PATH OF THE STAR HUNTER

643 Chapter 643 Lilith.

Years ago, when Desmond was still a child, even before he met Claire, in the same way innocent children make unreasonable requests, Desmond had asked his parents to give him a brother or sister. This request was answered with a very uncomfortable expression on the part of his mother, Samantha Astryd.

Years later, Desmond learned that his mother had had an arduous labor when she gave birth to him and that her doctor had strongly suggested not having any more children. Despite Eiden and Samantha’s wishes, having more children was too risky, which is why they only had Desmond.

However, Desmond’s desire for a brother or sister disappeared shortly after meeting Claire, which at least managed to put his parents’ hearts at ease. Eiden and Samantha didn’t know that Desmond never stopped wanting siblings; he just stopped expressing it.

Like any only child, Desmond always wondered what it would be like to have siblings and how he would feel. Now Desmond had an answer, or at least he thought he did.

To say that the reasons were unknown would be to lie; Desmond knew exactly where this feeling came from, this almost fatal attraction towards the person imprisoned in this tomb; it came from his blood.

Desmond could feel his blood pounding with desire with every step he took, not carnal desire or anything resembling it, but the kind of nostalgic desire someone would have after not seeing a family member for a long time.

Despite his bloodline’s tremendous exhaustion and abuse, while Desmond’s hair had returned to its original black and his eyes had returned to that beautiful deep sapphire blue, you could still see flashes of blood red deep within his pupils, beating in the same way that his heart did.

There was nothing but a seemingly limitless darkness waiting beyond the door, like a black hole threatening to devour all who entered it; however, Desmond entered without hesitation.

The darkness continued for minutes, reaching the point where the roars of that necrotic beast that clung to its life faded. As time passed, the only sound in the darkness was Desmond’s worn and battered boots hitting the stone floor and his labored breathing.

.....

???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.????????????

Though saved by the strong surge of blood power, Desmond could still feel the enormous amount of unholy energy ravaging his body, closing in on his heart, threatening to end his life. In his efforts to stay alive, going through every little bit of information inside his mind, Desmond found that he had a certain item that could help him with his current situation.

The object in question was that sacred-looking fruit Desmond found some time ago in Aisha’s company when they gave up on obtaining a powerful gem protected by a kind of four-winged heron. Similar to many elements mutated by the chaotic fluctuating currents of different types of energy in the place, the hunter’s book was unable to analyze the fruit accurately, but Desmond still got a vague description.

All Desmond knew was that the fruit possessed intense healing, cleansing, and sacred properties. Although the term sacred was relative and not very descriptive, Desmond at least believed that the other elements should be helpful in his current situation.

By taking the fruit out of the hunter’s book, Desmond could confirm his assumptions by seeing and feeling how the holy aura emanated by the fruit forcefully repelled all the blood and profane essence around it. With little choice but to consume the fruit, Desmond took his first bite, quickly finding that the fruit tasted like peach.

Immediately, currents of a strange warm white energy ran rampant within Desmond’s body, eradicating all unholy essence in its path but also slightly weakening the remaining energy within Desmond’s bloodline. Although the result wasn’t ideal, at least Desmond didn’t have to worry about melting to death, so he finished eating the fruit, finding his body feeling quite exhausted by the end.

Apparently, the sacred fruit suppresses Desmond’s bloodline, bad news that came too late. Still, there wasn’t much Desmond could do about it either since he had no other options except death. Without his bloodline fully activated, Desmond had trouble supporting his body with the number and degree of injuries he had sustained. Yet, he persisted, refusing to stop searching for that person in darkness.

Perhaps it was due to fatigue, his injuries, or how he abused his bloodline. Still, Desmond’s mind soon began to be assailed by an uncontrollable and unbearable thirst. To Desmond, it was like having red hot coals running down his throat every time he breathed, and the only thing that could ease his pain was that thick sweet nectar called blood.

