Vampire's Veil Of Obsession-Chapter 141: Life And Death

"Mr. Zethan, you have to remember—this is a deal. Breaking it means you could be cursed," she said seriously, almost surprising herself. Knowing Zethan, he never changed his mind once he made a decision. He always stood by it. So it had caught her completely off guard that he had changed his mind.

The same man who had been so eager for years to discover the identity of the person behind his wife had now walked away from it all in seconds—without a second thought. And also the reasons why the memory of him and her had been lost.

Of course, he did have occasional dreams about her, yes, but he had never once seen her face—more like he had some remembrance of her. But whenever he tried to think deeper, instead of his head hurting, his body would stay unmoving for seconds.

Those words made a dark chuckle escape Zethan’s lips, as though the idea of a curse was nothing new to him. How could he act so calm in such a serious situation? No one knew exactly what was going through his mind, but his silence made it clear—he was calculating something. And from how quiet he had become, there was more than a hundred percent chance that whatever plan he was forming in that head of his... would work.

"Curse, huh," he spoke, as if the very idea already intrigued him.

Lena fell silent.

"There’s already a problem. I have no access to her current situation right now. It feels like a gate is blocking me from seeing what state she’s in. That was what led to the burn. I tried to use some of my powers to open it but..." She fell silent again, staring at Lilia, who still lay there on the hospital bed.

"Mr. Zethan, you could end up with the Black Curse. This was destined, remember? Her very existence was tied to your journey—to help you uncover the truth about your previous wife. That’s why we made the seal," she said quietly. "But there’s another problem—Mrs. Lilia is unintentionally breaking the magic as well, which shouldn’t be happening. It seems... she’s struggling too. And it’s making it harder for the flower to die and rebloom."

The truth about the flower was this: once Lilia dies, the black flower dies too. Then it reblooms—but with a different glow. That glow holds the power to reveal any part of Zethan’s past—forgotten or hidden—but it can only be seen by Zethan himself.

To their surprise, Zethan’s lips curled into an emotionless grin as he shook his head.

"Oh... those flowers were her favorite. She loved them deeply. Oh, you naughty little loris, always going for the dangerous ones huh," he said, almost ironically. The warmth in his voice was gone. Not only did Lucas notice it, but, Lena felt a chill from it too.

Zethan shook his head in disbelief. For two hundred years, he had longed to know who killed his previous wife. He had wanted his memories back—wanted to see her face. And yet now... he no longer cared about that. The only thing he wanted was to see his wife, Lilia. To feel her. To hold her.

But it seemed... those wishes were now far from possible.

The black flower still held a dim glow, faint but not lifeless. Before they could even process it, the glow began to blink.

"It’s... blinking," the woman spoke hastily her eyes moving to Lilia.

At this point, there was nothing more they could do. But one thing was certain—if that blinking stopped, Lilia would be truly gone.

*

*

*

Deep within a pitch-black forest, Lilia lay still on the cold grass. Slowly, she stirred, her lashes fluttering as her eyes opened wide to an unfamiliar sight.

Darkness.

The night was pitch black—starless, endless—so heavy it made everything feel terrifying and bone-chilling. Her breath caught in her throat as she scanned her surroundings, heart racing.

"Zethan..." she tried to call, but no sound left her lips.

Her mouth had moved, she had spoken—but the word didn’t echo. It didn’t even exist outside her mind. Her eyes widened in horror.

What happened to her voice?

She tried again.

"Zethan..."

Nothing. Only her thoughts could hear it. No sound escaped.

Then suddenly, a whisper slipped out into the darkness.

"Hello..."

Her own voice echoed faintly, as though the forest had finally awakened.

"Zethan..." she tried again, but just like before, nothing came out. Her lips moved, her heart called for him—but no sound followed.

Just as she opened her mouth to try once more—

"That name is forbidden in this forest," a voice interrupted, making Lilia flinch and stumble back in shock.

Where had the voice come from?

She turned quickly—and saw a woman standing there. The woman wore a long white gown that floated just above the ground, drifting through the forest like a collection of leaves caught in a breeze.

