My Blood Legacy: Bloodlines

Rowena sat on a rock near the training field, legs crossed and arms resting over her knees, watching Victor complete his daily push-up routine.

He trained upside down, balancing on a single hand while metal weights remained strapped to his wrists and ankles. The exercise no longer seemed to demand the same effort it had months ago, but Victor still performed every repetition slowly, controlling his breathing, muscles, and circulation the way Yu Jin Cheon had taught him.

Rowena watched in silence, though that morning her expression seemed more distant than usual.

Victor noticed after a few repetitions.

"You’re too quiet."

Rowena did not answer immediately.

She kept looking at the weights attached to his body before finally asking:

"Can you find some way to get me out of that ring permanently?"

Victor stopped moving.

He remained inverted for a few more seconds, then pushed off the ground with one hand, spun through the air, and landed on his feet.

The weights struck the stone as he walked toward Rowena.

Judging by her expression, this was not a passing complaint.

"I’m not very comfortable in there," she continued. "I can come out when you allow it, I can talk to you, and at least I’m not completely alone, but it’s still a ring. I’ve already spent far too much time imprisoned."

Victor sat beside her.

"I know."

"So?"

He took a moment before answering.

"I still can’t reveal you."

Rowena lowered her eyes.

"Because of the werewolves?"

"Mostly because of them."

Victor rested his arms over his legs.

"The Realm is practically at war. After Bramford and the other facilities, any werewolf found inside the territory is going to be treated as an enemy before they even get a chance to explain themselves. If someone discovers who you are without context, the chances of them trying to kill you immediately are enormous."

"I can defend myself."

"That isn’t the problem."

Rowena looked at him.

Victor continued calmly.

"If you fight back, it becomes a battle. If I defend you, then I become part of the problem too. After that, we need to explain why a Valentine is protecting an unknown werewolf in the middle of a war against lupine clans."

He shook his head.

"It could end well. It could also spiral completely out of control."

Rowena understood.

It was exactly the kind of situation where her old race did her no favors.

For centuries, werewolves and vampires had already possessed more than enough reasons to distrust one another.

Now there were laboratories, kidnappings, experiments, and a war forming along the borders.

Even so, she sighed.

"I understand, but..."

Victor placed a hand on her head.

Rowena stopped.

He began gently stroking her hair, without any teasing.

"Sorry."

She looked up.

Victor kept his hand there.

"I wish I already had enough strength to completely break the chains of your fate and simply free you without having to think about any consequences."

His voice remained calm.

"But if I do that now, I put you at risk. And I probably put myself at risk with you."

Rowena did not answer.

"I’m trying to avoid that as much as possible," he continued. "I don’t want to save someone from one prison only to put them in front of another death sentence."

She watched Victor in silence for several seconds.

Then frowned.

"You talk like you know the future."

Victor smiled.

The answer came far too easily.

"I do."

Rowena blinked.

"What?"

"That’s why I’m asking you to wait a little longer."

She went completely still.

"No, wait."

Rowena turned to face him.

"What do you mean, you know?"

Victor removed his hand from her head and began to stand.

"Exactly what I said."

"Victor."

"I know the future."

"That explains absolutely nothing."

"It explains quite a lot."

"It doesn’t explain shit."

Victor smiled as he released the locks on one of the weights.

Rowena quickly stood.

"Are you saying you can predict the future? Do you see things? Is it an ability? Does your blood do that? Did you find some technique? Did that ring do something to me and you saw my future memories?"

"No."

"Then how do you know?"

Victor looked at her.

"You can think about what I meant."

Rowena opened her mouth.

"But I’m not saying anything more than that."

For several seconds, she simply stared at him, clearly trying to decide whether he was serious.

"That’s unfair."

"Maybe."

"Now I’m curious."

"That sounds like your problem."

Rowena narrowed her eyes.

"You’re an asshole."

Victor began walking toward her.

She did not immediately realize how much he had closed the distance.

By the time she noticed, Victor was already standing directly in front of her.

He tilted his face slightly, moving even closer until their noses were almost touching.

Rowena froze.

She could feel his breath.

Victor said nothing for several seconds, simply watching her reaction.

The blush began on Rowena’s face and quickly reached her ears.

She tried to hold his gaze.

Managed it for less than two seconds.

Then turned her face aside.

Victor smiled.

"You’re cute."

"Shut up."

"After all this time together, you’re finally showing something."

"I always showed things."

"Hatred."

"It was deserved."

Victor laughed quietly.

"It’s good to know you don’t hate vampires quite as much anymore."

Rowena still avoided looking directly at him.

"I never said that."

"Before, it was ’bloodsucker this,’ ’bloodsucker that,’ ’vampires are disgusting,’ ’I’d rather bite a rock than trust a vampire.’"

"I still think plenty of you are annoying."

"But not all of us."

She went quiet.

Victor tilted his head slightly, trying to find her eyes again.

Rowena turned away even more.

"Stop."

"So you admit it?"

"No."

"Your face is admitting it."

"Victor."

He laughed again and finally stepped back, giving her room to breathe.

Rowena crossed her arms tightly, her ears still red.

"It’s your fault."

Victor stopped.

"Mine?"

"Yes."

She finally looked at him.

"You kept showing me vampires who were different from the ones I knew. Serafall is troublesome, but she loves her family. Natasha is too serious, but she’s loyal. Carmilla and Scarlet are completely insane, but they seem happy. Rakshasa is..."

Rowena hesitated.

"Rakshasa is Rakshasa."

"A perfect definition."

"And you keep treating me like a person even though you know what I am."

Victor did not answer immediately.

Rowena lowered her voice slightly.

"So it’s your fault if my opinion changed."

Victor smiled more gently and placed a hand on her head again.

"Then thank you."

"For what?"

"For finally opening up a little."

Rowena did not push his hand away this time.

"Don’t get used to it."

"You say that a lot."

"Because you never learn."

Victor resumed stroking her hair.

Rowena let out a small sigh but remained where she was.

After a while, she looked back at the ring on his finger.

"How long is ’a little longer’?"

Victor looked at the artifact too.

"Until I’m sure I can free you without having to put a sword to the throat of half the Realm."

"That could take a while."

"Less than you think."

Rowena narrowed her eyes again.

"Because you know the future?"

Victor smiled.

She immediately pointed at him.

"I hate when you make that face."

"You’ll have to wait."

"Asshole."

"Werewolf."

"Go fuck yourself."

Victor laughed and walked back toward the center of the training field.

Rowena kept watching him.

This time, however, there was a small smile on her face.

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