In the treacherous reaches of the Sea of Andragor, a tall castle loomed in the midst of a blood-red landscape, shrouded by a deadly darkness that permeated the air.
This was the domain of the Upper Five.
A group of powerful and ancient Vampyre Progenitors who possessed unimaginable magical energy.
The castle stood as a testament to their power and an intimidating warning to those who dared to trespass.
Beyond the castle gates, the Red Sea was a foreboding presence, its waters teeming with dangers for those who were not permitted to cross.
Velrossa and Fetoria, two Vampyres.
The former a Royal and the latter the Seventh Progenitor.
They were dressed in white garments and scarfs.
Velrossa donned a white mask with red stripes that formed a crest.
They entered the castle.
The castle itself was a sight to behold, with intricate carvings and imposing architecture that spoke of the immense power of the Upper Five Progenitors who resided there.
This truly was a place of great danger and mystique.
A foreboding presence in the darkest corners of the Red Sea.
As they walked the ominous halls of the castle, Fetoria spoke, "Aren't you excited to be in the domain of the Upper Five?"
However, Velrossa remained silent, his keen senses alert to their surroundings.
His silky white hair bounced back and forth as they walked, a striking contrast to the dark and foreboding atmosphere around them.
...
A large door was before them.
Velrossa and Fetoria approached the door.
It was guarded by two low ranking (Basic) vampyres.
Upon seeing Fetoria, they immediately genuflected and greeted her with respect.
She responded with a stern "Open the doors," commanding authority with every word.
The guards obeyed without question, knowing better than to defy her orders.
"Finally," Velrossa muttered underneath his mask.
Once inside the room, Fetoria relaxed slightly, addressing Velrossa informally as they walked towards the center of the vast hall. "So, you can speak again, and yet you choose to ignore me. How cold of you."
She smiled lasciviously.
Still, Velrossa remained silent.
They were now in the hall.
Despite its emptiness, the hall was breathtaking.
Blackness surrounded them, and yet there was no sense of ground or sky or even a ceiling.
The power of [Spatial Magic] was so strong that it allowed for such a grand space to exist within the castle walls.
In the center of the room was a round table, surrounded by gigantic thrones.
It was clear that they were for the members of the Upper Five, who sat upon them with an intimidating presence that filled the air with an icy aura.
"I see we've arrived just in time," Fetoria said with a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"It appears the others have already taken their seats," said Velrossa.
Fetoria stepped forward, confidently striding towards her mother, Silvana (Third Progenitor, Vampyre God).
Her long blond hair flowed behind her as she approached, and as she drew closer, Silvana's cold exterior gave way to a warm, motherly smile.
"Welcome, my daughter," Silvana said, her voice soft and soothing.
"It's good to see you again." Fetoria returned the greeting with a small smile, taking a step back to allow the Upper Five to proceed with their discussion.
Velrossa, still a bit uneasy in the presence of the Upper Five, whispered to Fetoria, "So, why exactly are we here?"
Fetoria gave him a small smile.
"Whenever the Upper Five have a meeting, it is my duty to observe the proceedings as yours truly will be the next Vampyre God after my mother." (Fetoria)
Velrossa nodded, but then asked the question that had been on his mind since they had arrived.
"And why exactly am I here?" (Velrossa)
Fetoria's smile widened as she replied, "Because you are my consort, and as such, it is your duty to support me."
Velrossa sighed, knowing that her feelings for him were deeper than mere duty. "Fetoria, you know that I don't share the same feelings as you do."
Fetoria's eyes softened, and as she gazed at him.
Velrossa could see the love and longing in her gaze.
"In time, you will come to love me as I love you," she said confidently, and they both fell silent, not wanting to draw the attention of the Upper Five.
Velrossa did notice Silvana's appearance.
Yet he wasn't drawn to her.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, although flat.
Her long blond hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, and her piercing red eyes seemed to bore into his soul.
He could see why she was regarded as the next Vampyre God.
Her aura emanated a power that he couldn't even fathom.
Noctis, the First Progenitor, called the meeting to order.
His held a perfect balance of fear and authority.
