearably sad?His gray eyes had seemed frozen in time, lifeless and cold, yet somehow filled with silent suffering. There hadn't been a single spark of warmth in them. No joy. No anger. No hope.Just emptiness.Something about him screamed for help
ElaraVampires.The word echoed endlessly inside my head.Vampires are Real. Not actors in horror films. Not characters from books. Not myths.Real.My pulse hammered against my ribs as I hurried through the dim corridor, the stranger's words replaying over and over until they felt carved into my s
LucienNight was when our realm truly came alive.It always amused me how people celebrated in the darkness. Even though our skies were eternally draped in clouds and sunlight rarely touched our lands, many still preferred the night. We could not survive in complete darkness forever, so long ago ou
ElaraAfter that dramatic brunch, I returned to my chamber with a head full of questions and a heart that refused to settle.Nina had gone off for her palace training, leaving me alone with my thoughts—a dangerous thing considering how many mysteries were circling me.The furious woman from breakfa







