Before the whistle went off—
Dylan leaned slightly toward a man dressed entirely in black standing near the far end of the pool.
No one noticed.
Except Kael.
A whisper.
A nod.
The man disappeared into the shadows behind the control panels.
Kael's instincts screamed.
"Participants ready!"
The crowd hushed.
"One…"
May adjusted her stance.
Isolde inhaled slowly.
"Two…"
The water shimmered under the lights.
"Go!"
They dove in.
The splash echoed sharply.
The pool was Olympic-sized — long, deep, and silent beneath the surface.
May's strokes were strong and trained.
Isolde matched her easily at first.
Water parted around her like silk.
Cheers exploded above them.
Halfway through—
Isolde felt it.
Something tugged at her wrist.
She slowed.
Her eyes lowered.
A thin red string was wrapped around her hand.
It shimmered faintly beneath the water.
And it stretched—
Forward.
Connected to something.
No.
Someone.
Her heart stopped.
Mate.
The word struck her core.
Her vampire energy recoiled violently.
The world flickered.
The lights above the pool shut off.
Screams erupted.
Students panicked.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Underwater—
Isolde lifted her eyes slowly.
Across the pool—
Through the dim emergency glow—
She met his eyes.
Predatory.
Knowing.
Ancient.
Then—
The lights snapped back on.
Noise rushed in.
Chaos dissolved into confusion.
But it was over.
May touched the wall.
The whistle blew.
"Winner — May Joans!"
The crowd erupted.
Isolde remained in the middle of the pool.
Frozen.
The red string was gone.
Her powers were silent.
Her body refused to move.
Jace exhaled sharply in irritation.
"How could she lose like that?"
Amanda and Berry ran to May, lifting her in celebration.
"You did it!"
"You're unbeatable!"
Students scattered — some cheering, some whispering in confusion.
Kael dive into the water and pulled Isolde gently toward the edge.
Her body felt cold.
Not physically.
But spiritually shaken.
His eyes lifted—
Meeting Dylan's gaze across the pool.
Dylan wasn't surprised.
He looked…
Satisfied.
Isolde suddenly shoved away from Kael.
Her feet barely steady as she walked straight toward Dylan.
Her breathing uneven.
"You saw that, didn't you?"
Her voice trembled.
"You saw it."
She grabbed his sleeve desperately.
"You are my mate."
Her eyes searched his.
"Tell me you saw what happened."
May's smile vanished instantly.
She stormed forward and yanked Isolde away from Dylan.
The slap echoed loudly.
Students nearby froze.
"You just lost," May sneered. "You should be on your knees begging me."
Her glare burned with humiliation and fury.
"And instead you're here trying to seduce my uncle?"
She stepped closer.
"I've noticed the way you look at him. I didn't think you were this shameless."
Kael was beside Isolde in an instant, holding her protectively.
Dylan adjusted his cuff calmly.
"I believe," he said smoothly, brushing invisible dust from his shoulder, "we have no further business here."
He placed a gentle hand on May's head.
"You should head home first. I'll follow shortly."
May obeyed without question.
But her eyes promised war.
The moment she disappeared—
Kael lunged at Dylan.
He grabbed Dylan by the collar.
"What did you do?" he growled.
Dylan didn't resist.
He only smiled.
Then leaned in.
And whispered.
"Vampires."
Kael's grip tightened.
"I thought your kind was extinct."
Dylan's voice was low. Amused.
Cold.
With a single effortless motion, he pushed Kael back.
Adjusted his collar.
And walked away.
Not bothered.
Dangerous.
Kael turned immediately to Isolde.
She looked shattered.
Not defeated.
Not embarrassed.
But shaken at the soul level.
He lifted her into his arms.
Without another word—
They left.
Isolde had known the risk.
Vampires and water were never allies.
Water dulled their senses. Slowed their reflexes. Disrupted their core.
Yet she had called it anyway.
She had ignited her vampire core in the second round.
Dylan had predicted it.
He knew she would not tolerate losing.
So, he laid the final trap where her kind was weakest.
Water.
And when she reached for her power again—
He pulled the string.
A distraction.
A revelation.
A bond.
Mate.
He hadn't attacked her strength.
He had attacked her focus.
In the Vayns Mansion
Silence wrapped the estate like fog.
Kael stood by the window of Isolde's room, hands behind his back.
They had been found.
There was no denying it.
"Vampires," Dylan had whispered.
Not guessed.
Confirmed.
Kael debated whether to tell her that their secrecy was shattered.
Across the room, Isolde sat on the edge of her bed, staring at nothing.
She was debating something else entirely.
Should she tell Kael?
That Dylan was her mate.
That the seer had once told her—
The one who houses the key to your survival will be your enemy… and also your mate.
The key.
Dylan.
Without another word, Kael turned and left her to rest.
Neither of them slept that night.
The Night Blood Kingdom
Far from Earth.
Beyond mortal skies.
The Night Blood Kingdom trembled.
The Seer stood before the Bulb of Life — a glowing orb pulsing with ancient crimson light.
Around her stood nobles, warriors, elders—
And at the throne's peak—
King Valtar.
Few on Earth realized—
The small encounter at the swimming pool had awakened something buried for a thousand years.
The Bulb of Life flickered violently.
The Seer raised her staff.
"It is good news," she declared. "The princess has found her mate."
Murmurs of relief echoed through the chamber.
"And she has found the Key."
The hall erupted in excitement.
Hope.
Salvation.
But then—
The Seer's voice lowered.
"But… will she be able to convert the Key?"
The excitement died instantly.
A cold silence followed.
King Valtar leaned forward, his aged eyes sharp.
"What do you mean, Great One?"
The Seer's gaze remained fixed on the orb.
"A thousand years ago… our kingdom nearly fell."
A shadow crossed the throne room.
"My king," she said quietly, "do you remember who stood at the center of that destruction?"
King Valtar frowned.
"Speak plainly. I am too old for riddles."
The Seer inhaled slowly.
"In the reign of your grandfather — when King Williams sat upon the throne…"
"A Powerful Alien was awakened."
A ripple of dread passed through the court.
"The Nine-Tailed Fox."
Gasps.
Even the bravest warriors lowered their gaze.
King Valtar's expression hardened.
"He attacked after his beloved was slain."
"Yes," the Seer confirmed.
"And she was killed… by our own kind."
The hall darkened.
Ancient guilt resurfaced.
"The fox did not wage war for power," the Seer continued. "He waged war for love."
The Bulb of Life flared brighter.
"And now," she whispered, "the same bloodline has awakened again."
A heavy pause.
"The Key that the princess has found… carries the same essence."
Silence.
Then realization.
King Xandros stood abruptly.
"You mean to say—"
"Yes."
The Seer's eyes gleamed with fear.
"If she cannot convert the Key… if she cannot turn fate in our favor…"
"The Nine-Tailed Bloodline will rise again."
"And this time—"
"There will be no kingdom left to save."
the stakes are enormous: