03 The Sound of a Heartbeat

(Kyle's pov)

Escaping from the Elven Kingdom's dungeon, it's already been... forget it, I don't even know how long I've been running.

Without the nourishment of The Tree of Life, without the faith of elven power, my body has become increasingly weak.

Sereis, my dear brother, if this is what you wanted, then your purpose has been achieved.

I never imagined that the person who framed me would be you... you know, from childhood, whatever you wanted I would give you.

Why on earth did you do this?

Was it for the position of Elven King? No, I'm unwilling to believe it.

I pull tight the hood on my body, trying every means to block out all approach of sunlight.

As a dark elf abandoned by The Tree of Life, sunlight makes me suffer unbearably.

However, more painful than all this is the betrayal of close relatives and dear friends.

I'm like a rat in a gutter, desperately begging for a path to survival.

My steps become stumbling, my vision gradually blurs. I have no way back, and where is my destination?

Just wandering aimlessly like this, on a gloomy night, I arrive at a small town.

I touch my heartbeat. It's getting weaker and weaker.

Without a magic power source, I can't hold on much longer.

The Tree of Life has already abandoned me, it won't supply magic power to me anymore.

I only have one method left—absorb the blood of creatures with magic power, or directly eat them.

This will give me temporary magic power, extending my life.

I'm unwilling to do this.

If I really do this, I can never go back. I must find blood willingly献给 me...

It's gotten dark, my movements are a bit more convenient.

A sweet smell comes through the air. I try hard to sniff, my steps involuntarily walking toward a house with lights on.

"Bang!" Damn it, didn't watch my feet, tripped and fell.

Someone's coming out.

I narrow my eyes, trying hard to see the person clearly.

A young woman, has the smell of magic power, but obviously has no attack power. What's she holding in her hand, a bottle?

My Tree of Life, she couldn't possibly think a bottle could deal with me, could she?

What a naive and foolish woman.

"Ah!"

The foolish woman is actually scared by the thunder. She seems about to fall.

Protecting ladies is etiquette nobles learn from childhood. Even becoming a dark elf, I can't forget this kind of body memory.

I catch her.

"You..." I want to ask if she's hurt, but she actually attacks me!

I saved her, yet she viciously struck my teeth with a bottle?! As expected, humans are all untrustworthy. Since she's discovered me, I can't easily let her go. How about a forgetting spell? Or directly knock her out and look for some food while I'm at it?

I want to throw this woman down, but unexpectedly she actually breaks the bottle.

Oh, damn it, I'm really too weak, there's no way to release a spell!

A trace of determination flashes in the woman's eyes. With some kind of death-defying resolve, she inserts her fingers into my mouth.

What is she doing?

From my birth from The Tree of Life, I was designated as the Grand Prince of the Elves, one of the heirs to the Elven throne. At the same time, as an intelligent long-lived race, a noble elf aristocrat, I inherited countless knowledge and magic power from predecessors... I pride myself on being quite knowledgeable, yet I've never seen such a woman!

A sweet and fishy liquid flows into my oral cavity. Something warm and slender presses down on my tongue.

I instinctively want to resist this foreign object sensation, but the next instant, all my resistance crumbles.

Her blood is blood rich in magic power.

She's not a mage. She doesn't have that kind of arrogance.

She's also not a magical race. I'm very certain she's a human.

She has no aggression. Although she seems to be attacking me now, I can sense she doesn't want to kill me. She has no hostility toward me, only vigilance.

This makes me think of the little deer in the elven forest.

And what this woman is doing now is no different from a little deer showing goodwill to a hunter.

She delivered her fresh blood to my mouth.

She actually let a dark elf who lost his magic power source feed on her fresh blood.

I look at her eyes. Deep brown gems reflect my appearance.

I must look very ugly now. Without golden shining long hair, without snow-like skin.

I'm a dark elf, forever unable to see light.

An inexplicable emotion sweeps over me, making my rationality waver somewhat.

She just looks at me with bright eyes like this, her brown curly hair fluffy, like an angry little lion.

I can't resist this temptation.

The resistance of my tongue tip turns active. I no longer resist the invasion of blood, letting myself be stained with her scent.

The coldness throughout my body is melted by scorching heat. Vigorous vitality pulls me back from the edge of death. My four limbs and hundred bones, from inside to outside, I've already been branded with her mark.

Giving blood to a dark elf is signing a contract with a dark elf.

