**Time**: The 9th Day of the Moon Month in the Medieval European Calendar & Black Forest Calendar, from Dawn to the 13th Day, Late Night
**Location**: Silver Moon Castle Dungeon → Hidden Lakeside Villa in the Black Forest → Illusory Mirage
**Characters**: Hao Ran Li, Catherine (Illusion Disguise), Three Female Vampires of the Karl Faction (Leah, Mila, Sofia), Gray (Watching Secretly)
When the first glimmer of dawn pierced through the ventilation shafts at the top of the dungeon, Hao Ran Li's consciousness had been fluctuating between the icy chill of the runes and the weakness from the loss of his holy blood. The pain of the adamantine chains gnawing into his flesh had long gone numb; the holy blood spilling from the bronze vessel wove a winding stream across the floor, glinting with a faint golden light, only to be slowly devoured by the dungeon's frigid gloom. His eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and all he could hear was the faint "hum" of the runes swirling around him, mixed with his own increasingly weak breaths. Karl's cold laughter seemed to echo still in the empty dungeon, yet it had long blurred into indistinctness.
Just as he was about to sink utterly into darkness, a familiar purple blade of light sliced through the dungeon's silence, and the adamantine chains snapped apart with a sharp clang. Hao Ran struggled to lift his eyes, catching a glimpse of a black figure darting like a wraith—then the screams of the silver-armored guards cut off abruptly. It was Catherine. Her black veil had long slipped off in the fight, her raven hair clinging disheveled to her cheeks, spattered with tiny beads of blood, and her purple eyes blazed with urgent concern. The purple glow in her palm trembled slightly, as if she had exhausted much of her power.
"Hao Ran!" Catherine threw herself beside him, her voice trembling with barely concealed urgency as she reached out to steady his swaying body. Her fingertips were cold, yet they carried a reassuring warmth that calmed his frayed nerves. "I've come to save you—we're leaving, now!"
Hao Ran tried to speak, but his throat was parched and dry, unable to utter a single sound. He let Catherine support him, stumbling through the dungeon's secret passage. Outside the passage, the morning mist had not yet lifted; the air of the Black Forest carried the fragrant scent of pine resin, a stark contrast to the dungeon's putrid decay. Catherine supported him all the way, evading the scattered guards, until they reached a villa hidden by the lakeside—a wooden house draped in vines, its doorway fronted by a lawn dotted with white wildflowers, and the lake glistening like shattered sapphires in the morning light.
"This is Samantha's secret villa—we're safe here." Catherine settled him on a soft bed, then turned to fetch warm water, gently dabbing away the bloodstains and dust from his body. Her movements were tender beyond words, her raven hair cascading over his shoulders, carrying a faint, intoxicating fragrance that slowly relaxed his tensed nerves.
The days that followed were the most serene Hao Ran had known since his arrival in this world. Catherine seemed to have cast aside all past strife, never mentioning Karl's pursuit or the Conservative Faction's conspiracy. Every day, she simply stayed by his side, tending to his wounds, walking with him, and leaning against him to watch the sunset by the lake. She would prepare food for him with her own hands—though vampires needed no sustenance, she learned to cook like a human, roasting trout infused with the scent of pine resin and brewing sweet elderberry wine. She would hum ancient vampire ballads under the moonlight, her voice as soft as the ripples of the lake.
Hao Ran's body gradually recovered under her care; the weakness from the loss of his holy blood faded away, and the love in his heart grew stronger with each passing day. He often found himself staring at Catherine's profile, watching her raven hair dance in the wind, watching the starlight reflected in her purple eyes. In those moments, all the hardships of the past felt like a prelude, leading only to this moment of mutual devotion.
On the fifth night, the moon hung bright and full, casting its silver glow over the villa's terrace. Catherine wore a scarlet silk gown, her raven hair loosely pinned up to reveal her slender neck. She carried two goblets of fruit wine, walking over to Hao Ran, who was leaning on a wicker chair, her eyes filled with an unprecedented allure. "Hao Ran," she said, her voice low and husky, her fingertips brushing his cheek, "we've finally escaped those nightmares."
Hao Ran took her hand, pulling her into his arms. Under the moonlight, her skin glowed with a pale, luminous sheen, and her purple eyes seemed to hold an entire galaxy. He lowered his lips to hers, tasting the sweetness of the fruit wine and the unique fragrance that was uniquely hers. Catherine responded passionately, her arms winding around his neck, her body pressing tightly against his as if she wished to merge into his very soul.
They embraced on the terrace, the moonlight draping them in a silver veil. Hao Ran lifted her in his arms and carried her into the bedroom, her scarlet gown slipping off like a blooming dark rose. Bliss filled the air; Catherine's gasps were soft and delicate, her raven hair spreading across the pillow, swirling with every movement of her body. Hao Ran drowned himself in this ultimate happiness, forgetting all about Karl, the Conservative Faction, and every threat that loomed over them.
Yet this happiness was subtly eerie, in ways he could not quite name.
First, there was the silence of Karl and the Conservative Faction. By their usual ways, Karl would never let him escape unscathed, and the Conservatives would never abandon their covetous gaze on the "Source of Holy Blood." But these days, the area around the villa was eerily quiet—not a hint of danger, as if all the strife in the Black Forest had come to an abrupt halt.
