Chapter 4 Lucifiel’s POV

It has been over a century since I started hunting them. They took my peace away, so I took theirs.

The hunters took something from me that could not be replaced, and I made sure they understood that before they died.

I followed them across regions, across countries, across generations. Some tried to hide under new identities. Some even built families, thinking distance would protect them.

It did not.

Every time I found one, I made sure the rest knew what had happened. Fear spreads faster than blood.

Over time, their numbers dropped. Their connections disappeared. And the name “hunter” stopped carrying weight in the supernatural world. They became stories, then warnings… then nothing.

But one of them managed to stay hidden.

I knew that because of the prophecy.

A prophecy that existed long before I was turned.

Most vampires ignored it. Some believed it. At first, I did not care either way.

It stated that the blood of a specific hunter could turn a vampire human again.

I had no interest in becoming human.

But there was another version of that prophecy. One that was less spoken about.

If a vampire drained that hunter completely, it would not just reverse what they were.

It would end them completely. That was the part that interested me. At some point, it became the only part that mattered.

 Living for centuries does not feel the way humans think it does. It is not exciting. It is not endless pleasure.

It becomes repetition.

Time stops meaning anything. People disappear. Places change. Nothing stays long enough to matter.

After a while, even power loses its value.

Humans have created many misconceptions about vampires. Some believe we can't walk in the sun. Others think we lose control and kill at first sight. None of that is true.

But we let them believe it.

As long as they continue to think we are not real, it works in our favor.

I did not start the hunt because I wanted to die. But at some point, I stopped caring if I did. The idea of an end stopped being a threat.

Kael and Rahul remained by my side after all these years. I ended up turning Kael completely, not just healing him. 

 When I mentioned attending the fundraiser, both of them opposed it. In the end, it did not matter. I went anyway.

And it paid off.

He looked exactly the way he did in my dreams. If anything… better.

I watched him longer than I intended to.

The way he moved. The way he avoided attention while still observing everything around him.

  I wonder if his blood tastes as good as he looks. If he truly is the last of them, then there is no reason to rush.

I will take my time with him. After he left my class, I sent him a message. The same way I had before.

I told you I had a job for you.

He did not reply.So I sent another.

I don’t like being ignored, Levi.

His name suits him. I will make good use of it.

I had Rahul assign someone to follow him from the moment I confirmed who he was.

But that does not mean I do not enjoy watching him react.

The unease. The awareness that something is wrong, even if he cannot explain it.

It has been… interesting.

“Lucie, you’re starting to act childish.” Kael’s voice came through the phone, laced with irritation.

“I called you late in the afternoon,” I said. “You’ve had enough sleep.”

“You could have waited,” he muttered. “Some of us still value rest.”

“Stop acting old. I need you to do something.”

 “What is it, my lord?” he asked, the sarcasm obvious.

“Get me an invitation to the Circle.”

Silence.

 “Don’t tell me you’re serious.”

“I am,” I replied. “Stop asking unnecessary questions and do as you’re told.”

Kael exhaled sharply. “I think it’s too early to bring him in.”

“It’s only the first floor,” I said. “And he will be ready when I say so.”

 He went silent again before responding, “…Fine.”

The Thorne Circle is simply its current name. It has changed over the years, adapting to whatever era it exists in. At its core, it has always been the same. Exclusivity at its core.

  Built for people who understand power. Maintaining something like that for decades is not difficult when you have the right resources.

And I have more than enough.

I stayed late at the office. Working as a professor is not new to me. I have taken on many roles over the years.

Teacher. Doctor. Researcher.

I have learned more languages than I care to count. I do not work because I need money.

I work because it allows me access.

People reveal more than they realize when they believe they are safe.

It makes things easier.

Levi is no different from the others.

Not on the surface anyway. He struggles, he works, and tries to survive.

The only thing that separates him from the rest…

is his blood.

Inviting him to the Circle benefits both of us. He gets what he needs. And I get what is mine. This is only the beginning. The first step. He was always mine. Long before he was born.

He just does not know it yet. And soon…

he will.