Caveen was returning from the training yard, his coat slung over his shoulder, mind already occupied with the meeting tomorrow. The manor was quiet—too quiet—until a voice chimed behind him.CELESTINE:“Caveen.”He froze.Slowly, he turned to find Celestine at the end of the hallway, draped in a flowing nightgown far too elegant for someone merely “visiting.” She walked toward him with slow, confident steps, her hair cascading in perfect waves, eyes gleaming like silver daggers.CELESTINE:“Why do you keep avoiding me? The Council has made their decision. We could be… happy.”CAVEEN (flat):“This isn’t happiness. It’s a setup. An insult to everything I’ve built.”CELESTINE (faux innocence):“But I’ve always been meant for you, Caveen. I’m noble. Refined. Not… some stray witch hiding in your walls.”He took a step closer—his aura sharp.CAVEEN:“Don’t speak about her.”Her smile faltered, but not for long.CELESTINE:“I could give you a future worthy of the Landon name. Not some scanda
The room pulsed with power. Ancient, suffocating, and absolute.Twelve council members were seated in a perfect circle beneath the silver crest of the old world order—its edges glowing faintly with magic. The center of the chamber was dim, shadowed, as if even light hesitated to dwell there.A man in silver-trimmed robes stood, holding a parchment in one hand. His eyes narrowed as he read the contents once more aloud.COUNCIL SCRIBE:"An official Marriage between Caveen of House Landon and Lysandra of the Moonwell has been declared. The ceremony is to follow within the cycle.”The words fell like blades into the chamber.A tremor of murmurs rose, heavy with concern, until a firm hand silenced them. Council Elder Verron—the oldest among them—stood.ELDER VERRON:“Unacceptable. This union is a threat to the balance we’ve tried so hard to maintain. Caveen is not merely an elite—he is the Nexus. A direct convergence of vampire, lycan, and witch blood. Now they plan to merge that with a di
The steady hum of high-frequency scanners echoed through the dimly lit laboratory buried beneath the Landon estate. Cold steel tables lined with ancient scrolls and digital monitors created a surreal fusion of magic and science. In the center, Cane Landon—Carl’s younger brother and the Landon bloodline’s scientific genius—adjusted his glasses as he reviewed the latest data.Maika stood beside him, arms crossed, her face calm but her aura pulsing with restrained tension.CANE:“I ran her name through the Council records. Seraphine Delacroix… born approximately eighteen years ago, abandoned at Saint Morwenna Hospital in the human realm. No records of her birth parents. Bloodline, unknown. Not even a magical residue left behind from whoever left her.”MAIKA (quietly):“A clean slate.”Cane nodded grimly.CANE:“Exactly. She was adopted weeks later by the Delacroix family—not out of charity, but because their daughter, Celestine, needed a playmate. The adoption was arranged through unoffi
Inside the cold, dimly lit chamber hidden beneath the old Landon manor, test tubes glowed faint red under blue arcane lights. Cane Landon—Carl’s younger brother, a scientist whose mind was as sharp as his claws—stood before a reinforced glass desk filled with ancient tomes and modern instruments. He tapped the vial labeled “AL-VB-01”—Alaric Vaelthorne’s blood sample.Maika stood behind him, arms folded, her golden eyes watchful as Cane inserted the sample into a crystalline centrifuge inscribed with sigils.CANE:“You’re sure this came from him?”MAIKA:“He pricked his own finger while speaking to me. The sample was sealed and delivered within the hour. No contamination.”The machine whirred, glowing runes spinning as the blood inside reacted to the spell-infused process. Cane leaned close, frowning as readings emerged on the glass panel.CANE (muttering):“Hematocrit ratio… elevated. Accelerated regeneration markers… confirmed. Sunlight tolerance markers… absent?”The device dinged.
Maika stood near the long table of dried herbs and scrolls, adjusting a ward stone when Caveen entered briskly, his face set with unease.CAVEEN:“Mother, we have a problem. It’s Alaric.”Maika turned sharply, her instincts immediately alert.MAIKA:“What happened? Is he hurt again?”CAVEEN:“No. He’s awakening.”Maika froze.CAVEEN (continuing):“The sealed vampire blood in his lineage… It’s no longer dormant. He’s experiencing bloodlust, his senses are shifting. He nearly drained his fiancée, Seraphine.”Maika dropped the dried petals in her hand. Her pupils constricted like a hunter’s.MAIKA (in disbelief):“That… should be impossible.”CAVEEN:“I thought so too. You told me years ago—his grandfather’s vampire blood was sealed by Queen Vantessa herself.”MAIKA (walking to her desk, murmuring):“She used the Sigil of Black Vow… Only direct blood of the Carellos can inscribe that seal.”She placed her palm on an old grimoire, flipping pages lined in deep crimson runes. Her voice hard
The grand halls of Ravenshade had fallen quiet.Behind the heavy oak doors of the Duke’s chambers, Alaric had locked himself away for days. Meals were left untouched outside his door. The staff grew nervous. Even the guards avoided the west wing.Only Seraphine remained, stubborn as ever, knocking softly each morning and evening.SERAPHINE (knocking):“Alaric… it’s me. Please, just talk to me.”Silence.She leaned her forehead against the door, her voice quieter this time.SERAPHINE:“I’m not afraid of you. Whatever’s happening… please don’t go through it alone.”Inside, Alaric sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. His body felt like it was burning from within. His breath came in uneven gasps. His eyes—now crimson more than silver—were filled with torment.His hand trembled as he tapped the screen of his phone.ALARCIC (voice weak):“Caveen. I need answers. Now.”The line crackled, then Caveen’s familiar voice came through, laced with concern.CAVEEN (on phone):“You sound like