Alec's voice and the touch of his hand gradually soothed Jane's anger. She released her gift.
By then, Demetri had already reached Felix. After confirming that he was perfectly fine, not even a scratch marred his skin, he abandoned him without another glance and instead hurried over to retrieve Sophie's two severed arms.
"Demetri?"
The familiar voice slowly pulled Felix out of the blank void in his mind. A vampire's exceptional eyesight immediately noticed the unusually dark expression on Jane's face. His survival instincts kicked in at once.
"I'm sorry, Jane." He apologized without hesitation. "For a moment... my mind suddenly went completely blank. I forgot this was only a training exercise."
"I know exactly how that feels," Alec said sympathetically. "The last time Sophie used that trick on me, I stood around like an idiot in the forest for an entire afternoon. It wasn't until Demetri came looking for me that evening that I finally snapped out of it."
Alec's gift, which numbed the senses, proved invaluable once again. A thick mist spread over Sophie's severed shoulders.
The unbearable agony disappeared instantly.
It was more effective than the finest anesthetic in the world.
Sophie finally stopped screaming.
Without saying a word, Jane accepted one of the detached arms from Demetri. Standing on opposite sides of Sophie, the two of them carefully reattached her limbs. Venom rapidly flowed through the wounds, repairing flesh, muscle, and bone at astonishing speed.
"Now this is unusual." Demetri lightly patted Sophie's restored arm, making sure it had reattached at the proper angle before finally relaxing. "It's rare to see someone use such an incredible gift only to end up injuring themselves even worse."
Alec withdrew the mist. Feeling gradually returned to Sophie's body.
Both arms were practically as good as new.
Except...
For the sleeves.
When Felix had ripped her arms off, he hadn't spared her clothes either. No matter how expensive the fabric was, it remained far more fragile than vampire skin.
Sophie sighed as she reflected on her unsuccessful first attempt.
"I guess... this gift is only really useful for escaping."
"If you'd turned around and run the moment your ability activated," Demetri comforted her, "Felix never would've caught you."
Jane glanced briefly at the ruined sleeves lying nearby. Filled with guilt, Sophie lowered her head.
"I'm sorry, Jane. I just changed into these clothes and I already ruined them."
In truth...
Jane couldn't have cared less.
Losing arms and legs during newborn training was an everyday occurrence. Compared to that, tearing a piece of clothing was hardly worth mentioning.
Elegant dresses existed to be admired.
Training clothes were consumable equipment.
Once they were damaged...
It simply meant it was time to wear something new.
Instead, it was Felix who stepped forward first, extending a hand to help Sophie up.
"I'll take responsibility for the clothes." Then, after thinking for a moment, he added, "How about tonight I bring you back some prey from Florence?"
"If you're that bored," Jane interrupted before Sophie could answer, slapping Felix's hand away, "go help Master Caius train the guard instead."
Then she looked down at Sophie from above.
"Is lying there that comfortable? Your arms have already healed. Get up. I'll take you to change into something else."
Sophie obediently climbed to her feet. She accepted help from no one.
Looking at Felix, she politely declined his offer.
"There's no need to bring me any prey. I've already drunk several bags of blood today. I think that's enough."
"Fair enough." Felix shrugged without insisting. "If you're satisfied with the stuff from the blood bank, then forget it."
Personally...
He absolutely hated refrigerated blood that had been stored for days.
Compared to drinking warm blood directly from a living human's veins...
Blood bags were torture.
Sophie, however, genuinely couldn't understand how hunting in Florence and "bringing prey back" was supposed to work. Did Felix intend to carry someone all the way back just so she could take a few sips before escorting them safely back to Florence and setting them free again?
That sounded absurdly troublesome.
Sophie firmly refused to entertain the possibility that he meant bringing back someone to be drained completely.
The only person she had ever killed was the man who had robbed and murdered her.
At that time, she had completely lost control. By the time her reason returned...
Everything had already become irreversible.
Later, when her gift spiraled out of control, Sophie had inadvertently erased that memory as well, burying it deep within the furthest corners of her mind.
Alec reminded everyone of their plans.
"We'll meet at the watchtower tonight."
Jane gave a simple nod.
The moment Sophie heard the familiar roar of falling water, she realized Jane had brought her back to the hidden waterfall once again. The sun had nearly disappeared beyond the horizon. Its last rays had faded entirely, leaving the entire waterfall shrouded in shadow.
As the temperature dropped, an even thicker mist rose from the surface of the water.
Without needing to be told, Sophie removed her cloak, carefully folded it, and placed it neatly to one side.
After all...
That was exactly what had happened last time.
She had returned covered in dirt, wearing torn clothes, only to be ordered by Jane to strip completely before washing herself beneath the waterfall.
Afterward...
The maidservants had dressed her once again as though she were a noblewoman from another age.
Stone dust from the shattered rocks had settled quietly into Sophie's hair during the battle. She probably needed another thorough wash from head to toe.
Her fingers reached for the collar of her clothes as she walked toward the inner pool hidden behind the curtain of falling water, preparing to undress.
"Wait." Jane's voice stopped her.
Sophie immediately released her grip on her collar.
Apparently...
She wasn't supposed to take off her clothes just yet. She halted her steps and quietly turned around.
The blonde girl approached her one slow step at a time. Her pace was so unhurried that she almost resembled an ordinary human girl. Jane deliberately slowed her footsteps, as though intentionally giving both of them time to think.
Water droplets splashed from the waterfall, blending into the rising mist. The entire scene resembled a paradise painted upon an ancient palace canvas.
Jane like a goddess dwelling within that painted paradise...
Stepped out of the picture and came to stand before Sophie.
Sophie unconsciously held her breath. She feared even breathing might shatter the quiet beauty of that fleeting moment.
"Sophie."
Jane stopped impossibly close. The cool breath of an immortal brushed softly across Sophie's face.
A vampire's eyes never dried out.
Their eyelids no longer served any purpose.
As a result...
Vampires lost the instinct to blink.
Jane simply stared.
Without blinking even once.
Her red eyes slowly traced every inch of Sophie's face, moving carefully from top to bottom before returning again. Those red eyes seemed to pin Sophie's very soul in place.
Leaving her nowhere to run.
Just before she felt herself completely drowning beneath that gaze, Sophie forced herself to find her voice.
"What is it... Jane?"
The blonde girl remained silent.
Instead...
She reached forward and grabbed the very collar Sophie had just released.
Her fingers tightened.
Then...
She yanked downward with surprising force.
Sophie stumbled helplessly into the thick curtain of mist, crashing face-first onto the damp stone. Instinctively, she tried to push herself back up.
But before she could...
A firm weight pressed against the small of her back.
Forced down by that unexpected pressure, she fell heavily onto the wet ground once more.
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