Cassian (Vampire)

The research facility was hidden deep underground, isolated from the outside world. Endless steel corridors stretched beneath cold white lights, while reinforced glass observation rooms overlooked rows of heavily secured containment cells.

The air smelled faintly of disinfectant and metal. Surveillance cameras watched every corner, and every door required multiple security clearances to open. Scientists in white coats moved through the halls in silence, treating mythical creatures not as living beings, but as experimental specimens.

At the heart of the facility lay the largest containment chamber, designed specifically for Project Alpha-Zero. Thick reinforced glass, titanium walls, and an intricate monitoring system ensured that every movement, every heartbeat, and every reaction would be recorded. Nothing inside the chamber escaped the scientists' eyes.

The young mermaid princess had been adored since the day she was born. With delicate, doll-like features and an innocent smile, she possessed a gentle charm that captivated nearly everyone who met her. Yet beneath her soft appearance was a graceful soul with an endless curiosity about the world beyond the sea.

As she grew older, countless princes and noble heirs came to Atlantis hoping to win her hand in marriage. One after another, they were politely turned away. She had never fallen in love, and she refused to marry someone she did not truly choose.

She embodied everything a princess of Atlantis was expected to be. Elegant, intelligent, compassionate, and remarkably skilled in diplomacy, combat, music, and the traditions of her kingdom. Her people admired her, and both the King and Queen regarded her as the pride of the royal family.

Her beauty was almost ethereal. She had a soothing, delicate voice that could calm even the restless tides, and a warmth that made others feel safe simply by being near her.

Like all merfolk, she transformed into a human whenever she stepped onto land, remaining completely unharmed. Only when water touched her skin would her true mermaid form return.

Despite countless warnings about the surface world, her curiosity eventually overcame her caution. For the first time, she left the ocean behind and ventured onto land.

She never realized someone had been waiting for that exact moment.

Within minutes, she was caught in one of the scientists' traps.

Casian had been wild, fearless, and mischievous since childhood. A crooked, enigmatic smile was almost always on his lips, making it impossible to tell whether he was about to make an innocent joke or do something dangerously unpredictable. He loved challenging people and enjoyed watching their reactions. Even during a hunt, he would sometimes toy with his prey, treating everything like a game rather than a fight. He was dangerously handsome, with moon-pale skin, long crimson eyes, jet-black hair, and a perfectly sculpted muscular physique. Standing at 195 cm (6'5"), his commanding presence drew attention the moment he entered a room. From an early age, his strength, speed, intelligence, and natural talent far surpassed those of every other young vampire. For that reason, he was chosen as the Crown Prince without opposition. Nearly every noblewoman in the kingdom dreamed of marrying him, but Casian never allowed himself to become emotionally attached. To him, most relationships were nothing more than temporary amusement. Once he lost interest, he walked away without looking back. One day, while hunting deep in the forest with his usual confidence, he unknowingly stepped into a carefully prepared trap. For the first time in his life, he wasn't the hunter. He was the prey.