The grand estate of the House of Vespra loomed against the night sky, its imposing walls shadowed under the pale moonlight. Xue stepped through the ornate gates, his dark cloak soaked from the rain. The house, cold and silent as always, felt emptier than ever. But tonight, something was different.
As he entered the main hall, a cacophony of laughter and celebration erupted from the banquet room. His eyes narrowed. The audacity of it- celebration on the very night the continent mourned the fall of the Elite of Light.
He pushed the doors open, and the laughter momentarily died as the crowd of nobles turned to look at him. At the center of it all stood his father, Lord Vespra, a man who had always been more serpent than human.
"Xue," his father greeted, raising a glass, his grin as sharp as a dagger. "Come, join us. Tonight, we toast to opportunity."
Xue's crimson eyes bore into him, his voice sharp as a blade. "Why?"
His father smirked, his tone dripping with arrogance. "The Elite of Light has fallen. With her gone, the House of Solaria will crumble under the weight of its loss. And do you know what that means, Xue? The House of Vespra will rise. We will rule the Central Continent! This is our time!"
The words echoed in Xue's mind, colliding with the turmoil already festering inside him. His head throbbed, memories of Elysia's smile, her laughter, her lifeless body flashing before his eyes. The loud, mocking laughter of the nobles grated against his ears, and his vision blurred as rage consumed him.
Before he knew it, his blade was drawn.
In a single, fluid motion, he severed his father's head. The laughter ceased, replaced by a sickening silence. The head rolled across the polished floor, coming to a stop at the feet of the stunned nobles.
Gasps and screams erupted as the nobles tried to scatter, but Xue moved like a shadow, his crimson eyes glowing with a chilling light under the pale moon. His blade sang as it cut through flesh, the room filling with the scent of blood and the sound of bodies hitting the ground.
By the time the last noble fell, the once-lavish banquet hall was a macabre scene of death. Blood pooled across the floor, the once-festive decorations now draped in crimson.
Xue stood at the center of it all, his pale face illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the tall window. His sword hung loosely at his side, blood dripping from its edge. He was beautiful and terrifying, a reaper among the dead.
A soft creak echoed through the silence as the door opened. A maid entered, expecting to clean up after the party. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the carnage, her wide eyes locking on the pile of bodies in the center of the room.
Xue sat atop the gruesome throne, his posture casual but his expression void of emotion. As the maid's gaze met his glowing crimson eyes, she froze in place, trembling.
He rose, stepping down from the pile of corpses with deliberate, almost graceful movements. The blood-stained blade in his hand gleamed under the moonlight as he approached her.
"Spread the word," he said, his voice calm yet laced with an unspoken threat. "Starting today, the head of this house is me-Xue Vespra."
The maid nodded frantically, her body shaking with fear.
"And tell the continent this: I have slaughtered my father and all the nobles who supported him. Let them know what happens to those who betray and mock the sacrifices of the fallen."
Without waiting for a response, Xue turned and walked away, leaving the maid alone in the silent, blood-soaked hall. The storm outside raged on, but within him, the storm had settled into something far darker-a quiet, unrelenting resolve.