The grand council chamber radiated an aura of power and tension as the elite vampire lords gathered. Damien felt distinctly out of place among these ancient, formidable figures as he took his seat at the long obsidian table.
Lord Marlowe sat stoically to his right, Dravena to his left. She shot him a disdainful look as if he didn't belong. Across the table, four elderly vampires exuded an almost palpable force - the dreaded High Lords who transcended normal rankings. They were the ultimate judges and legislators of vampire society.
As the others filtered in, Damien noted the lords of Houses Vardanian and Von Nat were conspicuously absent, their seats vacant. However, two lesser nobles had been sent to represent their houses' interests. It seemed everyone understood the gravity of the situation at hand.
