𓆩🦷𓆪 𝗖𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗚 — 𝗗𝗘𝗙𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗙𝗔𝗧𝗘 𓆩🦷𓆪

The Valcrest mansion glowed beneath the night sky like a palace carved from darkness itself. Golden chandeliers illuminated the massive ballroom, reflecting against polished black marble floors while soft music drifted through the air. Noble vampires filled the hall dressed in expensive suits and gowns, crystal glasses filled with deep crimson bloodwine resting lazily in their hands. Laughter echoed everywhere. Confident. Elegant. Predatory. This was how powerful vampires lived. At the center of the ballroom stood members of House Valcrest — one of the oldest and most feared Golden Fang bloodlines in vampire society. And tonight was another celebration of their strength. Kael hated it already. The moment he stepped into the ballroom, several heads turned toward him before amused grins spread across their faces. “Yo, Copper Fanger.” A few younger vampires laughed. “Thought you’d still be hiding in your room.” “Careful,” another mocked. “He might faint from the smell of blood again.” More laughter followed. Kael kept walking silently. He was used to it. At eighteen years old, Kael had spent his entire life as the embarrassment of House Valcrest. While his father’s other sons inherited powerful Golden Fangs, Kael had been born with the lowest fang color imaginable. Copper. Weak. Pathetic. Worthless. That was what vampire society believed about Copper Fangs. And Kael had given them every reason to continue believing it. His body was thinner than most vampires his age. His pale face made him look almost sickly beneath the ballroom lights, and the faint dark circles under his eyes revealed the exhaustion he constantly fought to hide. Years of refusing human blood had weakened him badly. To vampires, blood was power. Especially human blood. But Kael couldn’t force himself to see humans as prey no matter how hard he tried. Which made him a joke. A servant carrying silver trays stopped near him. Crystal glasses filled with fresh bloodwine rested neatly on top. Kael walked past without touching one. The servant snorted softly. “Still pretending to be human?” Kael ignored him and continued deeper into the ballroom. At the far side of the hall, loud cheers suddenly erupted. Three figures had entered. Golden Fang brothers. Darius. Caine. And Lucien. Kael’s stepbrothers. Unlike him, they looked exactly like what vampires were supposed to be. Tall. Confident. Perfect. The crowd immediately made space for them as they walked through the ballroom. Younger vampires lowered their gazes respectfully while noble families greeted them warmly. Golden Fangs were admired everywhere. Darius spotted Kael instantly. A cruel grin spread across his face. “Well, look who crawled out tonight.” The three brothers approached together. Kael already knew what was coming. Darius wrapped an arm aggressively around his shoulders. “Still alive, Copper?” The surrounding vampires chuckled. Caine lifted his glass lazily. “I’m honestly impressed. I thought starvation would’ve killed him by now.” Lucien smirked. “Maybe he’s secretly feeding on rats.” The crowd burst into laughter again. Kael’s jaw tightened slightly, but he stayed silent. Fighting back was pointless. Against Golden Fangs, Copper Fangs were nothing. Darius suddenly gripped Kael’s chin roughly and tilted his head upward. “Lemme see those pathetic fangs.” Kael shoved his hand away instantly. That only made the laughter louder. “Oh?” Darius grinned wider. “The little Copper Fang finally grew a spine?” Caine stepped closer. “You should be grateful we even acknowledge you.” Kael could feel eyes watching from all around the ballroom. Mocking. Enjoying this. Like they always did. “You done?” Kael muttered quietly. Darius leaned closer. “What was that?” “I said…” Kael slowly pulled away from him. “You done?” For a brief second, the atmosphere shifted. The surrounding vampires exchanged surprised looks. Kael rarely talked back. Then Lucien laughed loudly. “Hear that? Copper Fanger’s angry.” The tension disappeared immediately. More laughter followed. Kael turned away from them before his anger could show further. He hated this place. Every part of it. The fake smiles. The endless arrogance. The way strength determined whether someone deserved respect. To vampires, weakness was unforgivable. And Kael was weakness itself. As he moved through the ballroom, his sensitive hearing picked up countless conversations around him. “Still can’t believe a Copper Fang came from House Valcrest.” “His mother’s only Bronze Fang. What did they expect?” “They should’ve sent him away years ago.” Kael’s hands clenched slowly inside his pockets. His mother. Even after years, people still blamed her for him. The third wife of Lord Valcrest. The weakest among his father’s wives. And the only one who had given birth to a Copper Fang. A sudden silence spread across part of the ballroom. Kael looked up. His father had arrived. Lord Valcrest walked through the grand staircase overlooking the ballroom, his presence alone enough to silence conversations. Dressed in black and gold formalwear, the leader of House Valcrest carried the cold aura only powerful