Chapter 140

I sat on the floor beside my bed, gripping the note from EH tightly in my hand. My eyes remained fixed on it, my mind racing to process everything. He had to be close. He had to have been watching me all this time, tracking my every move like a silent shadow lurking just out of sight. The thought sent a shiver through me. If he truly intended to kill Bopha, should I warn her? But warn her against whom? A ghost? A name without a face?

Helplessness settled over me like a suffocating weight. My first instinct was to run to Icarus, to show him the note, but a far more chilling thought held me back—what if EH or one of his spies was watching me even now? I had to stay calm, to think rationally. Rushing to Icarus would only draw unwanted attention to him, marking him as my ally. That would force EH’s informant to be even more careful, making it nearly impossible to uncover their identity. As much as it sickened me, the only course of action was to pretend as if I had never seen the note at all.

Pushing myself off the floor, I snatched the black rose and tossed it into the trash. I was done with this game. I didn’t have the faintest clue who EH was, nor could I understand why he would want Bopha dead. Was this some twisted attempt to “help” me? And if so, why? What could he possibly gain from this?

Restlessness gnawed at me, making it impossible to focus. It took me nearly two hours to pack my bag, and even then, I barely managed to throw in the essentials. The walls of my room felt like they were closing in. I needed to hear a familiar voice—something to anchor me before I lost my mind. Before I even realized what I was doing, my fingers were scrolling through my contacts, dialing Freya’s number.

She picked up on the first ring, as if she had been waiting for my call.

"You’re worried, aren’t you?" she asked, skipping a greeting entirely.

"We leave at dawn," I murmured, my voice heavier than I intended. "But that’s not the only thing on my mind…" I hesitated, debating whether I should tell her about the note, about EH.

"Why? Is Kenzo bothering you again?" Her tone sharpened with irritation.

"Yeah… but I can handle him," I said with a half-hearted chuckle.

"If not, I’ll come over and kick his ass," she declared confidently.

I laughed, a genuine one this time. I missed her fire. I could picture her fierce scowl, her eyes flashing with determination as she said it.

"Tell me what’s going on in the Palace," I said, steering the conversation away from my own troubles. "I heard about the attacks…"

"We’re fine, Thalassa. Don’t worry about us." But her nervous laugh betrayed her words.

"Freya, you’re a terrible liar. Now tell me the truth. What the hell is happening in the Palace? And don’t even think about hiding anything from me."

A sigh crackled through the speaker. A long pause followed as she gathered her thoughts.

"The King and most of the Royal Army left this morning to fight the degenerates," she finally admitted. "But… before that, King Hadrian received a package. Inside were the mutilated remains of one of his most trusted soldiers. A note came with it. It said, ‘A gift from the New King.’ Everything was covered in blood."

A chill ran through me. "Do you know who it was?"

"Varen Walker," she answered.

I froze. My breath caught in my throat. I had never met him, but he was once assigned to be my bodyguard. I remembered Icarus mentioning him—how he was a skilled warrior despite being a commoner, trained by Gareth just as Icarus had been. And now, he was dead. Brutally slaughtered. My stomach twisted at the thought that it could have been Icarus instead.

"Do they have any idea who sent the note?" I forced myself to ask, though I already knew the answer.

"No… just some initials, but that’s all I heard."

The air left my lungs in a sharp, silent gasp. My vision blurred at the edges. I knew who had written it. I knew who had killed Varen. But the words refused to leave my lips.

Freya’s voice cut through the suffocating silence. "Anyway, after the King left, Selene wasted no time seizing control of the Palace. Prince Varen moved me to the west wing to keep me as far from that viper as possible."

"Freya… are you sure you’re okay?" Guilt gnawed at me for leaving her and Prince Varen trapped in that place.

"Of course we are!" she insisted, though her frustration was evident. "Hadrian made sure we were protected before he left. We’ve got bodyguards now," she added, giggling as if it were some grand joke.

Relief flooded me. Hadrian must have known Selene would exploit his absence, that she wouldn’t waste a second before asserting her power. At least he had ensured my friends weren’t left completely vulnerable.

But even as that comfort settled in, so did a new worry—one far heavier.