Velrossa couldn't help but feel like he was being judged by the First Progenitor.
His power was intimidating enough to make Velrossa feel insignificant.
Hence, the reason Noctis had the epiteth— Eternal Darkness.
Noctis sat elegantly, with his legs crossed and a glass of blood in his hand.
As expected of a vampyre.
His mild smile was enough to send chills down anyone's spine.
Although Silvana was the Vampyre God, it was common knowledge among the progenitors that Noctis was the most powerful among them.
He allowed Silvana to rule just to make his life easier.
"It has come to my attention that something serious has happened," announced Noctis, his eyes still shut.
"The failure of Vorkalth?" Lucian, the Second Progenitor, interjected.
Lucian had the beauty of a woman.
His long silver hair and icy blue eyes made it all the more believable.
A vampyre alternatively referred to as the Storm King.
"Vyndariel is to blame.." (Lucian)
Vyndariel, the Third Progenitor, sighed.
"I must agree that using Vorkalth to acquire the Aquos Chronicles was my idea. But it wasn't my fault he couldn't carry out the task. Those semi-intelligent two-legged creatures lacked the capacity to understand simple instructions. Tch, worthless lumps of walking flesh." (Vyndariel)
Vyndarielʼs epithet was— the Eclipse King.
A bespectacled vampyre with short silver hair, bright green eyes and pointy ears.
His [Spatial Magic] was what made this abnormally vast room possible.
Orion, the Fifth Progenitor, spoke up before Vyndariel could claim further superiority, "Your excuses are pointless, Vyndariel. Vorkalth was a failure, and that failure would've exposed us to Undine, had she not killed him on the spot."
Also known as the Night Hunter, he was physically the oldest of the five.
He had a long silvery-white beard and a hair of similar length and colour. There was a prominent scar on the left side of his countenance.
Silvana, as usual, remained quiet, but her unreadable expression was enough to make everyone feel uneasy.
As the silence persisted, it was clear that the matter at hand was more serious than it seemed.
"How will you take responsibility for this mistake!" (Orion)
"Oh Lord Orion, don't get so upset," said Vyndariel with a wistful voice.
Orion's frustration boiled over as he once again scolded Vyndariel for his inability to obtain the Aquos Chronicles.
The rest of the group remained silent.
But then, to everyone's surprise, Silvana spoke up in a calm but firm voice.
"Orion, you should be quiet when you're in the presence of Lord Noctis," she said.
Orion was taken aback.
He had never heard Silvana speak out against him.
He immediately apologized to her.
"No need to apologize, Orion," Silvana said with a small smile.
Noctis, who had been quietly sipping his glass of blood, hummed.
Vyndariel couldn't contain his amusement.
"Oh Orion, your infatuation with Lady Silvana is adorable." (Vyndariel)
Orion kept quiet, not wanting to speak.
Meanwhile, Lucian yawned, feeling sleepy.
"So... how are we going to acquire a spirit for the ritual?" (Lucian)
"Menial... I'll create a pseudo-soul in place of the required spirit." (Noctis)
"Why didn't you do that in the first place?" Lucian asked.
Noctis shrugged.
"I seek pleasure in the most trivial things... you can't imagine how amusing it was to watch those humans fight and kill one another so needlessly. Even after all these years of evolution, they're still the same barbaric creatures incapable of anything." (Noctis)
Lucian chuckled and agreed with him.
As the Second Progenitor, he was the closest to Noctis.
"So what else do we need?" (Vyndariel)
"A crimson star," said Noctis with a soft yet imposing voice.
"Do you mean a philosopher's stone?" Vyndariel asked.
Noctis nodded.
"I could attempt creating one, but it would pale in comparison to the real deal. Since I'm already making a pseudo-soul as a substitute for the source, we'll need to at least have a veritable crimson star. Anything less than that would conceive imperfections. And we are beings who pride ourselves by our perfections, a word such as imperfection should elude us." (Noctis)
Orion braced himself before he could speak.
"And how do we get this crimson star?" (Orion)
"Aalakhor Archipelago.." (Noctis)