A loud scream erupts in the air as a wrestling sound can be heard. A young woman is trying to get away from those hands that try to grab her, her brown hair ponytail is tossed as she struggles to break free. A sense of urgency pervades the scene, as she knows the danger she faces.

"Let go of me!"

"Capture her! Don't let her escape!" the ringleader orders his goons "Lord Voss is waiting for his treat. If you don't want to die, then get her!"

She runs away from them, cursing at how far away she is from her motorcycle. A cruel twist of fate has thrust her into the heart of a human trafficking case, unfolding on this chilling Christmas night. How did her visit to the orphan children and nuns lead to such a horrifying predicament?

"Ah…!'

The slippering snow ground causes her to fall and immediately, those men seize her and lock her onto the cold floor.

"Got you, stupid girl. You're coming with us!"

"Let go of me!"

She kicks and punches, trying to break free, her protests echo through the desolate night, but their strength overwhelms her. A menacing figure steps in with a cloth in his hand and her eyes widen the moment she picks up the scent of the cloth.

Chloroform…

She wriggles her body, trying to get out of the men's stronghold but none of her tactics works as the man stuffs her nose with the drug-filled cloth. The young woman struggles to break free, her wriggles knock off something on the man's shirt. The item rolls away while he forces the drug into her face. Within a few minutes, the brunette slumps down. The hair tie slowly loosens, brown locks cascade down her shoulders as the young woman got knocked down by those men.

"Hurry and get her into the van, her Ladyship is waiting."

Primrose's eyes shoot open, widening as she stares at the dark ceiling in front of her. Her whole body sweats profusely, breathing becomes difficult for her as she struggles to grab onto something, anything that can ground her back to the present moment.

She can hear a deep, warm voice by her side, calling her name in such a kind and gentle way. A hand sets on top of her head, big and safe, and slowly guides her back to reality. Primrose scrambles her way to sit up, her heart is thumping loudly. The echo of her heartbeat fills the air, reminding her of the scream that disturbs her from her sleep.

"Primrose, what's wrong?" Caleb's hand gently pats her back, soothing the anxiety that rises within her "Beloved?"

"Ah…" she blinks a few times, thinking of the nightmare she just had "Caleb, I…"

Grasping his hand tightly, she knits her brows annoyingly, that voice is awfully familiar and yet, why can't she remember whose it is…?

The young lord looks at her, concern etching on his face as he looks at the clock on the bedside, it's only 7:30 a.m., too early for them to wake up. But the expression on Primrose's face is anything but calm, worries fill her onyx orbs as if she is trying to grasp the reason for her nightmare.

"Wait…"

A light erupts in her mind as she hastily searches for her phone, knocking down her bag with all her stuff spread on the wooden surface. Caleb sits on the bed, eyeing her every move, he wonders what makes her act so frantic on a Christmas morning like this. Primrose's finger glides on the screen of her phone, tapping and bringing the device to her ear as she tries to call someone.

One time, two times, three times…

All her calls got sent to voice mail. The more voice mail she gets, the more anxiety paints her face. Her fingers, trembling with a looming fear, push the green calling button again as she makes the fourth call to the same number. Her other hand rests under her lips as she chews on them frantically. With her fourth call in vain, she slumps down onto the wooden floor, shoulders shaking violently.

"Primrose, what's wrong?"

Picking up her distress, Caleb swiftly makes his way to her side, offering his support. She turns to him, her eyes are in the verge of tears as she tries to speak up about her fear, something relating to Lilian and how she can not reach her.

"It's early in the morning, beloved. Maybe Lilian is still asleep?"

"N-no, she is not. She has work today, she is supposed to be up by now…"

The raven head has a tight hold on her phone, thinking that she should call the hospital instead to check on her. Caleb stops her, saying that he will do it instead. As a surgeon at San Myshuno's Hospital, he knows their internal line and can reach Lilian faster than Primrose to call the regular line.

As the young lord tries to reach Lilian's office, Primrose continues to send her friend text messages and calls, praying that the brunette will pick up her phone. However, all her calls and texts are unanswered and Caleb shakes his head, telling Primrose that her assistant picks up and informs him that Lilian is a no-call no-show today.

"Primrose, what's wrong? Why are you so worried?"

Dread settles in the pit of her stomach and a cold shiver runs down her spine. Lilian may not enjoy her exhausting working hours but she never once misses work without any notice. The looming fear of what could possibly transpire and the vivid nightmare where Primrose can hear her friend's frantic scream become an eerie reality.

