Reincarnated As a Vampire [English Version]

Chapter 28

A Princess's Soulful Cry

After Princess Avrora’s capture, everything changed drastically. Prince Leon, Prince Alden, Prince Zen, and Princess Liza refused to stay silent. Their hearts were in turmoil, unable to accept the cruel reality that their dearest friend had become a prisoner.

They returned to their respective kingdoms to speak with their fathers—the kings. But the answers they received were cold and filled with political calculations. King Aldric, Leon’s father, could only hang his head in sorrow as his son raged before him. The queen wept, begging him to rescue the princess they had come to love like their own daughter. But the threat of war from the other four kingdoms made the king hesitate.

Meanwhile, in the darkness of the prison night, I—Avrora—remained bound in chains. My body was exhausted, my eyes heavy. But my thoughts wouldn’t stop echoing.

Is this the end for me?

The sound of approaching footsteps shattered my thoughts. A shadowy figure appeared before me.

“Cleve?” I whispered in disbelief.

Prince Cleve stood before me with a serious expression, gripping a sword in his hand. With a single swing, he slashed through the chains that bound me.

Clang!

The chains broke. I collapsed, but Cleve caught me before I hit the ground. I landed in his arms.

His face flushed red. He quickly looked away, flustered as always.

“I-I’m just repaying a favor. You saved me from that dragon before, remember? So now we’re even.”

I gave him a soft smile. “Still… thank you, Cleve.”

Footsteps echoed again. Cleve panicked and grabbed my hand.

“Come on! We need to go!”

We fled through the underground tunnels of the palace. Cleve—despite his often arrogant demeanor—knew the paths by heart. He led me to the edge of the forest, far enough that the magical barriers no longer reached us.

“This is far enough. You can escape on your own now, right?” he asked.

I nodded. “This is more than enough. Thank you.”

Before he turned to leave, I opened a portal and waved to him. “Take care of yourself.”

I returned to my foster family’s home—only to find it empty. A neighbor delivered terrible news: my father, mother, and little Alice had been taken by royal guards. A note had been left behind:

“To prevent your escape, we’ve detained your family. Surrender yourself—or they die.”

I clenched my teeth. “Bastards…”

The next morning, I turned myself in. I had no other choice. The heroes from the four kingdoms were already waiting. Once again, I was chained, this time crucified in the center of a grand arena—awaiting execution.

But fear of death wasn’t what consumed me. No… it was the fate of my family that crushed my heart. I bowed my head in surrender—as long as they were safe, I was willing to die.

Among the crowd, I saw Cleve being dragged in chains toward the prison. His face was battered and bruised. He must’ve been caught for helping me escape.

“I’m so sorry, Cleve…”

In the distance, I saw Alden, Zen, and Liza. The despair on their faces said everything. They must have tried everything… and still failed.

Thank you… all of you…

Suddenly, I overheard the guards whispering.

“Prince Leon is coming—he’s bringing his entire army!”

I bit my lip. Onii-sama… I knew you’d come. But going up against four kingdoms’ forces? Please… don’t die…

Tears welled up in my eyes.

Then, my family was brought before me—Father, Mother, and Alice. They looked alive… for a moment. But then, without warning, a soldier drove his sword into my mother’s chest.

“No?!”

My eyes widened in horror. The world collapsed around me. Other guards moved in to kill my father and sister.

“No… no… NOOOOO!!”

My scream echoed across the arena. But my body couldn’t move—bound by chains and magic.

AI-chan!! I screamed in my heart. Say something!

A mechanical voice echoed in my mind—the voice of the system that had always accompanied me.

> “There is one way… but the risk is high. The chance of success is only 20%.”

“Tell me! I’ll do anything!”

> “You must evolve. But not by killing 10,000 humans—that’s the normal requirement. Instead, you must break into the world’s system. Reach its core.”

“The system…?”

> “This world is overseen by entities called System Guardians. I will open a gate to their realm. But as a foreign soul, you’ll be seen as a threat. If you fail… you’ll be erased from existence. But if you succeed, you can rewrite your evolution requirement—and reach your ultimate form.”

“I don’t care about the risks! Open it!”

> “Understood. Prepare yourself. Opening system gate… now.”

A swirling vortex of black light opened within my mind. My soul was pulled into it—into the core system that governs this world—the realm of gods and guardians.

My body remained crucified in the real world, but my soul now fought for one thing: the last hope to save everything I loved.

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To be continued…