Chapter 92: The Hidden Secrets of the Vampire Race

A waning crescent moon hung high above, surrendering the stage to the stars. As the night deepened, their brilliance would only grow, transforming the heavens into a sea of shimmering light.

Changing into clothes better suited for movement, Sophie quietly eased open the door to her room.

At the moment, she was the only occupant on this floor. Even so, guilt weighed heavily on her conscience. She moved with such painstaking care that she seemed determined not to disturb even a single speck of dust.

Rolling up her sleeve, Sophie revealed several routes drawn along the inside of her forearm in black fountain pen ink.

Those crude maps traced the paths Jane usually led her through, every one of them beginning at Sophie' room so she would always be able to find her way back if she became lost.

Which meant that tonight, if she wanted to escape, she had to avoid every route marked on her arm. Following one of them would almost certainly lead her straight into Jane or one of the Volturi guards.

The underground tunnels twisted through the palace like an enormous labyrinth. Sophie was convinced that somewhere among them lay a passage leading to the outside world. She had already made up her mind. Even if tonight's attempt failed, tomorrow's version of herself would simply try again.

Using her room as the starting point, she chose the passage immediately beside the leftmost route drawn on her arm.

The red cloak draped over her shoulders proclaimed her lowly status within the Volturi hierarchy. Fortunately, in the pitch-black tunnels, the red fabric was anything but conspicuous.

The corridor she had chosen tonight was surprisingly spacious, with almost no branching intersections.

A fountain pen filled with fresh ink rested in Sophie' right hand. Whenever she reached a crossroads, she intended to sketch her chosen direction onto her arm for future reference.

To her surprise, however, she walked for quite some time without encountering a single fork in the tunnel. That's a good sign, she thought hopefully.

At last, she rounded one final corner.

At the end of the passage stood a hidden stone door.

With little effort, Sophie pushed the massive slab open. The heavy stone rumbled loudly as it shifted, the thunderous echoes rolling through the corridor. Fortunately, there was no one else on this side of the tunnel. It hardly mattered how much noise she made.

Then...

"Sophie? Well, this is unexpected. Jane finally decided to let you out and put you to work."

On the opposite side of the doorway stood a tall vampire with silver hair, blocking her escape completely. The color of his cloak, along with those worn by the guards behind him, immediately proclaimed his exceptional status within the Volturi.

Sophie froze.

First, she had absolutely no idea who he was.

Second, she had been caught red-handed while attempting to sneak away.

Her blank, bewildered expression quickly exhausted Caius' patience. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he ordered, "Take her to Marcus. He can find something for her to do. Those documents the authorities requested must be organized before tonight."

The silver-haired leader never specified who should carry out the order.

Nevertheless, one female guard immediately stepped forward from among his attendants. The rest followed behind Caius as the group marched through the very doorway Sophie had just opened.

At that moment, Sophie realized her thrilling escape plan had somehow been reduced to the world's most ordinary experience of holding a door open for other people.

The unfamiliar female guard appeared somewhat shy, but she carried herself with remarkable kindness.

Sophie relaxed a little.

At least she was being sent to assist Marcus instead of being dragged directly back to Jane for a scolding.

The red cloak hurried after the pale gray one. Unable to suppress her curiosity any longer, Sophie asked, "Has anyone ever told you... the pattern of your thoughts reminds me of a little butterfly?"

The female guard blinked in surprise.

"They have."

Sophie' eyes immediately lit up. "Really? Who?"

"You."

The guard lowered her hood, revealing her entire face with a gentle smile.

"During that training exercise in the forest. When you caught me, you said I reminded you of a butterfly. Don't tell me... you don't recognize me anymore?"

Sophie stared at the unfamiliar face, desperately searching her memory.

Nothing.

Even the forest the woman mentioned was completely absent from her recollection.

"Uh... my memory's been a little unreliable lately," Sophie replied awkwardly with an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry about that... little butterfly."

After encountering two complete strangers who both seemed to know her, Sophie couldn't help growing suspicious.

If I've really been this forgetful from the very beginning... then how did I ever form connections with so many people?

The butterfly-like guard led Sophie toward an unfamiliar archive room. Although, at this point, everywhere looked unfamiliar to her.

Calling it an archive hardly seemed accurate. It resembled a grand library far more than a records room. Its heavy brown wooden doors had been treated with protective coatings against decay. Compared to the magnificent doors elsewhere in the palace, carved with Roman deities, these bore unmistakable signs of industrial craftsmanship instead. Wood had been chosen for a simple reason. Humans occasionally needed to enter this room, and unlike the palace's immense bronze or stone doors, these were light enough for ordinary people to push open.

The butterfly guard grasped the handle and smiled. "Come in. Marcus is the only one inside."

As the wooden door swung inward, the air from within drifted out. Sophie instinctively twitched her nose. Something about the scent was wrong. Beneath the familiar fragrances lingered an oddly sweet aroma, one saturated with death. The butterfly guard, standing even closer, had clearly noticed it as well, yet she showed no reaction whatsoever. Calmly, she stepped inside.

Sophie followed close behind. The candlelight flickered gently, casting the shadow of a long-haired man across the wall. The butterfly guard approached him respectfully and bowed.

He was Marcus. Elegant. Melancholic. Though his face still appeared relatively youthful, an overwhelming aura of lifeless decay clung to him. Yet this seemingly weary man held one of the greatest powers within the Volturi, standing as one of the three rulers who governed the entire family.

Only after the butterfly guard stepped aside did Sophie finally get a clear look at the man whose very presence seemed steeped in endless decline.