After Taken as a Prisoner of War, the Vampire Queen Turned Me Into a Vampire and Made Me Her Daughter-Chapter 255: Approaching Footsteps

“An outdated building like this, standing here in the middle of the wilderness… It looks odd, no matter how I look at it.” Gordon muttered, as he sized up the faded red walls of the residence.

Despite their age and isolation, they were surprisingly dust-free and impressively well-maintained.

“This is what buildings looked like a few decades ago,” Ji Bai remarked, seemingly lost in thought as his fingers gently brushed over their rough, uneven surface.

“Why would they need to rebuild a perfectly good suburb like this? Was the local government seizing the land or did some wealthy businessman set their eyes on it?” Gordon’s curiosity was evident. Like many living beings, he could not help but feel a mix of fear and intrigue toward the unknown.

“Neither, actually. I wasn’t there when it happened, so I don’t know all the details. I just heard that a massive fire broke out in the northern suburbs, burning most of the buildings and vegetation to the ground.”

“Apparently, it started in the dead of night, when most of the residents were sound asleep. Hardly anyone noticed the flames spreading. By morning, the suburbs had been reduced to ashes. The local Chivalric Group relocated the few survivors and, following orders, began the reconstruction,” Ji Bai said, laying out the details he still remembered from years ago.

“And that’s where you came in, right? So why do you look so clueless now?”

“At that time, a different chivalric group was stationed in Silk Shuttle City; I was barely six years old then.” Ji Bai said, giving Gordon a solemn look. “This apartment building was probably here long before the talks to rebuild the northern suburbs had even begun. If the construction hasn’t progressed much, you should be able to spot the charred remains of the fire through the window.”

Saying that, he gestured toward the windows lining the corridor.

“Ah, you’re right.” Gordon’s sharp eyes instantly spotted the faint outlines of a crumbled wall and a tangle of twisted steel bars atop a nearby hill. In the stormy rain, they resembled the remains of some enormous, long-deceased creature.

“Looks like they haven’t lifted a finger to rebuild this place… That’s strange, isn’t it?” He twirled his lollipop as he spoke.

“Sure, I haven’t seen the whole area and some other structures might have been unscathed by the fire. But don’t you think it’s a bit… unusual that this is the only building untouched for a hundred meters?”

“No idea. Maybe it didn’t manage to make it this far. If it had, we’d see some signs of fire damage, right?” Ji Bai said, running his finger over the faded walls.

“But that’s impossible. If the whole suburb was covered in greenery, like it is now, there’s no way the fire would have died out so quickly.” Gordon said, furrowing his brows. Something about this building felt off to him.

“Don’t overthink it. We’re only here for the night. According to the old man, there shouldn’t be any problems as long as we follow the rules. But since we’re on the subject of speculation, there’s actually this rumor…” Ji Bai said, stroking his chin with a seemingly thoughtful look on his face.

A dry gulp escaped Lin, though her expression betrayed no emotions.

“…From what I’ve heard, the reconstruction work was abruptly halted due to certain supernatural occurrences, the details of which were kept under wraps by the local Chivalric Group back then. While I don’t have the full picture of what happened, people passing by the area reported hearing the mournful cries of infants and faint whispers at night. Then, the place would blaze with light, as if it had come back to life in the darkness.”

Lin, who was bending down to pick up the keyring she had dropped, suddenly froze at his words.

“Rumors spread quickly and this story has only grown wilder over time. People nowadays say that the fire had left those lost vengeful souls incapable of moving on. They would often return to their former homes, quietly hindering any attempts at reconstruction.”

“Gulp.” Lin stood up slowly, her face impassive as a rock.

“If your assumptions are correct, it’s likely that this apartment has been ‘transformed’ by them. Who knows what ghostly beings might wake up in the dead of the night…”

“That’s absurd. You can’t actually believe that evil ghosts exist in this world, can you?”

“Beats me, but if vampires are allowed to exist, why can’t evil ghosts?”

“Plop.”

The duo turned back, only to find Lin reaching for the keys once more.

“Why are you staring at me?”

“Did you catch a cold, parasite?”

“How could a vampire possibly catch a cold? Try to make sense before you speak next time, cockroach.” Lin rolled her eyes at Ji Bai.

Their banter had become their own unique form of communication, with neither paying mind to the names they called each other.

Gordon, however, stood apart from the duo in silence.

“You’re afraid of unseen and invisible things like ghosts, am I right?“ He said, fairly confident of his conjecture after observing Lin’s reaction from the shadows.

“No way! A vampire… afraid of the dead? Really?”

“I am not! Don’t be ridiculous!”

“She’s afraid of ghosts? How did you figure that out?” Ji Bai was baffled by how Gordon had come to that realization.

“Even a half-sentient brick could see that.” Gordon said, giving Lin a once-over as he ignored the wide-eyed Ji Bai, who was struggling to connect the dots.

“You’re a strange vampire, you know that? Who would’ve thought you’d be afraid of ghosts? The homes your kind lives in are so gloomy, even they would steer clear of them.”

“Words have consequences. You can’t just fabricate an accusation and accuse me like that!”

“It’d be more convincing if you looked me in the eye when saying that.”

“Alright, it’s getting late. If your guess is right, they’ll be showing up soon.” Ji Bai said as he checked the time, his offhand tone seemingly carrying a hint of deliberate intent in them.

“…” Lin stood rooted to the spot, her expression unchanging.