Hadrian was out there, heading into a battle against an enemy who didn’t play by the rules. And I had a sinking feeling he had no idea just how dangerous his opponent truly was.

"Freya... do you think Hadrian will be okay? I mean... I heard those degenerates are strong—brutal, even. Bloodthirsty to the core..." My voice betrayed the anxiety clawing at my chest.

"Are you serious?" Freya scoffed. "You're talking about King Hadrian—the most powerful being walking this earth!"

Her unwavering faith in him made it easier to breathe, but I wished I could share her confidence. Deep down, a gnawing feeling told me that this so-called "New King" was different. That he was a force capable of matching Hadrian's strength. He had dared to challenge him, taunting him with the corpse of his own soldier. A declaration of war wrapped in pure mockery. And with an army as vicious as his, only a fool would believe defeating him would come easily.

Even so, speaking to Freya helped me find my footing again. I needed to stay focused, now more than ever. Once she assured me that she and Prince Varen were safe, we ended our call. Still restless, I decided to clear my mind with a walk.

I exhaled deeply, trying to shake off the weight of my unease, and had just reached for the door when I noticed Icarus standing in the corridor—just two steps from my room.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, thrown off by his presence.

He said nothing, just pressed a finger to his lips before nudging me back inside. He stepped in after me and shut the door behind him. Then, without a word, he moved to the window, scanning the outside world like he expected danger to lurk just beyond the glass. Only after ensuring we were alone did he finally gesture for me to sit on the bed.

"What’s going on?" I murmured, my pulse quickening. "Why all the secrecy?"

A thousand terrible possibilities ran through my mind, each one worse than the last. Icarus looked tense—more than tense. He looked troubled, his eyes dark with something dangerously close to fury. He pulled a chair in front of me, settling into it with a heavy breath before finally speaking.

"The one behind the attacks sent a package," he said, his fists clenching so tightly his knuckles went white.

"I know..." I reached out, placing my hands over his to calm him. "Freya told me... I’m sorry about Varen."

His jaw tightened, his voice a near growl. "He was my friend." He forced the words out through gritted teeth. "That bastard slaughtered him..."

I leaned closer, running my fingers over his hands in silent comfort.

"I’m so sorry, Icarus."

He exhaled sharply, shaking his head as if willing himself to keep his emotions in check. When he finally spoke again, his voice was steady, but there was no mistaking the storm beneath the surface.

"He calls himself the New King," Icarus said, inhaling deeply. "And as of now, the war has begun."

Dread curled in my stomach.

"This bastard launched an attack on Monteforte City. In less than an hour, his degenerates massacred over three thousand innocent humans."

My breath caught. "Why would he attack humans?! He knew they didn’t stand a chance!" My voice trembled, barely holding back the horror clawing at my throat.

Icarus met my gaze, his expression grim. "Thalassa, this man doesn’t want to be the king of vampires. He wants to rule the entire world."

A shudder ran through me. "God..." I whispered, covering my mouth with my hand.

"But that’s not the only reason I’m here." He cleared his throat, his eyes locking onto mine with unsettling intensity. "There was a note attached to Varen’s body... signed with the initials 'EH.'"

The room suddenly felt too small, the air too thin. His words sliced through me like a blade.

I already knew. Deep down, I had known from the moment Freya mentioned the initials. But I had refused to accept it. I had pushed the truth aside, desperate to believe that I hadn’t spent months receiving notes from a monster—a psychopath who had no regard for life.

Icarus studied me, his next words even heavier. "That’s not all." He hesitated for a breath before continuing. "After the Royal Army crushed the degenerates in Monteforte, they spared a few. Used them to track their movements—hoping they’d lead us to their lair."

He paused again, watching me carefully.

"Icarus, just tell me," I pleaded, unable to bear the suspense any longer.

He let out a slow breath. "The army’s intelligence lost their trail before they could pinpoint their base, but... they were heading south."

His words rang in my head like a deafening bell, each syllable more painful than the last. I was already bracing for what was coming next.

"Thalassa..." Icarus’ voice lowered, almost hesitant now. "The last known location where our spies lost the trail was less than sixty miles from Crimsonville."

My lips parted, my breath hitching. And then, barely above a whisper, the truth fell from them.

"EH’s lair is within the Southern Moon Pack’s territory..."