Starfall.


    The Holy Grounds of the Moonreaver House. Legend has it after the first Moonreaver was bestowed eternal life by the Vampire Progenitor, he travelled far and wide to discover the best method to trigger his Vampiric Aspect. While he was bestowed extraordinary abilities by the Progenitor, he knew that to survive, he couldn’t just rely on the temperamental being’s power.


    In the beginning, he travelled far and wide. Taking advice from his good friend Innocence Everwinter, he travelled to different environments to bathe in its natural magic.


    The first Moonreaver tried it all. From arctic ice caps to barren deserts. From volcanic ruptures to the deep, blue ocean. Unlike other Vampires that were former elves or humans that possessed a trademark magical affinity, the Moonreaver ancestor was a nk te.


    Even after dozens of years wandering the world, the man wasn’t able to figure out where his true affinityy. In his hopelessness, the man wandered aimlessly for a hundred days and a hundred nights. Without knowing where he was going, the Moonreaver ancestor traversed thousands of miles on foot, emptying his magic reserves in the process.


    And when all hope seemed lost, the first Moonreaver stumbled across the most beautiful ce in the world. It was a ce where the night stars met with the earth’s resplendence. A ce where the sky and kissed. And a ce that would be the founding location of the Moonreaver House.


    Starfall.


    A copsed crater that had been formed by the collision of a falling star upon the peak of a tall mountain. Pieces of the celestial rock broke free when entering the stratosphere and found their resting ce on the mountain, while some rested deep within the mirrorke that was formed after years of rain and snow.


    When the first Moonreaver first came across this ce, he meditated for a thousand days straight, awakening the innate power thaty within. The ability to control dimensions. Almost overnight, the man went from a mere follower of the Vampire Progenitor and was promoted to his right-hand man. Serving as an advisor simr to Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei, the Moonreaver ancestor led the Vampires to an age of prosperity.


    For his troubles, he was granted a noble peerage, bestowed dozens of consorts, and was provided with all the riches andnds he could ever dream of.


    And it all started here, here at Starfall._-.


    Upon his death, the Moonreaver ancestor wished for his ashes to be scattered in theke that began it all. And once that precedent was set, almost every Moonreaver since had willed for their bodies to be the same. Almost every Moonreaver that had passed away rested within this concave mountain, including Lilith’s grandmother, whom she held so dear.


    But for the first time in a hundred years, the peace and tranquillity of the Holy Grounds were about to be disrupted.


    “There’s fifteen minutes left until the promised time; where is he?”


    I stood next to Lilith while basking in the true moonlight that I’d missed since moving to the Moonreaver Dimension. While the artificial Blood Moon was empowering, nothing was more refreshing than the power that the real Moon could provide.


    “Wouldn’t it be better if he didn’te?”


    “Lilith…”


    The blonde-haired girl pursed her lips with worry written all over her face. Even after reassuring her multiple times, Lilith still couldn’t wash away the innate fear that she had of her brother. Though, I didn’t me her for not trusting me. After all, I knew for a fact that I wasn’t Sirius’ match just yet. However, this duel was something that I couldn’t back out of.


    My happy, debaucherous life with Lilith was on the line!


    “Lord Sirius will be arriving soon.”


    Fortunately for me, another voice came to my aid. A silver-haired Vampire, who was donned in a battle suit that had light armour protecting her vitals, stared coldly at me as she said:


    “Unlike you, Lord Sirius is busy with other matters. He’ll be warping straight from his previous arrangement, so just be patient.”


    “Sister Cape…”


    Cape Moonreaver’s frosty attitude didn’t go unnoticed, drawing ire from the girl who had her hand stered all over my body. Lilith’s phoenix eyes turned toxic, as a searing fire seemed to emerge from their depths. Was it just me, or was Lilith getting more and more protective as the days went by? Well, we can solve that matterter.


    “I’m just speaking the truth, Lilith. You may not like your brother, but he cares for you deeply. While his methods may be crude, he’s genuinely looking out for your safety.”


    “Hmph! I’m no longer a child! I don’t need him breathing down my neck at every single thing I do!”


    “You… Hah, forget it…”


    Cape shook her head and didn’t bother to borate. Being part of his team and as someone who had grown up with Sirius, it was evident that the woman would side with Lilith’s brother. s, because of that connection, she couldn’t empathise with Lilith. She didn’t know how invasive Sirius’ meddling could prove to be. And not to mention…


    He was seriously impeding our loving rtionship! Perhaps Lilith and I would have crossed the final border if not for his interruption that day. But I digress.


