Hellbound Heart

Chapter 360  It's time

Through the shadows of the entrance of Black Forest, Kyle glided gracefully. He wore an aura of darkness that seemed to merge with the forest's ambiance. His footsteps, though light, sent ripples through the thick carpet of fallen leaves and twigs.

The male vampire pressed forward when suddenly, a bright light shone in the darkness. It wasn't the cold, remote gleam of the moon, but a warm, radiant luminance that seemed out of place in such a dark place. From its center, a silhouette formed. It was her—

Lilith, the queen of witches. Her gown seemed to shimmer and dance with every flicker of the light around her.

Kyle immediately showed longing and fondness as he set his eyes on her. He looked at her like the way a lover would gaze upon his beloved.

But the witch queen's demeanor remained as immovable as a stone statue, her eyes locked onto his, cold and intense. Only her hair moved, dancing gracefully in the subtle breeze.

The silence stretched like a taut bowstring, until Kyle spoke. His voice resonated through the darkness, velvety and warm, as he addressed her, "Were you waiting for me, love?"

Lilith remained silent. No reaction appeared on her face despite that intimate line.

The tension mounted, and the forest seemed to hold its breath, as if anticipating what would happen next between them.

Step by step, the vampire continued his approach, an air of confidence surrounding him like an alluring aura. His grey eyes glowed with an otherworldly intensity, matching the silver radiance that emanated from Lilith's very being.

"Stop right there," Lilith's command cut through the night air, her voice firm. But Kyle only smirked and continued forward.

As his form drew closer, Lilith's hand found the hilt of her sword and drew it. The blade gleamed with a mesmerizing luminescence, mirroring the gleam in her silvery eyes. The forest seemed to stir, as if the ancient trees themselves acknowledged the presence of their queen and awaited her bidding.

"I told you to stop... vampire," she repeated.

"It seems... you don't miss me as much as I missed you, Queen Lilith," Kyle admitted with a nod, a bittersweet smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"But it's alright, I understand," he continued, his voice gentle, yet laced with a touch of mischief.

He took another step closer and Lilith's grip on her sword tightened.

"Tell me, vampire prince, why are you here?" Lilith asked.

"Because I miss you."

Kyle's immediate response almost made Lilith falter. But she held her composure and didn't dare drop her guard.

"We are not the naive youths we once were, vampire prince. If you think –"

"And yet," he cut her off, "I can still see a hint of that young witch who stole my heart."

For the briefest of moments, her shoulders tensed and her fingers clenched involuntarily. But almost as quickly as it had appeared, she cast it away. She took a measured breath, her face smoothing into its familiar, enigmatic calm, her posture regaining its regal stance.

"I've never stopped loving you, Lilith," Kyle continued. "I've tried to move on, but my heart has never truly let you go. Every time I close my eyes, I see your face, feel your touch, and it haunts me."

Lilith's breath caught in her throat. Her pupils dilated, and her composed face twitched ever so slightly.

Kyle took a step closer, the space between them dwindling as he reached out to gently cup Lilith's cheek. "And I know a part of you still love me too."

"Stop trying to seduce me, vampire," Lilith whispered. "You know that you and I can't –"

"Who says we can't, my love?" he murmured, his voice a tender melody. "The world has changed, and so have we. I think it's time to rewrite our story, Lilith."

"We can't rewrite history," her jaws worked. "I chose my duty over us back then, and I must stand by that decision."

"Tell me, Lilith," Kyle's voice was a whisper, his breath caressing her skin like a tantalizing promise. "Do you truly believe that denying yourself what you desire is the path you're meant to walk?"

"Leave, Kyle," she said softly.

"Sometimes, the simplest truths are the hardest to accept, isn't it?" Kyle murmured, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of Lilith's silver hair behind her ear.

"I asked you to give up on me, Kyle," she stood her ground. "I chose my duty over our love."

Kyle's gaze held hers. "And perhaps it's time for you to choose again, Lilith. To choose yourself, your happiness, and the love that still burns between us. To let go of the past and allow ourselves a taste of what we denied for so long –"

A sudden blur of movement erupted.

Lilith moved with the speed of a striking serpent and in the blink of an eye, Kyle was sprawled on the forest floor. The wind, previously a gentle whisper among the trees, halted in stunned silence, as if even nature itself was taken aback by the suddenness of the motion.

He dared to glance up, his eyes locking onto the witch queen.

Lilith stood there. Her stance exuded authority, every line of her form radiating power. In her hand, a sword gleamed, its edge positioned with chilling precision, mere inches from his throat.

A silence enveloped them, broken only by the whisper of wind through the trees.

In that moment, the moonlight painted a portrait of contrasts—

Lilith, the queen of witches, poised and formidable; Kyle, the vampire prince, captured and vulnerable beneath her.

For a few more moments, the two locked in a tense standoff. Until Kyle's eyes glimmered playfully, his lips curling into a smirk that bordered on the wicked.

"Are you going to kill me, love?" he asked, his voice a rich and alluring melody, each word dripping with a daring that was almost intoxicating. Fear seemed foreign to him, replaced instead by a reckless courage that matched the smile playing on his lips.

Lilith's jaw clenched, but the sharp edge of her sword didn't falter.

"Shut your mouth," she hissed. "You think you can fool me?"