The year is 1927.
The title of royal princess now belonged to her. It should have felt triumphant, but the weight of the past s lingered, pressing into her bones like a shadow that refused to fade.
News reached her of her former master and his family were celebrating the birth of a new child. A grand party. Lavish. Joyous. A symbol of everything they took from her.
Grief and vengeance coiled inside her like twin serpents, twisting tighter with every breath. They stole everything from her, her freedom, her dignity, her child and they dared celebrate .
So she gave herself an invitation.
The night was cold and unforgiving. The kind of chill that seeped into the bones of fragile human bodies, making them shudder beneath layers of silk and wool. But Balu did not feel it. She was no longer bound by human frailties. She was a creature of the dark now, a royal vampire, a force neither time nor fate could break.
The mansion loomed before her, the same place that had once been her prison. That night, it was decorated in gold and silver, shimmering with wealth, filled with music and laughter. The scent of roasted meats and expensive wines drifted into the air, mingling with the perfume of noblewomen who twirled in silk gowns under the glow of golden chandeliers.
It was the celebration of her master's grandson, the heir to his son.
The same son who had ruined her.
The same master who had ordered her death.
Balu stepped through the grand entrance, the guards stationed at the door not even registering her presence before they crumpled to the ground, their bodies lifeless, their souls ripped from them without a sound. She didnot stop. Her steps were slow, deliberate. Death walked with her.
Inside, the celebration was at its peak. Her master sat at the head of the grand table, her aging face glowing with pride as she drank to his family's future. Her son Nicholas sat beside him, the man who once forced himself upon her and then discarded her as if she were filth. His young bride cling to him, oblivious to the sins he carried . The guests laughed can, oblivious to the reckoning upon them.
Balu stood at the entrance of the grand hall, unnoticed at first. But then, the chandelier lights flickered. The air thickened . A strange cold seeped into the room. A chilling whisper, unheard yet felt, slithers through the crowd.
The first scream rang through the halls as the servants began to drop, one by one, their blood painting the polished floors. The guests turned in horror, but the doors had already shut, trapping them inside.
A cold wind swept through the room, snuffing out candles, drowning them in shadows.
And then, she stepped forward.
Janet.
The woman they had cast away. The woman who was supposed to be dead.
Gasps echoed. Disbelieving whispers filled the air.
Nicholas stood frozen, his face pale, his wine glass slipping from his fingers. "No… This isn't possible."
Lady Thomas clutched at her pearls, her breath shallow. "You're dead."
Balu smiled, sharp and cruel, revealing the fangs she had long since accepted. "No, think again," she sneered, addressing the woman who had sentenced her to hell. "You only wished I was."
Nicholas reached for the gun at his waist, but before he could blink, she was before him, faster than the human eye could follow. She seized his wrist, crushing it in her grip. The gun clattered to the floor
The room erupted in chaos. Chairs scraped against the marble floor as people scrambled backward. Guards rushed forward, swords drawn. It was futile.
With a flick of her wrist, the air crackled with energy. An unseen force slammed into the guards, sending them flying like rag dolls. Some crashed into the walls, bones shattering on impact. Others collapsed where they stood, their bodies lifeless before they even hit the floor.
Screams pierced the night.
She moved forward, slow, unhurried.
"You don't deserve the honor of a quick death," she whispered, her breath cold against his skin.
Terror flooded his eyes. "Please," he gasped. "Janet, I.."
"Balu, my name is Balu" she scolded, her claws ripped through his throat before he could finish. His body collapsed, gurgling, eyes wide in shock.
His mother shrieked, scrambling back, her face contorted in horror. "No! No, no, no!"
Balu turned her gaze on the woman who had ordered her death. "You always thought yourself untouchable," she mused. "Let's see how well your wealth protects you now."
With a flick of her wrist, Lady Thomas was lifted off the ground, her body writhing in the invisible grip of Balu's power.
"Janet, please!" she choked, kicking helplessly. "I will give you anything! Money, land, power!"
"I just said my name is Balu, not Janet" Balu pressed her claws in her face . Her screams filled the room as she desperately begged for survival.
"Yes yes, Balu. Please spare me I'll give you anything. I have money"
Balu laughed, a hollow sound. "You think I need your scraps?" She tightened her grip, watching the life drain from the woman's eyes. "You took everything from me. Tonight, I take everything from you."
The sickening snap of her neck echoed in the silent hall.
The guests cowered, paralyzed in fear.
One by one, they fell
Those who had turned a blind eye. Those who had whispered behind their hands but did nothing. Those who had watched as Janet, the girl they had called nothing, had suffered.
Now, their screams filled the halls she once walked in silence.
