Pact of Blood
"You have strength, yes. But you have no history. You have no scars."
The false Vlad lunged, a strike that moved with the speed of a physical law. Vlad didn't parry. He stepped into the arc of the blade, letting it graze his shoulder. The blood that spilled onto the pavement was the final, undeniable proof of their humanity. It was real. It was warm. It was proof of sacrifice.
As the blood hit the ground, something shifted. The stolen memories within the false heroes began to fray. They were built on a foundation of archive data, not lived experience. They couldn't handle the raw, chaotic input of Vlad’s pain.