High above the Neon Market district, where the city lights grew colder and the towers sharper, another part of Neo-Astra existed.
It was quieter here.
More refined.
The streets were cleaner, the architecture older and more elegant. Black marble towers rose like monuments into the sky, their surfaces reflecting the glow of crimson security lights.
This was the Night District.
Few ordinary citizens entered this part of the city willingly.
Not because it was forbidden.
But because everyone knew who ruled here.
Vampires.
Ancient bloodlines that had survived centuries by adapting to the modern world.
They controlled banks, information networks, security firms, and political alliances that stretched across continents.
And at the heart of the Night District stood a tower unlike any other.
The Night Dominion Spire.
A gothic structure of black glass and silver steel that pierced through the upper layers of Neo-Astra like a blade.
Inside the tower, the atmosphere was calm.
Controlled.
A wide chamber on the eighty-second floor overlooked the city through enormous floor-to-ceiling windows.
Beyond the glass walls, Neo-Astra stretched endlessly beneath the clouds.
Inside the chamber, several figures stood in silence.
They were dressed in formal dark attire.
Their posture rigid.
Each of them radiated an unnatural stillness.
Not human.
Not entirely.
Vampires.
At the center of the room stood a long obsidian table illuminated by faint crimson lights.
A holographic display hovered above it.
The image flickered slightly before stabilizing.
Security footage.
The Neon Market district.
Specifically—
The moment when the monster had attacked.
One of the vampires spoke quietly.
"The incident occurred approximately sixteen minutes ago."
His voice was smooth but tense.
"A rogue demonic entity appearing within city limits without warning."
Another vampire frowned slightly.
"That alone is concerning."
A third voice joined them.
"But not the most concerning part."
The holographic display zoomed in.
The footage showed the battle.
The creature attacking.
The storm-wielding man intercepting it.
Lightning exploding across the street.
One of the observers narrowed his eyes.
"That man…"
"Yes," the first vampire replied.
"He matches the profile of Orion Stormfang."
A brief silence fell across the chamber.
The name carried weight.
Orion Stormfang.
Heir to one of the most powerful Lycan bloodlines in existence.
A warrior whose strength had become almost legendary in the last few years.
One of the vampires spoke carefully.
"The Stormfang heir acting inside Neo-Astra again. That alone could become… politically inconvenient."
But the hologram shifted again.
The footage zoomed further.
Now the screen showed another figure.
A young man standing across the street.
Black hair.
Grey eyes.
Watching the battle unfold.
One of the vampires frowned.
"Who is that?"
The man controlling the holographic system adjusted the recording.
"Unknown."
The footage replayed slowly.
This time focusing on the moment when the creature turned its attention toward the grey-eyed stranger.
Several vampires leaned forward slightly.
Even through security cameras, something about the young man felt… unusual.
Then the image froze.
One of the vampires pointed.
"There."
The others followed his gaze.
Just for a brief moment during the recording—
A faint ripple of energy had appeared around the young man.
Barely visible.
But unmistakable.
The room grew colder.
"That energy signature," one vampire murmured.
"It cannot be…"
Another vampire spoke quietly.
"We should inform the council immediately."
Before anyone could respond—
The chamber doors opened.
Every vampire in the room immediately straightened.
Footsteps echoed softly across the polished floor.
Calm.
Measured.
A tall figure entered the chamber.
He moved with effortless elegance.
Dark clothing tailored perfectly to his lean frame.
His posture relaxed but commanding.
Long dark hair fell loosely around his shoulders.
And his eyes—
They were deep crimson.
Sharp.
Intelligent.
Ancient.
The room fell silent.
No one needed to announce him.
Everyone present already knew who had entered.
Lucien Nightvale.
Crown Prince of the Night Dominion.
One of the most powerful vampires alive.
Lucien walked toward the table without speaking.
His gaze shifted briefly toward the holographic display.
He stopped beside it.
The vampires around the room lowered their heads slightly in respect.
Lucien studied the frozen image quietly.
His eyes moved from the defeated monster…
To the lightning-wielding warrior…
And finally—
To the young man with grey eyes.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he spoke.
"What am I looking at?"
His voice was calm.
Soft.
But there was an edge beneath it that made the others careful with their words.
The vampire controlling the display cleared his throat.
"A demonic entity appeared in the Neon Market district approximately twenty minutes ago."
Lucien's gaze remained fixed on the screen.
"And?"
"It was neutralized by Orion Stormfang."
Lucien hummed faintly.
"That does not surprise me."
The vampire hesitated slightly.
"There is… another detail."
Lucien finally looked away from the screen.
His eyes turned toward the man speaking.
"Continue."
The holographic display zoomed further on the grey-eyed stranger.
"We believe the entity reacted to this individual."
Lucien studied the image again.
For a moment, something unreadable passed through his crimson gaze.
Then he leaned slightly closer to the display.
His eyes narrowed.
"Play the footage again."
The recording resumed.
The monster charging.
The lightning strike.
The moment when the creature suddenly turned toward the young man instead of its attacker.
Lucien watched the scene carefully.
Every movement.
Every flicker of energy.
And when the faint ripple appeared around the grey-eyed stranger—
Lucien's expression changed.
Very slightly.
But enough that the others noticed.
The room became even quieter.
Lucien straightened slowly.
"What do we know about him?"
"Nothing yet," the operator replied. "He arrived in the city less than an hour ago according to transport records."
Lucien looked back at the screen.
His gaze lingered on the stranger's eyes.
Grey.
But not ordinary grey.
Something about them felt…
Ancient.
Lucien spoke quietly.
"Run a full identity scan."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The operator immediately began typing commands.
Lucien folded his arms behind his back and turned toward the window.
The entire city stretched beneath him.
Millions of lights.
Millions of lives.
And somewhere down there—
Something had just entered Neo-Astra.
Something powerful enough to attract a demon.
And powerful enough to catch Lucien Nightvale's interest.
Behind him, the operator spoke again.
"Your Highness… we have a problem."
Lucien turned.
"What kind of problem?"
The man swallowed.
"There are no records of him."
Lucien raised an eyebrow slightly.
"None?"
"None. No birth records, no genetic registry, no biometric history. It's as if he… doesn't exist."
A faint smile touched Lucien's lips.
For the first time that night—
He looked intrigued.
"Interesting."
His eyes drifted back to the frozen image of the grey-eyed stranger.
Then to the warrior who had fought the monster.
Orion Stormfang.
A lycan heir and a mysterious unknown entering the city on the same night.
Lucien's instincts stirred.
Something important was beginning.
He could feel it.
And he had no intention of ignoring it.
Lucien turned toward the door.
"Prepare my transport."
The vampires looked slightly surprised.
"You're leaving the tower, Your Highness?"
Lucien adjusted the cuff of his sleeve calmly.
"Yes."
His crimson eyes gleamed faintly.
"I think I'd like to see this mystery for myself."
Outside the tower windows, Neo-Astra continued to glow beneath the endless night.
Unaware that three extraordinary individuals were slowly being drawn toward the same point in the city.
And when they finally met—
Nothing in Neo-Astra would remain the same.