In the midst of a mist-covered street, as the day died and the night raised its darkness to rule the city, the stench of blood spread through the environment, pungent even to the sharpest senses of the vampires. The metallic taste clung to the palate, mixed with the damp vapor crawling over the cobblestones.
Voracious flames devoured the bodies piled on the edges of one of Caprissia's main streets. The heat radiated in visible waves, distorting the cold air. The golden and hypnotic glow was reflected in Hellery's blue eyes, whose thoughts burned just like those infernal flames.
The fire crackled with a dry sound, consuming the flesh until it was reduced to ash.
—All the bodies were marked —Elek observed at her side, with a disdainful gaze and alert senses. She perceived the immortal scent in the air, a stench of burnt flesh that traveled through the darkest corners of the city, awakening a growing and inevitable fear in the mortal population. Her nostrils flared slightly, filtering the smoke particles effortlessly.
—Whatever Cian has in mind, it is too dangerous for us. This has been his sentence. Does he intend to seclude us, even while his brother still rules Caprissia?
Hellery finally averted her gaze from the flames. The heat continued to strike her pale profile. A vampire was also being consumed amidst the fire, marked by a demon as if there were no difference between humans and immortals. The skin of one of their own had contracted under the fire before being extinguished—an image that remained etched in her retina.
—Simei wishes to let us know that, even if we are filth, the same fate as those mortals awaits us —Isaiah's voice explained the dark lady's unspoken thoughts. It was something clear to Elek, to Astilbe, to everyone. Words spoken from the shadows, without his body being fully visible.
—Cian is an absurd man. He even hurts the people he wishes to rule just to show his power and snatch the throne from his brother —Elek was filled with frustration and looked toward the heavens, suffocated by the environment of death. The black smoke ascended in dense columns, concealing the stars.
Belzblehem's castle was an impenetrable fortress, even for the Great Prince of Lies, but behind that golden cage, vampires could not survive without feeding. Eventually, they would be led to death one way or another if everything continued down this path. The high walls promised security, but also imprisonment.
—We must find Cian before he finds us —Hellery pronounced the desire of the entire congregation aloud, and her words seemed to acquire the weight of a spell, spoken with such certainty and determination they resonated like an omen.
The sky was beginning to change. A grayish line appeared on the horizon, threatening. The vampires moved through the shadows, returning to the White Castle with the silent grace of their species. Their movements were fluid, barely disturbing the air.
—It is a pity Lucieno is not here. With his abilities, things would be easier —Elek commented, freezing the atmosphere with her words. The name fell like a curse upon the existence of everyone present.
Hellery raised her face, and her hair, a mantle of golden silk, fell over her features, hiding her expressions. The strands shimmered briefly with the residual light of the fire before plunging back into the gloom.
—Even if he were here, would he truly help us? —the saint responded, with a voice that bore the weight of centuries of disappointment and pain.
The question floated in the air, as dense as the mist surrounding them. Lucieno, the demon among vampires, was an improbable ally and a fearsome enemy. His absence was as palpable as his potential betrayal. The silence that followed was louder than the roar of the fire.
As they withdrew into the shadows of the castle, the certainty that the war between the forces of darkness was far from over loomed over them.
The doors closed behind their backs, blocking out the nascent light. And at the heart of it all, the figure of Cian, the rebel brother, threatened to set ablaze not only the city but the fragile balance that allowed the vampires to reign in Caprissia.
♱⏾⋆.˚