Ironically, as the thirst worsened and Desmond found himself struggling to maintain his sanity, an intoxicating yet familiar scent caught his attention, drawing his gaze to the girl kneeling on the ground, her body wrapped in thick chains tied to multiple pillars.

Though thirsty, hurt, and eager to get closer to the girl, Desmond didn’t miss the fact that she hadn’t been there a second ago and had materialized seemingly out of nowhere.

While Desmond was debating whether to approach the girl or not, an almost dreamlike voice, beautiful and mesmerizing like nothing else, reached his ears. “It took you a long time, Desmond Astryd.”

A rather significant and dangerous statement given the circumstances, but for some reason, Desmond couldn’t raise his guard against her. He didn’t feel right doing it; it was almost like wanting to find reasons to distrust a loved one. However, that didn’t stop Desmond from wanting answers. “You must be Lilith; how did you know I would come?”

Due to the girl’s long silver hair, Desmond couldn’t see her face, but he could swear that she was smiling for some reason. Once again, Desmond heard the same voice. “I knew someone would come, though I thought it would be that disappointing Nicolai descendant of mine.”

As the son of one of the most famous and recognized musicians in the world, Desmond had had his share of interactions with people from very high places, people who valued elegance and the like; however, none of those people could even dream of competing with the grace and dignity that was only in Lilith’s voice, it was strangely similar to the feeling Desmond had when he spoke to Katya or when he did it to Titania.

Pushing the random thoughts out of his head, Desmond responded. “That still doesn’t explain why you know my name.”

The woman didn’t answer directly; instead, she forced the chains that bound her, making them creak, and she looked up, showing her face to Desmond. A beauty carved by the gods themselves, full of a charm that would seduce angels and demons alike; that’s how beautiful she was. Her slightly childish features contrasted with her deep ruby-red eyes and silver hair, making her look mature and noble.

Curiously, Desmond did not feel any desire for Lilith, not a hint of lust or romantic interest in such a beautiful woman. It’s not like Desmond didn’t feel anything, he felt something, but he couldn’t identify it until Lilith put it into words. “How could I not know the name of my only brother, the only person in this vast universe with whom I share blood, my family, someone who is destined to be the only person who fully understands me for all eternity.”

It was then that Desmond understood that feeling of familiarity, that irresistible compulsion that drove him to her, what he felt when he saw her; it was more complex than simply belonging to the same species and race; Lilith was his sister.1

Suddenly finding something odd in that train of thought, Desmond couldn’t help but ask. “Wait, how can I be your brother? I thought Nicolai was a distant descendant of yours.”

Contrary to what Desmond expected, Lilith was not angered by his questioning; on the contrary, she offered a calm smile and answered his doubts. “What do you think the Darkblood clan is? They call me their parent, and that’s true up to a point, but neither of them was my child, at least not in a traditional sense.”

As if reconsidering what she was about to say, Lilith stopped her speech and looked at Desmond carefully, then she made a request that took Desmond by surprise. “I’m afraid telling you the whole story would take too long; I’d better show it to you directly. Come closer, let me drink your blood, then you will see my story, my truth, and how I ended up in this place.”

A request made rather lightly by a person who could drink Desmond to death in less than a second, yet Desmond only looked at her for a second before moving closer to her. Turning his back to Lilith, Desmonds knelt down, feeling Lilith push her chains closer to his neck.

“What an obedient and adorable little brother; you turned out to be completely different from Nicolai.” Lilith commented with what sounded like affection. A second later, a small, delicate hand barely protruding from a handful of chains covered Desmond’s eyes. At the same time, a warm breath caressed his neck. The next moment, Desmond felt two sharp objects piercing his skin and his blood being drained.

Desmond’s actions might seem reckless under the circumstances, one could even argue that Lilith was somehow manipulating him through his blood, but Desmond didn’t think so.

Desmond had always had instincts as sharp as a beast’s, and his instincts were telling him right now that Lilith was no threat, that she was exactly what she had hinted to be; family.