CHAPTER 667: [BLOOD MOON WAR] [12] AMAYA

"How is she?" I asked, eyeing Alicia as she knelt beside the woman sprawled unconscious on the grass.

"I think she’s okay, but..." Alicia hesitated, keeping her gaze pointed firmly at the ground. "Could you please put something on?"

It took me a second to register her discomfort—then I looked down and remembered I was still shirtless.

"My clothes are soaked in blood," I muttered as I dug into my spatial ring. I pulled out a spare top. It wasn’t my usual hoodie, just a plain black pullover, but it would do.

As I slipped it on, I couldn’t help mumbling, "Honestly, if I were really extreme, I’d have ditched the pants too."

Alicia shot me a sharp look.

Yeah, maybe not the best joke.

Once dressed, I walked over and crouched beside the woman, her long hair splayed messily around her pale face. She hadn’t stirred since we pulled her from the blood-drenched lake, her breathing shallow but steady.

I reached out slowly, almost instinctively, my hand hovering near her cheek.

"What are you doing?" Alicia asked.

"Huh... I don’t know," I said quietly, pulling my hand back. What was I doing?

I leaned closer, scanning her features. She looked... different. But something about her—something faint, flickering just beneath the surface—reminded me of Elizabeth.

"I just felt like... for a second, it was Elizabeth," I whispered, the words escaping before I could stop them unable to hide the brief pain in my expression

"Senior..." Alicia gently placed a hand on mine.

I shook my head, trying to clear the fog. "Sorry. That was stupid."

I stood up, brushing the dirt off my knees. I was already carrying enough weight—I didn’t need to pile mine onto others.

Spotting the well nearby, I headed toward it and started turning the crank. The rope creaked as the bucket rose, water sloshing inside. It wasn’t much, but it was clean. I brought it over to Alicia.

"Here," I said, holding it out. "Use this to clean her up."

Alicia blinked. "Clean her?"

"She’s covered in blood. Her face, arms, legs. We don’t know what kind of wounds she has—or what was in that lake. She could get infected."

She stared at me like I’d grown a second head.

I raised an eyebrow. "Want me to do it instead?"

It wasn’t just for her sake.

All that dried blood—it weirded me out.

Like she might still be dying, inch by inch.

I had seen enough blood for a while.

"Or maybe her Highness doesn’t get her hands dirty? Should I fetch a maid?" I asked Alicia.

"Ugh, fine!" Alicia snapped, snatching the bucket. "But turn around."

I gave a small nod and walked back toward the well. Another bucket sat beside it, so I looped the rope through its handle and drew up more water. I splashed it over my face, letting the cold wash away the grime and sweat. Then I drank deeply, the coolness refreshing my parched throat.

By the time I returned, Alicia had wiped the blood from the woman’s face, hair, arms, and legs. With the stains gone, I could finally see her properly—and she was stunning. Almost unnaturally so.

She had the poise of someone born into nobility... yet something about her was still wild, otherworldly. Who was she? And what the hell was she doing in that lake of blood?

I knelt beside her again, reaching out with one finger to gently poke her cheek—but before I could touch her, her eyes snapped open.

They stared past me, unfocused, locked on the sky above.

I froze, my hand hanging awkwardly midair.

Then I drew back. "Who are you?" I asked quietly.

The woman turned her head toward me. She slowly pushed herself upright. As she did, her black gown slid off one shoulder in a smooth, careless motion.

Without thinking, I reached out and pulled it back up, covering her.

"You should be more mindful of your surroundings," I said.

She didn’t seem to notice the mess around her—or maybe she just didn’t care. Standing there in silence, she slowly reached a pale hand toward the sky.

I followed her gaze.

Her fingers stretched out, as if trying to grasp the red moon that loomed above us, massive and ominous. Its eerie glow bathed the scene in crimson light, casting her in an almost ghostly silhouette.

"Hey," I called out, unsure if she was just ignoring me or genuinely spaced out. "You hear me? Or are you deaf? Maybe mute?"

She turned her head slowly. Alicia, standing beside me, shot me a glare—clearly not pleased with my choice of words. Yeah, maybe I was being a little blunt, but we were standing next to what could’ve been a literal lake of blood. I figured a little urgency was justified.

She could’ve drowned in that mess.

"I... am thirsty," the woman finally said, glancing toward me. Her voice was soft—dry, even.

I blinked. "Thirsty for what?"

Please not what I think you’re about to say.

"Blood," she answered plainly.

I stared at her.

"You were just knee-deep in blood like, ten seconds ago. Want me to toss you back in? You could probably bottle enough for the month," I offered her.

"Senior Edward..." Alicia grimaced.

I ignored her. "What’s your name?" I asked the woman directly.

"I... don’t know," she mumbled.

"You don’t know?" I repeated, frowning.

She nodded. "Edward," she added suddenly.

"Yeah, that’s me."

"I need blood," she repeated.

This was going downhill fast.

I turned to Alicia. "Hey, the princess here needs some blood."

Alicia let out an audible grumble, clearly not thrilled about being volunteered. Still, she nodded with reluctant understanding. The woman didn’t look good—pale, shaky, probably seconds away from passing out or doing something stupid. Still, there was something about the way she said ’blood’ that made me uneasy.

Alicia was just about to roll up her sleeve when, without warning, the woman lunged at me.

"What the—?!"

She tackled me to the ground with surprising strength, straddling me before I could even process what was happening. Her hands braced on either side of my face, eyes locked onto mine, wide and glowing faintly red.

Then, slowly, she leaned down.

I instinctively shut my eyes, bracing for the sharp pain of fangs—only to feel her breath against my neck... and then a soft sniffing sound.

