Chapter 23
~ The Vampire Realm ~
Erin's POV
My creations—the Goldren's—were truly magnificent. Just a few minutes after we arrived and the entire place had transformed. The ground was covered with glowing petals, the sky shimmered with floating crystals, and butterflies—gold, blue, and silver—glided everywhere like living sparkles. The air smelled like fresh roses and sweet night-bloom blossoms.
This lake-side garden… it was breathtaking.
It felt alive.
It felt like magic.
It felt like home.
One of my creations, tall and beautiful with sparkling wings, walked up to me with a bright smile.
"My Queen, what do you think about the decorations? The dancers are also getting ready… and the singers too."
I blinked. Singers? Dancers?
I genuinely thought they only knew how to fight.
"You guys can dance and sing? I thought Goldren's were only for war and battles," I asked, confused.
She laughed gently, like bells ringing in the wind.
"My Queen, of course we can. You once said we shouldn't spend our entire existence fighting. You told us to learn joy… so we learned singing, dancing, arts, games—anything fun. You wanted us to live, not just battle."
My heart softened.
I didn't remember saying that, but something inside me warmed as if it were true.
"That's really great," I replied with a smile.
She perked up happily.
"Oh—they're here!" she announced. "These are the dancers and singers performing today!"
I turned, and for a moment… I forgot to breathe.
They were beautiful. Stunning.
"Wow," I whispered without thinking.
"You're all beautiful. Very, very beautiful creatures. You look even more enchanting in your human form."
"Thank you, Queen Erin," they said in unison, bowing their heads.
Their human forms were fascinating. Elegant, delicate, but powerful. Their skin glowed—literally shimmered. From their faces down to their stomachs, their skin gleamed gold. But from their hips to their feet, it shimmered a deep red, like precious gems under sunlight. Their wings matched—golden from the top, glowing red at the bottom—and their golden eyes sparkled like jewels.
They looked like living masterpieces.
And when they shifted into small forms with tiny wings and glowing bodies—adorable didn't even begin to describe it.
One tiny Goldren flew up, flapping her wings excitedly and shouted:
"Let the celebration begin!"
Everyone cheered.
Music started—a soft, magical melody.
The singers' voices sounded like a choir of enchanted angels.
The dancers spun, creating trails of gold and fire in the air.
It was magical.
This was joy.
This was peace.
Just when I was getting lost in the celebration, another Goldren approached me—but she was different.
Very different.
Her hair wasn't gold like the others—it was shimmering, fiery red.
Her eyes were golden, but her irises glowed red like molten crystals.
And her wings… pure red. Not gold. Not mixed. Just blazing, radiant red.
She bowed gracefully, then suddenly her face shifted into a pout.
"Queen Erin! You're finally back! You promised you wouldn't leave for long but you disappeared forever!"
I blinked.
This girl was… talking to me like we were sisters.
And the crazy part was… I didn't remember her. Not even a little.
Before I could ask anything, Mars suddenly stepped forward like he had been listening all along.
"That's your last creation," Mars explained.
"The strongest after Dark Lightning. She's powerful—very, very powerful. When you made her, you poured a lot of your power into her. She's not like the others. You didn't create her to worship you. You created her to be close to you. Your companion. Someone who could talk to you, argue with you, laugh with you."
He paused, and for a moment, his expression changed.
"You used to tell her everything. She followed you everywhere."
Then he stopped talking abruptly, like he said too much.
Something felt… strange.
I narrowed my eyes.
"What do you mean you remembered then? When? We haven't known each other before this. Or… is there something I'm missing?"
Mars froze.
For a second, I felt something uneasy inside me—like a piece of a puzzle twisting into place.
He quickly forced a calm smile.
"No, no, nothing strange. It's just… everyone knows her. Ruby is famous. The entire realm knows her. Witches, vampires, elves—everyone. She and Dark Lightning are legendary."
I wasn't satisfied, but I let it go.
I turned to her.
"So… what name did I give you?"
She lifted her head proudly and smiled.
"Ruby, my Queen."
Ruby.
The name felt warm on my tongue.
"Ruby," I repeated. "That's a beautiful name. So my strongest warriors are Theodore and Ruby. Nice combination."
Ruby's wings flickered, and she grinned cutely.
"Thank you, my Queen!"
On impulse, I pulled her into a hug.
Her eyes widened in surprised happiness.
It felt natural.
Too natural.
She held my hand gently.
"Come, come! Let's go to the lake. I want to show you something!"
"The lake?" I blinked. "Which lake?"
She stared at me like I was committing a crime against common sense.
"Um… the one you created? Duh."
I laughed. She was such a little troublemaker.
As she dragged me along, the path lit up beneath our feet. Fireflies and glowing plants swayed around us. We walked toward a crystal-clear lake that shimmered with golden light. The water looked alive—like liquid magic.
"This lake…" Ruby said softly.
"This is the lake you created with your power. It carries your essence. When we are weak or wounded, we drink from it to regain our strength. It keeps us alive."
Her tone changed—sad, serious.
"Some witches attacked months ago. They wanted to dry the lake using forbidden spells. They wanted to erase every trace of you. We fought with everything we had. We almost died… but we protected it. We had to. It was all we had left of you."
My chest tightened.
My creations were suffering while I was gone.
And I didn't even remember them.
I placed my hand on Ruby's head gently.
"You did well, Ruby. I'm proud of you."
Ruby's eyes softened.
"Ever since you arrived back in the realm, the witches stopped attacking. Maybe they're scared. Or maybe they're waiting. But for now… we're safe. And we're happy you're back."
I froze.
"…Why did you call me Erin?"
My voice was soft, but heavy.
"I thought I was your creator."
She blinked innocently.
"You said I could call you 'Erin' when no one else was around. You said it made you feel normal. Human."
A strange warmth filled my chest.
Like a memory without a picture.
"Oh. Yes. Yes, I remember."
(I didn't remember.)
"Forgive me, beautiful Ruby."
She laughed.
"It's okay, Erin."
Her voice was so familiar that my heart felt something I couldn't name.
She tugged my hand.
"We should go back! If the dancers don't see their queen, they'll drag me to the training grounds and make me spar with Theodore for punishment!"
I burst into laughter.
"Alright. Let's go, Ruby."
She smiled and pulled me back toward the glow of the celebration—the music, the magic, the joy.
For the first time in a long time, I wasn't running.
I wasn't training.
I wasn't afraid.
For the first time…
I felt like I belonged.