I don't know when I started feeling the chill in my bones, but I'll never forget the night I realized how deep Necro's claws had sunk into everything.
It wasn't just a shadow anymore. It was a force, a presence that seemed to creep into every corner of the neighborhood. It was like Necro's influence had slowly seeped into the very air we were breathing, until every interaction, every word spoken, felt tainted. There was no escaping it.
I had known from the start that Necro wasn't just here for revenge or power. No, it was bigger than that. Necro didn't want to simply tear down Empress or Noctis. They didn't want to just watch the Vortexes and Blackthorns destroy each other. They wanted everything.
I got my first real taste of Necro's plans when I saw them speak to Vex in the dead of night. Vex—who had always been calculating, always a step ahead of the others—was now a puppet in Necro's hands, moving like a marionette with invisible strings.
"Everything you've been taught is a lie," Necro's voice was a cold whisper in the shadows, just enough for Vex to hear. "The Blackthorn bloodline, the Vortex rituals—none of it has ever been about true power. You think you control the magic, but the truth is, it controls you. It's time for something more."
Vex looked like they wanted to argue, but something in Necro's voice stopped them. I saw the way they hesitated, how the words seemed to crawl under their skin, twisting things inside their mind. I'd seen Vex in action before—they never doubted themselves. But this? This was different. It was like Necro had opened a door in Vex's mind and stepped inside.
I didn't understand all of it yet, but I knew I needed to find out. Necro wasn't just manipulating people—they were warping the entire foundation of everything we believed in. They were setting their sights on the blood rituals, twisting them, bending them to their will, turning things that should have been sacred into tools for something darker.
It didn't take long for Necro's influence to spread. They weren't just talking to Vex anymore. No, now they were whispering into the ears of key figures on both sides, people who had always been loyal, always been predictable. People like Sable, who had already betrayed the Blackthorns once, but now was doing it again with a vengeance. The way Sable moved, the way they spoke—there was something different about them. They were acting under Necro's orders now, taking every chance to sow doubt, to fan the flames of distrust.
I couldn't help but notice the shift in Empress too. She had always been sharp, ruthless, but now? There was a coldness to her decisions, like she was being pushed to the edge of something she couldn't control. She kept talking about expanding, about taking more territory, but there was a desperation in her voice that wasn't there before. I knew it wasn't her doing—it was Necro's handiwork. They were wearing away at her, twisting her mind, making her more dangerous, but also more vulnerable.
And then, it hit me. Necro wasn't just playing a game—they were remaking it entirely.
Their plan was never just about the families fighting each other. No, they were turning the entire neighborhood into a battleground. And they were going to be the ones standing at the end, as the rulers of it all. They wanted control of the entire area, the power to shape it with black magic and blood rituals that would put both families to shame.
I realized, with a sickening clarity, that Necro wasn't just going to let the war run its course. They were orchestrating it, pushing both families into positions where they would crumble under the weight of their own mistrust. Necro was playing both sides, pushing us all to fight harder, to hate each other more, while they stood back and watched it all burn.
But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was realizing that Necro wasn't trying to destroy everything. They were manipulating it, bending the bloodlines, controlling the rituals, using our ancient magic to shape their future.
I saw it in their eyes the first time I met them—this was never about revenge. This was about domination. Necro wasn't just content to tear apart the Blackthorns and Vortexes. They wanted to control us. They wanted to reshape everything, to take the power of the bloodlines and warp it into something unrecognizable.
Necro had found the perfect way to do it: by twisting the Blackthorn bloodline, using its sacred magic for their own gain, and by turning the Vortex rituals into instruments of their will. They were no longer just an outside threat—they were a part of our very foundation, something we couldn't escape.
I saw the pieces falling into place, one by one. The ritual wars, the betrayals, the ever-deepening rift between the families—everything was leading up to one final moment. Necro was going to take control of everything. And when that happened, no one would be able to stop them.
The more I tried to fight it, the more I saw how deeply Necro's influence had taken root. The distrust was everywhere now—between the Blackthorns, between the Vortexes, between the people who had once been allies. We were all pawns in Necro's game. And the worst part was, we hadn't even seen the endgame yet.
By the time we realized what Necro had done, it might already be too late.