It was still night; almost midnight, when Zeidan decided to scan the city since he has been informed that the vampire city has been surrounded by Werecats. Pulling his cloak around him, he checked himself in the mirror and concluded that all was set.

He knew his city was on fire but sorting it out with impatience can only cost him his people's lives. The stars were no longer visible and the moon seem blurred. A perfect time to strike. Transforming into a v-shaped face with tough skin vampire and his eyes turning pure black, he moved out of his room and made for the city alone.

He walked past the quiet surrounding of the royal mansion and walked out into the straight road that led to a bridge in the middle of a forest. On that bridge, one could oversee the city. He snorted and gritted his two long canine teeth, ready to attack. Getting to the bridge, he let out his eagle eyes around the perimeter of the city. In one part where a stream passed in between mountain steeps and farther away, merchants live with their family, there was plenty of lamps all over. He could see the guards move about and he nodded in approval and everywhere was clear. 

On the other part, some people still moved but they were the city people who are just going home. He turned to his right and sighted the temple. 

"...the temple..."

Lyne's voice reached his ears again and he decided to go and have a look. Using his vampire speed, he crossed trees and rivers and finally arrived at the dark, torn-apart building that had always held his secrets, pain, and disappointment.

Climbing up the steps that lead to the building, he couldn't help but notice the huge changes that were far too obvious to conclude they were made by animals or breeze. From the broken walls that looked like they had been struck by what looked like a sword. He moved further and another change he could make out was a space made from what used to be a wall in the hallway that leads to the temple.

Was this what Lyne had been telling him earlier? How did she know about it? Surely, she must have been here. His heart skipped multiple beats at the possible incidents that might have happened while she had been here. First, it was the broken walls, then walls that were struck, and now an open door. He moved to enter the space where the door leads to when he felt something pointed sharp and gently but firmly placed at the back of his neck. He paused in his tracks.

It dawned on him. Somehow, Lyne found out about who he always played with when he was young. The Spanish ninja. How was she able to get out? 

"Parece que alguien está aquí para jugar." She asked him if he had come for playtime in Spanish and he knew what she meant. She would make sure to kill him this time. 

"Has olvidado lo grande que soy ahora." he chuckled as he reminded her that he wasn't the teenage boy who used to come to get beaten.

He felt her tilt her head as if surprised by how fluent he had gotten in the language. 

"I don't care. My main concern is to kill you!" She yelled before swiping her sword which he dodged by vending backward and digging his popped-out claws into her stomach.

Her pained cry filled the temple but he knew there was no way she would die as she is one of the ancestral vampires. She must have been living for a thousand years. To kill her, he would either need to expose her to the sun for a long time or stab her in the heart, but this was impossible given how fast she is at twirling her two long swords at him. He rose and ran to the temple just as usual but she flew faster this time and landed in front of him. 

They kept fighting until he was able to knock off her two swords leaving her weaponless. He glanced at her black-cloaked figure from the corner of his eyes as he made to go get the weapons but as they were both fast, she landed on him and they rolled away from the swords. His claws sprouting to stab her in the chest, she punched him in the face and he felt something sharp sink into his neck. 

He yelled and felt lightheaded immediately. His vision was blurry but he could see someone stick a sword from behind so that it came out from her chest. He felt someone lift his head and called his name repeatedly. 

"Lyne." He breathed her name before blacking out.

★★★★★★★★★★

"Somebody help us!" Lyne cried as she watched Zeidan close his eyes, blood gushing out of the side of his neck.

After talking with Chloe, she leaned back on the sofa and thought of what had ensued between her and Zeidan that night. Then, she processed what he had said behind her when she ignored his call and was coming to Chloe's room.

"...the temple. I might go there tonight..."

She had jumped to her feet and made for the temple but not without holding the rock. It was evidence of everything that had happened. She had asked Chloe about the rock which she couldn't provide. Frustrated and partly upset by her carelessness, she ran outside, off to the temple. 

As she stepped into the temple, she knew she had heard him correctly. She could hear sounds coming from the temple and she tried to make out where exactly. Moments later, she saw the same black figure on Zeidan and she looked like she was sucking him or something.

Seeing the two swords in the corner, she picked one up and stabbed her from the back. 

Lyne rubbed his head as she cried over him. She embraced him tightly, her lips trembling as she feared the worst. Was he dead? If he died, it would be her fault. She shut her eyes tightly as she rocked him in her arms, hoping he doesn't. She ignored him but he considered her words and immediately took action. What more validation could she ask for?

"I'm sorry." Her voice was shaky. 

"I've been selfish all this while. I didn't think of your feelings while I was busy chasing my happiness. I didn't realize that..."

She felt him jerk from her arms and before she had to react, his lips were on hers. She scoffed in relief when they parted and grabbed his face in her hands, her heart fluttering at what had just happened. Could it be possible to leave this man alone and try to live her life? Absolutely Not. But will she continue to be mad at him? Definitely, yes. As long as Luana keeps getting in the way. 

She wanted to tell Zeidan about how she poisoned her but he still wouldn't trust her and might as well ask for proof before taking action. Maybe they were the same but before she thought of anything. She would enjoy this quiet moment where they stood in the middle of the temple in each other arms and covered in dust. 

"Lyne, I know. From the day I set my eyes on you in the south Jungle, I knew you were just the one. You sent my heart skipping and you made my senses stop for a bit. I always thought twice of whatever I do to you before doing it and to be honest, I've never felt like this ever, in my life."

Lyne felt like crying with what she had just heard. Was he confessing? She sniffled as more years rolled down her eyes. Zeidan cleaned the tears with his thumb as he stared into her glassy blue eyes, faces barely apart.

"I have never said this to any other woman and I was just waiting for the right time. But, sweetheart, I..."

Her heart was beating and her head was swimming as she was expectant of those words. She wasn't asking for too much. Just the three words that would seal her feelings.

"Lyne...I ... I love..." His eyes widened and she saw the pain in his eyes. What was going on? Her lips trembled and her head pounded as he fell on his side, blood dripping down his lips.