Man, the throne room practically choked on silence. Shadows crawled over the walls—like, really creeping, not just sitting there behaving. The torchlight kept flickering, making everything shift and move… Oban could actually feel his own heartbeat thudding in his chest, echoing so loud he worried someone else might hear. Power just smothered everything in the room. He'd never felt anything like it, honestly. The place had presence. Real, actual weight.
Then—there's movement. Outta nowhere.
Aijack stepped up. He looked like a statue carved out of bad news, all angles and command. Didn't even bother with hello; just thrust out his hand, real casual.
"You accepted. You stay here now," he said—so calm it bordered on bored. "It's your home."
Oban stared at the offered hand, hung in midair for, like, a second. Finally grabbed it. The touch zinged up his arm, all warm and electric. He glanced up. Aijack's face didn't give much, just one of those tight nods. Probably the kind that tells you he's already summed you up and moved on.
"You hungry?" Aijack asked, dropping a massive hand onto Oban's shoulder.
Oban tried to act chill. "Uh, no. I'm good."
Aijack just snorted. "No chance. New vampire. Gotta drink something."
Right there, waiting: a glass. The blood inside caught the light. Weird how red it looked—almost alive. Oban's body tensed up, and, well, his mind said don't, but every other cell in him screamed drink. He caved. Lips brushed the rim, and wow. Liquid fire, warmth everywhere. His senses all flipped to high-def: torches crackling, some faint old magic humming in the walls, even a pulse running through the stone under him. Sensation overload.
[System: Blood intake detected. Physical stamina increasing. Hunger partially satisfied. Alert: Energy surge registered.]
A voice only in his head now—a System, but it wasn't all beep-boop robot style. More like a chill teacher, a gentle nudge. And suddenly his hands were humming, colors around him jumped, shadows seemed like they were alive and keeping secrets. He'd never felt this strong before. Not ever.
Meanwhile, Amrin—she'd been lurking quiet—just dipped. Paused, gave him a kind of mysterious almost-smile, then ghosted off down the hall. Left him alone with Aijack, whose mere presence amped Oban's heartbeat up another gear.
Aijack finally broke the silence, all dry and deliberate. "So, kid… how'd this happen? You a natural-born bloodsucker, or what?"
Oban hesitated. Sure as hell didn't want to spill everything. "Uh… yeah. Kinda. I was born this way, I guess?"
Those eyes—Aijack's—narrowed. They really see right through you. "You don't wanna say? Fine. Everyone's got secrets, especially in our line of work. Existence like ours… rare, dangerous, hidden away."
Oban zoned out for a second seeing nothing but that window. The outside? Straight nightmare mode. An endless black. No stars. No moon. Just a void that went on forever—the classic Dark Dimension deal.
Aijack's voice followed him there. "Yeah—no light out there, not ever. Time's weird, space even weirder. Only the hard survive."
Oban's not even scared. He's almost thrilled. "So… where did vampires come from, anyway?" Curiosity peeked out, fighting with excitement.
Aijack's face could've stopped a clock. He talked low, like telling ghost stories to children you want to give nightmares. "Back before everything—before planets, before creation—this thing, Knull, existed. Just darkness, nothing else. He liked things that way. Hated the light the Celestials brought—they started filling the dark with stars, planets, life. Didn't sit well with him."
Oban was all ears, hanging on every word. "And vampires?"
"Knull made us," Aijack continued, almost proud. "Seven originals, pure blood. Supposed to rule everything. Except power's real slippery—turns people greedy. The seven staged a coup, chained Knull up with magic that lasts forever, and stuffed him somewhere nobody could find. But he's not gone. Not really."
"You mean the Night Beasts?" Oban blurted.
A slow, grim nod. "Billions. Sent 'em to Earth before people even knew what vampires were. Humans and vampires fought side by side back then. Enough time went by, humans forgot, left us to their legends. But we kept going. Here we are… 2083. Most folks got no clue what's slithering around in the shadows."
Now Aijack's gaze locked on Oban's—intense, not letting up. "Vampires aren't slackers. Blood's only part of the deal—you need brains, strength, guts. You'll train. Or you'll rot at the bottom."
Oban balled up his fists. Whatever that blood did, it felt like lightning in his veins. He wanted more—not just of the blood, but everything. Knowledge, power, hell, even a reason to keep going.
He hesitated, then piped up: "One more thing… Are people know? Like, regular humans?"
Aijack's expression clouded over. "Nope. Not since the 1500s. We keep things tidy. Hospitals, banks—nobody asks where the blood goes. We blend. Stay hidden."
Oban took it all in, glancing outside. The blackness felt like it was calling his name now—taunting, promising, threatening. He curled his fingers. They felt strong. Real strong.
Aijack finally cracked the silence. "Good."
Now get going. Don't stand around vibing—train. Wrangle those wild powers of yours. Figure out your body—the whole weird, new package. That's the deal; master it all, or you're toast.
Oban plunged out into the night, sucking in the cold on his cheeks and actually kinda digging it. Everything felt sharp—like his senses had cranked up the contrast settings. Every tiny flick of a leaf, every far-off critter, the low-level hum of hidden vamps doing who-knows-what out there. Amrin's presence still hovered nearby. Steady as a metronome. Watching his back, or maybe just waiting to see if he'd biff it.
His fists curled tight, and—yep—yep, that was definitely blood on his lips. Gross? Pretty metal, actually. His whole body buzzed, the hunger screaming for more. He was so ready.
[System: Training module available. Objective – Master vampire abilities. Hint – Blood is fuel, not limit. Observe, adapt, experiment.]
That Castle of Foreverness? Freaking endless. Towers leaking shadows, hallways winding out like they were having an identity crisis. Whispered stories seemed to ooze right out of the stone. Oban filled his lungs. This wasn't just a "stay alive" type deal. Nah—it was about getting bigger, meaner. Becoming something more.
He crouched, stretched those new legs, and the muscles jumped beneath his skin—like they'd finally found the on-switch. Shadows swirled and pricked at him with barely-concealed static. This was new. Wild.
[System: Tier 6 entity detected nearby. Recommended: Observe and learn, avoid conflict until mastery improves.]
Oban's heart punched out a jagged beat—adrenaline has entered the chat. This place—The Dark Dimension or whatever—almost felt like it was eyeballing him, seeing what he'd do. Every nerve ached to move, to break something, to see what he could pull off.
"Let's go," he muttered, just loud enough for the wind to hear. "This is where it all starts."
The hunger curling inside him? Not fear anymore. No, sir. Pure hype now. Wanting. The castle, the wild dark, this whole dimension laid out in front of him like some twisted buffet and damn if he wasn't hungry.
His eyes flickered, catching some scuttling shadow trying (and failing) to be sneaky. His body was ready to pounce; pure power humming under the hood, barely restrained.
Another measured breath. Night air icy in his chest. That weird little System hummed in the back of his skull, helpful and annoying by turns.
[System: New objective – Begin initial vampire training. Suggested – Focus on physical control, blood absorption, heightened senses.]
Fangs? Tingling. Claws? Oh, they wanted out. Energy restless, gnawing at the edges.
Castle behind him—still looming, still muttering its ancient secrets. Deep inside, something sharp and old sang a lullaby with his name on it.
Oban grinned, baring those new, shiny teeth. This place was infinite. Things were about to get real. His story? Pretty much just drawing its first bloodstained breath.
Yeah, he'd train. He'd get stronger. He'd survive.
And tonight—right now, actually—he was taking his first messy, glorious plunge into what it really meant to be more than human here. Welcome to Team Vampire, population: Oban.