“Right, let’s not drag this out any longer. Ladies first — go ahead and pick a key.” Gordon and Ji Bai both turned their gazes toward Lin.

“…You two go first.” She said, feigning indifference as she offered them the key ring.

“It’s fine, really. Don’t mind us, Miss Lin. Please, go first.” Before Gordon could speak, Ji Bai had put on a show of gallantry, politely declining and insisting she go first.

“No, you go ahead. I’d like to think it over first.”

“It’s just picking a room. What’s there to think about?” He asked, sounding extremely perplexed.

“…”

Watching from the sidelines, Gordon found himself unable to take it any longer.

Honestly, he could not tell if the man before him was being deliberately obtuse or not.

If that was all an act, his performance was worthy of a standing ovation, let alone an Oscar.

“Come on, what’s the holdup? Does it matter who goes first anyway?” Gordon was the first to act, breaking the stalemate as he grabbed a metal key etched with the number ‘101’ from the ring.

“Not really, it’s all the same to me.” Ji Bai said, mirroring Gordon’s action and casually unhooking one as well — It was the key to room 103.

Finally, Lin, who had been holding the key ring all along, made her selection. Trying to appear as nonchalant as the others, she selected the one labeled ‘104’ from the pile.

Though Gordon remained silent as he watched the scene unfold, his gaze flitted back and forth between the two, a knowing look settling on his face.

“Let’s head into our rooms and get some rest. Ghosts tend to prey on people who stay up late.”

“…” Lin remained silent, but the stubborn tuft of hair sticking straight up betrayed her inner turmoil, despite the calmness she projected.

Naturally, such a poor disguise would not escape the notice of someone as perceptive as Gordon, though he chose not to point that out. Ji Bai, of course, was too oblivious to notice anything.

“Yeah, let’s get some sleep.” Despite his words, sleep was clearly the furthest thing on his mind at this moment.

He glanced towards the far end of the corridor, where the absence of lamps left nothing but impenetrable darkness in its wake.

He assumed the rooms meant for them were located in the darkened area.

Continuing down the hallway, he arrived at his room, 101, which was situated right next to the stairs leading to the second floor.

Moving closer to the stairwell, he craned his neck upwards for a better look, but found nothing but pitch-black darkness above, with not a single light coming through.

Yet, there was no mistaking it; He had personally witnessed the second and third floors being lit up earlier.

‘Could that old geezer Bohlmann have turned off the lights when we weren’t looking? No, that can’t be right. After giving us the keys, he went back to his room. Though I suppose he might have a passage to the upper floors from there.’

Gordon crossed his arms, lost in thought. The pleasant sweetness of his lollipop now seemed to carry a faint hint of something unsettling on his tongue. He shook his head.

Was he being overly paranoid? They were only staying for one night, so it was probably best not to poke around and stir up unnecessary trouble.

As he was mulling over his thoughts, he noticed the doors to 103 and 104 – his companions’ rooms – were already shut tight.

Gordon tossed the lollipop stick, now stripped of its candy, into the trash. With a crisp click of the lock, he entered the room he had chosen.

————————————————————

After removing his armor and washing up, Ji Bai sat on the edge of his bed, his eyes fixed on the ruins outside the window.

His lodging was not large, but it had all the necessary amenities: a washroom, a functioning drainage system, and even unopened toiletries. It was far more than what he had expected.

“Thump, thump, thump…” The silence of the room was shattered by a sudden, jarring knock.

“Creak.” The door swung open with a groan.

He was greeted by the sight of soft, lusterless silver strands. They dangled lifelessly, as if reflecting their owner’s dejected state.

The visitor held a quilt and pillow in their arms. Head slightly bowed, a faint, inexplicable blush colored their cheeks. Dressed in thin clothing, they stood at the door, fingers intertwined, seemingly unsure of where to begin.

“You’re still up?”

“Mhm… I can’t sleep.” For someone who usually appeared emotionless and detached, Lin seemed strangely out of sorts.

“Oh.” Ji Bai thought for a moment before responding. “If you can’t sleep, just keep trying. You’ll get there eventually. Try pacing up and down the hallway for a bit — that might do the trick. ”

“…” Despite summer approaching, Lin felt a chill, as if a cold wind had blown straight through the window and pierced right through her.

“If there’s nothing else, I’m closing the door.”

“Bang!” The sound of the slamming door reverberated through the deserted first-floor corridor. Apart from the brief rush of air from the closing door, all that remained was the distant faint light, alternating between brightness and darkness.

“…Uuu.” A strange, whimper escaped Lin’s lips as her legs seemed to powerlessly give way beneath her in the darkness.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

As expected, it was too much for him to understand what she was trying to convey…

‘There’s no helping it. I already knew what kind of person he is from the start. So why am I letting something so incorporeal and intangible scare me like that?’

“”Creak.” The door swung open, causing a few rays of light to fall on Lin, who was standing outside.

“Come in,” Ji Bai said with a soft sigh. “I know it’s improper for a man and woman to be in a room together, but if you don’t mind…”

————————————————————

Midnight.

Gordon’s brow furrowed in his sleep.

In his hazy dream, a sound grew louder; the person, who had been peering at him through the narrow gap of his door, was slowly drawing nearer.

Their impending presence jolted him awake and he found himself sitting upright in his bed.

At that moment, the rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed through the quiet corridor, growing closer to his room with every passing second.