"C-Caleb, I-I saw Lilian, in my dream, and the cracking mug…I…" she tries to stand up from her spot "I need to find her, Caleb. S-she might be in danger…"

"Calm down, beloved. What do you mean she is in danger?"

But fear begins to get the best of her as Primrose wries her arm out of his hold, running to gather her stuff to leave for Lilian's apartment. Caleb is faster, stopping her in her tracks and telling the raven head to calm down. Acting this frantic will not help her and he can not ignore Primrose when she is being this anxious.

"Let go of me Caleb, I need to find her!"

"Primrose, you need to calm down." his voice is stern as he grounds her onto the sofa "You can't go on a search for Lilian like this, it's too dangerous!"

"B-but…"

"Take a deep breath, beloved. And breathe out. That's right…" the young lord leads the way to her breathing practice "Calm down, let's watch the news to see if there's anything about new victims or not."

"Caleb, I don't have time for this!" she angrily responds, her frustration is evident, but his stern gaze shuts down her protests.

The vampire lord turns on the TV, flipping channels over channels to get the early news report. Caleb sets down the remote, patiently waiting for any news that might give them a lead about Lilian's whereabouts. While he is a bit skeptical about the idea of his colleague being in danger, the dreaded expression on Primrose's face makes him bite his tongue instead. He knows very well how close his beloved and Lilian are, it is not an odd thing for her to act this panic if she senses something is off about her friend.

"Breaking news, another victim is caught in the ongoing human trafficking case. Police have found a motorcycle that is believed to belong to the victim. The victim is known to be a doctor at San Myshuno's Hospital, Lilian Collins…"

Primrose slumps down onto the floor and her heart drops at the new report. Caleb knits his brows, walking to the raven head's side to offer his support.

"Lilian…Lilian…"

Her eyes are on the verge of tears as Primrose tries to grasp the reality of what is happening to her best friend. Her phone rings, the ID is from Nathaniel. Apparently, her younger brother has also watched the news.

"Prims! Are you ok-?"

"It's Caleb. Primrose can't talk right now…" Caleb's eyes follow Primrose as she struggles to walk into the kitchen.

"Caleb, is she okay?" Nathaniel's voice is filled with concern for his sister.

"She…well…" his voice trails off before he hears a loud crashing sound "I will talk to you later!"

"Ah, tell her to meet us at our parents's house. We might be able to figure out a way to find Lilian." the blond quickly speaks up before Caleb hangs up the phone in a swift move.

He makes his way to the source of the ruckus, spotting broken plates on the floor. Raising a brow, Caleb walks closer until he spots a familiar figure lying flat on the wooden floor. Silver eyes widen in shock as he immediately rushes over to the raven head's side.

"Primrose, Primrose!"

Shaking her lightly, Caleb lifts her up and makes a hasty retreat to his bedroom. After checking for any injuries and blood pressure, he sighs in relief when her numbers are stable. Touching her forehead with his hand, the young lord shakes his head, knowing that the horrible news of Lilian has put her unconscious.

Lilian is Primrose's best friend, the two have been together since diaper days. Despite the brunette being raised in an orphanage, their friendship blooms and grows beautifully. The disappearance of Lilian, along with the news of how she is a victim of the ongoing case of human trafficking, the emotional turmoil is too much for his beloved to withstand and it has taken a toll on her.

Knowing Primrose, she will act recklessly if it means she can find Lilian, but they don't have any clue of her whereabouts and he doesn't want the raven head to venture into dangerous areas for the sake of her friend. On top of that, being a part of the human trafficking means Lilian may be involved with Forgotten Hollow too. His family is investigating the involvement of House Bloodhaven in the case, it would not be a stretch to assume that they may have their hands on Lilian.

I must ask Richard about this…

Planting a kiss on Primrose's forehead, Caleb leaves the bedroom to call the Vatore's Estate and entrusts the investigation to their trusted butler, Richard. Lilith offers her help as well, believing that the capture of Don Lothario has sent House Bloodhaven to act recklessly. The young lord appreciates his family's help and reminds them to be very careful as this includes Lilian, Primrose's best friend. If something happens to her, the raven head will never be able to recover from the pain of losing Lilian.

Return to his beloved's side, Caleb caresses her cheeks gently, hoping the contact will soothe the raven head from her pain. A moment later, Primrose begins to stir, her onyx eyes flutter softly as she begins to regain her consciousness. She blinks a few times, gradually returning to the present. The haunting nightmare of Lilian and her disappearance slowly sinks in, Primrose can't help but find herself useless for not being able to help her friend.

"Shh, it's okay…" Caleb, attentive as always, brushes away the falling tears "We will find her. Lilian will be okay. You don't have to worry about anything."

