On the seventh year of my Blood Oath with vampire Sean Wright, the heat struck me, but he was nowhere to be seen.

By midnight, he finally showed up, an unconscious woman in his arms.

Leaving me curling up in pain on the bed, he carried her back to his room and anxiously called for the butler.

"Check if she's alright!"

The butler cautiously told him about my condition, but Sean cut him off with annoyance. "You think I'm in the mood to drink her blood right now? Just tell her to tough it out. She won't die."

My last glimmer of hope shattered. I could only grit my teeth and make a few long cuts on my body to bleed myself for self-rescue.

After what felt like an eternity of convulsions, the torture finally ended.

Lying in a pool of blood, I sent out my message before I passed out.

"You have my word. I'll break my oath with him within three days, and you'll be my new master."

When I woke up the next day, my wounds had been bandaged, and the heavy scent of blood in the air was replaced by a faint wisp of smoke.

The butler must've helped me.

Feeling dizzy, I struggled to get up and put on my coat to hide the hideous wounds, wanting to thank him.

Right after I stepped out of my room, I bumped into Sean.

He looked me over. Seeing that I seemed fine, he ordered indifferently, "Prepare a meal for me."

I nodded, but another wave of dizziness hit me. I had to steady myself against the wall, and Sean had already turned around.

As usual, I brought a bowl of animal blood to his room.

Stealing a look at the woman from last night in the bed, I withdrew my gaze and approached Sean.

After a glance at the bowl, he frowned. Then he knocked it over, the blood staining my coat.

"What the hell are you doing? Take it away!" he snarled, trying to keep his voice down.

But the woman was woken anyway.

Sean immediately leaned forward and asked how she was feeling, his face etched with worry.

She was fine, just a bit hungry. As her stomach rumbled, she stuck out her tongue, giving a shy smile.

Sean relaxed and gently pinched her cheek. Then he turned and urged me to re-prepare the meal.

Only then did I realize I got it wrong. This woman wasn't a vampire; like me, she was also a human.

Stepping out of his room in silence, I heard their conversation at the door.

"Is she a vampire like you?" Chelsea Vasquez sounded curious about me.

"No. She's my blood slave.”

"We signed a Blood Oath, so I can only feed from her alone. You have nothing to worry about. I won't harm you."

A human-vampire Blood Oath was valid for five years only. I should have left a long time ago, but I chose to stay here for him.

But he only saw me as a blood slave, a blood bank.

I had been clinging to a false hope all along.

I numbly walked away, took off my blood-stained coat, removed the damp bandages, and went into the kitchen to prepare food for Chelsea.

Just then, I heard footsteps behind me; the smell of the blood drew Sean here. "Why do I smell blood?"

Then he saw the horrifying wounds on my arms.

He pulled me close, his gaze inscrutable.

"Did ... you do this to yourself last night?"

When the heat flared up, the master had to drink the slave's blood. Otherwise, the slave must carve at least seven cuts. Lucky one could make it through, while the others would end up in shock and die.

I was one of the lucky ones. Just like he said, I toughened it out, and I didn't die.

Only my unrealistic expectations of him died.

I pulled my hand back, telling him I was fine.

My indifferent attitude made him scowl.

"You're blaming me for not helping you," he stated.

"I wouldn't dare."

He turned off the faucet, stopping me from washing vegetables.

"You're injured. Stay away from water."

That commanding tone again... I stubbornly held the food in my hand, not letting go.

After a few seconds of standoff, he snorted, "Suit yourself."

Then he turned to leave. But after taking a few steps, he stopped and said in a low voice, "I'll help you the next time."

I remained silent, for there wouldn't be a next time.

The castle was as dim as ever, with only a few candles burning on the candelabras.

I lit a candle to check the castle's light-blocking conditions. If I pulled the curtains open even just a little bit, the harsh light from outside would pour in.

Having lived here for a long time, I was already used to it. But clearly, it was a different case for Chelsea. She told Sean she wanted to go out to bask in the sun.

With affection in his eyes, he said, "OK."

