EGO POV Yibo

We are safe for the moment. After we ran down this passage where I killed Rin and the commander, we took the left passage that I avoided before. There was rustling everywhere. But after I heard a whistle, suddenly there was silence and gave us time to find a hiding place.

Now we are in a small cave, with only one narrow opening, through which we also crawled. It has the advantage that anything that sticks its head in there can be eliminated by us immediately. Or rather by me. That bastard Mao Wan really fell asleep after trembling and crying because he can't take all this and wants to go home!

If four eyes weren't better than two at the moment, I would have killed him myself long ago! Admittedly, I also don't know what to do at the moment, but that doesn't mean that I will stop looking for a solution and hide here for days.

Mao Wan is awake again now, whining that he hoped this was all just a nightmare. I should remind him to shut the hell up!

"Listen..." I began.

"Hey you guys in there." Whispered suddenly someone at the entrance of our little cave.

"Who are you?" I asked, while Mao Wan looked at me with wide eyes.

"Doesn't matter now. Do you need help handsome man?"

"Who do you mean?"

"Haha, you of course. So, do you want my help?"

"How could you possibly help me with those beasts?"

"Beasts? Oh oh I see, you mean father's dogs."

"Dogs? That's monsters. Damn vampires!"

"Um, they're my father's failed experiments. But they make good dogs to protect us."

"You?"

"Mmm. But I don't have time to explain it to you now. So, do you want my help my handsome friend?"

"Sure."

"Good. But you have to promise not to use it on me." He said almost cheerfully.

"Huh?"

"Promise!"

"Okay, I promise."

"Good, I've got some bottles of holy water here. Sprinkle it on them. It'll hurt them. You can also put some on your blades. If you want to kill them, the only way is to stab them in the heart or cut off their heads."

"Listen, I don't have a stake here, or a katana sword. I have a short sword, but it's really unsuitable for this."

"Mhhh, so I don't have any stakes either, but I have good swords. Wait here, I'll be back soon and bring you a good one."

"Wait a minute! Who are you?"

"I'm a vampire!"

"That means you're one of those monsters and you still want to help us?"

"I'm not even close to those dogs! Now shut up. I'll be back soon to bring you the sword." Suddenly he sounded really angry. Had I been insulting him?

Without another word, he threw the small bottles of holy water into the opening of the cave. "Thank you." I said, but he didn't answer.

Since there is nothing we can do at the moment but wait, I finally have time to think about the story my grandma told me back then. She told it to me many times, but it was so long ago that I remember little of the details. Oh yes, Mao Wan fell asleep again!

What was that again? Mhhh, oh yes. At a time when humans could still peacefully coexist with vampires, and when real magic still existed, there lived one of my ancestors. Flora Wang!

Flora Wang was known in her village for her beauty and kindness. She was always friendly to all people and always ready to help. And because her father did not want his only and beautiful daughter to become the wife of a farmer, he promised her to the Lord of the castle. A vampire by the name of Wen Rouhan.

The young beautiful Flora Wang agreed to marry the vampire. She was not afraid of him and was always treated well by him and even pampered properly. He often sent her and her family expensive rare fruits. He bought her the most beautiful dresses and shoes. With him, she and her family never lacked for anything.

But one day a young talented magician came to the village, wandering from one village to the next, wanting to know more of the world. The magician Xiao Liang and Flora became friends and after a short time, they fell in love. Because of her, the mage stayed in the village and began to work for the village doctor, who also let him stay with him.

Flora and the magician began a secret relationship with each other. They often met at the lake near the forest, where they could spend time together undisturbed. There they fantasized about a future together, without the magician realizing that Flora was already promised to someone else. Because she hid this from him.

The mage, however, noticed that Flora always acted strangely as soon as he brought up the subject of marriage. He did not understand it, but assumed that she was just not ready for it.

For half a year Flora and the mage had a secret relationship, but at the same time Flora spent many nights at the castle with her fiancé. She was well aware of the advantages she had with the vampire. He also promised her that he would turn her into a vampire right after the wedding, he told her she would never have to age and her beauty would last forever.

