Two years ago…
The Crimson bloodline, the most feared and wealthiest vampire lineage for generations, gathered in their grand mansion far from Burdly Town. Other powerful vampire bloodlines were invited to join the celebration. It was Juran Crimson's birthday—he was turning 800 years old but looked like a man in his late 50s. The mansion was filled with exotic vampires, chattering amongst themselves and laughing as well.
Kai, Damien, and Zephyr stood by their father, Juran Crimson, wearing polite smiles, though their expressions held a sign of formality. The noise in the room grew louder, so Kai raised a glass and gently tapped it with a spoon to get everyone's attention.
"Attention, everyone!" Kai's voice interrupted the discussion session.
Gradually, the room fell silent, all eyes turning toward the Crimson brothers and their father.
Kai smiled as he began. "Today, my father turns 800 years old."
The crowd began cheering, raising their glasses. Kai held up a hand, quieting them again.
"He's been a good man," Kai continued. "He raised my brothers and me to be the men we are today."
More cheers followed, the admiration for Juran was evident in their eyes.
But then, Kai's tone shifted, it grew somber. "When our mother left—when she took our little sister Amerie and abandoned us—my father never wavered. He stayed. He protected us."
Damien and Zephyr's expressions hardened as they remembered the memories of their mother.
"He never saw us as monsters," Kai said. "Not like our mother did. He didn't believe vampires were cruel or cursed. No… we're just hungry."
The crowd burst into laughter. Kai lifted his glass again. "So, that being said, let's all sing my father a happy birthday, shall we?"
Everyone joined in, singing in unison. Just as they reached the part where Juran was supposed to respond with his age, his voice began to stumble. His eyes widened, and suddenly, he began to choke. Blood gushed from his mouth, staining his chest and spilling onto the floor.
The crowd gasped in shock. Kai, Damien, and Zephyr were instantly at his side, their eyes were wide with disbelief.
"Father!" Kai shouted, rushing to catch him before he collapsed completely. "Stay with us! Don't—don't die!"
Juran's body convulsed as he gasped for air with blood pouring from his heart. The entire room was now chaotic. Vampires scattered, panicked, some running for their lives, some dropping dead because their sire Juran was dead, while others scavenged the mansion, desperate to find the person responsible for Juran's death.
Damien knelt beside his father, gripping his hand. "Father, no… you can't leave us."
Zephyr's face was pale with shock. He stared down at the blood pooling on the floor. "Who… who could've done this?"
Kai's eyes scanned the floor, and then he saw it—a bullet. He picked it up, holding it between his fingers. Just then, it hit him.
"The invisible bane," Kai whispered, showing his brothers. "No one could've seen it coming. All its poison… he took it all."
Damien's eyes narrowed. "Who did this?"
Zephyr glanced at the bullet, his jaw tightened as he looked at it. "This has witches written all over it."
Kai's face was painted with rage. "Then all the witches will have to pay. We attack at dawn. I'll inform the others."
They gently placed Juran's lifeless body in a coffin, each of them staring at their father in silent grief. Damien was the first to leave, patting Kai on the shoulder as he passed. Zephyr followed, offering the same gesture.
Later that night, Kai called for a meeting in the mansion's war room, but as the minutes ticked by, no one showed up—except for his brothers and his girlfriend, May.
May approached Kai and her eyes filled with sympathy. "I'm so sorry, Kai. I know how much your father meant to you."
Kai barely nodded, he wore a stoic expression as he stood by the empty table. May leaned in to kiss him, but he didn't respond. His mind was elsewhere, eaten up by the loss and the betrayal.
"Sit down," he said with a detached tone. "The others will be here soon."
May hesitated but did as he asked, sitting silently at the table.
Fifteen minutes passed, and still, no one had shown up. Zephyr shifted uncomfortably, breaking the silence.
"Are you sure you sent the message to everyone?" he asked Kai.
Kai's patience was visibly wearing thin. He clenched his fists, glaring at the empty seats. "Of course I did! I don't know what the fuck is going on."
May, who had been sitting quietly, finally groaned and stood up. She crossed her arms and gave Kai a hard look. "No one's coming, Kai."
Kai blinked, he was confused. "What do you mean by that?"
May sighed, shaking her head. "In case you didn't notice, your father's death changes things. All those vampires—the ones even stronger than Juran—they bowed to him. Not you. Not your brothers. With Juran gone, there's no one left for them to respect."
Kai's eyes widened, disbelief and anger bubbled inside of him. "That's not possible! Our bloodline is the most feared, the most powerful, and the wealthiest! There's no way any vampire in their right mind would dare defy us!"
Damien, who had been silent, nodded grimly. "She's right, Kai. They respected us because of Father, not because of who we are. We've always been under his shadow."
May stepped closer to Kai, with disappointment etched on her face. "Goodbye, Kai," she said softly, then turned and walked out without looking back.
Kai watched her leave, his mind was not at ease, he was trying to process everything. After a few moments, he turned to his brothers. "They're scared, that's all. They're terrified of dying. Something so small took out the almighty Juran… they're just afraid."
Zephyr exhaled slowly. "Fear or not, if we don't act soon, who knows how many more vamps will be dead by then."
Damien nodded in agreement. "Zephyr's right. We don't need them. Let them cower in fear. We need to think for ourselves now."
Kai looked at his brothers, his voice almost sounded desperate. "Then what do we do? What's the plan?"
Zephyr leaned forward. "First, we need to disappear. Go somewhere no one can find us. Lay low until we figure out who's behind this."
Kai thought for a moment before his eyes lit up with an idea. "I know just the place. Crimson Estate. Dad used to take me there when I was little. Every decade, as the world changed, he renovated the place and switched the deed. Every time a human died, he'd pass it to another, but no one knew about it. Just him and me."
Zephyr's eyes widened. "That's perfect. No one will think to look for us there."
Kai nodded. "Then it's settled. We'll take Father's coffin with us and disappear—for now."
Without another word, the brothers moved quickly, gathering their father's coffin and vanishing from the mansion, ready to make their next move.