“Prince Milton, Princess Lydia, are you certain you wish to perform the Bond-breaking Ritual?” Elder Amelia’s voice echoed in the catacombs. “This decision is irreversible.”

I stood before the ancient stone altar and nodded calmly. “I’m certain.”

Beside me, Milton’s expression was a storm of conflict. On the way here, he had suddenly grabbed my arm.

“Lydia, do we really have to do this?” Panic colored his voice. “Maybe we can rethink…”

“Didn’t you lose your connection to me?” I shot back. “Breaking the bond should be easy for you.”

He flinched, then quickly schooled his features. “Yes… of course. I’m just worried you won’t be able to cope… without my blood.”

Such a pathetic performance.

And now, in front of the elder, he was starting another act of feigned concern.

“Lydia, do you remember our bonding ceremony?” Milton stared into my eyes. “That night, in the moonlit ruins of the old chapel, we swore an eternal vow…”

“I remember,” I cut him off. “I also remember what you told my father.”

Milton’s face changed. “What?”

“You said, ‘This union will purify the berserker taint in my bloodline. Lydia’s First-born blood and her Dreamweaving are the keys to securing my throne.’” I repeated his words, one by one. “Did you think I didn’t know?”

Elder Amelia’s gaze shot to Milton, her eyes filled with disappointment.

“That… that was…” Milton stammered.

“The truth,” I finished for him. “And now you’ve found fresher blood, haven’t you?”

He opened his mouth to argue, but I had already turned to Elder Amelia.

“Please begin the ritual.”

The ritual was swift.

When the final incantation faded, I felt the shackles on my soul break free.

Three hundred years of a blood-bond, gone in an instant.

“The ritual is complete,” Elder Amelia announced. “From this moment, you are no longer blood-bonded mates.”

When we emerged from the catacombs, Josie was waiting, poured into a fiery red cocktail dress. She looked like she was heading to a nightclub, not a sacred ritual.

“It’s finally over!” she squealed, linking her arm through Milton’s. “Now we can plan our own bonding ceremony!”

Then she turned to me, her eyes glinting with triumph. “Lydia, when are you moving out of the castle? I need to redecorate your rooms.”

“Tonight,” I said flatly.

“Tonight? Perfect!” Josie clapped her hands. “I’ve already called a designer from Milan. We’re getting rid of all that outdated gothic furniture.”

That “outdated furniture” was a collection of antiques I had spent a century gathering from across Europe.

Every piece held a story.

And now, they were destined for the trash heap.

“Josie’s right,” Milton chimed in. “A new princess needs a new environment. Lydia, if you need help moving…”

“I don’t,” I said, turning to leave.

“Wait!” Milton caught up to me. He pulled open the top two buttons of his silk shirt, baring his chest. “Here… take this back.”

I stared at the left side of his chest.

That’s where our bond-mark used to be.

A complex star pattern, branded by ancient magic, a symbol of eternity and loyalty.

I stepped closer, studying it in the dim light.

“Milton,” I looked up at him, my cold fingers gently touching the skin. “This star has been covered.”

His face went white. “What?”

“You burned it away with a cheap alchemical potion,” I said, my voice dripping with scorn. “And covered it with this vulgar rose. The stench of sulfur is nauseating. You didn’t even do a clean job.” I leaned in closer. “To hide your oath, you’d scar your own skin with such low, dirty magic? This is how you say goodbye to three hundred years?”

Milton opened his mouth to explain, but I had already pulled my hand back.

“A fake bond. A dirty brand. It suits you.”

I walked away without another look, heading for my sports car.

Inside, I watched in the rearview mirror as Milton and Josie argued. My enhanced hearing picked up their words clearly.

“How did she know the brand was altered?” Josie demanded.

“Who knows,” Milton said, annoyed. “It doesn’t matter. The bond is broken.”

“But she looked really angry…”

“Relax. Lydia is easy to handle,” Milton’s voice was full of confidence. “The moment her craving for my blood returns, she’ll come crawling back. She can’t last long without me.”

I started the engine and floored it.

He was dreaming.

This time, it was goodbye for good. There was no turning back.

Three days after moving out of the castle, I settled into a penthouse in a downtown skyscraper.

No prince’s orders. No clan duties. No endless nights of Dreamweaving.

For the first time in centuries, I was enjoying true peace.

I was standing at the floor-to-ceiling window, swirling the red liquid in my glass, when my phone rang.

“Lydia!” Regent Marcus’s voice was frantic. “You have to come back!”

