The Eclipsed Bloom
Chapter 103: Hiding behind curtain

Chapter 103: Chapter 103: Hiding behind curtain

A faint shimmer rippled across Zara’s palm.

Her sword materialized in her hand, its crimson blade gleaming like blood under the crimson sky. She tightened her grip and turned sharply toward the direction the spear had come from.

Her eyes narrowed.

Down below—standing atop a crumbling boulder—was a man.

His skin was the color of scorched coal, veins glowing like molten cracks, pulsing with an eerie red light. Fiery lines traced down his arms and neck, almost like they were carved into his flesh.

He stood in a low, predatory stance, one arm still outstretched from the throw, fingers splayed as if savoring the attack. A wide, feral grin stretched across his face, fangs barely visible beneath it.

His eyes met hers—and he chuckled.

Like a predator who had just found worthy prey.

Zara wiped the blood trailing down her chin with the back of her hand, but the warmth didn’t stop.

She frowned.

’Mother was right... The wounds are closing too slowly.’

Her eyes flicked back down to the man.

Without warning, he lunged—feet pounding the broken earth as he launched himself skyward with inhuman strength. In seconds, he was nearly level with her in the air, his twisted grin widening.

Zara didn’t flinch.

She simply raised her palm.

Midair, the man’s grin faltered.

His eyes widened in confusion—then pain.

The blood seeping from his earlier wounds suddenly froze, turning solid and jagged. Like a thousand tiny needles, it spiked outward, piercing through his own flesh with violent force.

"Aaarghh!!"

He screamed as his own blood betrayed him—ripping through muscle, tearing open skin. His body twisted, spasming uncontrollably in the air.

Zara’s gaze remained cold and unmoving as the man’s body plummeted toward the ruined ground below, his screams fading into silence.

But she didn’t watch him fall.

Her eyes were already scanning the battlefield ahead, her thoughts sharpening like the edge of her blade.

’Where is the vampire commander in charge of this sector?’

Her grip tightened around the hilt of her sword.

Without wasting another second, she surged forward—flying low across the broken terrain, her red armor gleaming like a streak of fire.

When she landed amidst the chaos, the clash of metal and the shrieks of war greeted her.

Dozens of dhampirs turned toward her—but too late.

Zara moved like a phantom.

Her sword carved through flesh and bone with elegant brutality. Blood sprayed—but she didn’t stop.

With a flick of her wrist, the crimson droplets in the air froze mid-flight—then hardened into dagger-like shards that pierced the bodies of other nearby dhampirs. Those that didn’t die instantly found their own blood turning against them, hardening inside their veins and rupturing them from within.

Screams echoed. Bodies fell.

Zara’s expression remained unchanged.

As the last of the dhampirs in the area fell, silence returned—heavy and grim.

The vampire knights in red armor, bloodied but alive, dropped to one knee in perfect unison.

"Welcome, Marquis!" they called out in a unified and little fearful voice.

Zara blinked, tilting her head slightly in surprise. Her sword dissolved into red mist and vanished from her hand.

’How do they already know I’m Marquis...? Did Mother inform them beforehand, and thank god i dint become unconscious?’

Her expression remained composed as she spoke.

"Where is your commander?"

One knight rose to his feet respectfully, placing a fist over his chest.

"Marquis, Duke Leon is currently stationed in the central war camp."

Zara raised an eyebrow at the name.

’Leon... the same duke who openly voiced his anger when I was appointed Marquis.’

Her lips curled slightly—not quite a smile.

’This should be interesting.’

From behind—across the sky Zara had flown through—thousands of figures began to appear, descending like a blood-red tide from the heavens.

The sky darkened with the arrival of vampire knights clad in gleaming crimson armor, their formation tight and disciplined, wings stretched wide as they hovered with deadly grace.

The ground knights who had been kneeling looked up, their eyes widening in disbelief.

"W-Wow... Did the Marquis arrive with the Crimson Legion?"

Zara didn’t answer. Her gaze swept calmly over the sky, unreadable.

She turned to one of the knights beside her.

"Take me to the central camp."

The knight straightened with a nod. "Yes, Marquis."

He took off, flying swiftly toward the east.

Zara turned her head toward the kneeling troops. Her voice was firm, but composed.

"Stay alert. Return to your positions and prepare for reinforcement orders."

The knights saluted, their voices unified. "Yes, Marquis!"

Without another word, Zara lifted into the air and followed the knight through the scarred skies.

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Elarion World — Haldrin Territory

A dark carriage rolled to a halt in front of the grand Haldrin Mansion. The door opened, and a man stepped out.

