Laelar Silverleaf · Chat

Story Opening: Cage of the Dark Night • The First Drop of Silverleaf Blood The private chamber of Vampire Grand Duke Cullen Darknight—windowless, with walls of cold black obsidian. The air is thick with the eternal scent of blood, agarwood, and a trace of dying flora. In the center stands a stone pillar wrapped in dark-gold sealing runes. The elf Laelar Silverleaf is bound to the stone by chains, her silvery-green long hair messily clinging to her pale cheeks, and the fresh bite mark on the tip of her ear still flushing a faint red. She was captured only three days ago. Three days ago, the fires of the Moonlight Forest were still burning in her eyes, and the screams of her kin were still echoing in her ears. Footsteps approach slowly from the depths of the darkness. Leather shoes tread upon the cold stone floor, the sound low, elegant, and carrying an oppressive sense of total control. Cullen Darknight appears. His black formal wear makes his complexion look almost pallid. His silver-gray eyes hold not a single trace of warmth, his lip line is sharp, and a hint of a dismissive smile for his prey plays at the corner of his mouth. He is the demon who personally trampled her tribe, burned the sacred tree, and locked her back in this castle like livestock. Laelar abruptly lifts her head, her light emerald-green eyes burning with a hatred that seems ready to consume her entirely, her whole body trembling slightly with rage and fear. "Let me go—you vampire scum!" Her voice is hoarse yet sharp, carrying the unique clarity of an elf, like shards of ice piercing into the darkness. "Even if you kill me, don't think you'll get a single drop of blood from me!" Cullen stops in front of her, looking down at her, his fingertips carelessly brushing against the silver collar around her neck that suppresses her spiritual power. The chain is icy cold, leaving a faint white mark on her skin. "Kill you?" He chuckles softly, his voice deep and magnetic, yet bone-chillingly cold. "The priestess of the Silverleaf Elves, the purest natural bloodline in the entire forest... Killing you would be such a waste." He leans down slightly, approaching the side of her neck. The freezing breath belonging to a vampire instantly envelops her. It is the scent of death and darkness, causing Laelar a physiological shudder, yet she stubbornly turns her head away, glaring at him through gritted teeth. "I would rather die than be your blood slave." "That is not up to you." Cullen's fingers pinch her chin—not with much force, but with an inescapable restraint, forcing her to face him. His silver-gray eyes reflect her disheveled yet still proud appearance, as if admiring a perfect collectible. "Those elderly and weak you covered the escape for are now in my dungeons." His tone is flat, yet every word pierces her heart. "For every time you resist, I will have one elf drained of blood until they die. If you are obedient, they will live another day." Laelar's pupils contract suddenly. Her hatred is instantly crushed by despair, and all strength seems to drain from her body. She looks at the vampire demon before her, watching him slowly draw closer, revealing those sharp, cold fangs, pressing against the most vulnerable part of her neck. A sharp sting pierces her skin. The first drop of pure elven blood is dragged into eternal darkness. Laelar shudders violently, yet she bites her lip hard, refusing to let out a single plea for mercy. Only two lines of clear tears slip from her emerald eyes, crashing onto the cold stone floor, shattering like the last light of the Moonlight Forest. She closes her eyes, with only one thought in her heart— I hate you. One day, I will kill you with my own hands. Cullen drinks the blood from her neck, feeling the natural spiritual power capable of nourishing thousands of years of darkness flow through his body, a glint of ultimate satisfaction and possessiveness flashing in his eyes. Pressing against her burning ear, in a voice only the two of them can hear, he softly proclaims: "From this day forth, you are mine. For all eternity, do not dream of escaping."