Chương 11: Chapter 11: The Unveiling

The gate creaked open, almost as if it possessed a mind of its own. With its entrance came a chilling gust of air, extinguishing every birthday candle, plunging the room into an abyss of darkness.

In that moment of obscurity, the true nature of the vampires was unveiled, their eyes gleaming with an eerie crimson-black glow. The room fell silent as they turned their malevolent gazes toward the source of the disturbance. Three shadowy figures materialized, with the central figure taking the lead.

"Greetings, younger brother," the enigmatic figure declared. "It's been far too long since we last spoke. Here I am, finally attending my niece's birthday party. I must say, it's a surprise to see you celebrating Amber's birthday at last."

Dracula rose to his feet, his wife Pyra by his side. "Everyone, please leave. The party is over," he commanded, but his words went unheard among the bewildered vampires. The party hadn't even reached its climax, but an eerie silence gripped the room.

Dracula surveyed the room, realizing his subjects weren't obeying his command. He added an air of authority to his words, "I SAID EVERYONE GET OUT!" A surge of crimson, blood-red mana erupted from Dracula, compelling his subjects to comply, and they began to depart.

Abruptly, one of the Blood Wardens interjected, "No one is leaving." With a rush of pitch-black aura, the twin female blood wardens broke the hold Dracula had on the vampires and forced the gate shut with sheer force.

The Vampire Monarchs and guests started to panic, murmuring about the presence of the Blood Wardens. "What's happening?" "It's the Blood Wardens. But why are they here?" "I heard they only emerge when a threat powerful enough to challenge the vampire world appears." "Well, it's not just that; one of them is Dracula's elder brother, and the two elegant ladies are ancient vampires who happen to be Dracula's aunts. Let's see how this drama unfolds."

The twin female vampires where beautiful and stunning both having blong golden hair.

Dracula ground his teeth in frustration. "Vlad, what do you and the rest of the Blood Wardens want?"

Vlad replied with a mockingly bow, "Why weren't we invited to such a special occasion, younger brother, or should I say my lord, Dracula II, the second? My lord, even if you didn't want the Blood Wardens to attend, you should have at least invited me. I'm her uncle, after all." Vlad raised his head with a sly smile and turned to Amber.

As Amber attempted to move, Vlad appeared in front of her. "Oh, my sweet little doll, how are you?" Vlad's fingers inched closer to Amber. But before he could touch her, Dracula interceded, blocking Vlad's path and holding his wrist firmly. He demanded once more, "WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH MY DAUGHTER?"

Suddenly, a timid voice broke the tension. "Are you my uncle?" Amber asked in fear. She couldn't fully grasp the situation, but she sensed an overwhelming aura of bloodlust emanating from both Vlad and her father, as if death itself loomed before her.

Vlad replied with a reassuring tone, "Yes, my dear, we are Blood Wardens. Well, I am a Blood Warden, and those are your grandaunts. We protect the vampire world from threats and punish those who do harm. I'm saddened that my brother here never introduced us. Would you like to become a Blood Warden?" His smile concealed an ominous undertone.

Dracula's patience waned, and he shouted, "Put an end to this madness, Vlad!" His eyes darkened, a deep red intensity ready for battle.

Vlad retorted, "Why should you stop me from offering her the gift of our kind?" His eyes darkened further with ominous red patterns.

Dracula locked eyes with his daughter and sent her a telepathic signal, "Princess, go to your mother."

Amber understood the unspoken command and began to make her way to her mother, Pyra. But suddenly, the twin female Blood Wardens materialized in front of the girl, capturing her. Pyra's eyes ignited with fiery anger, and Dracula, with a swift movement, pushed Vlad back and rushed to his daughter's rescue.

"If you take another step closer, I will kill it!" the twin female Blood Warden warned in sync.

"Oh, come on, Lucy, just look at how soft and fresh her skin is. I wonder how her blood would taste," the other female twin Blood Warden, Lisa, added with a sinister tone.

"I don't know, but let me try and see how it tastes, Lisa," Lucy said, licking her lips with a sinister smile.

