Chapter 9 — The First Vampire Awakens
1882 Words
The Vampire Capital shook.
Not like an earthquake.
This was different.
It felt as though something beneath the city had taken its first breath in thousands of years.
BOOOOM.
The floor beneath Noah cracked.
Crimson energy erupted from the fractures.
Vampires throughout the city stopped moving.
Every conversation ended.
Every heartbeat seemed to disappear.
Then—
A sound echoed from beneath the streets.
THUMP.
Noah's eyes widened.
Another.
THUMP.
The sound wasn't a heartbeat.
It was too powerful.
Too deep.
The entire city seemed to pulse with it.
[CRITICAL WARNING.]
[ANCIENT ENTITY DETECTED.]
[FIRST VAMPIRE.]
[AWAKENING PROGRESS: 7%.]
Noah stared at the system.
“Seven percent?”
Elara stepped beside him.
“What does that mean?”
“It means something beneath us is waking up.”
Kael's expression became grim.
“Then it's already too late.”
Noah looked at him.
“You knew this would happen.”
Kael didn't deny it.
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you stop it?”
“Because we couldn't.”
Lord Astarion stepped forward.
“Enough.”
He looked toward the floor.
“The seal is breaking.”
Lord Malachar clenched his fists.
“The First Vampire has awakened.”
Noah looked around.
“Then seal it again.”
The Seven Lords remained silent.
Noah's voice became louder.
“I said seal it!”
Astarion looked at him.
“The seal requires the Blood Crown.”
Noah immediately understood.
“And I have one fragment.”
“Yes.”
He looked at the throne.
“The remaining six are scattered throughout the Vampire Capital.”
Noah stared.
“So we have to find them.”
Malachar shook his head.
“You don't have enough time.”
[AWAKENING PROGRESS: 11%.]
The floor shook again.
Noah clenched his fists.
“Then we'll move faster.”
---
THE FIRST FRAGMENT
The system suddenly displayed a map.
A glowing red point appeared beneath the city.
[Blood Crown Fragment detected.]
[Distance: 1.4 kilometers.]
[Location: The Crimson Cathedral.]
Noah looked at Elara.
“Come with me.”
She nodded.
Kael stepped forward.
“I'll lead you.”
Noah stopped.
“Why should I trust you?”
Kael looked at him.
“You shouldn't.”
That answer surprised Noah.
Kael continued:
“But if the First Vampire awakens, none of us survive.”
Noah considered his words.
Then nodded.
“Fine.”
Astarion stepped forward.
“You cannot simply walk through the city.”
Noah frowned.
“Why?”
Astarion pointed toward the windows.
Noah looked outside.
The streets were changing.
Vampires were running.
Some were screaming.
Others were kneeling.
Crimson mist began spreading through the city.
The system reacted.
[Blood corruption detected.]
[Low-level vampires experiencing mental influence.]
Noah's eyes widened.
“They're being controlled.”
Astarion nodded.
“The First Vampire's awakening affects every vampire connected to the ancient bloodline.”
Noah looked at Elara.
“Will it affect you?”
She hesitated.
“I don't know.”
Noah grabbed her hand.
“Then stay close.”
Elara looked at him.
For a moment, she smiled.
“Little brother.”
Noah smiled back.
“Let's go.”
---
THE CRIMSON CATHEDRAL
They moved through the city.
The Vampire Capital was no longer peaceful.
Buildings burned.
Vampires fought each other.
Crimson mist filled the streets.
Noah's Blood Sense became almost useless.
There were too many blood signatures.
Suddenly—
A vampire lunged from the darkness.
Noah activated Shadow Step.
He appeared behind it.
CRACK!
The vampire fell.
[Enemy defeated.]
[Experience gained: 210.]
Another attacked.
Elara's sword cut through its weapon.
CLANG!
She kicked the vampire away.
Noah finished it.
[Enemy defeated.]
[Experience gained: 190.]
The system flashed.
[LEVEL UP.]
[LEVEL 7]
Noah smiled.
“I'm getting stronger.”
Kael looked at him.
“You're adapting too quickly.”
Noah looked back.
“Is that a problem?”
“For everyone.”
They continued.
Then the cathedral appeared.
It was enormous.
Black towers reached into the crimson clouds.
A giant stained-glass window depicted the Blood King.
Noah stopped.
The face looked exactly like the man from his blood memory.
His father.
He stared at it.
“That's him.”
Elara nodded.
“Our father.”
Noah walked toward the doors.
The moment he touched them—
BOOM!
The doors opened by themselves.
A voice echoed from inside.
“Welcome home.”
Noah froze.
“Who said that?”
No answer.
He entered.
---
THE CATHEDRAL'S SECRET
The cathedral was empty.
Rows of black stone seats filled the enormous hall.
At the front stood another throne.
But this one was broken.
A massive c***k ran through its center.
Noah approached.
The system activated.
[Ancient blood signature detected.]
[Blood Crown Fragment nearby.]
Noah closed his eyes.
He activated Blood Sense.
The signal came from beneath the floor.
“It's below us.”
Kael looked around.
“There should be a passage.”
Elara found a hidden switch.
The floor opened.
A staircase descended.
Noah looked down.
“Of course.”
They descended.
The deeper they went, the colder it became.
Finally, they reached a chamber.
In the center stood a glass coffin.
Inside was a man.
Noah stopped breathing.
The man looked exactly like him.
Black hair.
Pale skin.
Crimson eyes.
And a familiar face.
Noah whispered:
“Father?”
Elara rushed forward.
“That's impossible.”
The man inside the coffin opened his eyes.
Noah stepped backward.
The system flashed.
