Chapter 1

Julian and I are immortals.

On the night of our one-hundredth anniversary, he suggested we play Truth or Dare.

I lost. "Dare! Come on, what do you want me to do?"

Julian looked at me, his voice flat and calm. "Eve, let’s take a break. For a hundred years."

I froze.

He gave me a helpless, indulgent smile, the kind he always used when I was being stubborn.

"There’s this girl. She’s been chasing me for three or four years. She’s incredibly persistent, and I don’t want to break her heart. So, I agreed to be with her."

"And what about me?" My fingernails dug so hard into my palms that they drew blood.

He brushed it off like it was nothing.

"Mortals only live for about a century anyway. Once she’s gone, I’ll come back to you."

"Besides, she’s pregnant. You’ve always loved kids. When the baby is born, you can be the godmother. Isn't that perfect?"

The sheets beneath us still bore the messy creases of our recent intimacy.

I let out a bitter, hollow laugh.

He had no idea.

Monsters like us are completely sterile. We can never conceive.

1

"When did you sleep with her?" My voice shook.

Julian raised an eyebrow.

"Which time?"

It felt like a cold hand had reached into my chest and squeezed my heart to pieces.

I gripped the white sheets, twisting the fabric until my knuckles turned white.

Julian chuckled softly.

He casually tugged open his collar. On his collarbone were two distinct, fresh bite marks.

I never had the habit of biting him.

Julian gently traced the marks, a look of lingering satisfaction on his face.

"Too many times to count, honestly."

"She kept saying she wanted to be with me for the rest of her life. You have no idea how beautiful she looked when she was trying to hold back her tears."

"I just couldn't resist."

A wave of intense nausea hit me.

The thought of him touching me after being with someone else made my stomach wrench.

I bolted to the bathroom, throwing up until my throat burned.

Julian’s voice drifted in from the bedroom, cold and mocking.

"Why are you acting so disgusted?"

"She’s only twenty. You’re over a hundred and twenty, Eve. If anyone should be disgusted, it’s her."

I snapped my head up, my eyes bloodshot as I glared at him.

Being immortal was my ultimate nightmare.

Mortals envied our eternal youth, but they didn’t know the price. No family, no friends, constantly running, constantly hiding.

Living like sewer rats.

I used to have Julian by my side to survive it.

But now, I wouldn't even have him.

I took two steps back, my voice incredibly raspy.

"Julian, we’re done. Officially."

He assumed I was agreeing to his "hundred-year break" proposal. His tense face instantly relaxed.

"That’s my girl."

He reached out to hug me, but I flinched away.

"I’m not waiting a hundred years for you," I said. "We are over. Forever."

Julian let out an annoyed sigh.

He reached over and patted my head patronizingly, like he was soothing a pet.

"Eve, stop playing games."

"You only survive in this world because of me. With your terrible disguise skills, you would’ve been dragged into some underground lab for experiments a long time ago."

His eyes drifted to the dense scars on my arms from old needle marks.

"Have you forgotten what they did to you back then?"

My chest tightened, and I quickly covered my arm. My fingers trembled uncontrollably.

Julian and I were both products of a failed immortality experiment.

Exactly a hundred years ago today, I was strapped down to a freezing metal operating table.

I couldn't move. I could only watch as a strange, glowing blue-green serum was injected into my veins.

My body swelled up like raw dough. Even moving a finger was agonizing.

I thought I was going to die.

Until a massive, roaring fire swept through the facility, burning everything to ashes.

The lab became a graveyard of concrete and steel.

A young Julian had carried me out on his back, walking one painful step at a time under the setting sun.

He had whispered:

"Don’t be scared, Eve. I burned all the bad guys!"

"From now on, you’re with me. I’ll protect you forever!"

The boy's promise felt so real back then.

But "forever" turned out to be far too long...

A loud crack of thunder shattered my thoughts.

Outside, a heavy storm had begun to rage.

Julian’s expression suddenly changed.

He stopped arguing with me, grabbed his phone, and bolted for the door.

I grabbed his sleeve.

Seeing my tear-stained face, Julian hesitated for a brief second. A flash of guilt crossed his eyes.

But then, he peeled my fingers off his arm, one by one.

He broke my last shred of hope.

Julian gave me a helpless smile and kissed the corner of my lips.

"She’s not like you, Eve. She’s fragile. She’s terrified of thunderstorms and she’ll cry if she’s left alone."

"Use this time to calm down. We’ve been together for a century. You can't just throw that away."

Bang—

The door slammed shut in my face.

Hot tears spilled from my eyes, dripping onto the floor, mimicking the sound of the rain outside.

