------
------
On stage, Dan narrowed his eyes slightly, his spirit dancing along with the strings, his soul flowing with the bow.
The sound of the violin drifted through the hall, pouring out emotion like someone sharing their story—pouring their heart into every note.
As the piece ended, Dan slowly lowered the violin and gave a bow.
But the audience didn't react right away—they were still lost in the music, trapped in the story the melody had just told.
Only after fifteen full seconds did the first clap ring out.
And then came a wave of applause, thunderous and overwhelming. People were completely shocked. Was that performance really done by someone so young?
Fifteen seconds—fifteen seconds of stunned silence before anyone could even process what had just happened.
The violinist rushed onto the stage and threw her arms around Dan.
"Thank you! Thank you for showing me what my music was missing! So this is the soul hidden in the melody… A song with soul becomes your own—otherwise, it's just a mechanical recital."
Dan awkwardly tried to wiggle out of her hug."Uhh… sorry, there are still people watching, you know."
She blushed and let go.
"I'm Helena. What's your name?"
"Dan."
Helena looked at him and felt her heart skip a beat.
"I could hear your soul in that song. If it's okay… I'd love to hear more from you. Something deeper…"
As she spoke, Dan's face turned red too.
"Uhh, sis, I just turned sixteen. Had my birthday right before summer."
Helena froze. Then, blushing furiously, she ran off the stage.
Back at the front, Tony came over and gave Dan a big bear hug.
"Hey, buddy, you were amazing! I had no idea you could play violin! When did you learn?"
Dan shrugged."Beats me. Maybe in a dream or something."
He handed the violin back to Tony."This is a nice instrument."
Tony didn't take it. Instead, he held up his hands."Like it? Then it's yours."
"But isn't this the pride of Arthur's Music Shop?"
Tony grinned."It is. But that place is now called Stark's Music Shop."
Dan twitched. Damn capitalism. Damn filthy rich bastards.
"Do you even realize what you just turned down, man?" Tony suddenly threw an arm around Dan's neck.
"You just said no to a beautiful artist who wanted to have a deep, soulful talk with you!"
Dan rolled his eyes."Hah, do I look like you? Every time you see a pretty girl, you're ready to 'discuss life' with her."
"C'mon, buddy. You're telling me you've never wanted to sit and talk about life with a beautiful woman?"
Dan looked down at the wine-red violin in his hand, its glossy surface gleaming under the hall lights like a gem.
"Maybe. But if I ever do, it definitely won't be her."
The little drama finally ended. The charity gala was a huge success. But the next day's headlines would probably include more than just the event—a new name would be mentioned too: a violin prodigy from an orphanage.
Outside the hall, Tony didn't run off with a random girl like usual. He stayed behind with Dan.
"Heading home? Want me to have Happy give you a lift?"
Dan, violin on his back, shook his head."Nah. I'll go on my own."
Tony shrugged and tossed him a car key."Alright. But take this. No way I'm letting you walk home. Otherwise, tomorrow's headlines'll all be about you."
Dan caught the key."Thanks. What about you?"
Tony smirked and clapped his hands.
A convertible packed with gorgeous women pulled up.
"Obviously, I'm off to the next party. You coming?"
Dan nearly turned to stone."No thanks. My grandma said I shouldn't hang out with bad guys like you."
After saying that, he jumped in the car and took off.
At midnight, the venue—which should've been totally empty—had someone silently step out of the shadows. After stretching a little, the figure headed toward the orphanage.
Inside the orphanage, all the kids were already asleep. Sister Talia sat under the desk lamp, quietly planning the future of the orphanage.
That shadowy figure slipped through the kids' classrooms and moved deeper into Valentine Orphanage. At the very back of the place stood an old, crumbling church.
Before it became an orphanage, Valentine had actually been a monastery. When it got converted, most of the rooms were remodeled, except for the grand old church, which they kept intact.
According to the nuns, it was a sacred place—God's legacy. Keeping the church, they believed, would allow its divine light to bless and guide the children.
The shadow didn't bother with keys. With a quick squeeze, it crushed the lock and barged into the church.
Under the moonlight, the stained-glass windows looked haunting and eerie. Rows of seats stood neatly on either side of the aisle, and at the far end of the church was the altar. Above the altar hung a massive cross, carved with a crucified Jesus.
"This is the place. I can feel that power… it's strong."
The shadow stepped up to the altar. Bathed in moonlight, his figure shifted into that of a hulking green monster. With a single wave of his arm—
The floor of the altar was flung aside, revealing the foundation beneath.
Without hesitation, the creature threw a heavy punch down. The cement cracked open instantly, exposing a long, black coffin over two meters long, with a single cross nailed to its surface.
"The great Count is about to rise again and take back this world!"
The monster muttered to himself as he yanked out the nail and reached to open the coffin.
Buzz~!
Suddenly, an orange-yellow magic circle lit up, blocking his hand.
"What the hell is this now?"
He tried again, reaching for the coffin lid—but still couldn't touch it.
"Damn it! Open up!"
With a furious roar, he slammed his fist down on the magic seal. The sheer brute force made the barrier ripple slightly.
He immediately understood—this seal was old and weakened.
"You think you can stop me?"
He powered up, muscles bulging, and threw another punch at full strength.
Crack!
A sharp sound rang out as the seal fractured. The cracks spread rapidly. The creature, seeing his chance, gathered all his strength and threw one more devastating punch.
This time, the seal completely shattered. But the magical feedback was so intense, it crushed his arm to pieces.
With the seal gone, a massive wave of dark energy erupted from the coffin.
Bang!
A hand burst through the coffin lid, and a terrifying figure slowly crawled out.
The creature immediately dropped to one knee.
"Welcome back, my Lord Count."
The eerie figure, exposed to the open air, began to regenerate. His rotted flesh started healing instantly, revealing a pale, seductive yet sinister face.
"I'm alive again!"
Count Vlad grinned. The feeling of revival put him in a great mood. He looked over at the creature in front of him.
"You... you're an Ascendant?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"Excellent. That means our plan wasn't a complete failure after all."
The monster bowed respectfully.
"I came here specifically to bring you back, my Lord, to lead us once more."
But Count Vlad's gaze suddenly turned toward the church entrance.
"We'll talk about that later. Right now... I'm hungry."
Outside the church, Sister Talia was slowly approaching with a flashlight, following the strange sounds she had heard.
"..."