In Europe, at the Imperial Palace where the masked Ball took place months ago, Morbius Mill occupied his private room in the corridor he owned. Seated on the couch, he leisurely sipped from a stemmed wine glass filled with fresh blood, his gaze unwavering as he observed his grandson Orlando.
Orlando sat on the opposite couch with his eyes shut tightly in a concentrated trance as he was inside Victoria's dream. Since he didn't exert the full strength of his first gift, his physical body remained in place while his entire mind and part of his physical motor skills operated separately. If he doesn't handle the gift delicately when he uses it, he potentially puts himself in a perilous situation if his enemies ever find him in a trance.
Morbius reveled with amusement in witnessing Orlando's cheekbone marred by a cascading gash. Streaks of blood trickle gracefully into a stained crimson river stream ascending to his jawbone. Shortly after that wound, he noticed Orlando's hand, now bleeding an etched crimson tint on his lap. Detached from his physical body, Orlando remained unable to mend the inflicted wounds, leaving them unattended while his grandfather only observed.
Around five minutes after the last injury, Orlando smoothly re-entered his consciousness, seamlessly merging back with his body. His natural ocean-blue eyes slowly parted with a subtle sneer, faintly gracing his lips.
"It appears Victoria made quite an impression on you," Morbius teased, making an amused remark about the wounds on his skin he had astutely observed.
"Kai taught her a few tricks, but it's nothing I can't handle," Orlando replied nonchalantly as his wounds mended. Rising to his feet, he fetched a glass of blood from the table stand near the couch where he had been seated.
"Can you handle her once she's a vampiress?" Morbius further teased him with a sly smile playing on his lips before he polished off the last remnants of blood from the elegant wine glass he held in his palm.
"She'll be a fun one to break," Orlando laughed, the tone in his voice transitioning from mirthful to a determined sense of desire to break her, and then he downed the glass of blood and relished himself in the feeling of its rich contents coursing down his throat.
"Did you tell her the message?" Morbius asked as the jesting demeanor filtered away to a more serious tone.
"Yes, in the form of a riddle," Orlando updated his grandfather. "And I exhorted my urgency to meet with Kai."
As Morbius rose from the couch, he commended, "Good. Now, all we need to do is wait for Kai's reply."
"If she relayed it to him. The question remains whether Kai will cooperate with me," Orlando remarked with a hint of irritation.
He knew Kai a little too well, especially for his stubbornness, which occasionally aggravated Orlando. Issues concerning Victoria had recently surfaced to the Vampire Covenant's attention. If matters are as dire as Orlando predicted, he will need Kai's help to devise a solution to fix it. Desperate times often required enemies to collaborate when they fought for the same motive. In this scenario, they would go the extra mile to secure Victoria's survival.
As Morbius glanced at his elegant golden wristwatch, he announced, "We must go. The meeting is about to start."
They transitioned from the room, manifesting their shadowy forms as they ascended into a Greek architectural column-structured chamber. Upon arrival, they resumed their natural solid forms, with other Headmasters following in pursuit.
Well-crafted ceiling-to-floor columns adorned the entire border of the room. To the left, beyond a row of columns, was a golden staircase curved elegantly against the thick limestone it was etched in. Realistic airbrushed paintings of vampiric battles embellished the ceiling, vividly capturing the wars they had once fought in. These vibrant depictions served as a poignant reminder of the conflicts that had once plagued their dimensional worlds. Months ago, it was the same room Victoria had explored and marveled over it for its beauty.
Above them on the second-floor balcony, directly in front of the enormous group of Headmasters from every risen generation, a group of Superior Headmaster Lights who run the Vampire Covenant, including Edgar and Danny being amongst them, stared down upon the disgruntled crowd of Headmasters below them.
Normally, Orlando wouldn't be present at a meeting primarily meant for the Headmasters. However, since he was accompanied by his grandfather and he was part of the council, no one objected to his presence being here. Only Morbius and Orlando, along with their advisors, had traveled for the meeting while everyone else stayed home.
"Cancel the votes!" echoed the clamorous rants from the exasperated crowd. "Execute the seventh prophecy!"
Orlando silently scoffed at the malcontent Headmasters who demanded Victoria's execution.
"You can't murder an innocent girl!" Fewer Headmasters advocated for fair justice.
Hardly any of the Headmasters were from Earth. Orlando noticed that as Headmaster Danny raised his fist high. Immediately, he silenced all the clamorous ranting.
"We acknowledge that several planets have been destroyed by this Rebellion. Despite the unfortunate calamity, the Vampire Covenant
assures that everyone's concerns are heard and evaluated.
"Earlier today, a majority of us agreed that if the Rebellion destroys twenty planets in the next three weeks, Victoria will be taken into custody for her execution. However, with the recent destruction of another planet, bringing the total to twelve, we have determined she will be seized by next Sunday for further debate.
"During this period, Kai Collin will be detained while we determine her fate. For now, this concludes tonight's discussion. To hear further updates, you are all welcome to stay, but foul play is restricted. Everyone is dismissed!" Danny concluded the announcement, emphasizing the rules, especially for those not from Earth.
Overall, the whole Imperial Palace served as a Continental ground where enemies had to socialize with civility among one another. Tonight, the palace served to host this conference.
As everyone departed, Orlando murmured, "This gives me less time than I thought I had."
"Come with me." Instead of remarking, Morbius ordered as his tone conveyed his concerns, and then they zipped out of there.