I stood there for a long time.

Then, I reached for the doorknob.

2

I left the villa behind.

The rain was pouring hard. I struggled to hold my umbrella against the wind as I walked down the street.

I didn't even know why I was following him.

Maybe it was just habit. Or maybe it was sheer denial.

As I turned the corner of the block, my heart stopped.

Under the awning of the local diner we always visited, Julian had Chloe pinned against the brick wall, kissing her passionately.

They were kissing so deeply, oblivious to the storm.

I could hear their heavy, breathless whispers.

"It’s pouring outside. Why did you run out? Do you know how dangerous that is?"

I instinctively spoke up. "I—"

But a weak, tearful voice cut me off.

"I don’t care! Why were you at her place instead of being with me?"

"You promised you’d never see her again. You lied to me..."

Chloe sobbed, looking incredibly fragile and hurt.

Julian, who rarely lost his cool, panicked. He awkwardly wiped away her tears.

I gripped the handle of my umbrella.

My heart ached with a dull, throbbing pain.

So, those worried words he said earlier weren't meant for me at all.

After ten minutes of their passionate makeup session, Julian finally let go of her lips, his hand resting on her waist.

As he turned, our eyes met.

Before I could say a word, Chloe’s eyes welled up with tears.

She pretended to hide behind him, but then glared at me defiantly.

"Babe, Julian already broke up with you. Keep your distance!"

"Otherwise, I’ll tell everyone you're a homewrecker!"

So, she knew who I was.

I stared at her pretty, innocent-looking face, and everything clicked.

Her name was Chloe, and her family owned this diner. She usually helped out here.

I couldn't eat spicy food, but Julian loved it.

So, I had endured stomach aches just to accompany him here, week after week.

And while I was suffering from heartburn, these two were secretly messing around behind my back.

I forced a bitter smile.

Julian looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Eve, look..." He made a move to come over to soothe me, but before he could take a step, Chloe shoved him back.

She sobbed dramatically:

"Fine! Go to her then! Go to your side chick!"

"You two are the real soulmates. I’ll just leave!"

"And the baby... you can forget about the baby too!"

With that, Chloe turned and ran into the pouring rain.

She looked so weak, yet so dramatic.

Julian panicked, grabbed her arm, and pulled her back into his embrace.

He began to coax her endlessly.

"Babe, don’t say such stupid things."

"You’re the only one I love. I’ve been bored of Eve for years. She doesn’t compare to you."

"Fine," Chloe pouted proudly, pointing a finger at me. "Then tell her to get lost!"

Julian looked over at me, his gentle expression instantly turning into irritation.

He said coldly, "Eve, go home."

The rain was freezing, splashing against my skin.

It was impossible to seek shelter here anymore.

I bit my lip and opened my umbrella to leave.

But Chloe grabbed my hand, tilting her head with a sweet, mocking smile.

"Hey, I don’t have an umbrella. Can I have yours?"

3

Julian stood silently behind Chloe, doing nothing.

His silence was his consent.

I was shaking all over. I violently shook Chloe’s hand off, turned around, and walked away.

But Julian finally moved.

He leaned in close to my ear, his voice dropping into a threatening whisper.

"Eve, you’re an immortal. Your body can handle a little rain."

"But Chloe is different. She’ll get sick."

"Be mature for once. Stop throwing a tantrum."

I let out a cold laugh.

The man who once swore to protect me from every storm in the world was officially dead to me.

I slowly lowered my umbrella, dropped it on the ground, and walked straight into the heavy rain.

As if things couldn't get worse.

Just as I walked a few yards away, a car lost control on the slick road and sped straight toward me.

Crash—

I couldn't dodge in time. I was thrown into the air and slammed hard onto the asphalt.

Julian seemed to realize something was wrong and looked over.

A pool of bright red blood began to spread on the dark road.

I lay there alone, like a broken doll. Lifeless.

Julian took a step toward me, his lips tight.

But the next second, Chloe covered his eyes from behind.

She whispered seductively in his ear, "Babe, I’m wearing that thing you like tonight."

"The white lace one..."

Julian’s response was swallowed by another kiss.

In his mind, it didn't matter.

An immortal wouldn't die anyway. Why care if she got hit by a car?

Chloe smiled with pure satisfaction.

My body felt shattered.

Unbearable pain tore through me, but it was nothing compared to the agony in my chest.

Even though immortals don't die, we are still human. We still feel pain.

As the sound of their soft whispers faded, my heart died.

The panicked driver ran out of the car, his knees shaking, trying to call 91