"But…"

Despite being a mage, someone who can wield magic and isn't afraid to venture out in danger, the fact that she doesn't know Lilian's whereabouts unnerves her. If her magic can help her find the brunette, she will gladly trade it off for her friend's safety.

"We will go to your parent's house, they will help us on the search for Lilian." giving Primrose a soft peck of her lips, Caleb continues his soothing "I promise you, we will find her, okay?"

"Promise?"

She holds up her pinky, prompting Caleb to follow as he tangles their pinkies together, understanding the implications.

"I promise. Rest for now, beloved."

"Primrose, are you okay?" Rosalina runs to her daughter, worries filling her eyes when she notices her lifeless response "Come now, let's get you all inside."

The kind mother urges her and Caleb into their house. The Christmas decorations, ones that resemble blissful joy, have become a haunting reminder of what happened to Lilian. Primrose steps into the house, each step carries a weight that shackles her, binding the raven head to the looming reality of her missing best friend.

The vampire lord stands close by her side, offering to put their jacket on the hangers as he holds her hand and leads their way to the living room. There, they find Edward and Marlin, each wearing a worried expression upon seeing the raven head.

"Don't wear such a depressed face like that, Primrose. You don't believe in your father and my ability to find your friend?"

"Marlin…" her lips quiver "Please…"

Edward sighs at his daughter's tearful face. The usual cheerful antics are replaced by a dreaded look that doesn't suit Primrose in the slightest. He extends his arms, cradling the raven head in his embrace. It is only in times like this that Primrose returns to be his little girl, always asking for her dad's aid whenever she is in trouble.

"It's okay, Primrose. I will help you."

"Please…"

Guiding her to sit down, Edward pats her head lightly before returning the job back to Caleb, who nods his head in gratitude.

Ember and Rosalina walk out with a tray of treats and tea in their hands, offering energy for everyone during the search for Lilian. Marlin and Edward talk to each other, trying to figure out a way to pinpoint Lilian's location. The involvement of the ongoing human trafficking case sparks a question of whether Forgotten Hollow has something to do with this.

Motioning Caleb to come closer, the trio begins their discussion as Primrose sits on the sofa with Ember offering her moral support. Nathaniel has come to the scene where Lilian is thought to be kidnapped to find more clues about the whole ordeal. Rosalina is silently praying for the safety of the brunette. Lilian is Primrose's best friend, which means she is also a part of their family, and no parents would want to see their children in danger.

"Caleb, have you…?"

"Richard is on the case, he will report back to me once he finishes gathering intel." the young lord nods "Lilith and Kian are helping too. The capture of Don Lothario may have caused our target to act recklessly."

"Reckless or not, we must find her before it's too late. Until now, no victims involved in the case have been found." Edward opens his pocket watch, his blue eyes shine a light of concern "It is safe to say that they are…"

Trailing off on his word, he gives Caleb a knowing look, making the young lord nod in return. He knows how dire the situation is, especially when the outcome for the victim is a cruel death sentence. He has seen his kind ravaging through their prey before, humans are nothing but life stocks to vampires, and it is always the mortals who meet a gruesome end.

Despite the success of the plasma fruit, House Bloodhaven still desires the consumption of blood. Masking their ruthless act is the beautiful Seraphina Bloodhaven, who continues to express her love and admiration for the Head of House Vatore. She, as Inna calls it, is the most suitable mate for Caleb. Had Inna found out about the dark truth behind the closed door of House Bloodhaven, would she ever condone their actions?

While House Vatore is acting carefully in finding clues that will later be used to expose House Bloodhaven, the cautious act has caused a lot of lives as they must do everything step by step to avoid a war breaking out within Forgotten Hollow. Despite not talking much about his, it pains Caleb to know that he has to resolve the deaths of many maidens to bring light to what House Bloodhaven is doing behind their back.

Turning his attention to Primrose, Caleb wonders how she would react if she knew the truth behind his action? Will she still see him as the man she loves, or will she be disgusted at the fact that his hands are also stained with the blood of innocent lives?

His phone rings, a call from Richard. The wise butler informs him that there has been a suspected van coming into Forgotten Hollow. However, there is no trace of Lilian Collins, only the corpses of those who he believes have operated the van. Caleb raises a brow at his report, unsure if he is hearing things correctly.

Corpses?

"My lord, I would say that one of the kidnappers is a vampire. To hide the trace of humans entering the town, they had finished the meal themselves before dropping the van outside the territory of Forgotten Hollow…" Richard concludes his finding "But we don't know where this van drops off the victim."

"Very good, continue your search, Richard. I will handle things on my end too."

