October 26, 1699...
The white vampires celebrated the birth of Luciana and Ismael’s second child, a beautiful and healthy baby girl. Alongside the celebration was the wedding of Kaigan to a young maiden from a family of prominent traders and merchants. No one expected that day to be the last for Supreme Ismael, who had fallen ill and later passed away. Without wasting time, the white vampires paid homage to their new Supreme, Kaigan.
Everything within the territory now lay in Kaigan’s hands. The prince was to be injected with the chemical again next month. For days, the Supreme could not sleep, for his formulation was still missing a crucial ingredient needed to keep the prince asleep.
He ordered his men to find the only component that would complete the chemical. After a week-long journey, his men returned with the missing ingredient.
“Supreme Kaigan!” greeted the ten men in unison, carrying the component essential to the Supreme’s chemical mixture.
The Supreme nodded and signaled for them to rise.
“Honored Supreme, forgive us for the delay in returning with the missing ingredient. It took us a full week. We traveled through neighboring towns and even ventured into the mountains where healers reside,” reported Damil earnestly.
“Only a single drop?” the Supreme asked in surprise.
“The healers said that’s all that remains. We purchased it at a great price. Across the world, only one drop exists, Your Majesty,” Damil added.
Kaigan’s heartbeat suddenly pounded wildly. One drop? The chemical could no longer be created without this component. His wife noticed his cold hand and gently squeezed it. She knew he was beginning to worry and fear for the future of their kind if it were true that this was the last remaining drop.
“Thank you, Damil, for the information and your perseverance in retrieving this rare ingredient. You may go now,” said the Supreme.
“We will take our leave, Supreme,” said Damil, bowing once more before exiting the Supreme’s chamber.
Only when the men had completely left did Kaigan truly feel the grip of fear.
“The one destined to slay that Prince hasn’t been born yet,” he said, filled with dread.
He vividly remembered the time he attempted to kill the Prince by stabbing his heart while he slept peacefully. But to his shock, the dagger was pushed out on its own, the wounds healed instantly, and not a single drop of blood spilled. His eyes widened when he saw veins crawl from the Prince’s arms as if he were fully aware of his surroundings, even in sleep. His claws sharpened, his fangs protruded, yet his eyes remained shut and his body unmoving.
He tried stabbing him again, but the result was the same. Disheartened, he left the chamber and returned to his room. He had snuck in using a stolen key and carefully opened the door to that exclusive room. At that time, his father was still the ruling Supreme.
Now, Kaigan felt a deep unease about the coming centuries. Where would he find that same ingredient again if only a single drop remained?
He had his men closely monitor the healer who had sold them the drop, but by the next day, the man had passed away, at 203 years old. They also discovered he had not passed down his knowledge of creating the ingredient to his children, who were uninterested in healing and instead focused on business.
Kaigan no longer knew what to do in the coming century. They would surely all perish the moment the black Prince awoke.
August 23, 1790...
Various gifts were offered to the young woman destined to give birth to the child who would save their race. She was the daughter of a farmer and a seamstress who lived a modest life. Her name was Lovera, a strikingly beautiful 20-year-old. Recently, a seer had identified her, and the oracle confirmed it.
Supreme Kaigan gifted her with two sacks of gold, but fear still gnawed at his mind.
“Even if the child she will bear is the one who will save the white vampires, there’s still no certainty we’ll be saved; many years must pass before the child grows up, learns, and discovers their extraordinary power,” Kaigan’s wife said gently.
Kaigan didn’t respond. His wife had a point.
How could a mere infant, who could do nothing but cry, possibly save them?
“She’s not even pregnant yet,” his wife whispered again.
“There are only nine years left, Father, until the Prince must be injected once more. That child won’t be ready to protect us by then. And besides, we’re still missing one ingredient for the chemical,” said their son, Dalleon, filled with anxiety.
The Supreme felt a fresh wave of dread pound in his chest. He looked again at the young woman smiling as she received congratulations and gifts from the people.
What was it about her that made the oracle choose her to bear the savior child?
That night, the Supreme and his wife visited a renowned healer named Enrita. She was over five hundred years old and still strong due to the human blood she drank yearly.
“Good evening, Supreme and Mother Kirana,” she greeted the couple respectfully.
“Good evening to you as well, Enrita,” they replied warmly.
“What can I do for the leaders of our race?” she asked with a smile.
The couple looked at each other, and Kirana nodded. The Supreme took a deep breath and began explaining why they had come.
“You want me to provide the ingredient to complete the chemical you inject every century into the Prince of the black?” Enrita asked as she placed two cups of tea on the table.
The Supreme took a sip before replying.
“I no longer know what to do. The child, our only hope, has not even been conceived yet. The girl meant to give birth to him isn’t even pregnant,” he said in a quiet voice.
“There is nothing I can do, Supreme. Only one family can create that ingredient. Each family has their unique formulations and cannot share their methods with others,” said the healer regretfully.
“Is there no other way? Anything that might help? If that Prince wakes, it’s the end of the white vampires, it’s the end of us!” the Supreme said, staring at her intently.
“There is one thing, Supreme. But it must be done under the full moon,” the woman said seriously, prompting the Supreme’s wife to look at her closely.
“I will do everything to help you carry this out, whatever it takes, I promise!” the Supreme said desperately.
The woman sighed before speaking.
“We need to create a substance that will erase all of the black Prince’s memories, from birth until now. If we can do that, he will forget he is a black vampire. You may even harness his extraordinary powers. I know we possess no magic capable of killing him, so this is the only solution I can think of to keep him from annihilating us,” Enrita explained at length.
The Supreme fell silent, while his wife continued to listen closely.
If Zumir’s memories could be erased, he could become Kaigan’s right hand, or at least be used for the benefit of their race. They would exploit the Prince without his knowing, and he would permanently live in their world, unaware of who he truly was.
If they had the means to kill him, they would have done so long ago while he slept. But he was immune to all known weapons.
Zumir would wake up into a life shaped for him, and when Lovera’s child was finally trained and capable of using their powers, only then would they be sent to destroy him. But while the child was still young, the Supreme planned to exploit and enslave the black Prince to the fullest.
“Tomorrow, my people will begin gathering the ingredients needed to make the potion for the Prince,” the Supreme declared.
Enrita nodded at his words.
Deep inside, she was filled with dread. What she was about to do went against her family’s traditions. The knowledge of the potion was sacred and never meant to be shared. But she had already made a promise to the Supreme, and she didn’t want to see the Prince awaken only to massacre them all.
She would simply accept whatever punishment her family might impose. All she wanted now was to protect her kind, to prevent the complete extinction of the white vampire race.
