Chapter 3

A black car entered the yard of a simple house made entirely of teak wood.

The sturdy wooden structure was beautifully maintained. Its natural patterns and rich wood grain gave the house a rustic yet elegant appearance.

An elderly woman stepped out of the wooden house when she saw the black car arriving.

Her brown skin was covered in deep wrinkles, and her once-dark hair had long since turned completely white.

Despite being more than a hundred years old, she still looked surprisingly strong. She walked with a slight stoop, relying on a wooden cane for support.

The old woman was Rose.

And she was more than a hundred years old.

“Oh, my goodness! My granddaughter!”

Rose spotted Efelin sitting in the back seat and immediately hurried toward the car.

“Why did you come here so suddenly? What happened?”

Efelin had deliberately lowered the car window when she saw Rose leaving the house so that her grandmother could recognize her.

“Sir, could you help me carry my daughter inside?” Efelin asked the driver.

“Of course, Ma'am.”

The driver nodded before getting out of the car.

He opened the rear door and carefully lifted Viona, who was still unconscious.

“Come on, Sir. Bring her inside.”

Efelin hurried ahead, leading the way.

“What happened? What's wrong with Vio?”

Rose looked up anxiously.

Her voice was hoarse, carrying the unmistakable rasp of an elderly woman.

“Grandma, I'll tell you everything later. We need to get Vio inside first.”

Efelin supported her grandmother as they walked.

Rose glanced at the driver carrying Viona.

“You go ahead. Take Vio to the last bedroom.”

Rose knew her aging body could no longer move as quickly as it once had.

She also worried that the driver might not be able to carry Viona much longer. Her daughter looked considerably heavier than the last time Rose had seen her.

“All right.”

Efelin nodded and hurried inside.

“Come on, Sir. Bring my daughter over here.”

The driver followed closely behind.

---

“How is she, Grandma?”

Efelin stood beside the bed as Rose checked Viona's pulse.

Rose was one of the most respected elders in the village.

She was also known as the greatest healer in the area.

But her abilities went far beyond ordinary medicine.

There were things Rose could do that no ordinary human could explain.

A few minutes earlier, Efelin had told Rose everything that had happened to Viona—the same story Viona had told her months ago.

Rose finally lifted her head.

“Vio will be fine.”

Efelin breathed a sigh of relief.

But Rose's next words made her heart tighten.

“However…”

The old woman looked at her gravely.

“There is something very wrong with her pregnancy.”

“What do you mean, Grandma?”

Efelin's voice trembled.

Rose didn't answer immediately.

Instead, she asked, “Does Vio really remember nothing about the man she slept with?”

Efelin slowly shook her head.

Viona had told her everything she remembered.

Or rather, everything she didn't remember.

She couldn't remember who the man was.

She couldn't remember where it happened.

She couldn't even remember the events themselves.

Everything about that night had vanished from her memory.

Rose's expression suddenly changed.

“Damn it…”

Her voice trembled with fear.

“That child isn't human.”

Efelin stared at her.

“What?”

“We have to get the baby out immediately.”

Rose's hands trembled.

“That child will bring disaster upon us.”

Efelin's face went pale.

“How is that possible?”

She struggled to process what she was hearing.

“If the baby isn't human…”

She swallowed.

“Then what is it?”

Rose stared directly into her eyes.

“Efelin, have you ever known me to speak nonsense?”

“No…”

“Then listen carefully.”

Rose's expression became deadly serious.

“The baby Viona is carrying is a vampire.”

“What?”

Efelin covered her mouth in shock.

For decades, she had refused to believe in vampires or werewolves—the supernatural creatures her late husband had often spoken about.

But everything changed the night her husband died.

That was when she finally realized that other races truly existed.

Creatures who lived alongside humans, hidden from ordinary society.

---

Years ago…

It had been a rainy night.

Efelin had been hiding behind the broken remains of an old cabinet inside a small, abandoned shack at the edge of a dense forest.

She held baby Viona tightly in her arms.

She still didn't understand why her husband had brought them there.

She didn't know what the place was.

She didn't know what he was trying to do.

All she knew was that something terrible was happening.

Her husband had injected a strange liquid into their infant daughter's body.

The substance was red and blue, swirling together inside the syringe.

To this day, Efelin had never learned what it was.

Minutes after the injection, a group of people wearing dark cloaks surrounded the old shack.

“What's happening?”

Efelin's voice trembled.

“Who are those people?”

She cautiously peeked through a crack in the window.

Her blood ran cold.

The strangers were revealing sharp fangs.

“Shh!”

Her husband immediately pressed a finger to his lips.

“Don't make a sound.”

His voice was tense.

“They're vampires. The ones I've told you about.”

He looked at her seriously.

“Hide. Don't come out until it's safe.”

“Whatever happens, never leave this place.”

The black-haired man handed baby Viona back to his wife.

The infant was asleep, the strange liquid having taken effect.

Efelin hugged her daughter tightly.

She had no idea that the events of that night would change Viona's life forever.

---

“Efelin.”

Rose's voice pulled her back to the present.

“We have to remove this baby and destroy it.”

Efelin stared at her grandmother in silence.

“Efelin.”

Rose reached for her hand.

The touch finally broke through her thoughts.

“Grandma…”

“I will remove the baby and destroy it.”

Rose's eyes were unwavering.

“Do you agree?”

Efelin's lips trembled.

“But what about Vio?”

She couldn't make the decision.

She was terrified of hurting her daughter.

“Don't worry.”

Rose's voice softened.

“When Vio wakes up, she'll remember it as a miscarriage.”

Efelin closed her eyes.

She didn't know whether she was making the right choice.

But she was afraid.

Afraid of what the child inside Viona might become.

---

Three years later…

Viona had once fallen into deep despair after losing her baby.

