CHAPTER 2

The Vampire's Castle

Deep within Humboldt Redwoods State Park, near the town of Garberville, California.

Nestled among ancient, towering sequoias, Castle Eternal Shadows is built directly from the living trees, with twisted branches and trunks forming its foundation, walls, and towers. Its architecture seems to grow organically from the forest floor, blending seamlessly with the surroundings. Mist and fog constantly swirl around the castle, creating an eternal darkness, ideal for a vampire's lair.

The castle remains hidden from mortal eyes by a ring of enormous ferns, and a crystal-clear river flows nearby, offering cool water and a gentle background melody. The forest teems with wildlife, but no animal approaches the castle, for all sense the dark presence that dwells within.

Garberville is the city where vampires live among humans. Humans once lived there, but they were exterminated by the most powerful vampire of all… Lucian's father, Edmond. Now, the power has passed entirely to his only son.

Lucian Delfage!

ETERNAL SHADOWS ~~ CASTLE

"You would have died when I killed you, Lunã," said a voice, and the bound lady looked up.

"Even if you kill me now, I will keep reincarnating again and again and I will come for you," she replied, and the person smiled maliciously.

"I will kill your next reincarnation just as I killed all the previous ones," he said, and plunged the silver knife into his chest, straight into his heart.

She fell to the ground, her eyes glowing a deep gold. Her body went lifeless, and her spirit left her body. The color of her eyes returned to black.

Ava sat up abruptly, breathing heavily.

"What just happened?" he murmured.  

Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his chest and touched it.  

It was exactly the same place where the lady from the dream had been stabbed.  

"Who is she?" he asked.  

"And who is that monster? It certainly didn't look like a werewolf," he added.  

"How would you know if you didn't even see their faces?" her subconscious replied, and she rolled her eyes.

Then she remembered her father's words the day he banished her from the clan.

"My daughter here has broken one of our rules," he began, and she stared at him.

"What are you doing?" she asked, but he ignored her.

"Therefore, I hereby banish you from our clan," he declared, and gasps of surprise were heard.

She looked at her mother, but her mother looked away.

"She has no right to ever return to this clan. No one can help her. If I discover that any of you are in contact with her, that person will be eliminated," he warned, and people began to murmur.

"What if I don't want to leave?" she asked, and he looked at her.

Her eyes glowed a dark yellow and she smiled cruelly.

"I'll have you killed," he said, and Ava's eyes widened in shock.

"Pack your things and leave," he ordered, and she blinked before clenching her fists tightly.

She sighed and suddenly felt a presence in the room.  

He turned around and saw two men standing there.  

"Shit!" he exclaimed, jumping out of bed.  

He stayed on the other side, as far away from them as possible.  

He looked down and noticed he was still wearing the palm frond. His wounds were now completely healed.  

"Who are you and why am I here?" he asked, and the men looked at each other.

The door opened and a tall, commanding figure entered. He walked past the two men, and Ava's eyes widened as she recognized the vampire she had bumped into in the woods.  

"Why did you bring me here?" Ava asked, frowning deeply.  

"That's no way to say thank you!" his cold voice replied.  

"I never asked for your help, you know? So why should I thank you?" he retorted.  

"Then you'll pay me," he said, looking her up and down with his cold eyes.  

"Pay you?! Why would I do that if I never asked for your help?!" she shouted, and in less than a second he was standing in front of her.

His hand was already at her neck and Ava hung in the air, gasping for air. His eyes glowed a deep red and she tried desperately to free herself.  

"I saved you, werewolf woman, and you will pay me," he said in an icy voice.  

"I never asked for your help, vampire," she replied, and he violently threw her against the wall.  

She groaned in pain as she tried to get up.  

He stood in front of her; Ava stood up instantly and slashed him with her claw, her eyes now completely golden.  

He smiled maliciously as the wound closed on its own.  

"You want to fight? So be it," he said and walked away. He looked at his men and they understood the order.  

He sped away from the place.

His men returned in just two seconds and threw him a set of clothes.  

"Get dressed and meet the master in the garden," one ordered, and she snorted.

**SEQUOIA FOREST ~~ CALIFORNIA**

"Honey, do you think leaving our daughter out there is the right thing to do?" Katherina asked.  

"He isn't, but he broke a rule. If I allow it, more clan members will follow suit, and I can't allow that. Besides, he needs to learn his lesson. Humans can't be trusted, and I think he'll only understand that the hard way," Nathan replied, and Katherina sighed.  

"I miss my daughter, Nathan, so much," she said with tears in her eyes.  

He hugged her.  

"I miss her too... I miss her craziness a lot."  

"If she comes back, will you be able to forgive her and let her return?" Katherina asked, looking at him.  

"Let's wait for him to come back, okay?" he said, and she nodded.

Nathan was alone in the room because Katherina had gone out for a walk.

He heard a knock at the door and ordered him to come in.

"How are you?" he asked the werewolf.

She had asked him to keep an eye on her, and that's exactly what he was doing.

"That's fine. She was betrayed by her fiancé," he reported, and Nathan frowned.

"Where is he now?"

"She killed him," he replied, and Nathan smiled contentedly.

"Very well. And where is he now?" he asked.

"She was almost killed by a group of humans, but a vampire saved her and since then I don't know where she is," said the werewolf, and Nathan's eyes widened in shock.

"What?!"