Then there was the change in Catherine. She no longer carried the dignity and coldness of a noble; instead, she became unusually proactive, even wild in her charm. She would cling to him with all manner of seductive gestures, her words bold and straightforward—nothing like the noble, resilient vampire he had come to love. What troubled him most was her refusal to speak of Irina's whereabouts. Every time Hao Ran ventured to ask, she would cut him off with a kiss or an embrace, a fleeting look of panic flickering in her eyes.
But what sowed the deepest seeds of doubt was the anomaly of last night.
Last night's moon had been unusually bright, and Catherine's passion had been beyond anything he had known. In the heat of the moment, he had glanced down at her hair spread across the pillow—her once jet-black tresses had glinted with a faint deep gold under the moonlight, as if dusted with golden sand. He had thought it a trick of the light, but in the next instant, the deep gold had faded into a dazzling platinum, like snow dusted on black silk, striking and unmistakable.
Hao Ran's heart had sunk. He remembered clearly: Catherine's hair had always been pure black. Even when she changed her appearance for missions, she only ever chose deep gold—never such a brilliant, blinding platinum. He had tried to ask, but Catherine had silenced him with a more passionate kiss, her overwhelming allure clouding his judgment, pushing his doubts aside for the moment.
Tonight, the same scene played out again. The bedroom was lit by ambiguous candlelight, and Catherine's body coiled around him like a vine, her gasps sweet and alluring—but her voice was different. A few days ago, it had been soft and low; tonight, it was husky and breathy, like a different woman entirely.
Hao Ran's mind wavered once more. He looked at the woman before him, at her luminous skin in the candlelight, at the overwhelming desire in her eyes—but the doubts in his heart grew like ivy, twisting tighter and tighter. He reached out instinctively, brushing his fingers through her loose hair—and the moment his fingertips touched the strands, their color shifted again: from deep gold to medium gold, then flashing briefly with platinum.
This time, it was no illusion.
Vampires could indeed change their appearance and hair color, but never so frequently, so erratically, and never straying so far from their usual range. Moreover, though the woman before him had Catherine's exact face, she lacked the nobility etched into her very bones. Now, she was nothing but unbridled charm, like a lost courtesan plying her trade—nothing like the Catherine he knew, who had maintained her grace even in the heat of battle.
"No… you're not Catherine!"
Hao Ran pushed the woman away abruptly, the illusion shattering around him. He stumbled backward, only to realize he was completely naked—and he was not alone in the bedroom. Two other young, graceful female vampires sat on the edge of the bed, their faces wearing shy smiles, but their eyes glowing with greed and desire. One had light golden hair, the other platinum—exactly the colors he had seen in "Catherine's" hair these past few days.
"W-Who are you?" Hao Ran's voice trembled with a mix of shame and anger. He grabbed the sheet beside him, wrapping it around his body as he knelt down, unable to meet their gaze. His mind was a jumble of confusion—those days of apparent happiness, those moments of intimacy, had all been a lie.
Just as his thoughts spiraled into chaos, a soft body pressed against his back, her arms wrapping around his waist, her warm breath fanning his neck, carrying a cloying fragrance. A cold tongue licked gently at his neck, sending a shiver down his spine.
"Oh, Hao Ran, you're simply divine…" the woman purred, her voice dripping with seduction and a hint of mockery. "We went to such trouble to take the form you love most, to spend these happy days with you—how could you turn on us so suddenly?"
Hao Ran stiffened, spinning around sharply. Behind him stood the vampire who had伪装成 Catherine. She had dropped her disguise now, her light golden hair cascading over her shoulders, her green eyes glinting with cunning and desire—not a trace of Catherine remained.
"Did Karl send you?" Hao Ran's voice shook, anger and shame warring within him. He finally understood: from the moment he had escaped the dungeon, he had fallen into another, deeper trap. Karl had never given up on him; instead, he had used this despicable trick—illusion and female vampires—to seize control of his will, to drain his holy blood power.
The blonde vampire chuckled, her fingertips trailing down his back with a cold, teasing touch. "Lord Karl says," she purred, "if you cooperate, we'll let you drown in this bliss forever—no more strife, no more pain."
The other two female vampires closed in, their eyes raking over him greedily, as if admiring a rare treasure. Their fingertips brushed his arms, their cold touch making his skin prickle.
Hao Ran's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. As he looked at the three female vampires, their desire unmasked, he realized the foolish mistake he had made. He had indulged in false happiness, lowered his guard, and in doing so, had not escaped Karl's clutches—he had walked straight into a far more dangerous predicament.
The moonlight outside remained bright and clear, but the atmosphere in the bedroom had turned eerie and menacing. Hao Ran clutched the sheet tightly, his mind racing as he searched for a way to escape. He knew he had to get away quickly, to find the real Catherine, to expose Karl's conspiracy.
But now, he was surrounded by three female vampires, completely naked, his holy blood power not yet fully restored. This sudden crisis was far more desperate than facing Karl's runic cage in the dungeon.