When Vienna opened her eyes after the operation, the world around her was blurred by tears.
She didn't sob.
She wept—shaking, broken, lost.
Her chest ached as if blades were carving her heart from the inside. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Guilt had consumed her, leaving only a hollow shell.
The pain was so sharp, so unbearable, that even the doctors had to sedate her. Only then did her trembling stop.
Only then did her eyes close again.
Outside the room, Vanessa leaned against the cold wall, pressing a hand over her mouth.
Her daughter had never cried like that.
Not when she broke bones during warrior training.
Not even when she learned that Vantessa, her older sister, had been chosen to rule the clan instead of her.
Vienna had always been the strong one. Tough. Fearless. Raised to be Queen.
But destiny played cruel games. On the night of her adulthood ceremony, the truth came out—Vienna carried her father's cursed blood.
She could use black magic.
For men, it was manageable.
But for women? It was terrifying.
They could become hundred times more powerful than any man.
Too powerful.
Too dangerous.
The King had made his choice.
Vantessa became heir.
Vienna was told to "pursue her dreams."
Dreams? There were no dreams left.
For three days, Vienna stayed locked in her room.
She didn't eat. Didn't sleep. She only cried.
Until the third day, when Vanessa entered gently.
"Vienna... can we talk?"
Silence.
Then a soft, hoarse voice.
"I'll be okay soon, Mother. This feeling will pass. I'll get back on my feet. Thank you."
And she did.
She went back to school like nothing happened.
She smiled. Laughed. Studied. Graduated.
Valus never showed up to his own graduation. She was relieved.
Then she left. Far, far away from the clan, the pain, and the man she never saw again.
---
Eighteen years passed.
Valus married Merrine.
They had twins.
Vienna buried herself in humanitarian work, traveling the world, healing the poor, staying away from politics and power.
Until one call changed everything.
---
"Vienna, can you come home? It's urgent," Vantessa's voice trembled on the other end of the line.
Vienna pinched the bridge of her nose. "Van, you know I'm packed with patients. I can't just—"
"It's about an ancient black spell."
Her breath hitched. "That's forbidden magic. If it's cast on vampires—"
"It's Valus's twins."
Silence.
A name she hadn't heard in eighteen years…
A name that shattered her all over again.
Her hands shook. Sweat dotted her forehead.
"When… when's the 18th birthday?" she whispered.
"This Saturday."
Vienna hung up the phone without another word.
She didn't even finish packing.
She just ran.
She had five days to save the child.
---
The journey took four days.
When she arrived at Misty Town, the home of vampires, she was already exhausted—but there was no time to rest.
A blood-curdling scream tore through the night.
It was Merrine.
Vienna rushed through the palace gates and reached the balcony.
With trembling hands, she cast a preservation spell—one that would keep the child alive for just 24 more hours.
Enough time for the ritual.
She explained everything to Valus and Merrine. Both nodded without hesitation. Desperation had wiped away pride.
The ritual began.
Black flames danced. Runes burned in the air.
And then— Maika was reborn. A newborn, tiny and perfect, wrapped in glowing cloth.
Vienna handed the baby to Merrine.
"I'll come back in eighteen years to reverse the spell," she said, turning away, already packing.
But Valus stayed behind as the others left.
"Can we talk?" he said softly.
Vienna froze.
She didn't turn around.
"Please don't thank me. It's not over yet. See you in eighteen years."
But then—
"The twins... they're ours," Valus said.
Her heart stopped.
"What… what did you say?" she whispered, her voice breaking.
Valus stepped closer.
"I found out when I saw you at the hospital years ago. I spoke to the doctor after your operation. He told me about the embryos. I… I had them preserved."
Vienna's knees buckled.
She clutched the wall to stay standing.
Tears streamed down her face.
"I wanted to tell you, but my mother came. She sensed it. I had no choice," she said, shaking. "I didn't even know if they'd live—"
Valus handed her a soft handkerchief.
"When I married Merrine… the doctors told us she couldn't have children. I asked her if she'd carry the embryos. She agreed."
Vienna sobbed.
"I tried to reach you, Vienna. But you were gone."
Her voice cracked, raw and filled with emotion.
"Why didn't you fight for us?"
"I thought you hated me," he whispered. "I thought I lost you forever."
She collapsed into a chair, clutching her chest, sobbing.
But she nodded.
They had both made mistakes.
Both paid the price.
Now, they would make it right.
Vienna agreed to raise Maika, the reborn child.
A second chance.
A mother's redemption.
And in her heart, she vowed—this time, she would protect what was hers.