Far away from the vampire kingdom, inside the Imperial Palace of Eldarion...
The atmosphere had become tense.
The emperor stood inside the throne room, his expression colder than usual.
Several Shadow Knights knelt before him.
"Your Majesty." One of them lowered his head. "We have found something."
The emperor's eyes immediately sharpened. "Speak."
"We traced the magical disturbance that occurred when the Lightpool weakened." The knight hesitated. "It leads beyond the western mountains."
The emperor's expression darkened. "Where?"
"The Kingdom of Noctis."
The entire throne room fell silent. The emperor's hand slowly tightened around the armrest of his throne.
"Lucien."
He said the name quietly. Yet the hatred behind it was unmistakable.
The vampire king of Noctis had been his enemy for centuries. Their kingdoms had clashed countless times. Their armies had fought over territory, magical resources, and ancient relics. But this was different.
