In the north of the ocean lay the vampire continent, shrouded in dense fog that obscured all visibility beyond. Darkness held absolute sway over this land, plunging it into eternal night.
The vampire continent was divided into several regions, each controlled by the grand dukes of the empire and its nobility. The imperial family ruled supreme over all other vampires due to the purity of their bloodline.
Located at its center was an imposing castle made entirely of a dark mineral resembling obsidian. It was surrounded by towers and high walls, with guards watching vigilantly from every direction.
Within the castle walls, in a room serving as an office, sat a man with a youthful appearance. His long white hair cascaded over his shoulders, his red eyes gleamed like rubies, and a silver crown rested upon his head. He was dressed in an elegant black suit. This man was the current emperor, Lucian Sanguinis Lunaire.
Suddenly, the heavy metal door creaked open slowly, admitting a cool breeze from the outside corridor. A tall, slender figure crossed the threshold. Her heels resonated against the stone floor with each step, creating an echo that filled the room. She wore a beautiful white dress with dark accents, subtly outlining her figure. Her long black hair was tied up, and like the man seated at the desk, her eyes were red.
The man with white hair, now known as Lucian, looked up from the scattered documents on his desk. His expression was unreadable as he observed the newcomer.
Approaching the desk, the woman spoke softly, "You called, father..."
"Welcome, daughter. You know why I summoned you, don't you?" Lucian asked firmly as he settled into his chair.
Nodding slightly, the woman replied, "It's about the academy... mother already told me."
Lucian nodded, satisfied with his daughter's response. "Very well, like your elder brother last year, you will attend tomorrow for the evaluation tests."
"We will use the teleportation matrix, and you will be accompanied by a guard who will protect you while you're on the human continent. There, your brother will receive you," Lucian said seriously.
The young woman sighed, her gaze momentarily drifting to the window before returning to her father's eyes. "I won't have to go with the other nobles, right?"
Raising an eyebrow, Lucian responded, "If it's about the son of Grand Duke Darius, you have nothing to worry about. We will use the castle's matrix."
Alina frowned, a mix of disgust and concern in her expression. "But father, we all know he's obsessed with me, and everyone knows about his disgusting hobby. Couldn't you use this opportunity to...?"
Lucian interrupted her with a serious look. "I know it can be troubling, but I hope you can bear it. You know I can't do anything for now. After all, if I do something, others will want to join in a sign of rebellion, and I'd have to kill them. At that point, there would be no one to manage all the lands."
Standing up from his seat, he approached his daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder. In the gentlest voice he could muster, Lucian said, "Thalia, you don't need to worry about anything. If something were to happen to you, your mother would kill me. Let your father handle it. After all, anything can happen while you're on another continent."
Turning up the corners of her lips in a small, imperceptible smile, Thalia replied, "Thank you, father..."
Walking back to his desk, Lucian asked seriously, "How is the training with your mother going?"
"Good, mother taught me last week how to perform my transformation while infusing my elemental attribute," Thalia replied.
Transformation is a process that allows a vampire to increase their power at the cost of their mana. Only vampires with a gold rank bloodline can access this transformation, where they supposedly revert to an ancestral state preceding their current evolution.
When transformed, the vampire experiences a significant increase in physical capabilities and control over their possessed element. Additionally, their body size noticeably increases, and wings grow from their back, enabling flight.
There is a second state where, by infusing mana during transformation, vampires can change their appearance and adopt characteristics according to their attribute. For example, if a vampire has an affinity for fire and infuses it during this phase, their body will take on fire characteristics and their appearance will change. If their hair was black, it could change to the color of the fire attribute.
Lucian nodded slightly, somewhat impressed, and asked with a hint of curiosity, "How long were you able to maintain the transformation?"
"About an hour. After that time, I started losing control. Luckily, mom was there to help," Thalia replied, somewhat unsure.
Lucian nodded knowingly, aware that the longer one maintains that form, the vampire may enter a primal state which, if not careful, could turn them into a mindless monster. "It's a good start, Thalia. I remember your brother struggled quite a bit; he even lost control and destroyed part of the forest."
Thalia nodded, grateful for the support, and replied, "Yes, father. I will continue training with mother to improve."
"Very well, I hope to hear good news from your evaluation tomorrow. Your mother has a special gift she wanted to give you. You should go see her," Lucian said.
Thalia's eyes lit up slightly with curiosity and anticipation.
"A gift? What could it be?" she asked, interest reflected in her voice.
Lucian responded enigmatically, his tone serene yet laden with mystery. "That you'll have to find out for yourself. Go to her; I'm sure it will surprise you."
Thalia nodded excitedly. "Thank you, father. I'll go see her right away."
Watching his daughter leave the room, once the door closed behind her, Lucian returned his focus to the documents. A shadow of concern briefly crossed his face before disappearing altogether.
******
After a few minutes, a middle-aged man dressed in butler's attire entered the office, his stride smooth and deliberate. Without lifting his gaze from the documents, Lucian said, "Report."
Approaching the desk, the butler bowed and said, "My lord, the Eclipse organization has accepted the assassination request. One of their branches on the human continent will handle the job."
Lucian hummed as his fingernails elongated, tapping rhythmically on the desk wood. "Hmm... What price did they request?"
Feeling a slight tension, the butler quickly replied, "A thousand amethyst coins. Half of the payment will be made upfront, that's what the intermediary said."
Dispelling his aura, Lucian retrieved a bag from his storage ring and handed it to the butler. "I believe this should be more than sufficient. You may take your leave."
With a bow, the butler took the coins and exited the room.