6. Cursed

Triana

Vlador appeared strong and fresh. Thick black hair that was neatly arranged backward with thin strands hanging from his hairline to his cheekbones framed his stern face. He was indeed charming at first glance, but that didn't erase the fact that he was a monster who was about to kill Triana shortly.

"Your blood..."

Vlador's voice made Triana nauseous. Her vision began to blur. Her knees trembled as the vampire took the first step toward her.

"... I can smell it, even from secluded places. It's so fragrant. It's the best blood that has ever flowed down my throat."

"No..." Triana shook her head as she stepped back, only to bump her back against the horse behind her.

"Say your goodbye to this world, for soon your body will dry up like the leaves on autumn ground," Vlador said, dropping the body of a guard from his hand.

In the blink of an eye, Vlador darted towards Triana, appearing as a fleeting shadow that then obscured her vision and made her head spin wildly. When she regained her senses, she found herself sitting on the ground, gazing at the bright full moon framed by branches that were shedding their leaves.

As Triana's blue eyes rolled to the side, she saw a face with a pair of bright, red eyes. Then a grin spread across the man's lips, and his fangs appeared elongated and sharpened.

Triana was speechless. Her tongue was stiff, and tears flowed from her eyes that were fixed on that face. Memories of her life flashed before her eyes as she saw the vampire open his mouth unnaturally wide, with large bulging eyes and blue and green veins protruding beneath his pale skin.

The shrill sound echoing was heard like the prelude to Triana's death ritual because, afterward, the mouth that opened abnormally wide to reveal its dark inner side, just like the darkness of that night, devoured her neck.

The same pain repeated. Those fangs pierced the same spot again, making Triana scream all her soul out.

Within seconds, the pain multiplied as Vlador began to suck her blood again, much more brutally than before.

Triana's skin gradually turned pale. Her lips, which had regained some of their redness, now turned blue. Her vision blurred, and her hands could only rest helplessly on the back of the vampire, who was still busy sucking her blood.

Triana's strength was drained. Her heartbeat slowed down, making each beat feel painful. But as her consciousness was nearly fading away, the sucking stopped.

"What's happening?" Vlador muttered as he released his mouth from Triana's neck and dropped her weak body onto the ground covered with dry leaves, lying on her side.

"Ah! My heart! What's happening?" Vlador growled, clutching his chest.

Suddenly, the wind swirled, lifting dry leaves into the air. The wind stopped a few steps in front of them before a green light emerged from the ground, followed by the appearance of a skinny and hunched figure of a witch in the midst of it.

Vlador's eyes widened. "You! What have you done, filthy hag?!"

Laughter flowed from the witch's black lips. Green light and black smoke surrounded her.

"Earth witch... you damned!" Vlador growled.

"Khe khe khe... Did you think I wouldn't retaliate after you slaughtered all my sisters? In the past, your arrogance was immense, Dracount. If it weren't for those traitorous witches working with humans, I would have killed you with my own hands!"

"What... have you done to me?!" Vlador growled.

"Both of you... I have cursed you two. Haha!" the witch exclaimed, saliva spurting from her mouth.

Faintly, Triana could hear what the witch said. Despite her weakening heartbeat and increasingly blurred vision, she still had enough consciousness to understand that she had been deceived by the witch.

"All this time, I've been starving to kill you, Dracount. But those crazy witches greedily provided protective spells for your castle. But that's not a problem anymore. If I think about it, I don't need to tear out your heart and just watch you breathe your last in a few seconds, do I? Won't it be better if I made you suffer in my way?"

"Besides being a witch, I have a hidden talent for matchmaking. Seeing you two ignites my talent. You both have the same personality and skill in irritating me," the witch explained with intermittent laughter in her sentences.

"I will tear your damned mouth apart, you hag! Your throat will be torn, just like your sisters’'!" Vlador hissed.

A wide grin spread across the witch's lips. Then she raised both of her hands in front of her body and said:

"You both have the same arrogance. Isn't 'eat or be eaten' your life principle? Now, suffer together under my curse!"

Green light mixed with black smoke flowed out from the palms of the witch's hands, then swirled around Triana and Vlador like a whirlwind.

"The potion has bound you two within my curse. Your hearts beat together. Her life is your life, and your life is hers. You both are bound by the same thread of death.

Triana Rexa Galev, your heart depends on Vlador Lev Dracount's blood. And Vlador Lev Dracount, you will forever thirst for Triana Rexa Galev's blood.

Forever, you are bound in this circle of curse. Forever, you will suffer even if you have learned from your mistakes!"

The green light faded like vapor. Meanwhile, Triana's heartbeat slowed down further, as if it were about to stop. She no longer cared about what the witch said. If she had been cursed, it wouldn't matter if she died.

Because her vision was darkening, Triana slowly closed her heavy eyelids. The last thing her ears heard was the strong gust of wind around her. Then she felt her body being lifted, and something warm was flowing down her throat.

***

Triana.

A pounding pain like a hammer hitting her head made Triana's forehead crease. She slowly opened her eyes to find darkness enveloping her.

Her vision was blurry, so Triana tried to shut her eyes tightly and open them again. Now she realized that what was above her was an old ceiling decorated with cobwebs. Cold air blew, causing her to look around to find out where she was.

She found herself lying on a bed in a large room illuminated only by moonlight streaming through a large window with a view of the night sky.

It took a few seconds for Triana to digest what was happening and remember what had happened before.

"You're a disaster."

The heavy voice made Triana turn towards the foot of the bed. Her breath caught, and her heart seemed to stop as she found a man clad in a white tunic perched there like a bat. His bright brown eyes shone in the darkness, staring at her sharply.