She saved the mother of Nicholas's child for last.
The woman clutched her baby, shaking. "Please," she begged. "Not my son. Please, Balu."
Balu stepped forward, gaze lingering on the infant. He was innocent. Just as my child had been.
She reached down and gently took the child from his mother's trembling arms.
The woman sobbed, pressing her hands together. "Mercy. Have mercy, please."
Balu met her eyes, empty and cold. "Did you beg for mercy when you wed the man who destroyed me?"
Tears streamed down the woman's face, but she did not answer.
Balu did not grant her the luxury of another breath.
With a final wave of her hand, their bodies twisted, their faces contorting in agony. Their souls ripped from them, drawn into the abyss of her power. Their lifeless husks crumbled to the ground, joining the sea of death she had created.
Silence.
The scent of blood filled the air.
She turned her gaze to the only thing left alive, the child.
A baby, wrapped in silk, nestled in an ornate crib, unaware of the carnage around it. Innocent. Unscathed
She stepped forward, reaching out. Her fingers trembled .
Kill it.
Her-father's blood runs through its veins. The same blood that cursed you. Voice played in her head.
But as she gazed at the infant, something stopped her. The baby blinks up at her, its tiny chest rising and falling, untainted by its family's sins.
She exhaled sharply.
She could not.
With the child wrapped in her arms, she stepped out of the mansion. The night air was crisp, the moon watching like an unblinking eye. She walked through the empty streets, the scent of blood still clinging to her.
And then she stopped .
A street corner. A warm lantern flickers nearby. A shadow moved ,?a woman, ragged but kind, picking through scraps for food.
Balu knelt, placing the child gently on the ground. The baby stirred but did not cry.
From the shadows, she watched as the woman noticed the infant, her face softening as she lifted it into her arms.
Balu turned, walking into the night without a backward glance.
The past was buried.
Her vengeance was complete.
And for the first time in years, she felt free.
PRESENT
"So you had them all killed. Were you satisfied?" Ella asks, snapping Balu back to the present.
Balu's gaze lingers on the flickering candle between them, its flame dancing like the ghosts of her past. Satisfaction? No. But… "I felt free. And relieved."
Ella studies her carefully, weighing the response. She should reprimand her, should say that slaughtering an entire room of people was wrong. But how could she? Balu had suffered beyond reason, assaulted, betrayed, left for dead by those she once trusted. Justice was a fragile thing when weighed against pain. And in the end, Balu had done what no law could.
As silence settles between them, the distant echoes of conversation filter through the stone walls. On the other side of the castle, in a dimly lit chamber, the council is deep in discussion. The room hums with tension, shadows shifting under the glow of candlelight.
Paul grips the arm of his chair, his knuckles white. "I believe this is Sheba's doing. This is why she stole Teslime's corpse."
Steffen sits at the head of the table, his jaw clenched, his mind already racing through the implications.
"The news is everywhere," Sarah says, her voice edged with urgency. "She's turning humans into zombie wolves." Her visit to the city earlier had made one thing clear, Sheba and Teslime were building an army, one that could tear the balance between humans and supernaturals apart.
The outbreak has become a national crisis, forcing the human government to acknowledge what they have long ignored, the existence of werewolves and vampires. Their response is swift and brutal. A kill-on-sight order has been issued against any supernatural spotted in human territory.
Steffen exhales sharply, running a hand down his face. "I should have known." His sister has always been this way, ruthless, cunning, relentless in her hatred. She never wanted peace. She only wanted war.
"This is about more than just power," Lady Marv interjects. "Sheba wants humans gone. She wants the world to burn."
Steffen nods grimly. "Then we end this before it begins." His voice is final, cold with resolve. "Lady Marv, Paul, Sarah, you will hunt down Sheba and Teslime. Do whatever it takes. They cannot be allowed to continue."
The three bow in acknowledgment. The meeting is over.
As Steffen rises, his thoughts shift to Ella. He leaves the war room behind, his steps quick as he makes his way to the hall of celebration.
In the grand hall, Ella stands beside Balu, both studying the blueprint spread across the table. The flickering torches cast long shadows over the parchment, their minds set on a different mission.
"This is the layout of the castle," Balu says, tracing her finger along the blueprint. "The earrings should be here, in Mistress Lily's chambers."
Ella narrows her eyes, committing the path to memory. "How well-guarded is it?"
"Not as much as the treasury, but still protected. You'll need to move fast." Balu's gaze meets Ella's. "You go get it, and I'll cover for you."
Ella nods, determination settling in her chest. The stakes are high, but failure isn't an option.
The plan is set.
And the night is just beginning.