Chapter 9

~Armand Salvatore pov~

I walked through the castle's halls, my mind consumed with thoughts of John's death. I have just received the news that morning and had spent the last few hours trying to make sense of it all. As I walked, I heard the whispers of the other vampires as them too tried to come to terms with the loss of our friend.

I entered the main hall where a few vampires were gathered. They all turned to me as I approached, their faces are mixture of sadness and confusion.

"What could have caused John's death?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

No one had an answer. They all shook their heads, unsure of what to say. John was one of the strongest and most powerful vampire they had ever known. For him to die so suddenly was unprecedented.

"We need to find out what happened," I said firmly. "We cannot let his death go unanswered. We need to investigate and find out who is responsible."

The other vampires nodded in agreement. They knew that I was right. John had been a valu