But eventually, she tried to accept what had happened.

She convinced herself that perhaps the universe had simply found a way to lighten the burden she had been carrying.

Life slowly returned to normal.

And Viona grew closer to the dream she had always held onto.

She wanted to become an actress.

She had participated in several online auditions, submitting three emotional performance videos—anger, happiness, and sadness.

She sent her acting videos along with her profile to several production companies through email and Instagram.

Viona was persistent.

She failed several times.

But she never gave up.

She kept trying.

Until one day, a talent management agency contacted her.

They offered her an opportunity to attend an in-person casting session at a studio.

Viona couldn't believe her luck.

Before dawn, she was already prepared to leave.

Her mother and great-grandmother accompanied her to the front door.

Viona waved goodbye as the pickup truck carrying her drove away from Rose's yard.

She had hitched a ride with a local farmer who was taking agricultural produce to the city.

The journey felt surprisingly short because Viona was too excited to notice the passing time.

By the time the sun was high in the sky, she had arrived at her destination.

Viona checked the address on her phone once again.

There it was.

The casting studio stood right in front of her.

She only needed to wait for the traffic light and cross the street.

One step closer to her dream.

“Ah…”

She checked the time.

“I still have two hours.”

She looked toward a café beside the studio.

“I can get something to eat first.”

Her audition was scheduled for three in the afternoon.

That gave her plenty of time to rest, eat, and gather her energy.

She even practiced her lines at the café.

This was a good opportunity.

She couldn't let it slip away.

Viona was determined to pass this audition.

---

When the time finally came, Viona found herself surrounded by dozens of other hopeful actors.

There were so many people waiting for their turn.

Some were even well-known actors competing for the lead role.

And Viona?

She was among the newcomers hoping for a supporting role.

Maybe a cameo.

Maybe even a stand-in role.

She didn't mind.

Whatever happened, she hoped this would be the beginning of something bigger.

Everything has to start from zero, she reminded herself.

When her name was finally called, Viona's heart began pounding.

She received a script from the director and was asked to perform two scenes.

Standing in front of the camera, Viona took a deep breath.

Then she began.

She delivered each line.

Every emotion.

Every movement.

She gave it everything she had.

“Okay. Cut!”

Viona exhaled in relief.

She bowed slightly before leaving the room.

She could only hope the director had liked her performance.

The director, producer, and crew would make their decision the following day.

Everyone who had auditioned would receive the result through email.

Viona desperately hoped she would get a role in the film.

---

By sunset, Viona began looking for a nearby place to stay.

She planned to remain in the city for a few days.

Perhaps even longer.

It all depended on how her career went.

As she walked down the street, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps.

A small child came running toward her.

“Ah!”

The little boy crashed straight into Viona's legs.

“Hey, be careful, sweetheart.”

Viona quickly grabbed him before he could fall.

She crouched down and looked at the little boy.

“What's your name?”

She glanced around.

“Where are your parents?”

The boy stared directly into Viona's eyes.

Then he smiled.

“Mom.”

Viona froze.

The little boy suddenly threw his arms around her.

He buried his face against her and inhaled deeply, as if he recognized her scent.

“Hey, sweetheart…”

Viona gently pulled him back.

“I'm not your mother.”

She stood up and lifted the child into her arms.

Looking at him, Viona couldn't help feeling sorry for the little boy.

He appeared to be only a toddler.

She scanned the area, searching for anyone who might know where his parents were.

“Mom…”

The boy hugged her tighter.

“Where have you been all this time?”

There was unmistakable longing in his voice.

Viona smiled sadly.

For some reason, the child's words reminded her of the baby she had lost.

If her baby had been born…

The child would have been around the same age as this little boy.

Viona gently stroked his hair.

“What's your name, sweetheart?”

“Axel.”

“Where do you live?”

She smiled.

“I can take you home.”

Axel shook his head.

“No.”

He tightened his arms around her.

“I don't want to go home with Dad.”

“I want to stay with Mom.”

“All right.”

Viona frowned.

“Then tell me where your mother lives.”

Perhaps his parents were separated.

“You're my mom.”

Axel stared at her with innocent confusion.

“Why don't you remember me?”

“Sweetheart, I'm not your mother.”

Viona gently stroked the top of his head.

Then Axel suddenly pointed toward the street.

“Dad!”

Viona turned.

“That’s my dad!”

A man had just stepped out of a black car.

The moment he saw Axel in Viona's arms, he immediately hurried toward them.

Viona noticed something strange.

The man's features were remarkably similar to Axel's.

She carefully lowered the boy from her arms.

The moment his feet touched the ground, Axel ran toward his father.

“Hey!”

The man caught him.

“How many times have I told you not to run away?”

Axel looked up at him.

“Dad!”

His face lit up.

“I found Mom!”

He pointed toward Viona.

“There she is!”

Viona's eyes widened.

“Oh, I'm sorry.”

She smiled awkwardly at the man.

“I met him by accident. I don't know why he keeps calling me Mom. He must have mistaken me for someone else.”

The man didn't answer immediately.

He simply stared at Viona.

Then…

He smiled.

He remembered that face.

A face he had spent years longing to see again.

We meet again.

Samudra's heart stirred.

---

“Dad, come on.”

Axel grabbed Samudra's hand.

“Take Mom home with us.”

“What?”

Viona immediately raised both hands.

“No, sweetheart. I'm not your mother.”

She looked utterly confused.

She couldn't understand why the child kept calling her Mom.

Samudra's gaze remained fixed on her.

Three years.

Three long years had passed.

And yet, he had never forgotten her.

The woman he had searched for.

The woman who had disappeared from his life.

The woman who had given birth to the child he thought he had lost.

His eyes darkened.

Viona.

You finally came back to me.