CHAPTER 398: A SINISTER PULL

Third Person’s POV

Luckily for her, the little duchess was not paying attention to her.

Instead, Altheria remained sprawled on her oversized chair that rocked ever so gently, with a faint smirk tugging her lips as if amused by her own musings.

At length, she suddenly tilted her head and broke the silence with a casual remark.

"Forget about those siblings. Come back to the matter at hand and tell me, did Solomon say or do anything out of the ordinary?"

The sudden question snapped Rina out of her storming thoughts as her scarlet eyes jolted like a startled kitten’s, and her voice came out with an uncharacteristic stammer.

"L-L... let me think again, my lady..."

Altheria paid the stutter no mind as she had long grown used to Rina’s timid nature.

This rare bloodkin was an orphan she found randomly on one of her travels.

But what was amazing about Rina was that she was one of the members of her race who had a natural talent for shapeshifting as a bat, which even she herself didn’t have.

Naturally, she had instantly recognized her talent and had kept her by her side and trained her from her childhood.

This bat girl was easily startled, and such nervous behavior was nothing unusual for her.

Meanwhile, Rina forced her thoughts of forbidden secrets aside and pressed herself to recall the events of the evening again.

Her brow furrowed as she sifted through the events of the day.

At first, nothing stood out in her mind as she thought hard, but then, like a spark in the darkness, a memory resurfaced, and her eyes widened faintly.

"I-I remember, the Enforcement Elder... he did say something unusual, something that isn’t recorded in any rule or tradition."

Altheria’s gaze sharpened slightly, though her tone remained casual.

"Oh? And what was that?"

"After he led the newcomers to their resting quarters," Rina said carefully, "he issued a very specific warning.

He told them not to leave their individual rooms during the night, and declared that any disobedience would result in immediate expulsion from the Sanctum... without exception."

Altheria’s expression changed slightly, and her thin brows drew together as if weighing this oddity.

Such a warning was truly far from ordinary, as why would Solomon care so much about where the new bloods wandered at night?

The reasoning eluded her, but as she pieced together certain fragments in her mind, her lips began to curve.

Slowly, a sly, almost mischievous grin spread across her delicate features, and she started tapping her finger on the armrest and nodding as if confirming some private thought.

"Very well. Rina, listen closely. Tonight, you will go and keep watch over the newcomers’ quarters.

Do not interfere. No matter what happens, you are only to observe and report every unusual occurrence you notice. Is that clear?"

But before Rina could affirm, Altheria continued as her crimson eyes gleamed faintly in the dark.

"Also, pass a message to little Ethan. Tell him to try sneaking outside his room tonight and see what lies hidden.

Let’s see what truth this old Solomon is trying so hard to bury."

Rina’s heart gave a quick thump, but she nodded firmly as the glint of duty replaced her earlier panic.

With a flash of dim crimson light, her figure shrank back into the form of a small bat.

Her wings spread wide, and with a sharp flutter, she darted out the chamber window and vanished into the night sky.

The bloody moon hung high above the castle, its glow draping the spires in a pale crimson haze as Rina’s tiny silhouette streaked across it, heading straight for the resting spire.

Behind her, Altheria gave a satisfied stretch, then hopped onto her massive bed.

She wriggled into the covers, shut her eyes, and began to snore softly, even though beings of her caliber had no need for sleep at all.

But for her, it was a beloved indulgence and a private little hobby she had never given up.

Meanwhile, Ethan sat alone within the solitude of his assigned chamber, the silence pressing around him like a heavy shroud.

He stood by the tall window and gazed out at the ominous Blood Moon that loomed large above the horizon, with its crimson light bleeding across the black expanse of night.

For a brief moment, the stillness of the room mirrored the stillness of his heart.

Now that he had set foot in this castle, he was one day closer to fulfilling his long-awaited promise to finally meet his family again.

The thought stirred a faint warmth in his chest.

And now that his Master had agreed to take him to the Dark Star Continent, he knew she could do it again.

That knowledge made his heart restless, for it meant he might soon move freely between both continents, weaving between his two lives and holding both worlds within his grasp.

But as he was lost in this hopeful daydream, a strange sensation crept upon him.

His gaze remained locked on the Blood Moon, and to his shock, he felt an inexplicable pull from inside his body, and something seemed to be wanting to escape from his body as an eerie tug resonated deep within his flesh and marrow.

His blood quickened, and started surging through his veins like angry ocean waves as though it had awakened from slumber.

Heat and redness flushed on the skin of his whole body and started spreading from his core until his entire body seemed to boil.

Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead and dripped along his temples and jaw.

As his breath grew heavy and a suffocating sensation took root in his heart, he felt a primal craving from the depths of his being, which he instantly recognized as lust.

He could feel it spread from his lower body and coiled around his body like a constricting serpent and urging him to roar and fulfill his dark desires with all his being, without any shackles of morality, worldly principles, or any other kind of obstructions.