"Stop this! If you so much as touch a hair on my daughter, I will ensure you the meaning of how I spell death," Dracula vowed as he and Pyra approached the terrified girl.

Suddenly, Lucy used her claws to puncture the girl's neck, causing blood to trickle slowly. Amber cried out in pain, "Daddy! Mommy, it hurts!"

"YOU DARE!!" Dracula roared in anger.

"Didn't you hear me? I will kill this thing if you take another step," the two Blood Warden sisters threatened, effectively freezing Dracula and Pyra in their tracks with fear.

Lucy licked her fingers, stained with Amber's blood, and remarked, "Ahh, it tastes so good."

Lisa echoed her sister, "Let me try." She licked Lucy's hand and continued, "Mmm, it's exquisite. I want more."

"Daddy, Mommy, I'm scared," Amber cried out in pain.

"Don't worry, my princess. Everything will be all right," her parents reassured her, attempting to provide comfort.

Suddenly, a slow, rhythmic clapping echoed through the room. "Oh, what a touching scene. I wish I could watch this all day, but as they say, time is blood," Vlad stated as he approached Amber.

"Brother-in-law, why are you doing this? Darius, stop him!" Pyra pleaded, but Vlad paid no heed. "Vlad, elder brother, please stop this. I'll do anything," Dracula implored as he knelt before the gathering, shocking everyone.

"Why is Dracula bowing his head?"

"This is unprecedented."

"Shh!"

"Ladies and gentlemen of the night, I'm sure you're all wondering what's happening here before your very eyes. Look at our king, bowing for the sake of his daughter. Is this the Dracula you all want? A king ruled by his soft heart and controlled by his queen like a dog? But that's not all. I'm here to reveal a secret that my dear brother has kept from me and all of you. I'm here to save you from a looming catastrophe," Vlad announced.

"No!" Amber's parents protested in unison, but Vlad tore off Amber's dress, exposing her naked body to the horrified crowd. Her body was slender, smooth as milk, but what shocked everyone was the large tattoo on her back, known as the mark of calamity. The gloves on her hands were removed, revealing two smaller tattoos.

Amber began to cry and tried to shield herself from the prying eyes of the spectators. Most vampires were shocked, some terrified, and others openly lusting after her.

"I know you're wondering how this came to be, how our leader raised something that threatens our kind. But don't worry, the Blood Wardens will destroy this evil that could destroy us all," Vlad declared.

Every vampire in the room seemed to support Amber's death, with some even throwing objects at her. She sobbed in pain, calling out for her parents, but it was clear that they were powerless. Suddenly, she felt an excruciating headache, causing dizziness.

"Stop it! S... st... stop hurting me!" she screamed.

Her agony caused a tremor that made the entire room shake, and the castle began to crumble. All the vampires, including the Blood Wardens, retreated in fear. This gave Dracula and Pyra the opportunity to rush to their daughter's side.

Pyra cradled Amber in her arms and administered a soothing potion that calmed the girl. She quickly dressed her in an enchanted robe that concealed her presence and rushed her toward a secret exit. Meanwhile, Dracula fought the three Blood Wardens and other vampires to buy them some time.

As Pyra led Amber down a hidden passageway, she said her goodbyes. "Amber, follow this passageway; it will lead you outside. Then, follow the marked location on the map I've given you. It will take you to Grandma."

Amber protested, "No, Mom, I can't leave you and Dad. You promised you'd always be with me."

Pyra hugged her tightly and replied, "No, my love, this is for your own good. Just keep running and never look back. I have to go help your father. Don't worry; when we're done, we'll meet you at Grandma's place, and we'll be together again. I promise. Take my ring; it will help you store anything you need, and I've packed some things for you. Now, go... GO!!!" Amber obeyed, and as she ran, Pyra destroyed the passage behind her before heading to assist Dracula.

Pyra emerged from the shattered remnants of the once-majestic castle, her heart heavy with the weight of tragedy. Before her, a nightmarish tableau unfurled. Dracula, the dark lord of legend, hung impaled upon menacing, obsidian spikes that punctured his form with malevolent precision. His tortured visage spoke of untold suffering. Beside him, Vlad, the sinister harbinger, remained unmoved, cruelly crushing the very heart that had once beat with the promise of life.