“What’s wrong?” I asked, unconcerned.

“The Blood Moon Awakening! The blood moon is in four days, but…” his voice trembled, “the preparations for the ritual… they’re a disaster!”

I almost laughed.

“That’s not my problem, Marcus. You have a new princess.”

“But Josie doesn’t understand any of it! The formula for the First-born’s blood, the ancient incantations, how to commune with the Progenitor… She knows nothing!”

“And what does she say?”

Marcus went quiet for a moment. “She says she’ll learn… but we only have four days! Lydia, if the ritual fails, the entire clan will lose its Warding!”

I took a sip of my “wine.” “That does sound serious.”

“So, will you come back and help?” Marcus pleaded. “Even just to guide Josie…”

“Give me the phone.”

A sharp female voice snatched the phone. Josie.

“Lydia, don’t listen to Marcus’s rambling,” she snapped. “I’ve been studying for three days. The Blood Moon Awakening isn’t that complicated. It’s just chanting a few spells and spilling some blood, right?”

I nearly choked on my drink.

“Josie, are you sure you understand the nature of the ritual?”

“Of course! I’m not an idiot,” she said smugly. “And I’ve already prepared everything we need. You just wait and see my flawless performance!”

The line went dead.

I shook my head and went back to enjoying the quiet night.

Three days later was the opening of my human friend Chloe’s modern art exhibition.

I arrived at the gallery in a silver couture gown just as the reception was starting.

“Esteemed guests, if I could have your attention,” the gallery director announced over the speakers. “We are here tonight to witness the debut of a brilliant new artist…”

I found a sofa in a quiet corner, ready to admire the art, when I heard a familiar voice.

“Oh, great Progenitor, bear witness to our bond…”

My eyes caught a shimmer in the air over a VIP section cordoned off by velvet ropes. A glamour. A cheap one, meant to hide them from human eyes.

Through it, I saw Milton in a black tuxedo, holding hands with Josie, who was dressed in a white lace gown. They were performing their bonding ceremony in front of a group of clan members disguised as guests.

They were actually doing this in an art gallery?

Even with a glamour, the risk was insane.

“…grant us eternal passion and glory for our clan…”

Milton continued his vows, completely unaware of my presence.

I was about to slip away, but Josie’s sharp voice cut through the air.

“Lydia! What are you doing here?”

Every vampire inside the glamour turned to look at me.

Milton’s face paled. “Lydia? Why are you here?”

I stood up and walked through the thin glamour, my composure intact. “I’m here for my friend’s art show.”

“A friend’s art show?” Josie looked at me with suspicion. “You’re not here to ruin our ceremony, are you?”

“Ruin it?” I scoffed. “Why would I do that?”

Milton rushed toward me, his eyes a mix of confusion and accusation. “You… are you here to bond with another vampire?”

I blinked, then realized his mistake.

“No, Milton. I’m here for my friend Chloe’s art exhibition. A human one.” I gestured to the oblivious human guests outside the glamour. “This has nothing to do with you.”

“Then why this gallery?” Josie demanded. “Of all the places in the city, you had to pick this one?”

“Because the curator chose it,” I answered calmly. “More importantly, I expected you to use the clan’s sacred ground. Not… this. Hiding in a human art gallery behind a shoddy, temporary glamour.”

“Modern?” I scanned the shabby setup. “Is that why a human event planner is reading from a script instead of our elders? At least the elders speak for the Progenitor. And what about the Secrecy Mandate? One spiritually sensitive human wanders in here and it’s all over. Have you even thought about the consequences?”

Josie’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. “Those old relics and their rules are too much trouble!”

I shook my head. “You have no reverence, yet you expect the Progenitor to recognize your bond?”

“Our bond doesn’t need your approval!” Josie seethed. “And I’m fully prepared for the Blood Moon Awakening. I’ll prove I’m a worthy princess then!”

Milton puffed out his chest proudly. “That’s right. Josie has a real talent for rituals.”

Just then, Milton’s phone rang.

He glanced at the screen, a smug smile spreading across his face. “It must be the elders, calling to praise Josie’s preparations.”

He confidently pressed the speaker button.

A heartbeat later, Elder Amelia’s fury erupted from the speaker, so powerful it made the very air inside the glamour tremble.

“Prince Milton! What have you done?!” she shrieked, her voice trembling with rage. “The clan’s Wards have completely collapsed! The Sun’s Curse has returned to our lands!”