In a dimly lit room, five figures sat in silence. The walls were smooth, featureless, and cold, the air carrying an eerie chill.
Each figure occupied one of the five chairs, their black cloaks draping over them, hoods attached but pulled back just enough to reveal their faces.
Vaelric, with his long red hair, surveyed the others before speaking first, as he always did.
"Serak, have you informed the King about our plan?" His tone was sharp, directed at the bald man covered in intricate tattoos.
Serak grinned, leaning back slightly. "Of course."
Liora, the only woman among them, pushed strands of her long blue hair behind her ear before turning her attention to the youngest in the room. "Sylas."
The seventeen-year-old boy with long black hair tensed under her gaze. His fearful expression was evident, but he nodded slowly in response.
Vaelric merely frowned before looking away.
Darius, with his gray hair, ran a hand through his long white beard before speaking. "I'm having second thoughts about this."
The room fell into a brief silence. Four pairs of eyes turned toward him, their expressions unreadable—except for Sylas, whose face showed a flicker of hope.
Darius wasted no time clarifying. "Sylas only became a Progenitor a few days ago. The only reason we're sending him is because of his ability to walk under the sun without weakening."
Sylas was a Special Progenitor with a unique power that allowed him to walk under the sun normally without getting weakened... Something that has been unheard of in the history of Vampires.
Serak chuckled. "I used my powers to pinpoint the Progenitor's location. Turns out, he's in the Human Realm. That means Sylas is the only viable choice because of the sunlight in the Human Realm."
Darius remained unconvinced. "You're missing the point, Serak. We have no idea how strong this Progenitor is. If Sylas isn't physically strong enough, he might not return at all."
Vaelric narrowed his eyes. "You have a point."
Liora crossed her arms. "So what do you propose?"
Sylas kept his head down, struggling to contain the faint smile forming on his lips. 'Yes… I might not have to go after all.'
Darius leaned forward slightly. "We've all traveled to the Human Realm enough to understand how time works there, haven't we?"
Vaelric, Liora, and Serak exchanged glances before nodding. They already knew what Darius was getting at.
Serak tapped his fingers against the table. "Even if we weren't sure, I could confirm it with my powers. But there's no need. We all know it's currently nighttime in the Human Realm."
They nodded again.
Darius exhaled. "Since it's nighttime, one of us—aside from Sylas—can go instead. There's no way this Progenitor has already surpassed any of us in such a short time."
"If that's the case," Liora stood up, "I'll go."
Darius nodded. "Any objections?"
None. It was settled.
Sylas stole a glance at Vaelric, a nagging thought creeping into his mind. 'He usually takes the lead in meetings like this, but he has been awfully quiet today... Why do I have a bad feeling?'
That aside, they wasted no time.
Rising from their chairs, they moved to a smaller circle in the corner of the room.
Serak stepped forward. His right thumb elongated into a sharp claw, which he used to slice his left palm. The moment his blood dripped onto the floor, it began to glow.
At the same time, the tattoos on his bald head flared red.
Stretching his right hand over the glowing blood, he closed his eyes. The blood spread outward, forming symbols on the ground as if guided by an unseen force.
The blood first drew a large circle, and then drew a square inside the circle before forming an X shape inside the square.
Then—
WHOOSH!
A gust of wind surged from the markings, accompanied by a bright red glow.
"It's ready," Serak announced.
Liora stepped forward, but before she could move, Serak handed her a small vial of red liquid. "You know how this works."
She nodded, and without hesitation, she stepped onto the X.
Serak snapped his fingers, instantly intensifying the glow.
"I'll be right back," Liora whispered before vanishing.
Serak grinned as he returned to his chair. "She won't be long."
Vaelric, however, remained tense. "We still don't know what kind of Progenitor we're dealing with."
Darius stroked his beard. "True. But we have no choice but to wait. I trust Liora—she's strong."
Serak smirked. "And if this Progenitor has some troublesome ability, we all know what Liora will do."
Darius nodded. "Hmmm, right," Darius said, "she sure has one hell of a Special Ability."
**********
In the darkness of the night, a soft breeze rustled the air as a figure materialized beside a building.
Long blue hair whipped around her face. Her crimson eyes flickered as she surveyed her surroundings.
'Serak's ability is as reliable as ever,' she thought. 'It brought me right to him.'
Her gaze lifted toward a window.
'There…'
A strange sensation pricked at her senses.
'Another vampire is in there.'
Suddenly, she froze.
Her crimson eyes sharpened.
'That energy… I recognize it… It's…...'