The vampires' night vision allowed them to see clearly in the murky depths of the lake. When Richard saw only Dylan in the water, a sense of dread washed over him.
By now, Dylan had managed to free himself from the cloth that had obstructed his vision. Seeing Richard plunge into the lake and the absence of both Anran and the vampire sent a chill through his heart. They began searching the lake, following the flow of the water. Richard soon discovered a concealed passage, its entrance obscured by thick, long strands of aquatic plants that made it nearly invisible.
The lake's water was flowing, which meant there had to be an outlet somewhere. However, no one had ever paid attention to where the water led.
Desperation drove Richard forward. Without a second thought about potential traps, he charged into the passage. Seeing this, Dylan hurriedly followed.
Vampires generally disliked water. As a pure element, water weakened their powers. While they were renowned for their speed on land, their movements in water were no faster than those of an ordinary human. The fact that they hadn't caught up to the vampire who had taken Anran suggested the kidnapper was highly experienced in aquatic environments, allowing them to move swiftly. The underwater passage appeared to be natural, not man-made, indicating it had existed for a very long time. Only a vampire who frequently operated in the shadows would know of such a place. It was likely that the kidnapper belonged to the Hahn family.
Richard had no idea how long he had been swimming. Every second without Anran felt like an eternity.
The waterway led to a deep pool in the outskirts, surrounded by dense woods shrouded in thick fog. Visibility was extremely low, and the area was completely uninhabited, with only a few wild animals moving about in the night.
The fog in the forest was so dense that it made for an ideal hiding spot. Having just emerged from the water, Richard and Dylan's powers hadn't fully recovered, and they couldn't sense the kidnapper's presence.
Richard felt as if he was losing his mind. He kept telling himself to stay calm, but it was impossible.
All he knew was that he had lost her.
"Richard…"
Seeing his unstable state, Dylan called out.
The only response was a pair of blood-red eyes filled with rage and regret!
"Who was that masked vampire?" Richard demanded, his voice icy and devoid of emotion as he stepped closer to Dylan.
Dylan had never seen Richard like this before, and even he felt a trace of fear. He took a step back before answering, "I'd never met him before. When we were building the stage, the vampire said he was skilled in wooden construction and that his family had lived in Rose Town for generations. He looked unfamiliar, but he knew the names of every vampire present, so I…"
Dylan's response shattered the last shred of hope Richard had been clinging to.
"Also, though I don't know if it's true, the vampire said his name was Hank," Dylan added.
After speaking, he noticed Richard's condition was growing increasingly unstable.
At the mention of the name, Richard's eyes gleamed with a fierce red light. He let out a roar of fury toward the night sky!
"Hank Hahn!"
"Hahn…" Dylan repeated in shock, the forbidden surname hanging heavy in the air.