The Eclipsed Bloom
Chapter 56: Lilith sister

Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Lilith sister

The damphirs snarled, their crimson-veined eyes glowing with malice.

"Grraaahh... isfijjjjfso!" one of them hissed in a guttural, inhuman tongue before unleashing a volley of jagged bone shards from its fingertips.

Zara reacted instantly. With a flick of her wrist, her crimson blade flashed into existence. She slashed through the flying projectiles with precise, fluid motion, the air humming with the force of her swing.

Beside her, Lilith stepped forward, her long legs gliding across the rocky ground. With practiced grace, she spun her silver spear, the blade singing as it cleaved through two attackers in a single arc. Their heads rolled across the cave floor before their bodies crumpled to the ground.

Silence fell.

The last echoes of battle faded into the shadows.

Lilith lowered her weapon and glanced at Zara, wiping a streak of blood from her cheek with the back of her hand.

Her brows furrowed.

"That was... strange," she said quietly, eyes narrowing as she scanned the corpses. "They’ve never attacked like this before."

Zara’s eyes widened slightly as a sudden presence made her instincts flare.

A woman appeared from the shadows, striding toward them with a wild grin stretched across her face. Her hair blazed like wildfire—vibrant red—and her crimson eyes shimmered with playful chaos. She looked oddly similar to Nyssa... yet lacked that composed, mature aura. Instead, this one radiated unhinged energy.

"Haha! Where are you running, you little pests?!" the woman cackled, halting with a dramatic spin.

She stopped just in front of Lilith, then tilted her head and suddenly started making exaggerated noises.

"Whoooo~ Whoooof~" she blew air through her lips, flailing her arms as if pretending not to see them.

Zara blinked, then looked between the eccentric girl and Lilith—who now stood with a hand on her hip, clearly unimpressed.

"Thalia," Lilith said sweetly. Too sweet.

Zara’s lips twitched.

The red-haired woman froze mid-gesture.

"Oh no," she muttered, straightening up slowly.

Lilith’s voice remained deceptively calm. "What... exactly... do you think you were doing, Thalia?"

Thalia turned with a sheepish grin, one foot sliding back like a child caught red-handed.

"Sis, I was just playing with those damphirs! No biggie! Why so serious?"

Lilith pressed a hand to her forehead with a sigh."How many times do I have to tell you? Stop coming into this territory. Doesn’t your own area have enough damphirs?"

Thalia puffed out her cheeks, clearly unwilling to back down."But those ones are weak! These damphirs can shoot bones. That’s way cooler—and stronger!"

Her eyes suddenly shifted to Zara, who was quietly observing the exchange. Thalia blinked, then leaned in slightly with a curious glint in her eye."Ooh... Who’s she? She’s beautiful."

The sudden compliment caught Zara off-guard. She stiffened slightly, her gaze flickering in confusion.

Before Zara could respond, Lilith stepped forward sharply, irritation flashing in her eyes. She wrapped an arm around Zara’s waist and pulled her closer, her tone firm and possessive."She’s my lover. So don’t even think about it."

Thalia’s mouth dropped open in shock."Wha—Sis?! Are you okay? Didn’t you always say you’d never—"

Zara nearly screamed from the sudden pain. Her eyes widened as she looked down at her waist.

"Ah—Lilith! Could you please not pinch me like that?"

Lilith blinked, quickly pulling her hand away."Oh... sorry."

Then she turned to glare at Thalia with narrowed eyes.

Thalia, still trying to hold back her laughter, covered her mouth."Hehe..."

"Hmph." Lilith scoffed and turned her head with a snort, clearly annoyed.

Thalia glanced between the two of them, her expression shifting as if trying to piece together the truth behind their relationship.

But Lilith wasn’t in the mood for games. She pointed a sharp glare at her sister."Why are you still here? Do you want a beating?"

Thalia didn’t wait another second. She bolted, her retreating figure flailing in the distance.

Zara watched her go, amused by her exaggerated, goofy run. A light chuckle escaped her lips.

Lilith, however, wasn’t laughing. Instead, she frowned and looked down, clearly irritated.

Zara noticed the sudden shift in mood and leaned closer, concern softening her voice."Huh? What’s wrong, Lilith?"

"Nothing," Lilith muttered, sitting back down on the rock.

Why am I feeling irritated... just because she smiled at Thalia? The thought annoyed her even more.

Zara watched her reaction, puzzled. After a moment, she walked over and sat beside her.

"So... was that your sister?" she asked casually.

Lilith turned to her, a little surprised."How do you know?"

Zara smirked slightly."Well, she looks a bit like Nyssa. So I figured—if she’s like her, she’s probably your sister too."

Lilith gave a small nod."Yeah... she is. Thalia’s my sister—and also the Viscount of the Spearveil Clan."

"Well... she was kinda cute," Zara muttered without thinking.

Lilith’s expression darkened. Her eyes narrowed as she turned sharply toward Zara."Cute? What did you just say?"

Zara’s eyes widened, a flash of panic crossing her face. She suddenly recalled a childhood memory—her father getting scolded (and slightly beaten) by her mother for calling another woman pretty.

Without hesitation, she reached out, cupped Lilith’s chin, and pressed a quick kiss to her lips."Muah!"

Lilith’s anger melted away like snow under the sun. Her arms wrapped around Zara, pulling her close.

Then, Zara leaned in, her voice soft like silk against Lilith’s ear."But you’re the most adorable one, Lilith."

Lilith’s breath caught. Her silver eyes darkened, filled with something deeper. Her fangs extended slowly, and her gaze dropped to Zara’s neck.

A second later, she sank her teeth gently into Zara’s skin.

A gasp escaped Zara’s lips—not from pain, but from the strange, euphoric sensation. Her own instincts kicked in. Without hesitation, she leaned in and bit Lilith’s neck in return.

The cave echoed with silence, broken only by the sound of their steady breathing.

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On the Elunor Continent

Deep within an ancient, sprawling jungle, where the trees rose like giants and vines hung like curtains of shadow, a woman with long green hair stood still beneath the canopy. Her emerald eyes narrowed slightly as she turned toward the blond-haired man beside her.

"Leo," she spoke, her voice sharp with concern. "Why did you suddenly drag me out of the empire? And that letter... why did you leave it in Zara’s room? You know she’ll be worried."

The man—tall, calm, and carrying a quiet strength—turned his striking blue eyes toward her. His gaze softened.

"Sophia," he said gently, "you know we couldn’t stay there anymore. Not after what happened. Zara’s safe now—she’s an academy student. The empire can’t touch her."

Sophia’s brows knit together. A sigh escaped her lips, laced with worry. "Yeah... but still..."

Leo stepped closer, lifting a hand to rest it lightly atop her head. His touch was warm, grounding.

"Don’t worry, wife. Once we’re safe, we’ll go to her. I promise."

Sophia’s eyes met his for a moment—eyes that once sparkled with fierce pride but now shimmered with fear and doubt. Seeing the unwavering calm in his expression, her shoulders slowly relaxed. She looked down and nodded.

"...Okay."

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