Chapter 6 Serene Arrives Alone
959 Words
Before she could react, Serene felt herself lifted off the ground, only to crash down with a thud a moment later.
A sharp pain jolted her awake.
Her vision settled on a pair of immaculate black leather shoes.
Looking up, Serene met a cold, piercing gaze. It was Wyatt, the man who had mocked her earlier for being clueless and spiteful.
"Now that you're awake, walk on your own," Wyatt said, his tone sharp and dismissive.
Realizing what was happening, Serene felt a pang of embarrassment. She couldn't help but retort, "I didn't ask for your help."
Wyatt didn't respond. Instead, a slight smirk, mocking, almost taunting, flickered across his face.
A whoosh echoed through the air.
Serene looked up and found herself alone.
In the desolate, lonely wilderness, Serene sat on the ground, stunned and enraged at his cruel abandonment.
"High and mighty vampire, huh? What's so great about you? Not a hint of manners!"
Another sharp whoosh echoed.
Severe pain throbbed in Serene's forehead.
A small pebble clattered to the ground nearby.
Holding her head, Serene glanced at the pebble and then angrily scanned her surroundings. "Thanks for the gift, Mr. High-and-Mighty Vampire," she mocked loudly.
She raised her middle finger in defiance.
Getting to her feet, Serene looked at the endless road under the moonlight. After a moment's hesitation, she chose a random direction and started walking.
She barely made it a few steps before another sharp pain reminded her of the pain, and she saw a pebble on the ground.
Just as she was about to lose her temper, another pebble landed right by her feet.
Serene stopped in her tracks.
Another pebble materialized in front of the first one.
She blinked. 'It is that obnoxious vampire trying to guide me.'
"Ridiculous..." Serene muttered.
Turning around, she followed the pebbles step by step.
Soon, she found herself before a massive, shadowy manor.
A gust of wind rushed past her, and Wyatt brushed by her, vanishing through the front gate.
Serene watched the grand doors open. After hesitating for a moment, she stepped inside.
"Who are you?" A deep, velvety voice resonated in the night, tinged with allure and indifference.
"Food?"
Serene froze, her voice caught in her throat.
"Ah... so it seems we have a lost human here. Generally, we treat lost humans as... snacks."
Fear gripped Serene, and she took a step back.
Suddenly, her vision blurred. She heard a sniffing sound near her ear as the man whispered, "Well, I have to say. Your blood smells rather... ordinary."
Terrified, Serene went silent and collapsed to the ground.
The vampire stared at her, his golden eyes gleaming under the moonlight. "Though I don't fancy low-quality blood, my siblings are numerous. They should appreciate it."
He flashed a wicked smile, moving so fast she couldn't see him.
Serene felt an intense pain in her arm, a wet sensation spreading, the metallic scent of blood making her tremble.
Lights blazed to life, awakening the slumbering manor.
Serene opened her eyes to find several vampires standing before her.
Each vampire had golden eyes and bared fangs.
"No... no, no, no," Serene stammered, backing away in terror, fearing she might become their next meal.
The vampires quickly surrounded her. In a panic, Serene raised her hands to shield herself.
A searing golden glow flared from the mark on her neck in the next instant!
The vampires recoiled, their expressions puzzled.
In the following moment, they all turned their heads to look somewhere.
Serene followed their gaze.
On the second-floor balcony stood two more distinguished vampires. It was Ian... and Wyatt.
Ian leaned casually against the railing, saying, "Hey, boys, she's one of our brothers' new brides. Hands off."
Wyatt, dressed in a robe, nodded in agreement.
In seconds, the vampires vanished.
The vampire who had scratched Serene's arm stood still, seemingly disappointed. "Really? He has questionable taste."
With a swift move, Ian was beside Serene, grasping her arm as he inspected her wound. Without a word, he tore a strip from his robe and bandaged her wound.
"Chet, you can't just take humans like that." Ian scolded the vampire she had never met before.
Chet looked down silently before suddenly flipping Serene off.
Only then did Serene realize that Chet, the vampire, was albino.
Before she could react, she felt a tug as Ian pulled her up from the ground.
"Sorry about that. Wyatt can be a bit clueless. Come with me. I'll take you to a room," Ian said, releasing her arm before disappearing with a whoosh.
"Wait..."
Serene tried to follow, but Ian was already gone. She stood there, tears welling up as a wave of helplessness crashed over her. Then she looked up, meeting Wyatt's eyes.
For a brief moment, Wyatt seemed taken aback.
Serene looked down. 'He was hostile, showing no intention of helping me.'
But just then, a familiar little pebble appeared by her feet, drawing her attention. Surprised, she followed its path.
At the front of the house, Ian looked impatient. Seeing Serene, he exclaimed in disbelief, "Your legs are perfectly fine. Why so slow? What are you, five? Hurry up!"
Having just survived a life-and-death ordeal, Serene felt weak and apologized, "I'm sorry... I got lost..."
Ian shook his head in frustration, clearly not feeling guilty.
He continued on.
Serene found herself in a new room where Ian paused.
After a day of such events, Serene was exhausted. 'All I wanted was revenge on Jake and Asta and to become a true noble. Why did my first step end up on a death-defying ride?'
Barely managing to clean up, Serene fell asleep immediately.
She was awakened by someone calling her.
"Hey, newbie, wake up. Time to find out who marked you."
- Writer