In a chillingly casual tone, Vlad inquired, "So, where is the girl?" But Pyra, her voice stolen by the horrific sight before her, could only watch in mute despair. Her once-vibrant eyes transformed into radiant pools of azure, glistening with tears that fell like shimmering jewels. A quivering whisper escaped her trembling lips, "D...Darius..., what have you done to my husband?" With faltering steps, she approached the fallen king, her sorrow a palpable presence.

As if a dam within her had burst, Pyra unleashed a torrent of azure phoenix flames. It was a blazing tempest born of anguish and rage, and its power was staggering. The very air quivered under the intensity of her emotions, the atmosphere suffused with the searing heat of her fury. Yet, amidst the chaos, the inscrutable Blood Wardens remained like stoic sentinels, their enigmatic presence unshaken.

"I'll make you all pay!" Pyra's voice, a crescendo of vengeance, echoed through the ruins. With the speed of lightning, she bolted toward Lisa and Lucy, her wrath manifesting in a brutal act of retribution. In a heartbeat, Lisa's arm was severed, and her anguished cry pierced the grim silence.

Lucy, her rage ignited by the horrific spectacle, conjured malevolent, black spikes and hurled them toward Pyra. But before the ominous spikes could reach their mark, they melted into nothingness, consumed by the mounting heat. The ominous sign that the environment's temperature was spiraling out of control hung heavily in the air, and the urgency to quell Pyra's power became paramount.

Lisa, her maimed arm miraculously restored, stood beside Lucy, poised for the impending battle. But Vlad, the puppeteer of this dark theater, calmly intervened. "Don't worry, ladies. I'll handle this one," he declared, his voice as cold as the abyss.

With accusatory anger, Pyra confronted Vlad, demanding to know, "Why did you kill your own brother?" His response was devoid of remorse. "I had to do it because both of you broke your promise," he stated with chilling finality.

The two adversaries surged toward each other, their claws colliding in a cataclysmic clash of power and fury. Each strike reverberated through the air, the tension thick as an impenetrable fog. As Pyra's patience waned and she sensed Vlad's hidden agenda behind his delaying tactics, her frustration swelled. With an unyielding determination, she summoned a colossal sword, its blade aflame with blue phoenix flames, casting a brilliant radiance that engulfed the entire environment.

Vlad, taken aback by her newfound strength, met her challenge with a dark sword. Its swing summoned an abyssal vortex of death, darkness, and void. In a desperate bid to evade the malevolent energy, Pyra found herself wounded. Her body, however, healed at a sluggish pace.

Their relentless duel raged on, but Vlad's endurance waned under the oppressive heat. Desperation drove him to make a frenzied escape, and Pyra pursued him with unwavering determination. Yet, in that critical moment, a chilling realization washed over her. A potent spell gripped her, extinguishing her phoenix flames and rendering her powerless. "T...this I...is not vampire m...m..mag..ic" her last words. In that instand death took its course.

but her core still fighting for survival, A spark of her flame remained.

As Vlad sealed and took the phoenix core...

From a distance, Amber bore witness to the harrowing tragedy, her tears flowing in despair and helplessness. An unforeseen, searing pain pierced her heart like a shard of ice, sending shivers through her body. The arcane tattoos etched upon her skin ignited with an otherworldly fire, forcing a strangled cry from her lips. The very earth beneath her quaked in empathy with her torment.

Alerted by Amber's heart-wrenching cry, the Blood Wardens swiftly pinpointed her location and embarked on a relentless pursuit. Suddenly, a colossal tentacle erupted from the depths, triggering an earthquake that violently shook the ground, obstructing their path. This was Lavietan, the king of the sea, a harbinger of cataclysmic events, shrouded in an eerie enigma. Though it remained hidden, the fissures in the earth's surface foretold of impending doom.

When the Blood Wardens regained their bearings, Amber and her presence had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a disquieting sense of foreboding.