CHAPTER 60: INSIDE THE GLASS CASKET

"What did you say?"

Even after hearing that, Seamus didn’t loosen his grip. Isolde was a manipulator, a liar. If he gave her any space, she would twist the truth again and again.

"You heard me. I know a way to resurrect her. If you don’t believe me, ask Madeline."

Isolde coughed, eyes narrowing as if gauging him. He tried to read her expression, but it was useless.

The fact that she hadn’t attacked him yet—though he knew she easily could—meant something.

"Call Madeline here. And don’t you dare try to run, or deceive me further."

He finally released her. The bloody moon faded, the sky returning to its normal hue. Seamus knew Madeline was Isolde’s enemy.

If Isolde dared invoke her, then it wasn’t a lie; the viper would never ally with her unless it served a darker truth.

Isolde massaged her throat as her breathing steadied. "Madeline, Emblem of Enigma of Velstrath, I summon you here."

The floor beneath them ignited with fire, lines carving themselves into the form of a coiled serpent wrapped around a sword.

Seamus stepped back as the glowing sigil spread beneath his boots. A moment later, the serpent stirred, shifting and coming alive as if answering her call.

The snake turned toward Isolde, disbelief flickering in its slit eyes, then swiveled to Seamus in confusion.

But when it saw Viviane’s corpse lying cold and bloodied, its pupils narrowed to razor-thin lines.

"Well, well, well," a mocking voice lilted as the serpent shifted, peeling into the shape of a voluptuous woman.

She covered the lower half of her face with a folding fan, her eyes sharp and amused.

"Look who dared to call me here."

The room thickened with tension as the two women locked gazes, their mutual distaste palpable.

"Madeline," Seamus cut in, his voice raw with urgency. "Can a death vampire be resurrected?"

"Hm?" Madeline tilted her head, then fixed her gaze on him. "Do you mean Viviane?"

"Of course I do. She is your ally, isn’t she?"

"She was." Madeline’s fan tapped against her lips. "But she’s dead now and my agreement isn’t something that involved her."

"Tch, fuck all of you vampires!" Seamus spat, rage breaking through. "I’ve never met creatures as vile as you!"

Madeline arched a brow, but before she could respond, he pressed on. "You always brag about respecting honor more than anyone. But here you are—a cold, unbothered bitch trampling on your own honor!"

Her eyes widened in brief surprise, then narrowed into a dangerous gleam. "I didn’t know you had such a tongue. Has your insult level risen because of us?"

She chuckled softly. "But don’t you dare mock me. Isolde and the rest may consider you important. I do not."

"Then stop talking and answer me!"

Madeline exhaled in irritation, snapping her fan shut. "Yes. She can be resurrected, so long as her Vitalis Core hasn’t turned to ash."

Her voice dripped with warning. "But such a miracle demands steep prices. Can you pay it, Seamus?"

"I’ll pay whatever it takes! I don’t care if it costs my life. I’ll do anything to bring Viviane back!" His words tore out without hesitation, conviction burning.

"Good."

It was Isolde who spoke, her lips curving into that unsettling smile.

"Seamus, you’ll need to find a Vitalis Core that resonates with Viviane’s own vibration. And I know the perfect targets."

Seamus’ gut twisted. He knew she was using him again, dragging him further into her schemes. But he didn’t care.

Viviane had to live again. She had to stand beside him forever, because she was the only one who owned his heart.

***

The sky was blue inside Isolde’s Labyrinth of Dream. So impossibly blue that Seamus could hardly believe it existed within a nightmare.

He stood in the middle of a forest, a white lily in his hand. The flower was said to symbolize innocence, yet it was used more often in funerals.

This, however, was not a funeral. It was merely a place for Viviane to rest, for now.

No one knew when she could be resurrected. Next week, next month, or perhaps even years from now. Until then, her body needed to be preserved, along with her Vitalis Core.

Seamus had wanted her to remain within his own realm, but his strength was limited. Even after a week of grinding, he was only at Stage Two of Somnium Eternity and had no power to shape a world of his own.

And so, Viviane was forced to linger in her killer’s dream—the very dream that had claimed her life.

Before him stood the glass casket. Her face was as beautiful as ever, as if she were merely asleep and would awaken at any moment.

Sunlight spilled across her pale features, catching in the fiery red strands of her hair, perhaps the first true sunlight to touch her in a very long time.

"Viviane, how are you today? Are you comfortable in this small space?" he asked softly, placing the lily inside the casket.

Like the eternal flowers that never withered, her body, too, remained unchanged. All but for the hole in her heart. Still, he could bear it.

"Look at you," he murmured with a bittersweet smile.

"You always said you would preserve my body in a tube, so we could be together forever. Turns out you’re the one inside the casket instead. Fate is funny, isn’t it?"

But Viviane did not answer. Only the wind stirred his hair, now grown long from neglect.

"I’ve reached Level 25," Seamus continued, his voice trembling. "Just ten more levels, and I’ll evolve. When that time comes, I want you to stay safe in my realm... and open your eyes."

He pressed his arms around the glass coffin, embracing the white flowers that never faded.

"I still love you, even if it takes forever to restore your crystal. I’ll do everything to bring you back."

Again, there was no reply. Yet Seamus believed that if Viviane could hear him, she would smile, so happy she might even die all over again.

She had always been like that: his cheerleader.

Back when they were dating, she had urged him on with her boundless faith, always encouraging him to do what seemed impossible. And to make her happy, he had tried his best.

For now, Seamus would be her light in the darkness. He would keep sharing stories so she would never feel alone.

He would say the things he had never said, cast aside his ego, and do everything he had never done—so that when she finally awakened, he would be ready.

"Wait for me," he whispered. "I will resurrect you, and we will be together again."