The cutting cold of the London night greeted Alice the moment she left the airport.
The streets, bathed in the orange glow of streetlamps, reflected in rain-soaked puddles, casting a melancholic contrast against the heavy gray sky that seemed eternally sealed. Alice adjusted her black coat, her gaze fixed forward, carrying within her a weight forged from pain, nostalgia, and unwavering resolve.
This was London — the city that now held the answers she sought.
And perhaps, the reunion fate had prepared.
Following Rose's instructions, Alice moved through quieter streets, far from tourist avenues and restless crowds. With every step, memories clawed their way into her mind: Beth's laughter as she trained her and Rose, the firm, protective gaze of the woman who, despite sharing no blood, had been her mother.
Yet alongside those tender recollections came the open wound of betrayal, abandonment, and the hollow ache Beth's disappearance had left behind.
Alice drew a slow breath, steadying the storm within.
I will not falter now.
She spent days investigating discreetly, cross-referencing the information Rose had given her with clues buried in records of abandoned properties. The hunt was anything but easy.
The first obstacle came when a group of local vampires, guardians of a British clan that controlled part of the city, intercepted her in a narrow alley.
"You shouldn't be here, foreigner," one of them said. He was tall, with messy blond hair and glistening fangs.
"This city has an owner."
Alice did not step back. Her eyes burned crimson, and the air around her seemed to freeze.
"Then tell your owner I'm not interested," she replied coldly.
"I'm only looking for one person."
They attacked without warning.
They were fast, skilled, but Alice was driven by something far stronger than instinct. She was driven by vengeance and by the weight of memory. Within minutes, all four lay on the ground, incapacitated, groaning in pain.
Alice grabbed the blond vampire by the collar, lifting him effortlessly.
"You can help me," she said calmly.
"I'm looking for the vampire named Beth. Tell me where she is, and I spare you and your pack."
The vampire spat blood and smiled.
"I don't know who you're talking about."
Alice slammed him against the wall. Her claws slid free, piercing his leg. His scream echoed through the alley.
"I know you're lying," Alice said, her voice low and merciless.
"Tell me what you know, and you live."
With no options left, the vampire broke.
"Alright… alright! I don't know much, but some vampires say she lives in a house near Whitehall."
Alice smiled, a manic, chilling curve of her lips.
"Good boy," she said softly.
"Thank you."
She did not kill them. She simply made sure they understood one thing: crossing her path again would be fatal.
With the threat behind her, Alice continued on until she reached a quiet street on the outskirts of London. The houses were modest, unassuming, but one stood apart.
Old. Austere. Victorian in design.
Tall windows, heavy curtains, a meticulously kept garden.
Everything about it whispered Beth.
Alice stood before the iron gate for a long moment, her heart pounding.
Is this it?
She pushed the gate open. It creaked softly as she walked toward the door. Before she could knock, she felt it, a familiar presence, an energy that tightened her chest.
The door opened slowly.
Beth stood there.
Time had not diminished her presence. Her wavy brown hair still framed her shoulders with quiet elegance, and her deep eyes reflected the same strength and gentleness Alice remembered. For a moment, Beth simply stared, stunned.
Then a soft smile bloomed.
"Alice…" she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
"You've grown."
Alice inhaled sharply, fighting the tears burning at the edges of her eyes. Her lips trembled before the words finally escaped.
"Hi… Mom."
The silence that followed was heavy, woven with unspoken pain, love, and regret. The reunion had finally come.
Beth stepped forward, eyes glistening, still struggling to believe that the girl she had raised now stood before her. They embraced, clinging to one another as if afraid to let go.
The silence broke when Alice finally spoke.
"A lot has happened, Mom… things you can't even imagine," she said, her voice thick with resentment.
"The Council sabotaged my hearing with my partner, Kara. They planned everything, manipulated me, tried to destroy me. And now… there's only one path left."
Beth looked at her with worry, holding her hands tightly.
"My child, I'm so sorry for your loss. But don't tell me you're going to lose yourself to this hatred…"
Alice smiled faintly, cold, almost ironic.
"I won't lose myself," she replied.
"I'll hunt them. One by one. Until there's nothing left of the Council."
Her voice carried the weight of a vow.
"But to do that, I need power. Real power."
Beth narrowed her eyes.
"What kind of power?"
Alice stepped back, the shadow of the fire burning within her reflected in her gaze.
"Dracula's blood," she said.
"I want to drink it. I want his strength, his absolute immortality. With it, I'll crush the Council."
Beth staggered back, eyes wide with horror.
"Have you lost your mind? Dracula's blood is not a gift, it's a curse! You don't understand what you're asking for!"
Alice advanced. For a moment, the room seemed to darken. Slowly, she placed her hand over Beth's chest, just above her heart.
"If I wanted to, Beth…" she whispered, eyes blazing with pain and fury.
"I could rip this out of you right now."
Beth froze.
"I don't care what happens to me anymore," Alice continued.
"Only my goal matters."
The silence between them cut like glass.
At last, Beth exhaled, defeated by her daughter's resolve.
"If this is what you want… then know there is no turning back," she said quietly.
"If you drink that blood, Alice, everything will change forever."
Reluctantly, Beth retrieved an old piece of paper hidden among ancient books and handed it to her.
"Dracula's tomb lies in Wallachia, in a cursed land. But you must understand, the place is guarded by hunters. They wield weapons forged to exterminate vampires like you. If you go there… you may never return."
Alice took the paper, gripping it tightly, as if it were a trophy.
"That's exactly what I want."
Beth tried to hold her hand, desperation in her eyes.
"Alice, please… don't walk this path."
Alice turned away, a cold shadow of a smile on her lips.
"Thank you, Mom. After this… nothing will ever be the same."
And without looking back, Alice left,
leaving Beth in tears, knowing she had just released her daughter into the embrace of darkness.