Chapter 4: Lifting

Over the next week, my life underwent subtle changes.

During the day, I would stay with John at the hospital to help him recover. Emily, as his attending physician, would often come to check on him. As we spent more and more time together, I discovered that she was not only highly skilled in medicine but also kind-hearted, always going out of her way to help every patient.

In the evenings, I would meet Emily on the hospital rooftop to discuss the issue of the seal within me.

"According to my family records," Emily flipped through an ancient notebook, "the Triple Blood Oath Seal is one of the most powerful restrictions from ancient times. It not only sealed your power but also left three shackles on your soul."

"Three shackles?" I asked, frowning.

"The first shackle is the 'bloodline shackle,' which prevents you from gaining acceptance from your own kind; the second is the 'emotional shackle,' which prevents you from experiencing pure love." Emily paused for a moment. "As for the third shackle, my family records only mention that it is the most crucial one, but the specific details have been lost."

Emily's explanation confused me. "So, how can we break free of these shackles?"

"It requires corresponding power," Emily said. "The bloodline shackles require genuine vampire recognition, and the emotional shackles require pure human love. As for the third shackle..."

She shook her head. "We can only take it one step at a time."

Emily took a small bottle of pale blue liquid from the first-aid kit. "This is my family's sacred water, blessed and refined with special techniques. It won't harm benevolent vampires; on the contrary, it can purify the negative energy in your bloodline, creating conditions for the unsealing."

I took the small bottle and felt a gentle power emanating from it. This feeling was similar to when Emily touched me; both were warm, healing energies.

"Take one drop every night before bed," Emily instructed, "but remember, never take too much."

As time went by, our relationship grew closer. I began to look forward to seeing her every day, enjoying the sound of her voice and watching her focused expression when she was working.

More importantly, I can feel the seal inside my body is indeed slowly loosening.

That night, we decided to try to break the seal ourselves. Emily set up an ancient magic circle on the rooftop, with the silver cross at the center.

"This is a ritual passed down through generations of the Van Helsing family to break the seal," Emily explained, "which theoretically can break the first two shackles."

I stood in the center of the magic circle, and Emily began chanting ancient incantations. Holy light emanated from the cross and enveloped my body.

I felt a warm power surge into my body—it was Emily's pure affection for me. Under the impact of this power, the first shackle within me—the bloodline shackle—cracked with a crisp sound.

"Keep going!" I gritted my teeth and persevered. Although the process was painful, I could feel my strength returning.

Emily intensified the spell, and an even stronger holy light surged forth. This time, the second shackle—the shackle of emotion—began to loosen as well.

"Alexander," Emily looked at me in the holy light, her eyes filled with deep affection, "I love you."

These words struck my heart like a bolt from the blue. In an instant, both shackles shattered!

A terrifying primordial pressure erupted from within me, but this time I had complete control over this power. I felt an unprecedented strength; although I hadn't fully recovered, I was already far stronger than before.

"You did it!" Emily exclaimed excitedly. "You've regained most of your strength!"

But just as we were celebrating, the rooftop door was suddenly kicked open. Victor Cavendish and Isabella Rothschild led a dozen or so black-clad vampires in.

"Alexander Dracula," Victor sneered, "we sensed energy fluctuations here. Looks like you really are up to something."

I shielded Emily behind me, watching the enemies warily. Although I had regained most of my strength, the enemy outnumbered me and were all highly skilled.

"Victor, Isabella, what are you trying to do?"

"It's simple," Isabella grinned maliciously, her beauty twisted and wicked. "Since you're unwilling to die obediently, then we'll do it ourselves."

"And," Victor pointed at Emily, "that meddlesome woman will die with us too."

A fierce battle erupted instantly. Relying on my restored Night King bloodline, I fought against more than a dozen vampires, but outnumbered, I gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.

Even more terrifying, I discovered that there was a third seal binding me within my body, preventing me from unleashing my full potential.

"Alexander!" Emily tried to help, but was surrounded by several vampires.

I tried to save her, but Victor and Isabella teamed up to hold me back. Seeing Emily about to be torn apart by the enemy's claws, an unprecedented despair and rage welled up within me.

At the critical moment, Emily made a decision that shocked everyone. She rushed towards Isabella's attack and shielded me with her own body.

"No!" I roared in despair.

Blood splattered, Emily's blood spilled onto me. At that very moment, a miracle occurred.

Her blood contained the sacred power of the Van Helsing family, and more importantly, it contained her selfless love for me. When this power merged with my bloodline, the third shackle within me—I now understand, the "shackle of sacrifice," requiring someone to be willing to give their life for me—shattered instantly!

The triple blood oath seal has completely collapsed!

The terrifying pressure of the Night King swept through the entire hospital like a tsunami, and all the vampires were so overwhelmed by this power that they knelt on the ground. My power has been fully restored, even stronger than it was three hundred years ago.

"This...this is impossible!" Victor looked at me in horror. "How could you possibly break the seal completely?"

"Because I've found something more important than power." I didn't answer him, but rushed towards Emily, who lay in a pool of blood.

"Emily! Emily!" I picked her up; her face was as pale as paper, and her life force was extremely weak.

"Did I...did I do it?" She smiled weakly. "Was your seal...broken?"

"It's all done, all done!" I hugged her tightly. "But you can't die! I can't lose you!"

"Being able to...save you...I am already...very satisfied..." Emily's voice grew weaker and weaker.

"No! I absolutely will not allow it!" I roared, turning to the trembling vampires, "Get out! All of you get out! Or I'll turn you all to ashes!"

Victor, Isabella, and their men fled in disarray, not daring to linger in front of the Night King for even a second longer.

Holding the dying Emily in my arms, I had only one thought in my mind—I must save her, no matter the cost!