~The Vampire Realm~
Queen Erin's POV.
"Why can't you just love me?"
The man's voice echoed through the endless darkness of my dream. His silver hair gleamed faintly under the moonlight, his crimson eyes filled with sorrow and madness. "You said you'd always be with me whenever I needed you. So why… why must you engage yourself with someone who isn't even from this realm?"
Once again, I was trapped in the same nightmare—the memory I wished I could erase.
Queen Erin, my past self, stood tall and cold before him. Her golden hair fluttered in the night wind, her expression carved in fury. She chuckled bitterly.
"That was before I knew what you truly are—a monster! You went to Daniel's realm and destroyed it. You slaughtered innocent people, children, families who knew nothing about this cursed war! This chaos you call a mission is nothing but your obsession!"
Her voice trembled with rage. "Now the werewolves despise me. They see me as the one who brought disaster upon their kind. They will never accept me as their Luna! They're preparing for war against the vampires, thinking we were the ones who attacked them—all because of you!"
Nickolas only smirked, a dark, hollow laugh escaping his lips. "That's exactly what I want, Erin. When they reject you, you'll come back to me. Who cares about the war? The world can burn for all I care. If I can't be happy, then no one deserves to be."
Her beautiful red eyes widened in disbelief. "You… you call this love?"
When he reached for her, she summoned a golden sword. The air trembled as it appeared in her hand. Without hesitation, she lunged forward, her anger manifesting into deadly strikes. Nickolas barely dodged, his movements swift yet pained. Despite her fury, his gaze on her remained tender, almost worshipful.
"Erin," he whispered breathlessly, "you know I could never hurt you. I love you too much to ever—"
"Shut up!" she screamed, her voice cracking. "You think this is love? You destroy realms, take innocent lives, and you call that love? Don't insult me!"
He tried to reason with her. "I didn't mean to… I lost control, it was out of anger—"
"Out of anger?" Erin's voice turned cold as ice. "If anger can make you kill them, then let remorse bring them back to life. Do that, and maybe I'll forgive you."
Nickolas fell silent. His shoulders slumped. "You know I can't bring them back…"
She stared at him, tears of fury gathering in her eyes. "Exactly. You can't bring them back, but you could kill them. That's not love, Nickolas—that's evil."
Before she could strike again, a sudden blur appeared behind him—Daniel. His blade aimed for Nickolas's back, fast and silent. But fate was cruel. Without even turning, Nickolas caught the movement and twisted, driving the blade back—straight into Daniel's chest.
Time stopped.
The sword slipped from Erin's hand. Her heart shattered. "No no no … no, you can't be dead! Daniel!"
She fell to her knees, catching him before he hit the ground. His blood soaked her hands, warm and red, like the moon above them.
"I'm sorry…" Daniel whispered, forcing a weak smile. "The plan failed… I couldn't protect you. But promise me, Erin… don't do anything reckless. He's stronger than you… run, live, and remember… we'll meet again—in another realm, peaceful and free. You'll be my soulmate again… I love you Erin."
His hand brushed her cheek as his life slipped away. Erin's voice broke. "I love you too—please, don't leave me!"
But Daniel's body was already fading, dissolving into golden light.
Nickolas's laugh shattered the silence. "Did you really think I didn't know your plan? You wanted to distract me while your little hero tried to end me. Well, that failed, and now he's gone. You should be happy, Erin—now nothing stands between us."
Her tears stopped. Her eyes glowed gold, brighter than the stars. "In your dreams," she whispered.
The ground trembled. Winds howled. A divine power surged through her veins. Her golden sword blazed, and she charged. Each strike carried her grief, her fury, her heartbreak. Nickolas blocked, but she was relentless—fast, furious, unstoppable.
"So this is what I mean to you?" Nickolas shouted between clashes. "Because of him, you'll even kill me? I thought I was your friend! I thought I mattered!"
She didn't answer. Her blade spoke for her. When the sword pierced his chest, just missing his heart, Nickolas gasped, his face twisted with sorrow. "Since you love the world more than me," he said softly, "then let the world burn."
He muttered an ancient spell. The sky darkened instantly. Fire rained from the heavens. Screams echoed through the realm. The vampire kingdom crumbled under his curse.
"Nickolas, stop!" Erin shouted, but it was too late. The power she unleashed now turned against her.
The vision changed—the nightmare collapsing around her. She saw women and children burning, their cries merging into one horrific chorus. The blood of her people soaked her hands.
And she realized… this chaos began with her.
"No… no… NO!"
Erin jolted awake, drenched in sweat. Her breath came in short gasps as her heart hammered in her chest. The room was silent except for her ragged breathing. She looked toward the window—the red moon glared back at her, cruel and mocking.
A whisper escaped her lips. "It was just a dream… right?"
But deep inside, she knew it wasn't. It was a memory.
A memory she could never escape.Unknown to her, the very cause of her nightmares was already on his way back into her life — the man she once loved, reborn in a new body, bearing a different face and name. Yet, no matter how much he changed his form, the darkness within him remained the same.
The obsession still lived in his heart.
The madness still burned in his soul.
And the jealousy…
It still thrashed violently through his veins, poisoning every beat of his heart.