Chapter 64 Starfall (1)

Starfall.

The Holy Grounds of the Moonreaver House. Legend has it after the first Moonreaver was bestowed eternal life by the Vampire Progenitor, he travelled far and wide to discover the best method to trigger his Vampiric Aspect. While he was bestowed extraordinary abilities by the Progenitor, he knew that to survive, he couldn’t just rely on the temperamental being’s power.

In the beginning, he travelled far and wide. Taking advice from his good friend Innocence Everwinter, he travelled to different environments to bathe in its natural magic.

The first Moonreaver tried it all. From arctic ice caps to barren deserts. From volcanic ruptures to the deep, blue ocean. Unlike other Vampires that were former elves or humans that possessed a trademark magical affinity, the Moonreaver ancestor was a blank slate.

Even after dozens of years wandering the world, the man wasn’t able to figure out where his true affinity lay. In his hopelessness, the man wandered aimlessly for a hundred days and a hundred nights. Without knowing where he was going, the Moonreaver ancestor traversed thousands of miles on foot, emptying his magic reserves in the process.

And when all hope seemed lost, the first Moonreaver stumbled across the most beautiful place in the world. It was a place where the night stars met with the earth’s resplendence. A place where the sky and planet kissed. And a place that would be the founding location of the Moonreaver House.

Starfall.

A collapsed crater that had been formed by the collision of a falling star upon the peak of a tall mountain. Pieces of the celestial rock broke free when entering the stratosphere and found their resting place on the mountain, while some rested deep within the mirror lake that was formed after years of rain and snow.

When the first Moonreaver first came across this place, he meditated for a thousand days straight, awakening the innate power that lay within. The ability to control dimensions. Almost overnight, the man went from a mere follower of the Vampire Progenitor and was promoted to his right-hand man. Serving as an advisor similar to Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei, the Moonreaver ancestor led the Vampires to an age of prosperity.

For his troubles, he was granted a noble peerage, bestowed dozens of consorts, and was provided with all the riches and lands he could ever dream of.

And it all started here, here at Starfall.

Upon his death, the Moonreaver ancestor wished for his ashes to be scattered in the lake that began it all. And once that precedent was set, almost every Moonreaver since had willed for their bodies to be the same. Almost every Moonreaver that had passed away rested within this concave mountain, including Lilith’s grandmother, whom she held so dear.

But for the first time in a hundred years, the peace and tranquillity of the Holy Grounds were about to be disrupted.

“There’s fifteen minutes left until the promised time; where is he?”

I stood next to Lilith while basking in the true moonlight that I’d missed since moving to the Moonreaver Dimension. While the artificial Blood Moon was empowering, nothing was more refreshing than the power that the real Moon could provide.

“Wouldn’t it be better if he didn’t come?”

“Lilith…”

The blonde-haired girl pursed her lips with worry written all over her face. Even after reassuring her multiple times, Lilith still couldn’t wash away the innate fear that she had of her brother. Though, I didn’t blame her for not trusting me. After all, I knew for a fact that I wasn’t Sirius’ match just yet. However, this duel was something that I couldn’t back out of.

My happy, debaucherous life with Lilith was on the line!

“Lord Sirius will be arriving soon.”

Fortunately for me, another voice came to my aid. A silver-haired Vampire, who was donned in a battle suit that had light armour protecting her vitals, stared coldly at me as she said:

“Unlike you, Lord Sirius is busy with other matters. He’ll be warping straight from his previous arrangement, so just be patient.”

“Sister Capella…”

Capella Moonreaver’s frosty attitude didn’t go unnoticed, drawing ire from the girl who had her hand plastered all over my body. Lilith’s phoenix eyes turned toxic, as a searing fire seemed to emerge from their depths. Was it just me, or was Lilith getting more and more protective as the days went by? Well, we can solve that matter later.

“I’m just speaking the truth, Lilith. You may not like your brother, but he cares for you deeply. While his methods may be crude, he’s genuinely looking out for your safety.”

“Hmph! I’m no longer a child! I don’t need him breathing down my neck at every single thing I do!”

“You… Hah, forget it…”

Capella shook her head and didn’t bother to elaborate. Being part of his team and as someone who had grown up with Sirius, it was evident that the woman would side with Lilith’s brother. Alas, because of that connection, she couldn’t empathise with Lilith. She didn’t know how invasive Sirius’ meddling could prove to be. And not to mention…

He was seriously impeding our loving relationship! Perhaps Lilith and I would have crossed the final border if not for his interruption that day. But I digress.