From now on, she is my magic power source, my exclusive—The Tree of Life.

My heartbeat becomes stronger and stronger. My physical condition begins to slowly recover.

I look at her, wanting to engrave her appearance in my heart.

But why is my consciousness becoming increasingly blurred...

I suddenly open my eyes. I feel my body has returned to normal state. As an elf, perceiving everything around me is my instinct.

I can hear bird calls ten kilometers away, can also smell charming flower fragrance, not to mention the footsteps of the woman separated by just one wall.

This sound is my The Tree of Life.

I can't help but smile.

Wait, something's wrong. Why am I tied to a bed?

This should be her room? I smell it's full of her scent.

I somewhat underestimated the effectiveness of the contract. Surrounded by her scent, I feel my head is a bit dizzy.

"Hey! Is anyone there?" I pretend to shout angrily. I hope this woman won't disappoint me. If she informs on me, then she and those incompetent knights will be in trouble.

Hurried footsteps come. I listen to the sounds sideways. I think she should be wearing a somewhat heavy dress, perhaps also wearing a hat, holding something in her hands. It seems to be the smell of vegetable soup. Did she make food for me?

What a cute creature.

I see the wooden door being pushed open, suddenly hearing the sound of my own heartbeat.

At the thought of meeting her soon, my heartbeat starts to accelerate.

What's going on? I suppress my surprise, pretending anger on my face.

Last night I was too weak. I couldn't see her face clearly, only remember brown eyes and brown curly hair.

And at this moment, she appears before me, very much like a cute little deer in the forest, and like a pure white rose.

How should I describe this kind of beauty?

"You're awake?" She looks at me with a smile, her eyes bending into crescents.

I almost laugh along with her.

"Cough cough." I use coughing sounds to cover up my smile, snorting coldly, "Were you the one who tied me here?"

It seems she didn't leak my information.

She puts down the tray in her hands. As I expected, it's indeed vegetable soup and a few pieces of bread.

"I heard that elves are all vegetarian. I hope this food can help you replenish some strength." She squats in front of the bed, her gaze level with mine, very cute.

The information is incorrect. Elves hardly eat anything. Only during youth or when injured will they eat some fruit to replenish strength. It seems her knowledge is also average.

Could she not have gone to school?

My ears move uncontrollably, and feel a bit hot.

After being cursed and turned into a dark elf, sometimes I can't control my body.

Maybe my ears are red. Fortunately I'm very dark now, she shouldn't be able to tell.

"I won't eat humans' inferior food." I say disdainfully, "You tied me up, are you planning to hand me over to the knight order?"

The vegetable soup looks good. Considering she worked hard to make it, I can taste her cooking.

"Why would I hand you over to the knight order?" She shakes her head.

An interesting answer.

I'm a fugitive, and she's an ordinary citizen of the town. According to common sense, she should have handed me over to the knight order last night while I was unconscious.

After all, I'm very valuable. Those guys from the Elven Kingdom can't wait for me to hurry back, so they can use me to extend that useless old Elven King's life.

As long as the old Elven King holds on for a few more years, he can wait for the Lifewarden to appear, then naturally introduce Sereis as the new Elven King.

I curl the corner of my mouth, staring at her closely, saying: "I'm a dark elf. If you hand me over to the knight order, you can get a reward."

"What's your name?" Her hands clasp in front of her, calmly asking me.

I see through her nervousness at a glance. This is very interesting. She's not afraid, not excited, but rather nervous.

Nervous with anticipation.

"Kyle." I observe her expression, randomly making up a name.

She presses her lips together: "Is this your real name?"

Actually these few broken ropes can't bind me at all. With just a move, the ropes break.

I flash in front of her, bending slightly, looking her over from top to bottom.

I don't hide my scattered magic power. I need her fear.

She needs to understand that I'm not someone she can casually question. Even if I've now fallen into a dark elf, even if at this moment she's become my contractor.

I grip her wrist. A small bottle of black potion falls to the ground.

Lady, last night's trick doesn't work anymore.

With one hand I pin both her arms against the wall. She's forced to raise her chin, her fragile neck exposed in my line of sight.

Some secret desires are stirring.

Blood is calling me.

I take a deep breath, unable to restrain myself from licking my fangs.

"From now on, I only want to hear the truth."

"If you deceive me..."

I smile slightly. In her panicked gaze, I gently bite her neck.

"...I'll eat you."