My Stepmom Is A Vampire & Her Entire Bloodline Wants To Breed Me

Chapter 230: Empty Husk

Everyone finally gathered in one of the empty rooms. Even Maria was there, standing quietly, while Bianca was still trying to connect with Ulrich. Her attempts clearly weren’t going well.

"I can’t connect to them," Bianca said, worry creeping into her voice. "It’s been two days. Something is wrong."

She bit down on her thumb. The doll in her hand looked lifeless, its eyes dull and hollow, nothing like the usual responsive doll she used. That alone was a bad sign.

"I can’t see where they are either," she added.

"It feels like my sight is being blocked, just like when you were all trapped in Oprichin."

She glanced at Dylan and Maria. Both of them stiffened slightly, already understanding what that implied.

"Were they in danger the last time you managed to contact them?" Fleur asked, her tone calm and steady.

Bianca shook her head. "No. They were still traveling toward Matthew’s old village. The progenitor is suspected to be buried somewhere around there, so they decided to investigate."

"Matthew’s old village?" Lulu spoke up. "Where exactly is that? I might know it. I came from Leuca."

Bianca nodded. "That’s the place. They were there when Seamus’ group joined the Black Lotus, then moved deeper into the area. Toward the mining site. Amber Village."

Lulu frowned slightly, rubbing her chin. "I know it. There used to be several mines in the area. In the past, people talked about strange sightings. Mutated animals and weird folklore."

"Mutated animals..." Dylan muttered.

His mind immediately went back to Mark and the way he spoke about implanting vampire cores into animals. His expression hardened.

"Latros could be there. They might already be in danger."

"That’s why we won’t waste any more time," Seamus said, cutting through the tension.

"We’re moving to the north of the wall after this."

Despite the worry in the room, Fleur remained composed, and Seamus trusted that. Andrew and X were with the team as well. They wouldn’t fall easily. That group was strong enough to survive far worse.

Dylan nodded, as did the others.

Seamus raised his hand, focusing as darkness gathered and twisted in the air, forming a gate that moved like a living shadow.

"Let’s go," he said calmly, stepping forward first and disappearing into the gate.

The scenery shifted into an old jail basement. It was a perfect place for interrogation, though they did not need much effort since Fleur could access what lay inside Mark’s mind.

Before they moved farther down the hallway, Fleur raised a hand to stop them.

"I can breach slightly into the mind of a human or vampire with a Blood Pact," she explained calmly.

Bianca must have told her about the possibility of Mark doing Blood Pact with Latros. Afterall, even the small fray like Otto has it.

"But doing so can melt their brain. Mine as well, if I go too deep. Even then, I would only see fragments."

"We understand," Seamus replied. "You don’t need to sacrifice yourself. Draemir still needs you."

Fleur nodded, then looked around. "This is a Labyrinth of Dream, right? Can’t you see inside his mind here?"

"Only the worst parts," Seamus answered as he started walking, the others following behind him.

"Trauma that manifests as part of the domain. As far as I know, Mark doesn’t carry trauma that connects directly to Latros."

"After everything he did in those experiments?" Dylan exclaimed.

He shook his head. "I still feel sick thinking about it. Even if it was an illusion, the horror stayed with me."

"The brain is complicated," Fleur said. "I once encountered a vampire soldier from the North who enjoyed killing. To him, every atrocity was just another normal day."

Her tone remained calm, which somehow made it more disturbing. "Trauma is personal. Not everyone reacts the same way."

No one argued with that.

They stopped in front of a single cell. Inside, a figure sat slumped in a chair. His hands were tied behind him with rope, blood soaking into his clothes and pooling beneath him.

Gray hair obscured most of his face as his head hung low.

"You didn’t torture him too much, did you?" Fleur asked, glancing at Seamus. "Severe damage can blur memories. It makes things harder to read."

"Not really," Seamus replied with a shrug. "I’ve experienced worse."

The cell door creaked open on its own.

They gathered around Mark as Seamus lifted his chin. His eyes were dull and empty, completely unresponsive.

"Hm. This is strange," Seamus murmured. "He broke too easily. You can still see his memories, right?"

"I’ll try," Fleur said.

She placed her hand on Mark’s head. Veins extended from her skin and slipped into his scalp. Mark’s body convulsed violently as Fleur closed her eyes.

Her expression shifted, confusion and surprise crossing her face.

Less than a minute passed before she pulled her hand away.

"What happened?" Seamus asked. "Is his mind really shattered?"

"Well, looks like we found another psychopath," Dylan said dryly.

Maria elbowed him immediately.

"Let her speak first," she hissed.

"Hey, don’t defend him," Dylan muttered, only earning a harder jab.

"He’s empty," Fleur said quietly.

"What?" Seamus asked, certain he had misheard.

"There’s nothing there," Fleur continued. "The memories of his sad past are obviously fake.... It’s like looking into a hollow doll."

Bianca frowned. "Could it be shock? From what he experienced inside this Dream Labyrinth?"

Fleur shook her head. "No. A fractured mind and an empty one are very different."

She took a slow breath before turning to Seamus. "The one you trapped isn’t the real Mark. He might be a duplicate, something like that Lady Crow did."

"That’s not it," Lulu said suddenly. "I can clone myself too. I know the difference. This isn’t a clone created by Mark."

Silence fell over the room.

Seamus’s eyes widened as a memory surfaced. Daniel. The clones. The conversation he overheard in the Red Zone.

"Don’t tell me..." he whispered.

Suddenly, loud laughter erupted from Mark’s body.

Everyone jolted and turned toward him as his head lifted slowly, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"It took you this long to figure it out?" Mark said, his voice sharp with amusement.