The café fell into a tense silence. Lucas and Seraphim locked eyes, both filled with a challenge and emotions too deep to voice.
"Who are you… and how do you know me?" Lucas demanded, his voice sharp.
Seraphim smiled faintly. "I am no one… yet we were once bound by what is called the Eternal Blood."
Elizabeth felt a powerful pull, like a gust of wind hitting her heart. She tried to take a deep breath and asked, trembling,
"Eternal Blood… what does that mean?"
Seraphim leaned closer, his gaze gentle. "It is a bond forged from the past… from blood that connects us… whether you accept it or not, it is already within you."
Lucas clenched his fists, a mix of fear and anger rising. "She belongs to me… I won't let anyone replace me."
Seraphim merely smiled, but in his eyes lay sorrow. He knew taking Elizabeth away from Lucas would not be easy, yet the blood oath was demanding.
Elizabeth stood between the two forces, knowing that her future was being shaped, and that this choice could alter everyone's life forever.