"W-Who are you?" Lilia asked, eyes wide with fear. The woman was unfamiliar—everything about this place was unfamiliar. Strange. Unsettling. It felt like a world built from despair, a place where motivation withered. The forest was suffocating and eerie, with unnaturally tall trees stretching toward the black sky like claws. The very air felt forbidden... cursed.

The woman smiled.

Her hair—an unnaturally bright blue, almost like the sky but glowing even more brilliantly—fell down her back and touched the ground, merging with the fabric of her gown. Her eyes were deep, dark blue, locked onto Lilia with a quiet intensity.

"You don’t have to worry," the woman said softly, "and you don’t need to be afraid. But that name... is forbidden here."

There was something off about her—an aura so strange and powerful that Lilia could feel it pulsing through the air from where she stood.

"What do you mean?" Lilia asked, voice shaky. "That’s my husband’s name. Why is it forbidden here?"

At that, the woman laughed.

The sound sent a shiver crawling down Lilia’s spine. She stepped back instinctively.

The woman’s body swayed, her gown slithering against the forest floor like a snake. Her head tilted slowly upward and back down, the laugh dragging out unnaturally—slow, deliberate, and haunting.

It wasn’t just laughter. It was a warning.

"Oh, sweetheart," the woman cooed, "you put so much trust in this husband of yours, huh? A man who was willing to let you die just to uncover the identity of his first wife. And yet, here you are... one naive little thing."

Her voice dripped with mockery.

"You’re standing in the land between life and death, still longing for a man who’s alive and well. If he truly loved you, why didn’t he follow you here? It’s not like he can’t—there is a way. But he is forbidden. That man is deeply forbidden here. You’re struggling for your life... and he’s alive and kicking."

She paused.

Then leaned in and whispered.

Lilia stared at her, lips parting in shock.

"Let me give you a little secret," the woman said. "Once you die completely, the memory of his first wife returns. I don’t mind if you want to be the sacrificial lamb."

"No," Lilia interrupted firmly. "Why is he forbidden? And why are you telling me this? What do you want from me?"

The woman laughed again—that same slow, spine-chilling laugh that twisted through the forest like a curse.

"You’re a smart one," she finally said. "There’s only one thing you can do if you want to leave. Don’t you think you deserve your own happiness?"

Lilia narrowed her eyes. "I asked you a question. Why are you doing this? What do you gain from it?"

The woman’s smile widened—unnatural and cold.

"Oh, what a loyal wife you are," she said, voice low. "You’re already as good as dead... and yet, I’m the one keeping you alive."

"W-What do you want from me?" Lilia asked again, her voice softer, more wary.

The woman stepped closer, eyes gleaming. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

"I see... no wonder they warned me you’d be a hard one. I didn’t believe it at first. But now, I see it’s true. Still, let me give you a hint. We are the Exes—Vampires once, but no longer. Something changed us. We were separated. And your husband..." she leaned in, her whisper colder than the wind, "...is the reason our queen and our seer are dead."

Lilia gasped. "What does that have to do with me?"

The moment the words left her mouth, a thick wind swept through the forest, whipping her hair sideways. Goosebumps crawled over her skin as the icy breeze gripped her.

"You have a choice," the woman said. "To live... or to die. Right now, you’re pathetically dead. My powers are the only thing holding you here. If I speak the spell, you’ll vanish."

Her eyes glowed as she asked the final question.

"So... are you willing to do it?"

"Do what?" Lilia breathed.

The woman laughed again, but this time, it was different—darker. Her lips began to move rapidly, chanting something low and ancient, a language Lilia couldn’t understand.

Her eyes shifted wildly—left, right, up, down... left, right, up, down—repeating in a haunting rhythm. Her body began to sway, then spin, dancing in strange, ritualistic movements. It wasn’t graceful—it was chaotic, eerie, as if the forest itself was responding to her every step.

Then, her voice grew louder—sharp, twisted words spilling out like venom.

"Kill your husband."