"W–What are you doing?" I asked, trying to twist away.

"I need blood, Edward," she whispered.

"Yeah, I got that. Still don’t remember signing a permission slip," I muttered through clenched teeth.

That’s when her eyes flared—bright crimson, piercing. A shiver ran down my spine.

But before she could bite, Alicia stepped in.

"Calm down—ah!"

Too late.

In a blur, the woman turned and tackled Alicia instead. They hit the ground hard, and before I could react, the woman sank her fangs deep into Alicia’s neck.

"Ahn!"

That sound.

I pushed myself upright, staring in disbelief. The woman was practically draped over Alicia, her mouth latched onto her neck, drinking with the hunger of a starving predator. Alicia squirmed beneath her, her hands weakly grasping the woman’s shoulders. Her cheeks were flushed, her legs shifting slightly against the dirt in discomfort.

The scene unfolding in front of me felt... wrong.

Like I was watching something intimate. Something private. Something I definitely shouldn’t be seeing.

And honestly... it was kind of erotic.

Which only made it worse.

"Ah... ah..."

Alicia’s breath came in ragged gasps, her body trembling slightly as the woman finally pulled away. Blood stained the curve of her neck, trickling slowly down her skin. She looked disheveled, flushed, dazed.

The woman’s lips still glistened with crimson, but her eyes... her eyes weren’t focused on us anymore. She stared off away, her expression distant.

I approached her cautiously.

"Well," I muttered, trying to break the silence, "you were clearly thirsty to just leap on her like that."

She didn’t reply. Blood still dripped faintly from the corner of her mouth, but her attention was fixed somewhere far beyond this town. I followed her gaze... but saw nothing.

"I have to leave," she mumbled suddenly, turning away.

"Wait." I reached out and caught her arm before she could disappear into the woods. "First—who are you? You can’t just bite someone, say a few cryptic words, and walk away."

She looked at me—really looked at me—for the first time.

"Elizabeth," she said.

I blinked. "Huh?"

"You called me Elizabeth," she added. "Why?"

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out at first. My tongue felt thick. My thoughts scattered. "That’s... I don’t know. You just... reminded me of someone."

Elizabeth. Why had I said that name?

I had no idea.

"There you are."

I spun around instantly, alert.

Alicia, still recovering, struggled to stand upright, her hand pressed to her neck.

A figure was approaching us—his footsteps echoed unnaturally across the dirt, too loud for someone moving so lightly.

Every instinct in my body screamed at me.

Danger.

This man was bad news.

He had tousled, sea-blue hair that flowed like waves frozen in motion and eyes of deep, unnatural crimson. A vampire, no doubt—but something about him was... wrong. Too refined. Too calm.

He didn’t even acknowledge me as he strolled past, eyes only flicking to Alicia briefly. Dismissive. Unconcerned.

"You can’t disappear like that, Amaya," he said with a smile. "You’ve kept the Witch waiting."

Amaya.

So that was her name.

But that name... it echoed oddly in my mind.

Elizabeth Amaya?

Elizabeth’s second name was Amaya.

No.

No time to spiral into that now.

"Come," he continued, reaching out a hand toward her. "She grows impatient."

Amaya didn’t move.

She didn’t even blink.

His smile faltered slightly, then vanished altogether.

With a flicker, he vanished—then reappeared behind me in an instant, standing at Amaya’s side.

I spun around fast, heart pounding.

What the hell?

He reached out again, fingers brushing beneath Amaya’s chin, lifting it gently. "You will come with me."

I didn’t know what possessed me, but my fist moved on its own.

-BAM!

He raised his arm and caught my punch mid-air with casual ease, but this time his gaze finally shifted fully onto me.

He blinked once, then turned his crimson eyes toward Alicia.

"A human," he said slowly. "And a vampire. How... interesting."

"Who the hell are you?" I asked, glaring.

He tightened his grip on my fist. It felt like a steel vice.

Then, he smiled coldly.

"Since you’re about to die, I’ll humor you. I am Lakalros. You lesser creatures may know me as the King of the Crimson Seas."

Alicia’s eyes widened in horror. "S–Senior!" she gasped. "That name—he’s... he’s one of the Witch’s Blood Lords!"

Blood Lords.

I remembered the name from class. The Witch’s elite commanders.

My eyes darted to Amaya.

She was still staring at me.

And in those eyes... I saw something.

Hesitation. Resistance.

She didn’t want to follow him. I was sure of it.

I shouldn’t care. I didn’t even know her. This wasn’t my fight.

But...

Why couldn’t I walk away?

I gritted my teeth and took a single step back.

"Just leave," I said evenly. "We don’t want trouble."

Lakalros raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Bold. You have some presence of mind. For that alone, I’ll spare your life, human."

He turned back toward Amaya.

"Don’t make me drag you, little Amaya."

She hesitated then slowly began walking toward him.

"Senior..." Alicia whispered, looking at me anxiously. But I didn’t respond.

I couldn’t.

My eyes were locked on Amaya’s retreating back. My heartbeat thumped louder with every step she took away from me. That feeling in my chest—it wouldn’t stop.

I didn’t know her.

I had no reason to care.

But my instincts wouldn’t let it go.

I clenched my fists.

"...!"

-BAAAM!

In a flash, I was behind Lakalros. My fist collided with his ribs in a brutal strike.

This time, he didn’t block it.

He was sent flying several meters, skidding across the dirt, his wrist twisting at a grotesque angle.

I’d activated Wrath.

The force behind the punch was abnormally strong even for a Vampire like him.

Lakalros slowly picked himself up, blood dripping from his lips, his wrist already beginning to mend with a sickening crunch.

Then he smiled.

"Interesting."