The Black Rose

Chapter 18

"Yuki!" Jurina yelled as she tried to reach out for Yuki, but the shadow disappeared, taking Yuki with it.

"Oh God...!"

"D-Did it eat her?!"

"It took Yuki! What do we do?!" Jurina grabbed Airi. "We have to get her back! We didn't want this! We just came for a simple mission, to slay a vampire! We never asked for any of this!!!"

"J-Jurina, calm down!"

"NO!!! I won't calm down! That thing took Yuki away! It could..!"

The girl was unable to speak. She couldn't imagine what that demon shadow would do to her. She screamed in frustration and burst out of the room.

"Jurina!"

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When Yuki blinked, she suddenly found herself chained up to a wooden stake. She tried to break free, only to find that she was tightly bound by the silver coils of chains. She hissed as the silver paralyzed her movements, brazing her skin slightly. She looked around the dungeon she was in, trying to figure out where she was.

Suddenly, she heard a door creak open. She saw the shadow enter, along with an all too familiar figure that shocked her to see.

"Clyde-sama..?!"

"Why, hello, Yuki."

"Why are you here?"

"Our Queen demanded that you be brought here. So I had to comply."

"Queen..? You mean, my mother?"

"That's correct, my dear," a female voice then spoke. Yuki saw a woman in a blood red dress walk in, long white hair flowing down her back as she stared at her. She suddenly grew tense, a large pit formed in her stomach as she faced the woman.

"M-Mother..."

The woman's pale face, ageless, curved her scarlet lips in a grin as she walked toward her daughter.

"Ah, my rose... How are you, Yuki?"

"Better if I weren't chained up."

"Trust me, I didn't want this just as much as you did. But Clyde informed me that you have betrayed our clan. You've killed three royal members of the High Circle, and... you've fallen in love with a human."

She clicked her tongue as Yuki just glared at her.

"How disappointing... I expected better from you, my daughter," she said as she stroked her cheek.

"Leave Rena out of this."

"Rena. So that's her name." The woman chuckled. "While your actions are quite punishable... I understand why you became attracted to her. The pure energy within her, that passion burning within her. So strong, so alluring."

"What do you know?!" Yuki rose her voice. "Rena is... Rena is just a human! She has no involvement with our kind!"

"Oh, but my dear Yuki, it's simply too late. You have committed sin by giving yourself to her."

Yuki shook her head. "Please, just leave Rena be... I love her."

The woman simply scoffed.

"Love? How weak..."

"My Queen, I believe Yuki needs to understand what she truly is," Clyde said.

Yuki looked confused, her eyebrows furrowing. "Eh..?"

"Perhaps you're right. After all, soon, she will bloom and unleash her dark power. And, oh, the possibilities of what you can accomplish then..."

"Powers? What are you talking about, Mother?"

"My Yuki... You are the Black Rose."

Yuki just became more confused. "What?"

"You see, Yuki, your mother, our Queen, isn't just a vampire. She's also a Dark witch," Clyde explained. "And as her daughter, you were blessed with terrifying dark power."

Yuki's mother touched the center of her chest with one finger. Yuki felt her breath suddenly hitch as a burning feeling enveloped her chest and caused it to tighten.

"I implanted a seed into your body. A seed of a witch, that gifted you with great power."

"..!"

"Now that seed will hatch and you shall awaken as you truly are. A Dark witch vampire, powerful and ruthless... just like me. You will be the very creation of pure darkness, in MY image! The next Queen to your clan!"

"N-no!" Yuki screamed as she caught her breath. She glared at her mother. "I won't allow it... I'm nothing like you!"