When I first came here a few years ago, I made a similar request. Back then, he emphasized to me that vampires should steer clear of light, and the only way to survive in this world was to live by rules.

Reading the room was a blood slave's survival instinct, so I never made such requests again.

Now I realized he could have agreed to my request. But he chose not to because, unlike Chelsea, I wasn't worth it.

Taking Sean's hand, Chelsea walked over to me with a bright smile, asking me if I wanted to tag along. I was stunned for a second before lowering my head and saying, "I'll stay here to prepare your meal."

Her smile faded a bit as she heard my answer, and she seemed a bit disappointed. Noticing that, Sean looked at me and ordered, "You'll come with us.

"Get the meal ready and bring it along."

I looked up at him. The candlelight illuminated my expressionless face, and only then did he notice my pale lips due to a loss of blood.

He then added, his tone softening a bit, "You're hurt badly, so just get me animal blood for the next few days."

Chelsea grabbed my hand holding the candle and echoed, "Come with us, OK? I bet it's been ages since the last time you enjoyed some sunshine."

I was a bit in a trance as I felt the warmth of another human's touch, missing the wax dripping down.

Sean's eyes flickered as he quickly pulled her hand away.

In the next second, my fingertip hurt. I glanced at their hands clasping together and used the other hand to hold the candle.

Then I said, "I'll go get the meal ready then."

After rinsing the burn under cold water, I circled a date on the calendar.

The day I drew the third circle would be the day my Blood Oath with Sean reached its full term, and I'd have a chance to break it.

After getting everything ready, I pushed open the doors and was instantly bathed in the sunlight.

I had been living in the dark for thousands of days already, and my first instinct was to hide myself.

On the contrary, in a black robe, Sean didn't resist at all when Chelsea grabbed him and ran out.

Behind them, I took a step forward cautiously. Plucking up my courage, I stepped outside and was bathed in the long-missed natural light. As my exposed skin gradually sensed the warmth of the light, somehow, I suddenly felt the urge to cry.

Then I habitually looked around for that familiar figure, only to see Chelsea on her tiptoe.

"Can I see your fangs?" She was healthy, and her figure was well-proportioned. Her long hair under the sunlight was radiant, and the smile on her face was utterly eye-catching.

Placing his hands on her waist, Sean drew back his hood at her request. He smiled, his pupils narrowing. In the next second, even I, standing from afar, saw his two fangs, the signature of a vampire.

He didn't worry he'd attack her because I—his blood slave—was here.

In an unnoticed corner, I took a few steps back.

Hiding in the shadows, I let the tree shade cover my withered hair and hid my bony, hideous hands in my sleeves.

Soon, the sun set, and darkness was looming.

It'd be my shift soon, so I walked out and said I should go back first.

The surprised look on Sean's face suggested he assumed I had already left. He was about to say something when Chelsea beat him to it, saying to him, "It's time for me to go, too. Could you see me off?"

Of course, he would. Since I was here, too, he said to me, "I'll take you there as well."

The border train was the transportation between the vampire world and the human world, and my other job was workingnight shifts, patrolling the train station platform every day.

This was the first time Sean offered to take me there.

Fatigue washed over me, and I turned down his sudden whim, saying, "No need. Mr. Wright, you can just see Ms. Vasquez off."

Sensing something off, he walked over to me and insisted, "I'll take you there."

Chelsea also noticed something as she watched us interact and linked arms with him.

Then she said to me, "If it's on the way, why don't you come with us?

"I heard you've known Sean for a long time already. Maybe you can tell me more about him."

I could tell she was defensive of me.

Sean patted her hand, obviously pleased by her words.

I suddenly realized I didn't know him at all; at least I had never seen this side of him before.

Anyway, I didn't refuse them again. I bowed and said respectfully, "Thank you, Mr. Wright. Thank you, Ms. Vasquez."

As I straightened, I met Sean's eyes.

All I did was what a servant was supposed to do, though he never asked me to bow to him.

After arriving at the border train platform, I was about to go to the duty room to put my things there when Sean suddenly grabbed me.