Golden Fangs possessed. Even Kael felt pressure from simply standing nearby. Behind him walked his first and second wives, both elegant women with proud expressions and glowing golden eyes. Kael’s mother was absent. Like always. Lord Valcrest’s sharp eyes swept across the ballroom calmly before landing directly on Kael. Annoyance immediately appeared on his face. He walked toward him without hesitation. The surrounding vampires instantly stepped back to avoid getting involved. Kael already knew what was coming. His father stopped directly in front of him. “What are you doing here?” Kael remained silent. Lord Valcrest’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re a disgrace to the Valcrest family.” The words were calm. Cold. Practiced. Like something he had said many times before. “Go and sulk in your room.” Nobody reacted. Nobody defended Kael. Because this was normal. Kael lowered his eyes slightly. “…Yes, Father.” He turned and walked away while quiet snickers followed behind him. The music resumed moments later as if nothing had happened. Like he didn’t matter enough to ruin the mood. Kael exited the ballroom and entered the long silent hallways of the mansion. The moment the doors closed behind him, the laughter became distant. He exhaled slowly. His chest felt tight. Not from sadness. He was long past crying over humiliation. No. What exhausted him was the constant pressure of existing in a place where everyone looked at him like a mistake. Kael continued walking through the dark corridors quietly. Portraits of previous Valcrest leaders lined the walls beside him — every single one possessing Golden Fangs. Powerful. Respected. Feared. Then there was him. A Copper Fang born into the wrong bloodline. Pathetic. Kael reached the massive windows overlooking the city below. The human world stretched endlessly beneath the night sky, completely unaware that monsters lived among them. Humans laughed. Worked. Loved. Completely ignorant. Maybe that was why Kael could never see them as prey. A soft ache suddenly spread through his throat. Hunger. Kael grabbed the edge of the window tightly. It had been days since he last fed properly. The scent of bloodwine downstairs had only made it worse. His instincts screamed at him constantly. Drink. Feed. Take what you need. But Kael always resisted. His reflection stared back at him faintly through the glass. Pale skin. Tired eyes. Copper-colored fangs barely visible behind parted lips. Weak. Maybe they were right about him. Maybe Copper Fangs truly were failures. Footsteps suddenly echoed behind him. Kael already recognized who it was before turning around. Darius leaned casually against the hallway entrance with Caine and Lucien behind him. The three Golden Fang brothers looked amused. “Well,” Darius said lazily, “Father embarrassed you quicker than usual tonight.” Lucien chuckled. “You should’ve seen your face.” Kael looked away from them. “I’m not in the mood.” “That’s the problem,” Caine replied. “You’re never in the mood.” Darius slowly approached him. “You know why you’re weak, right?” Kael stayed silent. “It’s because you keep clinging to humans like some pathetic little pet.” His eyes darkened slightly. “I don’t cling to humans.” “Really?” Lucien smirked. “Then why do you refuse blood?” Kael said nothing. Darius suddenly grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall hard enough to c***k part of the marble. Pain shot through Kael’s back instantly. “You embarrass this family every time you act soft.” Kael gritted his teeth. “I said I’m not in the mood.” “And I said,” Darius growled, “that weakness disgusts me.” Golden eyes glowed faintly in the dark hallway. For a moment, Kael could feel the overwhelming difference between them. Power. Real vampire power. The kind he lacked completely. Then Darius released him roughly. Kael nearly lost his balance. Lucien stared at him mockingly. “One day we’ll fix you.” Kael frowned slightly. “What?” Caine smiled faintly. “You’ll understand later.” Something about the way he said it made unease crawl beneath Kael’s skin. The three brothers turned and walked away casually. Darius glanced back once. “Try not to starve before then, Copper Fanger.” Their laughter echoed through the hallway long after they disappeared. Kael stood there silently. A strange feeling settled heavily in his chest. Something wasn’t right. For the first time in years… their mocking felt different tonight. Like they had already decided something. And somehow— Kael felt that his life inside House Valcrest was about to become much worse. Kael could still remember the first time he understood what being a Copper Fang truly meant. He had been seven. Young enough to still believe family meant protection. One of the younger Valcrest children had asked him why his fangs looked “dirty.” The adults nearby had laughed instead of correcting him. Even then, Kael had understood. Copper was not simply a lower rank. It was shame. Since that day, the mocking had never stopped. Servants looked down on him. Children insulted him openly. Even distant relatives spoke about him like he wasn’t standing there. A mistake. A stain on House Valcrest. At first, Kael used to get angry. Then hurt. Eventually….he simply got used to it.