Walking beside her felt strange.
Once, I'd walked city streets under neon lights, head down, ignored by the world. Now I walked beneath a silver moon beside a woman who could silence armies with a glance. It felt unreal—like I was trespassing in someone else's dream.
Lilith matched my pace, her silver hair catching the faint light.
The air grew heavier. A sound—like breath drawn through a thousand hollow throats—rippled through the forest.
[Warning: Host detected entities — 4 × Wraiths nearby.]
[Origin: Dark Continent border region.]
"Wraiths," I muttered. "Figures. We're close to home."
Lilith's hand brushed her scythe. "Orders, my lord?"
"No need."
I raised a hand. A thin cut of blood shimmered before me, expanding into a crescent. The air screamed as it moved.
Shwip.
The forest fell silent. The four wraiths disintegrated into mist, their ashes scattering like snow. Even the trees behind them split in a clean arc.
Lilith blinked. "You're getting… stronger."
"Efficiency improves with practice," I replied.
We sat among the ruined trunks. Lilith had brought a few berries, her strange attempt at dinner. The night was quiet—peaceful, in a way that made me suspicious.
She leaned closer, her voice softer than wind. "You look calmer these days."
"Perhaps," I said, staring at the moon. "Maybe attachment is a curse, but I seem to have caught it."
Lilith smiled faintly. "Did you ever have anyone you liked? Before all this?"
I thought for a while. "No one stayed long enough for that."
Her crimson eyes lowered. "Then maybe… you do now."
"…Hmmm." I didn't answer, but she didn't need me to. The silence between us said enough.
That night, for the first time in two lives, I slept without nightmares.
Morning sunlight filtered through the leaves. Lilith was already awake, crouched near a small fire, foxes roasting over the flame.
She looked over her shoulder. "You sleep like a corpse, my lord."
"Occupational habit," I said dryly.
She smiled. "Here. It's not boar meat, but it'll do."
I bit into it. The taste was earthy, wild, oddly comforting. "Is this how it feels to eat food made by a wife?"
Lilith's hand froze mid-turn of the skewer, a faint red dusting her cheeks. "W-wife?"
I smirked. "You cooked it, didn't you?"
She huffed. "Then… consider it a wife's meal."
We both laughed quietly, the sound soft against the rustle of leaves.
After we finished, I stood, brushing off ash. "Let's take that fort today. Seven more humans and the system rewards me again."
Lilith nodded, tightening her gloves. "Then let's paint their walls red."
By noon, the stone walls of Fort Edran appeared on the horizon—gray towers rising from a sea of green. Beyond them stretched a bustling settlement, markets spilling over with color, noise, and the oblivious chatter of humans.
We passed through the outer gate easily, cloaked by illusion and common sense.
The town was small but alive: children chasing each other through muddy streets, vendors shouting prices, the aroma of bread and meat filling the air.
Lilith watched it all with curious eyes. "Strange. They live like their gods still watch them."
"They mistake habit for holiness," I said. "And I intend to correct their faith."
As we walked, I slipped a hand into a drunkard's pouch and withdrew a handful of coins.
Lilith frowned. "You're stealing now?"
"I'm experimenting with human customs."
I tugged her arm. "Come on. Let's buy clothes before we stand out too much."
The clothier's shop was quiet, the scent of lavender and cotton heavy in the air. The owner didn't even look up as we entered.
I pointed at a dark, elegant dress on display—silken black, high-collared, with crimson thread tracing vine-like patterns. It matched the image burned into my mind from the night I made her.
"Try that," I said.
Lilith hesitated. "You… chose that for me?"
"Don't ruin the moment," I replied.
She disappeared behind the curtain. When she stepped out, for a second even time seemed embarrassed. The dress hugged her perfectly, glimmering under the candlelight. Her silver hair spilled like moonlight down the dark fabric.
"You didn't have to do this," she murmured.
I looked away, suddenly aware of the heat in my face. "It's my first time talking to a girl like this. I thought I should… try."
She smiled, soft and dangerous. "Then marry me."
I froze. "Marriage…"
The word clawed at something inside me—memories of a life that had no one waiting for him. "A scary word for a man who never had a home," I said quietly.
Lilith reached out, taking my hand. "Then… please take care of me."
For a long moment, neither of us spoke. I didn't realize I was crying until I felt the warmth on my cheek.
The rest of the day passed like a stolen dream.
We wandered through the streets, pretending to be people.
At a fruit stall:
Lilith bit into a red apple. "Too sweet."
"Then it suits you," I said.
She rolled her eyes. "Flattery from a man who kills for a living?"
"I kill efficiently," I corrected.
At a trinket stand:
She pointed at a glass pendant. "Pretty."
"Fragile," I said. "Like humans."
"Not everything weak is worthless," she replied.
We even shared a cup of spiced wine. She laughed after the first sip, her lips stained dark red. "You drink like you're afraid to taste it."
"I prefer blood," I said.
"Romantic," she teased.
I found a necklace with a small bloodstone centerpiece and bought it before she could protest.
"For the first vampire queen," I said, fastening it around her neck.
She blinked in surprise. "So you do have a human side after all."
I shrugged, embarrassed. "I… saw a couple buying jewelry. I just copied them."
Her laughter was soft, genuine. "You're hopeless."
We walked hand in hand through the golden streets. The light caught her hair, and for the first time, I thought she looked less like my creation and more like a miracle. My wife, the thought came unbidden. My first and only.
As the sun dipped low, we reached the inner fort walls. Guards changed shifts; torches flared along the parapets.
We slipped into the shadow of a narrow alley, eyes tracing the patrol routes.
"Four guards. Two towers. One commander," Lilith whispered.
"Stay low," I said. "We move after dusk."
Footsteps echoed nearby. A door creaked open. I turned the corner—then froze.
A woman stood there. Not just any woman—her aura was sharp, disciplined, predatory. A swordswoman.
She turned her head slightly, and I cursed under my breath. My breath had betrayed me.
Her hand moved before I could blink. Wham! The door slammed open with enough force to shatter the hinges. I rolled aside, stone dust scattering across my coat.
When I stood, her blade was already drawn, gleaming under the torchlight.
The swordswoman's eyes narrowed. "So the rumors were true. Vampires."
I met her gaze, smiling faintly. "Congratulations. You found one."