He said, "Wait for me to come back. I'll take you back after I'm done."

Come back? Would he come back tonight?

I didn't ask because I noticed Chelsea staring at his hand covering mine.

In the next second, my beeper sounded; my colleague was looking for me. So, I nodded hurriedly.

Soon, Sean and Chelsea boarded the night train heading toward the human world and disappeared from my sight.

Nothing happened during the routine inspections. As the hour hand on the platform clock ticked, the number of vampires coming and going waxed and waned.

Sean was still nowhere to be seen until the last train arrived.

I came back to the duty room and lay prone on the desk, feeling exhausted. Before I realized it, I fell asleep.

I wouldn't wait for those who'd never show up or bother with empty promises.

As I opened my eyes again, I saw a familiar ceiling.

There Sean was, sitting by the bed.

A sweet aroma wafted over me, and I turned my head to see a slice of cake on the nightstand.

"It's for you," Sean said.

In the dim light, I met his gaze.

Then I quickly looked away and said "Thanks" in a flat tone.

Clearly, my reaction wasn't what he was expecting. He pursed his lips and explained a bit irritably, "Something urgent came up last night. I didn't mean to leave you there waiting for me. Chelsea..."

"It's fine," I interrupted him, not interested in his excuse.

He had left me behind waiting for him so many times already; once more didn't make me feel a thing.

When had I last eaten? Feeling a bit dizzy, I reached out for the cake.

Being cut off, Sean seemed a bit displeased. He said, "Chelsea is right—women do dig sweet things like this. What else do humans eat?"

My hand froze slightly in mid-air.

I realized something.

He bought a cake for Chelsea, and this slice was nothing but an afterthought.

Withdrawing my hand, I lay back in bed while enduring the discomfort, looking listless. "Why don't you ask Ms. Vasquez?"

"You..." He choked on my words and frowned at me.

Then his phone rang.

His expression changed as he saw the message; then he stood up and left hurriedly without saying a word.

I drew another circle on the calendar.

Then I gave the butler the slice of cake to thank him for dressing my wounds.

After taking a few bites and changing my bandages, I went to the border train platform.

A colleague of mine was also a blood slave. She was surprised to see me arrive so early and then told me she had seen Sean earlier.

"A pretty human woman came here alone. Can you believe it? There were vampires everywhere on the platform. She almost caused a commotion.

" If Mr. Wright hadn't shown up in time, she would have been in danger.

"They hugged. Who's her to him?"

Overwhelmed by bitterness, I lowered and shook my head, saying I didn't know.

Then I gave her the cookies I had baked and asked her about the conditions for breaking a Blood Oath, which was why I had come here early today.

She had successfully broken hers once and was now a blood slave to her second master.

She was surprised when I brought this up and wanted to ask for more; however, at the sight of the wounds on my arms, she swallowed back her words. In the end, she asked nothing and just patted my shoulder while telling me what she knew.

After saying bye to her, I quit my job at the train station and went back to the castle through the thick night.

As soon as I pushed the door open, I felt something off.

The clothes were scattered on the floor, and muffled groans filled the air.

Following a few strands of lights, I walked forward to a wide-open door. In the next second, I saw Sean. His pupils had darkened to a deep crimson, and he was drinking Chelsea's blood with his fangs buried in her neck. Beneath him, Chelsea didn't struggle at all. She placed her hands on his waist, meekly letting him take whatever he desired.

The bag in my hand fell to the floor. Hearing the sound, Sean immediately looked up at me, his gaze sharp. In the next second, he raised his hand and hurled a glass vase at me without hesitation. It struck my shoulder heavily before shattering on the floor, causing a deafening sound.

"Get out!"

I snapped back to reality and realized what they were doing.

The Embrace—a vampire would drain a human's blood to mark the human as their own and then feed the human their own blood. In such a way, the human would turn into a vampire.

I remained motionless for a few seconds after Sean's furious roar. Then I picked up the Oath Necklace he had casually tossed on the floor and left the room.