Speaking of interruptions, I was quite satisfied with the lack of them here. Other than Capella, Lisa and a few other Moonreaver guards, there weren’t many spectators around. Not to mention, the entire Holy Grounds were completely barren of life, with not even a security guard in sight. It was probably due to the reconstruction efforts that the Moonreaver Dimension was undergoing, and the lack of advertising on Sirius’ part.

He must be thinking that this was going to be an easy duel where he would wipe the floor with me within the first few seconds. The fact that he even planned a prior engagement before this was proof of that.

Hah… I shouldn’t be complaining. The more distracted he was, the more of a chance I had. Furthermore, my plan required him to underestimate me so that I could easily make ambushes.

As I was reviewing my game plan for the once-in-a-lifetime duel, I noticed a certain young woman furrowing her brows. Her vale eyes dilated as she stared into the distance, particularly the vast lake that lay before us. Even with my mind preoccupied with Sirius, I couldn’t stop my heart from gravitating toward the lonely figure. I placed my arm over her shoulder and pulled her in deep:

“What are you thinking about?”

“… What made you choose Starfall?” Without moving her head or body, Lilith whispered in a voice that only I could hear.

“You don’t like it?” I brushed my hands up Lilith’s shoulder and pulled her head down to my mouth. “Wasn’t this your favourite place in the Moonreaver House?”

“… So you do remember.”

“Bits and pieces, yeah.”

The memory of Lilith and me sharing our feelings under the moonlight still resonated within my mind. Lilith didn’t have much of a childhood growing up. Her parents were mostly absent. Her best friends were tutors that taught her magic and only saw her as an asset to groom. And her one true relative, Sirius, treated her like a precious, brittle jewel and would turn overprotective over her.

The only time that Lilith truly had some semblance of a family, was her time training with her grandmother on Starfall.

Unlike the other Vampires in her life, Lilith’s grandmother pampered her and showered the girl with familial love. She bought her sweets, told her bedtime stories, played games with her, and most importantly… She loved Lilith.

Amongst all of the adults in her life, Lilith’s grandmother was the only one who told her to pursue her interests. She said that it didn’t matter if she became the Moonreaver heir or not. As long as she could actively pursue her happiness, nothing else mattered.

Which was why… When her grandmother faded into the netherworld, it crushed the young girl.

Lilith’s only pillar in life had crumbled, and she was alone once again. If not for meeting me, perhaps the girl might have gone down a different path, a more self-destructive one.

So, there was no more monumental place for Lilith than Starfall. It was the place where her lonely life took a turn, bringing colour into her colourless life. When her grandmother passed, it started yet another chapter in her book, bringing grief and sadness into a place filled with love and roses. Later, it had become a shackle that bound the girl to the Moonreaver House.

All her life, Lilith’s world had revolved around Starfall. From the cradle to adolescence to adulthood.

Therefore, it was fitting that this would be the location where her life would start anew. And shameful as it was, I remember my past self promising something to her.

“I think I said something along these lines, right?”

Placing my face over hers, I gently planted a kiss on her forehead and said:

“One day… I’ll come to Starfall and pick you up. So just wait patiently for me.”

“Bastard… So you do remember that promise.”

“Hehe, I hope I’m not too late.”

“Stupid fool!!!”

Lilith leapt into my arms and returned my kiss a hundred-fold. Perhaps, if not for our exposed location, she might even go further than that. However, that didn’t mean she was stingy with her affection. On the contrary, in fact. Lilith only allowed me to go free the moment she marked my entire face with her saliva.

“You promised me, Jin… So don’t lose.”

“Heh, so you’ve finally begun to trust your husband?”

“Hmph! Who is your wife?! We haven’t even sorted out the problem that is Irina!”

“Haha! You really are possessive! But you’re right; that’s something we can talk about another time.”

While I would have loved to continue playing with the beauty in my arms, there was something more important to do. I stepped out from her embrace and wiped my face clean as a man stepped out from a portal.

Draped in the most exquisite clothes, the blonde man looked like a divine emperor arriving in the heavenly courts to meet his subjects. Each step he took exuded confidence, and with each movement, he sent out an invisible pressure that mounted on everyone’s shoulders. His arrival sent shivers down everyone’s spines, including his trusted subordinate and his lovely younger sister. And it didn’t help that his vale eyes were staring deep into my soul, as if they wanted to shoot daggers into my body.

However, I didn’t waver. If I ran away here, I would never be worthy to touch Lilith’s hand ever again. And that was something I couldn’t accept.

Standing my ground, I stared at my opponent, whose bloodlust seemed to be dialled to eleven after witnessing my intimate moment with his sister. Smiling, I raised my chin and laughed with his name at the tip of my tongue.

“Sirius Moonreaver…”