Hellbound Heart

Chapter 371  For all i care

When Sebastian awoke, he found himself in the familiar confines of his room within Reign's Castle. As he stirred, his initial impulse to leap out of bed was halted by the sight of Elle beside him. She occupied a chair, her hand tenderly clasped around his.

Slowly, he extended his hand, fingertips grazing her delicate features. And when he detected the gentle rhythm of her breathing, Sebastian felt an overwhelming surge of relief that literally sent shivers down his spine.

Running his quivering hands over his face, he drew in a few deep breaths before gingerly slipping out of bed. Just as he began to lift her to tuck her into the bed, Elle's eyes fluttered open. "Seb...?" she blinked in surprise. "Wait... why are you lifting me? Put me down; you're—"

Sebastian settled back onto the bed, cradling her in his arms and hugging her tightly. "I'm fine now. You healed me, didn't you?" "Yes, but..."

"I'm completely healed now, Iza," he assured her as their eyes locked. "Thank you."

Elle nibbled the inside of her lip before finally breaking into a relieved smile. "Thank goodness." She gently reached out and touched his face. "But please, do tell me if you're feeling any... pain or discomfort, okay? Some of your wounds weren't normal after all."

Elle nibbled the inside of her lip before finally breaking into a relieved smile. "Thank goodness." She gently reached out and touched his face. "But please, do tell me if you're feeling any... pain or discomfort, okay? Some of your wounds weren't normal after all."

Sebastian nodded, his lips finding her forehead in a tender kiss. Then, unexpectedly, he pulled her into a tight hug, muttering a curse under his breath. "Damn... I thought I..." He drew another deep, shaky breath and buried his face against the curve of her shoulder.

"About Elijah..." Elle began hesitantly. "I believe he intentionally missed my vitals."

Silence settled between them for a long while before Sebastian emitted a soft, almost inaudible "Mn" sound of acknowledgment.

Elle held him close, and for another immeasurable stretch of time, they remained locked in a wordless embrace until eventually, Sebastian gently pulled away.

His gaze was calm now as he searched and survey her. "Are you… really okay?" Elle nodded. "I am. I've healed myself as well, so now I'm perfectly fine."

Sebastian's gaze lingered on her neck, and then suddenly, he moved in to kiss her skin. At first, it seemed like a simple kiss, but he surprised her by lightly grazing her skin with his tongue, sending shivers down her spine. And when she finally realized something hard beneath her, she grabbed his face and gently pushed him away, making him meet her gaze.

Her face flushed. "Your... your brother was here last night." She did her best to diffuse the rising heat, knowing that, despite everything settling down, this wasn't the appropriate moment for such intimacy. "I think he should still be here. Everyone was busy—"

Sebastian caught his lower lip between his teeth, his gaze shifting towards the window. "Right..." He sighed, and his expression shifted. "And it's today, isn't it? The day Zeke and Alicia leave."

Elle nodded quietly, already sensing the change in Sebastian's emotions.

"Let's go find them. They might still be here," Elle said as she climbed off the bed and took Sebastian's hand.

Sebastian followed her lead, and together they stepped out of the room. To their relief, they found Zeke, Alexander, Lucas, the prophetess, the king, and some other important figures of Viscarria still in the castle. Elle and Sebastian promptly joined the group, which was deep in discussion about the situation.

Alexander and Zeke had indeed dealt with the humans already. The soldiers' memories had been erased, and they were relocated to a different place where human conflicts were currently occurring. The memories of the human leaders were also wiped, along with all the videos uploaded on the internet. However, the prophetess expressed his concern. "Is this really enough? What about the millions, if not billions, of people who have already seen those videos on the internet?" "Many of those people never believed those videos in the first place," Alexander explained. "You know how skeptical humans can be when it comes to the supernatural. The rest will likely dismiss them as mere hoaxes. Though, of course, humans are naturally curious creatures, so some will continue to investigate. It's inevitable. And realistically, we can't expect to keep our existence a secret forever."

The prophetess and the officials exchanged shocked and uneasy glances upon hearing Alexander's words. "Alex is right." Zeke spoke. "Times are changing, and human modernization will only make it increasingly challenging for vampires to conceal themselves." The prophetess soke again, her voice filled with concern. "Your Highness, please tell us that this is you advising us to start preparing for the worst—"

Zeke's gaze locked onto the prophetess', and he interrupted her with a stern expression. "Whatever you have in mind will only make everything worse." "But Your Highness—" Abruptly, Alex interrupted the prophetess. "Many of you turned your backs on Sebastian just days ago for the most trivial reasons, simply because you learned that Zeke and Sebastian aren't pure vampire royals?" Alex's sly smirk swept across the now frozen officials, including the prophetess.

"Honestly," Alexander laughed, "you all are becoming quite absurd. You've known I'm not a full-blood vampire for ages, so why is this suddenly an issue? You should be grateful that Zeke and Sebastian also possess demon blood, which only makes them far more powerful than ordinary vampire royals." He shook his head and turned to Zeke. "I believe many vampires are growing weary of their long lives. Perhaps it's time for us to let them pursue their desires, in exchange for allowing them to fend for themselves," he said with a knowing smile. "Please don't joke about something like that, Alexan—" the king began. "What makes you think I'm joking?" Alex cut him off, his gaze turning piercingly sharp. "You all are truly disappointing. Do you believe that if you turn your backs on Zeke and Sebastian, I'll still be willing to fight for vampires like you? Vampires whose loyalty can be so easily swayed can go die for all I care."