Chapter 100: The Inescapable Fate

Once again, Bai Ye charged at me, but this time, he did not drive his claws into my heart.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain at my throat—his fangs sank into my neck, and with a chilling sensation, I could feel the last of my blood being drained by Bai Ye. By now, I had lost all strength to resist; I could only watch helplessly as my magic faded with my blood.

Had I reached my limit? As my power ebbed, maintaining my domain became almost impossible; perhaps it would shatter in the very next moment. Damn it, is this truly the end? I never imagined my domain would one day be destroyed like this. Such regret—I could not win more time for Xing Yu.

Then, in the next instant, cracks split through the darkness. Pale moonlight spilled in, illuminating the Paradise Lost that had never known light. At last, my domain broke.

“Hahaha, see, Liliana—at the end, it’s still my victory.” Bai Ye laughed wildly as he gazed at the moonlight piercing Paradise Lost, at the night sky of the human world. “But don’t worry. I won’t kill you. I’ll keep you by my side. I’ll let you witness with your own eyes how I conquer this world.” His eyes were cold as he looked at me. “I owe you thanks. Without you, perhaps I would never have broken the shackles of my bloodline. Because of your blood, I can feel it—soon, I will ascend again, become a true prince, surpass even the Vampire Lords.” At this, Bai Ye seemed almost intoxicated. “Such pure blood—so this is the blood of the progenitor? Liliana, rest assured, as repayment, I will capture that wretch. In your presence, I’ll torture him to death, slowly. Hahahaha!” He laughed madly.

“Is that so? I’m afraid you won’t get the chance,” I replied weakly. “Though I can’t drag you to death with me, my own life is mine alone to command.” I fixed my gaze on Bai Ye, my tone calm. “I am of the noble House of Dracula. My fate will not submit to anyone. At the cost of my own life—Blood Sacrifice: Infernal Blaze!”

As I spoke, white flames began to rise from my body. The pure flames gave off no warmth, yet radiated a sense of danger—the kind of fire that could consume everything.

“What is this?” Bai Ye brushed against a wisp of my flame, crying out in pain. No matter what he did, he could not extinguish it. Panic-stricken, he backed away from me.

“These are flames that burn the soul—you should feel honored to witness the secret art of the Draculas.” Surrounded by pure white fire, I smiled with relief. “This is the fire of dawn, the light of morning. The Draculas can touch sunlight only once in their lives. It may lack the sun’s warmth, but isn’t it beautiful?”

“Why? Why?” The wisp of fire on Bai Ye’s arm finally burned away, but his arm was left blackened and charred, beyond the reach of even his formidable healing. Yet Bai Ye seemed oblivious to the pain, roaring at me instead: “Why do this, Liliana? Is being with me so much worse than death? Answer me, Liliana!”

In the face of his rage, my expression was serene, unafraid of death.

“To me, death is nothing to despise. To me, it only means release. I am weary of endless solitude. Eternal life is not a reward for vampires, but a sentence. Now, at last, this long trial comes to an end.” My voice dwindled to a whisper, the last trace of sound fading as my figure vanished from the world.

“The sunlight shall pierce the heart of the Princess of Night. The scythe shall claim the life of the Child of Man. The Child of Man shall slumber forever in darkness, and the Princess of Night shall turn to dust at dawn.” In the moment of my passing, the Seventh Judgement, the Sage’s Prophecy, seemed to echo in my ears. How accurate it was. Xing Yu was claimed by my scythe, becoming a vampire doomed to eternal night, while I was reduced to ashes in the fire of dawn. Fate—a sorrowful thing.

“So, I couldn’t escape my fate after all? How laughable. In the end, even my fate was not mine to command,” I murmured in my heart, leaving behind only this regret.

“No!” Bai Ye cried out to the heavens as he watched me turn to dust and vanish from the world. Blood tears welled in his eyes. He lowered his head, letting the tears slide silently down his cheeks.

Long after, Bai Ye lifted his head. Staring coldly at the ashes scattered on the night wind, he spoke, his voice icy: “Liliana, I won’t let you feel lonely again. I’ll find that wretch and kill him, send him to the afterlife to keep you company. I’ll kill all your cherished friends, so they’ll remain by your side forever. I’ll destroy the world, let it die with you. That way, you’ll never feel lonely again, isn’t that right?” he whispered to himself.

With those words, Bai Ye looked up at the cold, clear moonlight, his eyes cold and mad. “Since this damned world took you, I’ll destroy it—destroy this so-called fate.”

He turned and left, resolute, without a trace of hesitation. Now, he had to find a safe place to absorb the bloodline power he’d just taken from me. Bai Ye could feel it: once he absorbed this trace of blood, he would break his shackles, ascend again, and become the mightiest prince, the Vampire King, lord of this world. Yet even as he gained the power he’d always dreamed of, even as he stood on the verge of dominion, he felt not a hint of joy—only emptiness and sorrow.

What was wrong with him? Wasn’t this his lifelong dream, his pursuit—to stand atop the world, beyond the reach of fate? His dream was coming true, so why, why did he not feel the joy he imagined? Liliana—was it truly because this world was now without you?

Lost in thought, Bai Ye’s figure faded into the night.

After he departed, a handsome young man in a black cloak suddenly appeared on the battlefield. He gazed silently at the drifting ashes.

“Liliana, my daughter, is this the path you chose?” The young man looked toward the place where I had once been, his voice low. “I once promised Lithis I would always protect you, watch over you as you found your own happiness. But is this what you chose as happiness?” His voice was filled with helplessness and heartache. “To give so much for a mere human, even at the cost of your own life… My daughter, is this truly your chosen road? You really are as foolish as I am,” he murmured softly.

This young man was clearly the ruler of the vampires, the Vampire Lord, the strongest being in the world. He had witnessed everything that had just transpired: my battle with Bai Ye, the crisis that claimed both Xing Yu and me, my embrace of Xing Yu, the moment I ignited the fire of dawn and vanished into ashes. Yet he had not intervened, not taken any action. Though he cherished his daughter above all, he had only watched, silent as a bystander, because this was my own choice—one he could not interfere with. As a Vampire Lord, he had endured countless partings and losses, felt the pain of having loved ones torn away. Today, he felt it once again, all for the sake of respecting his daughter’s choice.

“My daughter, you are too weary. Come home with me. Leave behind this world that breaks your heart. Suffer no more—let me bear everything for you from now on.” The Vampire Lord murmured to the drifting ashes before him. With a gentle wave of his hand, the not-yet-scattered dust swirled together, gathering in his palm. With it came scattered fragments of soul, the remnants left behind in the flames.

“Come, my daughter, let us return to Lithis’ side. Our family will never be parted again.” He gathered the ashes and soul fragments with care, then looked once more in the direction Bai Ye had gone, his gaze cold as death. “The so-called Vampire King—wretched creature who harmed my daughter, your fate is sealed. Go mad in your final days; it is your last chance.” With that, the Vampire Lord vanished as suddenly as he had appeared—no ripple in space, no sound, simply gone, as if the place where he stood had always been empty, as if he had never existed there at all.

At that moment, Bai Ye, already departed, knew nothing of what had taken place after his leaving. He did not know he had been watched intently by the Vampire Lord, nor that his fate had already been decided. Now, he lay buried in a grave on the desolate outskirts of the city, all aura concealed, like a cold corpse, sunk in silent slumber, awaiting his next awakening—a waking that would bring destruction to the world.