    Speaking of interruptions, I was quite satisfied with theck of them here. Other than Cape, Lisa and a few other Moonreaver guards, there weren’t many spectators around. Not to mention, the entire Holy Grounds werepletely barren of life, with not even a security guard in sight. It was probably due to the reconstruction efforts that the Moonreaver Dimension was undergoing, and theck of advertising on Sirius’ part.


    He must be thinking that this was going to be an easy duel where he would wipe the floor with me within the first few seconds. The fact that he even nned a prior engagement before this was proof of that.


    Hah… I shouldn’t beining. The more distracted he was, the more of a chance I had. Furthermore, my n required him to underestimate me so that I could easily make ambushes.


    As I was reviewing my game n for the once-in-a-lifetime duel, I noticed a certain young woman furrowing her brows. Her vale eyes dted as she stared into the distance, particrly the vastke thaty before us. Even with my mind preupied with Sirius, I couldn’t stop my heart from gravitating toward the lonely figure. I ced my arm over her shoulder and pulled her in deep:


    “What are you thinking about?”


    “… What made you choose Starfall?” Without moving her head or body, Lilith whispered in a voice that only I could hear.


    “You don’t like it?” I brushed my hands up Lilith’s shoulder and pulled her head down to my mouth. “Wasn’t this your favourite ce in the Moonreaver House?”


    “… So you do remember.”


    “Bits and pieces, yeah.”


    The memory of Lilith and me sharing our feelings under the moonlight still resonated within my mind. Lilith didn’t have much of a childhood growing up. Her parents were mostly absent. Her best friends were tutors that taught her magic and only saw her as an asset to groom. And her one true rtive, Sirius, treated her like a precious, brittle jewel and would turn overprotective over her.


    The only time that Lilith truly had some semnce of a family, was her time training with her grandmother on Starfall.


    Unlike the other Vampires in her life, Lilith’s grandmother pampered her and showered the girl with familial love. She bought her sweets, told her bedtime stories, yed games with her, and most importantly… She loved Lilith.


    Amongst all of the adults in her life, Lilith’s grandmother was the only one who told her to pursue her interests. She said that it didn’t matter if she became the Moonreaver heir or not. As long as she could actively pursue her happiness, nothing else mattered.


    Which was why… When her grandmother faded into theherworld, it crushed the young girl.


    Lilith’s only pir in life had crumbled, and she was alone once again. If not for meeting me, perhaps the girl might have gone down a different path, a more self-destructive one.


    So, there was no more monumental ce for Lilith than Starfall. It was the ce where her lonely life took a turn, bringing colour into her colourless life. When her grandmother passed, it started yet another chapter in her book, bringing grief and sadness into a ce filled with love and roses. Later, it had be a shackle that bound the girl to the Moonreaver House.


    All her life, Lilith’s world had revolved around Starfall. From the cradle to adolescence to adulthood.


    Therefore, it was fitting that this would be the location where her life would start anew. And shameful as it was, I remember my past self promising something to her.


    “I think I said something along these lines, right?”


    cing my face over hers, I gently nted a kiss on her forehead and said:


    “One day… I’lle to Starfall and pick you up. So just wait patiently for me.”


    “Bastard… So you do remember that promise.”


    “Hehe, I hope I’m not toote.”


    “Stupid fool!!!”


    Lilith leapt into my arms and returned my kiss a hundred-fold. Perhaps, if not for our exposed location, she might even go further than that. However, that didn’t mean she was stingy with her affection. On the contrary, in fact. Lilith only allowed me to go free the moment she marked my entire face with her saliva.


    “You promised me, Jin… So don’t lose.”


    “Heh, so you’ve finally begun to trust your husband?”


    “Hmph! Who is your wife?! We haven’t even sorted out the problem that is Irina!”


    “Haha! You really are possessive! But you’re right; that’s something we can talk about another time.”


    While I would have loved to continue ying with the beauty in my arms, there was something more important to do. I stepped out from her embrace and wiped my face clean as a man stepped out from a portal.


    Draped in the most exquisite clothes, the blonde man looked like a divine emperor arriving in the heavenly courts to meet his subjects. Each step he took exuded confidence, and with each movement, he sent out an invisible pressure that mounted on everyone’s shoulders. His arrival sent shivers down everyone’s spines, including his trusted subordinate and his lovely younger sister. And it didn’t help that his vale eyes were staring deep into my soul, as if they wanted to shoot daggers into my body.


    However, I didn’t waver. If I ran away here, I would never be worthy to touch Lilith’s hand ever again. And that was something I couldn’t ept.


    Standing my ground, I stared at my opponent, whose bloodlust seemed to be dialled to eleven after witnessing my intimate moment with his sister. Smiling, I raised my chin andughed with his name at the tip of my tongue.


    “Sirius Moonreaver…”