Ending the call, he informs Edward and Marlin about Richard's findings.

"So it's the doing from Forgotten Hollow…" Marlin murmurs under his breath "Edward, can you use that?"

"I need more clues. Forgotten Hollow may look small, but many families are residing in that town. Unless I can get more clues about her whereabouts, I can't use the amulet to pinpoint her location." Edward shakes his head in response.

"Hm…your amulet sure asks for a lot of stuff…"

The older blond scoffs at Marlin's comment, at least his amulet can answer the question they all want to know. Another ringtone breaks the still air, this time, it is coming from Edward's phone. It's Nathaniel calling.

The young Emberlynn informs his dad about the intel he has gathered. On his hand is a shiny brooch bearing some kind of crest.

"A crest, you say?"

"Yeah Dad, it looks like a…" Nathaniel trails off as he studies the item in his hand "Dog? No, maybe a wolf?…"

"A dog?" eyeing Caleb as he thinks to himself what family would bear such an odd crest, Edward continues "What else did you find?"

"Ah, apparently, Lilian left the orphanage early as she was scheduled to work today. I wonder if she had been targeted from the start…"

"That is also a possibility. We have a lot of information on our end, but try to find more clues, okay son?"

"Of course. Tell Primrose that her beloved little brother will do everything he can to help her!"

Edward shakes his head and hangs off the call, finding his son's enthusiasm quite amusing. Turning his attention to Primrose, who is still sitting on the sofa with a dreaded look on her face. The emotional toll of Lilian's disappearance has put his daughter in a stage of distress. Unlike her previous circumstances where she would face the challenges head-on, this one seems to be out of reach for her.

"A dog…a dog…" Caleb murmurs under his breath, searching in his memory for any family crest that has a dog picture on it "I can't think of anyone…"

"Let's expand it a little bit, a dog can have many similarities with other animals," Marlin suggests "He also mentions coyote, so maybe it belongs to the canine family?"

"Wolves and dogs have a lot of similarities, and even jackals too." Rosalina, overhearing the conversation, decides to lend a hand.

"I don't know if it is accurate or not, but a raccoon does resemble a dog." Ember chimes in "But it doesn't belong in the canine family."

As the family begins to brainstorm any other types of animals that may be a hit, Primrose ponders her thoughts of what animal the crest is bearing. She looks at her father, Marlin, and Caleb who are deep in their thoughts, trying to come up with clues that can help them get closer to Lilian. The young lord wears an expression that she can hardly describe, a mixture of regret and determination.

Regret…?

Why is it that he has that look on his face…?

Primrose shakes her head, now it's not the time for her to think about other stuff. She must help them, even if her service is left unsatisfied. While everyone is trying their best to pinpoint Lilian's location, she can not just sit here and mop the floor with her tears. The brunette needs her help…

"A fox also belongs to the canine family." she looks at them, her eyes landing on Caleb as she speaks.

"Wait, I thought it looked more like a cat?" Rosalina raises a brow "Is it really a canine?"

"Well, Shiba Inu resembles a fox, I thought it would be a good guess."

Or maybe it is not, the room falls into silence again as they continue to brainstorm for new ideas. However, Caleb's mind still wanders back to her answer. Closing his eyes, he envisions a fox-like crest, feeling a sense of familiarity. He knows he has seen it somewhere before…

"Y-yes, of course, my lord. We have heard about your human mate and are eager to see her."

His silver eyes snap open, recalling the person who had said that to him and his beloved. The pocket watch that man wore during House Cent's party, the one who was eager to see Primrose when he introduced her to the elites.

"Lord Voss…"

"What did you just say?" Edward catches his murmur immediately, asking Caleb to repeat those words.

"The crest of a fox, it's from the Voss family…"

His face lights up at the realization. The young lord walks closer to Primrose, crouching in front of her as his smile resembles a winning man. Holding onto her palms tightly, Caleb plants a kiss on her forehead, rewarding his beloved for her answer.

"You have done well, Primrose." turning his attention to Edward and Marlin, he continues "It's from the Voss family. Are those enough clues for you, Mr. Emberlynn?"

Nodding his head, the older blond walks to his study room and returns with a small box and a globe in his hand. Marlin steals a few glances at the item inside the box, a small needle with a gemstone at the end. Rosalina looks at her husband, smiling at the way he works on his magic. Whispering a few clues they have gathered throughout their investigation, the globe in his hand grows large and flattens, the needle carries a yellow hue as it flows on the large world canvas, pinpointing Lilian's location.

"That area…" Caleb's eyes narrow when he realizes the place he is looking at "That was Vladislaus Straud's last battlefield…"