[Target detected.]
[Identity: Unknown.]
[Bloodline similarity: 100%.]
[Status: Dead.]
Noah stared.
“Dead?”
The man's eyes remained open.
A voice came from the coffin.
“Not yet.”
Noah froze.
The glass cracked.
CRACK.
Kael immediately drew his weapon.
“No.”
The coffin shattered.
The man stepped out.
He looked at Noah.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then he smiled.
“My son.”
Noah's heart nearly stopped.
“Father.”
Elara stood frozen.
“You're alive.”
The man looked at her.
“Elara.”
She covered her mouth.
Tears filled her eyes.
“Father...”
The man smiled sadly.
“I don't have much time.”
Noah stepped forward.
“Where have you been?”
“Fighting.”
“Fighting what?”
The man's expression became serious.
“The First Vampire.”
Noah looked around.
“Then why are you here?”
“I failed.”
Silence.
Noah shook his head.
“No.”
His father looked at him.
“You don't understand.”
“No. You don't understand.”
Noah's eyes burned.
“You left us.”
His father's expression changed.
“I had to.”
“You ordered people to kill me.”
“To protect you.”
“You disappeared.”
“To protect you.”
“You made us believe you were dead.”
His father lowered his head.
“To protect you.”
Noah clenched his fists.
“You keep saying that.”
His father's eyes softened.
“Because it's true.”
Then—
BOOM!
The chamber shook.
His father looked toward the ceiling.
“We're out of time.”
The system appeared.
[AWAKENING PROGRESS: 31%.]
Noah looked at his father.
“How do we stop it?”
His father looked at the Blood Crown fragment embedded in the wall.
“You need the crown.”
“We have one fragment.”
“You need all seven.”
Noah nodded.
“Then we'll find them.”
His father shook his head.
“No.”
Noah frowned.
“Why?”
“Because the remaining fragments aren't in this city.”
Noah stared.
“Where are they?”
His father looked toward the darkness.
“One is beneath the ocean.”
Another tremor shook the chamber.
“One is in the Land of the Dead.”
Noah's eyes widened.
“One belongs to the werewolf king.”
Elara stared.
“And the others?”
His father looked directly at Noah.
“The final three are held by the three beings who betrayed me.”
Noah's expression hardened.
“Who?”
His father whispered:
“Lucien.”
“Viktor.”
“And Kael.”
Noah slowly turned.
Kael stood behind him.
Silent.
Noah's eyes narrowed.
“You knew.”
Kael didn't answer.
His father looked at him.
“Tell him.”
Kael sighed.
“Yes.”
Noah's fists tightened.
“You betrayed my father.”
Kael shook his head.
“I betrayed the Blood King.”
He looked at Noah.
“But I never betrayed your father.”
Noah didn't understand.
“What does that mean?”
Kael stepped forward.
“Your father and the Blood King are not the same person.”
Silence.
Noah looked at the man beside the shattered coffin.
His father.
Then at the system.
[Major revelation detected.]
[Identity contradiction.]
[Blood King: UNKNOWN.]
Noah stared.
“Then who is the Blood King?”
His father looked at him.
His expression became fearful.
“Your father.”
Noah froze.
The man continued:
“The Blood King isn't your enemy.”
“He is the version of me I became.”
Noah couldn't speak.
His father looked toward the ceiling.
“The First Vampire created the Blood King.”
He looked back at Noah.
“And I was the one who destroyed him.”
Noah whispered:
“How can you be both?”
His father smiled sadly.
“Because I killed my own past.”
---
THE SECOND LOCK
The system suddenly flashed violently.
[PARADOX DETECTED.]
[Bloodline history corrupted.]
[System memory unlocking.]
Noah's vision blurred.
Images flooded his mind.
His father standing before the Blood Crown.
His father wearing black armor.
His father sitting upon the throne.
Thousands of vampires kneeling.
Then—
A second figure appeared.
Identical.
But with completely red eyes.
The Blood King.
The two figures fought.
The sky burned.
The earth shattered.
Then Noah saw something else.
A child.
Himself.
A baby being carried away by Elara.
His father stood behind them.
And someone else watched from the shadows.
A woman.
Noah couldn't see her face.
But he heard her voice.
“He must never know that I am his mother.”
Noah's eyes opened.
He gasped.
“Mother?”
Elara froze.
His father looked away.
Noah stared at both of them.
“You knew.”
Neither answered.
The system appeared.
[Hidden information unlocked.]
[MATERNAL BLOODLINE: SEALED]
[Identity: Unknown.]
[Status: Alive.]
Noah's breathing became heavy.
His mother was alive.
And his family had hidden her from him.
Before he could ask another question—
A deafening roar echoed across the city.
ROOOOOAAAR!
The cathedral windows shattered.
Crimson energy erupted from beneath the streets.
The system flashed.
[AWAKENING PROGRESS: 50%.]
His father looked toward the ceiling.
“He's awake.”
Noah stared.
“Who?”
His father answered:
“The First Vampire.”
A massive shadow appeared above the city.
Two enormous crimson eyes opened beneath the clouds.
Every vampire in the capital dropped to their knees.
Noah's system displayed one final message.
[WORLD EVENT ACTIVATED.]
THE FIRST VAMPIRE
Awakening: 50%
Time remaining: Unknown
Objective: Prevent complete awakening.
Failure: Extinction of current vampire bloodlines.
Noah looked at his father.
Then at Elara.
Then at Kael.
His eyes became crimson.
“Then we stop it.”
His father smiled.
“For the first time...”
He placed a hand on Noah's shoulder.
“...you sound like the Blood King.”
To be continued...
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