His hair was snow white, eyes the same — white and emotionless, like ancient ice.

The butler rushed forward, bowing deeply.

"Welcome home, Young Master."

The man gave a curt nod, his expression unreadable, and strode toward the mansion entrance.

As he entered the hall, his cold gaze locked onto a woman descending the stairs—her brown hair swaying with each step.

Ailany froze mid-step, her eyes wide in surprise. "Ah! Son... when did you return—?"

The man’s voice cut through her words like a blade.

"Shut up. I’m not your son."

A wave of icy pressure burst from his body, flooding the room with killing intent. Ailany’s face paled instantly, her legs trembling. But she forced a tight, nervous smile onto her lips.

He continued walking, expression unchanged.

"Where is my sister?"

Ailany gulped, her voice shaky. "S-She... she’s in her room Cadel."

Cadel walked forward, and as he passed by Ailany, he leaned in and whispered coldly into her ear.

"Don’t think I’m anything like Elira. I don’t care what you do to your daughter—but if you so much as think about touching Elira... I’ll kill you and burn the house you crawled out from."

"Pat. Pat."

His shoes echoed ominously on the marble floor as he walked away, leaving Ailany frozen in place. Her body trembled, the air around her thick with fear.

In front of Elira’s door, Cadel knocked lightly.

A soft voice answered from within.

"Come in."

Click.

The door opened, and for a brief moment, Cadel’s harsh expression softened as his eyes landed on Elira, seated on her bed, her silver-white hair glowing under the soft lamplight.

Elira’s eyes widened in delight, a bright smile blooming across her face.

"Brother! You didn’t even send a message—why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I thought you’d arrive next week!"

Cadel stepped inside and sat down in the chair beside her, crossing his arms with a casual shrug.

"I didn’t think about it."

Just then, the bathroom door creaked open.

A girl stepped out—and the moment she saw Cadel sitting there, her face went pale.

Cadel’s eyes narrowed instantly, his gaze turning sharp and unreadable.

Elira sighed when she noticed her brother’s expression.

She stood up, walked over to Betty, and wrapped her arms around her gently.

"Brother, don’t be so mean to her," she said softly.

Cadel looked away, clearly irritated, but said nothing.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile...

Zara descended from the sky, her crimson armor glinting in the moonlight. The knights around the perimeter of the camp landed swiftly behind her, forming a protective circle.

The knight leading them gestured toward a large tent reinforced with black steel and adorned with red banners.

"Miss, that’s the commander’s room," he said respectfully.

Zara turned her head, following the direction of his pointing finger.

She gave a curt nod and approached the room. Stopping at the entrance, she raised her hand and knocked twice.

Knock. Knock.

There was no response.

"Duke, it’s Marquis Zara," she called through the tent flap. "Are you inside?"

Tap. Tap.

Her eyes narrowed, instantly alert. Two hurried footsteps sounded from within, like someone scrambling inside.

’What is this Duke doing?’ Zara thought, eyes narrowing.

After a few moments, the door finally creaked open. Duke Leon stood in the doorway, his expression sharp with irritation.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

Zara’s eyes instantly turned cold.

"Duke Leon," she said, her voice like frost, "you do realize your title is beneath mine now, don’t you? If you dare to disrespect me again... don’t blame me for what happens next."

Without waiting for a response, she shoved past him and stepped into the room. Her sharp gaze swept the area—nothing seemed out of place, but the lack of military urgency in the commander’s quarters made her frown.

"What do you want, Marquis?" Leon growled from behind her. "Why are you barging into my room?"

Zara ignored him. Her eyes had caught something.

A flicker of pale skin behind the curtain.

A bare foot—delicate, unmistakably feminine.

Her expression darkened.

As Zara took a single step toward the curtain, Leon quickly moved to block her path, standing tall in front of her.

She stopped, gaze unflinching.

"Leon," she said coldly, "you do realize there’s a war raging outside, don’t you? What exactly are you doing here, while dhampirs are attacking and invading our territory? Shouldn’t you be planning defenses?"

Leon’s jaw clenched. His fists tightened at his sides, trembling slightly.

’Who does this bitch think she is?’ Leon’s eyes narrowed, rage bubbling silently.

’Just because she got marry and got lucky she became a Marquis, she thinks she can order me around? It should’ve been me. If it weren’t for her... I would’ve been the Baron of the Progenitor Nobility.’

His eyes burned with resentment, but he kept his mouth shut.

Zara tilted her head slightly, her tone dropping into an icy whisper.

"If you’re hiding something, Leon... fix your posture. This is a warzone, not your bedroom."

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