Gradually, Flora now began to develop feelings for the vampire. And he spoiled her more and more. For the first time in her life, she could have everything she wanted. And this luxury she could not and would not give up. But she also still loved the mage and didn't want to lose him either.

So Flora met with the mage during the day and spent the nights with the vampire. If it had been up to her, it would have gone on and on. But the destiny meant it differently. One night the mage was in the forest on behalf of the village doctor, looking for herbs for medicine, when he heard a carriage.

Curious, he followed the carriage to the castle and saw Flora get out of the carriage and greet the count who received her, with a hug and a kiss. The mage could not believe it and crept towards the castle. Through a window he watched Flora and the vampire making love.

Filled with jealousy and anger over Flora's betrayal, the mage returned to the village and planned to leave the next day. He never wanted to see Flora again.

In the morning Flora came to him, as so often she brought him breakfast. Furious, he confronted her and in tears she told him that she was promised to the vampire and she had no other choice. The mage believed her and her tears and promised to come up with something to help her. In return, she should promise him not to meet with the count at night anymore.

Flora promised the magician and he forgave her. But Flora did not intend to keep this promise. She merely took a different route to the castle so that the magician would not catch her again.

Another 6 months passed in which Flora was able to keep her relationship with both men a secret. But the vampire was getting impatient. After all, Flora was already of marriageable age. So he turned to Flora's father, who then gave his blessing for the wedding.

A date was quickly found and Flora was also looking forward to the wedding. For, on the wedding night, the vampire would transform her and she would forever look as young and beautiful as she did at that moment. And, she would live in wealth, of course.

Word quickly spread through the village that Flora and the vampire would soon be married. The mage, who had been taking all kinds of jobs for six months to earn as much money as possible, was horrified. He had planned to give all the money he had saved to her father so that he would let her marry the mage. But now it was too late.

Desperate, the magician asked her to run away with him. He had saved enough money for them both to get by for quite a while. But Flora turned him down, explaining that she couldn't just run away. She lied, claiming that the vampire would kill her family, have them search everywhere, and kill her too once he found her. She said she didn't want to live a life where she was constantly on the run and afraid.

In his infinite despair, the mage took courage and went to the castle. He turned to the count and asked him to let Flora go. Then, the count found out about Flora's betrayal and was furious. He grabbed the mage and bit him in the throat. Flora, who was coming, saw this and screamed. The count let go of the mage and grabbed Flora, who swore to love only the count and no one else.

The count calmed down again. He kissed Flora in front of the magician, who was still lying on the ground and could hardly move, only to torture him even more. With the last of his strength, he cursed Flora and the Count. "I curse you! You and your descendants shall never know true happiness! May your lives be rocky and hard! In your lives and those of your descendants, may there never be true love!" He shouted.

Full of anger, the count grabbed the dying mage and threw him out of one of the windows. Then he turned to Flora and withdrew his promise of marriage. He bitterly told her that he kissed her only to hurt the mage. He took her back to her father and told him what had happened. And no matter how much her father begged, the count wouldn't soften.

Word quickly spread through the village about what Flora had done and the curse that was now upon her. From then on, everyone avoided Flora and her family, because curses were taken very seriously in those days. Her father desperately searched for another husband for his daughter. But no one wanted her. In the end, he had no choice but to give her to a pig farmer from another village.

From then on, Flora led a life of misery and sorrow. Her husband treated her and their two sons badly and she never again experienced what it was like to be loved, until she took her own life at the age of 40. And as the curse said, none of Flora's descendants had ever known true happiness.

What became of the magician was not known. Because when the count ordered that his body should be disposed of, it could not be found. It was assumed that someone helped him and that he also turned into a vampire after being bitten by the count. However, no one ever saw him again.

Since it was also known that the count had bitten a human who did not want it, he was killed by the oldest vampires, those who had the say. Still shortly before his death he cursed that he hoped Flora and her descendants should always be surrounded by death.

I have no idea if this story is really true and if I can remember everything. But who knows... after all, we are dealing with vampires here, aren't we? Mhhh, what if the curse is really true? And was the vampire's curse also effective? After all, as assassins, we are constantly surrounded by death. How could the curses be stopped?