By the time Helen and Elias returned to the palace, the entire capital had been thrown into a whirlwind of confusion. Horns blared from the palace watchtowers, guards raced along the outer walls, messengers darted through the courtyards shouting orders, and nobles ran in panic from one hall to another. Chaos had taken root in the heart of the kingdom.
Helen barely stepped past the main archway when a breathless servant rushed toward her.
"Priestess Helen! The king has been looking for you everywhere. He says it's urgent. He had just ended an emergency meeting in the royal hall."
Helen nodded quickly. "Where is he now?"
"The great council chamber."
Without another word, she lifted her robes and hurried inside. The doors to the royal hall were wide open. Ministers were already leaving, their faces grim and pale. Most passed her without a glance, but as Minister Cedric, the Minister of Land Affairs, walked past her, she caught something.
A thought. Faint, but clear.
"This kingdom will soon come to an end... it's time for us vampires to rule."
Helen froze.
She turned, staring at Cedric's back as he walked away into the shadows. Her heart beat faster. What did he mean by that? Could he be one of them?
Before she could ponder further, a voice called out.
"Priestess!"
She turned.
"Your Majesty," she said with a bow.
King Aldred stood at the head of the long hall. He looked weary, dressed in royal blue armor laced with gold. A thick silver crown rested heavy on his brow.
"A messenger just arrived," he said, urgency sharp in his voice. He claims monsters are attacking our borders. What do the gods say?"
Helen took a deep breath.
"They aren't monsters, Your Majesty. They're vampires."
The king stared at her, stunned.
"Vampires… I thought they existed only in folktales."
"Not anymore. They walk among us. They are organized, ruthless, and dangerous. But they have weaknesses: the sun... and silver."
The king began to pace. "So if we arm our soldiers with silver?"
"Silver swords, silver-tipped arrows, even silver bullets for the rifle guns. If we prepare quickly, we can stop them. They only strike under the cover of night."
The king turned to his guards. "Send orders to the blacksmiths. Forge silver weapons. Distribute them to the soldiers heading to the borders. Reinforce the walls. Summon the western battalions from the Westlands to protect the palace."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Helen bowed once more and turned to leave, but her thoughts raced back to Elias.
If the sun burns vampires... why doesn't it burn him?
Elias stood at the window of his chamber, gazing at the sunlight pouring in through the open balcony. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
Helen entered, closing the door gently behind her.
"Elias. We need to talk."
He turned. "Is it about the vampires?"
She nodded. "The sun weakens or destroys vampires. But you've been walking under it with no pain."
He glanced at the light. "I... never really noticed. But you're right."
"Come," she said, guiding him toward the balcony. "Step into the sun."
Elias took a slow breath, then stepped forward. The sunlight bathed his skin. He closed his eyes, preparing for pain... but nothing happened. He felt warm, strong even. Not the searing agony a vampire should feel.
"Nothing," he said, almost surprised.
Helen opened the Book of the Night once more. She flipped pages until something caught her eye.
"Here! Look... 'A vampire unaffected by sunlight is a hybrid. Born of vampire and human blood.'"
Elias frowned. "A hybrid? But I wasn't born that way."
Helen tapped her finger against the page. "No... but your body isn't the same. You were reborn. You switched bodies. That could be the answer."
He exhaled. "Maybe. Maybe that's it."
"And the Black Lion Assassins? What's your plan?"
His eyes darkened. "I'll attack their base."
"Alone?! Elias, that's suicide."
"I've died once already, Helen. I'm not scared anymore. I'm stronger now. Faster. They won't expect me."
"Then don't go in blind. You must plan."
He gave her a quiet nod. "Alright. Just... I need answers. I need to know why they poisoned me."
Days passed. Reports came in from the northern borders.
Despite the silver weapons, despite the reinforcements... all the soldiers sent to defend the outer territories had been slaughtered.
Then, at dawn, they came.
An army cloaked in darkness.
The vampire king himself stood at their heads. His name was Valerius. He wore a flowing robe of obsidian black, embroidered with blood-red threads in the shape of ancient runes. His skin was deathly pale, like bone washed in snow. His hair was long, dark, and braided with golden rings. His eyes glowed like dying embers.
Behind him marched a thousand vampires. Clad in blackened armor, some bore wings of leathery shadow, others snarled with fangs visible even at a distance.
Inside the palace, the emergency bell rang.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Soldiers scrambled. Horns were blown. Archers climbed the walls with silver-tipped arrows. Riflemen loaded silver bullets. War drums began to pound.
Elias stood before his mirror, strapping on a black breastplate and gauntlets. He secured his sword to his back.
Seraphina burst in.
"What's happening?! I heard the bell!"
Elias turned, calm. "They're here. The vampires."
She rushed to him, panic in her eyes. "Don't go! Please, Elias!"
"I have to. I won't let them take this palace."
Her hands gripped his. She was shaking. "Promise me you'll return."
He smiled faintly, then he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I will."
She reached up suddenly and kissed his cheek. "Come back to me."
He nodded,smiled, then turned and left.
The palace gates had become a fortress.
Archers stood on the upper walls, their arrows lit with enchantments. Riflemen kneeled in formation behind steel barricades. Soldiers wielding silver swords stood at the ready.
The commander shouted, "Hold your ground! Wait for my signal!"
Then, from beyond the gates, came a voice like thunder.
"WHERE IS THE KING?!"
The vampire king shouted.