Chapter 4 The Life-Threatening Bestowal Ritual
1030 Words
The Bestowal Ritual was a deeply significant ceremony.
It marked Asta as the chosen t****l of the Quentin family's heir.
Today's gathering was the perfect stage for this ritual.
Jake marked Asta, meaning the mark on her nape would activate during the Bestowal Ritual.
However, each vampire possessed different abilities, so the reactions during the Bestowal Ritual varied.
Some emitted floral scents, others halos or flowing water, though most just produce a flash.
At the mention of the Bestowal Ritual, Serene visibly tensed.
Noticing Serene's reaction, Asta smirked and turned to Jake, playfully saying, "Honey, make sure it doesn't hurt, okay?"
"Of course," Jake replied, his tone soft and indulgent.
"By the way, Serene, if you lie, you might get taken away by the vampires for punishment in front of everyone. I heard they drain the blood of liars!" Asta teased with a wink.
"Relax. That'll never happen," Serene replied confidently.
'As long as I don't submit to the Bestowal Ritual, everything will be fine.'
The vampire society was vast and steeped in rigid traditions, with all ceremonies requiring formal submission and approval by the church before they could proceed.
"A mere Bestowal Ritual? I'll handle it smoothly," Serene declared, tilting her chin up, trying to sound confident.
Asta raised an eyebrow. "We'll see."
Watching Asta and Jake leave, Serene struggled to keep her composure. Her breathing became heavy, and her heart pounded wildly.
She glared at Asta's retreating figure, frustration boiling inside her. "We'll see? Ha, i***t. You should go home and study up vampire law!"
Serene flipped her middle finger toward Asta and Jake's backs.
'I'll get through this party as long as I don't submit to the ritual.'
Serene exhaled, composed herself, and let her charm shine as she resumed searching for vampires who might be willing to help her.
In a private room on the second floor, members of the Hollister family waited.
"Wyatt, look. There she is. She's actually quite pretty, huh?"
Everyone turned to look at the man sitting in the innermost seat.
Wyatt was lounging with his legs crossed, hands resting on the armrest, staring blankly downstairs as though lost in thought. When he heard the comment, he glanced at Serene casually before looking away.
"You need your eyes checked," Wyatt remarked.
The person speaking earlier was Kayden.
Kayden laughed awkwardly and then continued, "Didn't she just complain about being betrayed? I saw her meeting with members of the Quentin family earlier. Do you think she was lying?"
"We don't care about human affairs. Why not ask Wyatt?" another family member suggested.
Kayden looked back at Wyatt.
Wyatt glanced down. Serene was standing alone, rejected by others. He turned his expressionless face. "She's not worth our sympathy."
His tone was dripping with sarcasm.
No one else responded.
Vampires were like this, lacking empathy, cold-blooded, ruthless, and indifferent. Only the sensation of fresh blood flowing down their throats carried any hint of warmth.
Suddenly, one of their families shouted, "Look! The Quentin family is about to perform the Bestowal Ritual."
"Completing the Bestowal Ritual means declaring someone as part of the family, making it official."
"Isn't that supposed to be for the Quentin heir and her sister? Wow, I wonder if she's found anyone willing to help her."
The Quentin family's Bestowal Ritual was nearing its end as they talked.
Asta's mark flickered once.
Soon, it was Serene's turn.
Serene was startled when the church officials approached her.
She hadn't submitted a request for the Bestowal Ritual.
Feeling disoriented, she hadn't found anyone willing to help her yet.
'Who did this? Who submitted my ritual application?'
In her panic, she glanced at Asta.
Asta, nestled in Jake's arms, was smiling right at her.
Asta mouthed the words, "Worried you forgot to submit it, so I took care of it for you!"
'So it was Asta behind this!'
Before Serene could get angry, the church officials quickly approached her and asked where the person who conducted her Bestowal Ritual was.
Serene quickly explained that she was the betrothed to one of the Landers, but he had gone out with them for business, and she was just here to enjoy the party.
But the officials informed her that no one had conducted a Bestowal Ritual for her and accused her of mocking the church's doctrines.
Serene apologized hurriedly, desperation evident in her voice.
But the church officials immediately contacted the Landers family, condemning them for letting their members' bride wander alone and inquiring if any newcomers had joined their family recently.
Serene watched from the side, her heart racing.
She was moments away from being exposed.
Fear and confusion gripped Serene.
Desperate, she showed the mark on her nape, hoping to prove she was the bride to one of the Landers!
But the church officials had already found out that the Landers family had no knowledge of her.
Serene's lie had been exposed.
The church officials stared intently at Serene.
Everyone around her kept their distance.
Blood drained from her face, and her entire body shook. "No, it's not like that. I really am the bride to a Landers. I have the mark. I don't want to die..."
The church quickly sent enforcers to the scene.
Serene had defied the church's strict rules. As Asta had said, her fate was to have her blood drained on the spot.
Serene sobbed and pleaded for mercy, but the punishment agents, with their sharp fangs exposed, drew closer and closer to her throat. Looking to the sky, she thought. 'Is this really where it ends for me?'
In a fleeting moment, she caught a glimpse of Asta laughing.
'Yes, everything started with Asta and Jake's betrayal.'
Rage quickly replaced her fear.
With a sudden burst of rage, Serene shouted, "Yes, I lied, but it's all because of the Quentin family heir and my sister Asta! Jake proposed to me first, but my shameless sister seduced him. They're adulterers, and all I wanted was revenge..."
Tears streamed down Serene's face. "I just wanted revenge... I truly... I never meant any disrespect to vampires..."
The enforcers' fangs were cold and sharp against her neck.
Serene closed her eyes, her hope extinguished.
- Writer
