As they flew over the dense forest, Draven grasped Lyriana's hand with one, his other clutching his dagger tightly.
He stared down at the canopy below, disappointment etched across his face.
Dammit, he thought, this isn't what I expected.
I thought it'd feel like floating—like I was weightless.
But this… it feels more like I'm dangling from a moving rope.
He sighed, Hmph, but at least it's fast.
He lifted his gaze, noting with a flicker of surprise that they were already nearing the castle.
The ground rushed up beneath them as They descended into the castle courtyard.
As they neared the ground, Draven released Lyriana's hand.
She retracted her wings, which shimmered and disappeared.
Aldric did the same.
All three landed softly and began walking forward, Draven taking the lead.
No need to waste any more time.
She's still waiting for me.
just need to cook up something good quick, he thought.
As they approached the castle entrance, Kaelen appeared beside them without warning.
"Hmm?" Draven glanced at his father. "Hey, Dad."
But Kaelen's eyes weren't on him; they were fixed far into the distance.
Draven frowned.
What's wrong with the old man? Why is he just standing there? Following Kaelen's gaze, Draven turned around.
Lyriana and Aldric turned to look as well.
In the distance, shapes moved through the sky—dark silhouettes against the fading light.
Draven narrowed his eyes. "Hmm, what are those? They look like... flying towards us?"
His eyes widened suddenly.
What the hell. Are those?
" Airships."
Lyriana said quietly.
Draven's brow furrowed. "Airships Huh? I didn't even think those existed here.
I haven't read a single book that mentions them."
"They're not just any airships," Lyriana's voice echoed through the silence. "They're from the Holy Empire."
Aldric frowned. "How did those Holy Light bastards find their way here? Even most high-ranking vampires don't know where the King lies.
We only found it after years of tracking."
Draven narrowed his eyes. "Hmm... the Holy Empire," he muttered.
That name… I've heard it somewhere before.
He rolled the words around in his head. "The Ho-ly Em-pire… ah.
That's it."
His expression darkened. "I've read about them.
Isn't that the same empire founded by those two so-called heroes—the ones who consider vampires as demons and hunt them on sight?"
Lyriana nodded solemnly. "Yes.
Those are the ones."
Draven's gaze hardened.
"Then there's only one reason they're here."
He spun around, eyes fixed on the approaching fleet.
His red eyes glowed like embers in the dim light.
The silence was shattered by Kaelen's calm voice. "Draven."
Draven turned toward his father, surprised.
The old man doesn't usually call me by name..
"I want you to go get your mother and siblings," Kaelen said quietly but firmly.
Draven's grip on his dagger tightened.
So, it's worse than I thought.
"You understand?" Kaelen pressed.
Draven gave a sharp nod.
Kaelen's body slowly rose into the air.
Draven looked up as his father ascended higher, thoughts racing.
I need to find Ma, Lucifer, and Ele.
There's no time to waste.
"Let's go!" Draven commanded, sprinting forward without hesitation.
Lyriana and Aldric exchanged a glance.
Lyriana followed closely, and Aldric, frowning, dropped the boar corpse and took to the chase after them.
High above the castle, Kaelen hovered gaze remained locked on the advancing airships.
He raised a hand, and hundreds of blood spears began to materialize, swirling like deadly rain.
With a flick of his fingers, the spears shot forward, tearing through the sky toward the invaders vessels.
---
Inside the Invasion Fleet
Within the dimly lit airship, Saintess Elira stood bathed in a soft glow of Holy Mana, clutching her staff with both hands.
Her eyes fluttered open slowly.
"He's no longer moving. He has stopped," she announced.
An officer monitored the Aetherscope—a magical device that detected disturbances through the aether—muttering, "Commander, the Aetherscope's picking something up. There's a structure ahead, partially hidden in the canopy. It looks like a castle... but there's no record of it on any of the maps."
Commander Kaela's voice cut through the bridge. "So that's where it ran."
"All fleet, form up and prepare for descent," Kaela ordered. "Bring us in fast, tight formation. Once we're over the target, hold position and ready the deployment teams."
---
Bridge of the Lux Invicta
Theron sat on a throne-like chair, dark circles shadowing his sharp, burning eyes—a testament to sleepless nights.
A control light blinked on.
An officer pressed a hand to the receiver near the helm.
Static burst through the speakers before a clear voice rang out.
"Radio BlackWing to all fleets:
We've located a structure beneath the canopy.
Unknown castle, directly in the demon's path.
Ready all hands for descent.
Maintain tight formation.
Approach fast and hold position above the target.
Prepare to deploy ground teams on my signal."