Chapter 688: 688

A particular discovery chilled him, all magical communication was being blocked.

The empire had deployed a field, an expansive artificial barrier that interfered with any transmission born of magic. Messages from the wandering godlings never reached the Misty Land. Attempts from Ethan’s side were intercepted the moment they left his borders.

The only method still viable through the empire’s interference was physical contact, face-to-face communication, passing words through human messengers or vampire agents disguised as such.

This meant the godlings had been signaling to him the entire time.

They had been trying to explain themselves and he had heard nothing.

Worse, they may had likely assumed Ethan was ignoring them.

The thought of it made Ethan’s jaw tighten. The godlings had been trying to come to him and the empire had stood in their way. Worse even, there was nothing accidental about it.

The news struck Ethan and his council like a hammer blow.

Just moments before, they had been indulging in a rare moment of amusement, an entertainment born from Ethan’s earlier plight. But the message delivered to them wiped those smirks clean. Shock came first, then a rising wave of anger, shame, and something darker beneath it.

How dare the empire disgrace them so openly?

Did their status as godlings, descendants of divinity, embodiments of the night mean nothing to these humans? How could they ever face the other godling races now, knowing that a mortal emperor had stood before them with such brazen disrespect? It was one thing to be looked down on by the older, more ancient godling tribes. But to be belittled by humans?

The insult sank deeper the more they thought about it.

The truth of the situation now laid bare, was far more humiliating. It was the humans who looked down on them. It was the humans who saw their reluctance for conflict, their reclusive borders, their slow, measured expansion as weakness.

Their youth as a godling race had forced them to be cautious. They had shown a softer face to the empire, preferring diplomacy to violence, preferring patience to conquest. They had believed that as long as they maintained this gentle approach, conflict could be delayed. Perhaps even avoided until their race matured into its full potential.

But the empire... the empire had interpreted this courtesy as cowardice.

And this latest event, this audacity of keeping a guest they themselves invited away from them under some foolish, self-important superstition of "owning the land and sky" was the final straw. It was not merely disrespect to them but a declaration. A statement that the humans believed themselves the rightful apex predators of the continent.

As if godlings were nothing. As if vampires were nothing. As if Ethan’s entire lineage, history, and authority were nothing.

Atop the border wall, Ethan gazed past the boundary into the lands of the empire. The wind whipped at his coat, carrying the scent of forests, soil, and faint traces of human arrogance.

Something had to be done.

This matter was no longer about a guest. It was about the dignity of his people. About the reputation of the vampire godlings among the other godling races. About reminding the continent of their lineage, that they had been leaving peacefully with something mortals fear the most "Death"

If the humans wished to test them, then they would learn the cost of underestimating a godling’s pride.

"It’s time," Ethan whispered. His blood-red eyes glowed brighter, like twin wounds in the darkness. "Time for a meeting."

His form unraveled into a cloud of dark mist, which was immediately swept away by the wind. With him went the final traces of restraint the vampires had clung to.

A reminder was coming.

And the humans would not forget it soon.

The summons from Ethan had gone out in the dead of night, and none dared to ignore it.

By the time the moon reached its zenith, the throne room of Ethan’s palace was filled. The great obsidian doors stood open, allowing the assembled vampires to slip inside like shadows returning to their master.

Ethan’s throne hall was a cathedral of darkness. The only light came from the tall iron lamps mounted on each pillar, each flame burning a deep, unnatural red that cast long, blood-tinted shadows across the black marble floor. The walls drank in the light, making the room feel like an endless void. Even for vampires, creatures of night and gloom, this chamber felt... oppressive.

Beneath the steps of the throne sat a long, crescent-shaped table reserved for the most influential figures in the vampire domain. These were the pillars of the old bloodlines, the ones who had survived the longest, endured purges, and proven their strength time and time again.

First sat the head of the Ebenholz family, draped in clothes as dark as their name. Next, the austere leader of the Orpheus lineage, his expression calm but eyes sharp as blades. Beside him, the matriarch of Ravencroft, whose feathered cloak seem

ed to swallow the red light. Then the stern master of Carlisle, broad-shouldered and fierce, his aura heavy like a torchlight amongst the vampires.

Five noble families. Five first-generation survivors. Five whose influence extended far beyond their clans.

There were others among the first generation but they lacked the strength, the influence, or the weight of legacy that these five commanded. And those who once rivaled these families had long since been erased... thinned out after Ethan’s brutal cleansing of his court. A reminder that lineage alone could not shield those who grew complacent.

Behind the table, standing in a disciplined formation between each red-lit pillar, were the second-generation vampires and the weaker branches of the old bloodlines. They stood stiff-backed, hands clasped behind them, eyes lowered. Not a single chair had been provided for them.

And that was by design.

The second generation held no seat here, for their blood all traced back to the five seated elders. Outside the palace, perhaps in the outer courts they could command respect and authority. But here, in the presence of the first-born and the throne itself, they were reminded of their place.

This rule had not always existed. It was one of Ethan’s reforms, one of the few actions he had taken that earned genuine approval from the five noble houses. Too many upstarts had tried to overstep their station, mistaking youth and ambition for entitlement. Ethan’s purge had corrected that.

The standing vampires knew better than to resent it openly. A seat at the council was not impossible for them but it would never be granted without a justification so undeniable that even the five elders could not question it. A feat of strength. A deed of service. A contribution that shifted the balance of the clan.

Anything less was not enough.

Silence permeated the room as they awaited Ethan’s arrival. A silence thick with hierarchy, history, and the tension of an entire race on the brink of being forced to reclaim its dignity.

Soft murmurs rippled through the hall, low conversations, whispered theories, and the occasional anxious glance toward the empty throne. The tension was palpable, and even the red flames seemed to flicker with anticipation. No one knew when Ethan would appear, only that when he did, the air itself would change.

And it did.

The five elders abruptly lifted their heads in perfect unison, their instincts sensing what the others had failed to notice.

There upon the throne sat Ethan.

No dramatic entrance. No sound. One moment the throne was empty; the next, he was simply there, as if he had always been part of the darkness. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes unblinking, predatory tracked every movement below him.

In one hand, he held a silver chalice filled with a thick, deep-red blood. He brought it to his lips, taking a slow, deliberate sip, his gaze never leaving the assembled vampires.

At the sight of him, the five elders reached for their own goblets. In perfect, practiced synchronicity, they lifted their cups toward their liege in a silent salute, then drank. A gesture of loyalty. A gesture of respect. A gesture that reminded everyone present who truly ruled this court.

"Silence."

The command cracked through the hall like a whip. It came not from Ethan, but from one of the standing figures tall, poised, and sharp-eyed. The voice was deep, disciplined, and carried enough authority to jolt even the most inattentive vampires into silence.

Ethan’s glowing gaze slid toward the one who spoke.

A name surfaced in his mind.

Dupont.

He recognized the young vampire instantly. Of all the second generation, Dupont was the one Ethan expected to rise into the ranks of the elders within a decade, perhaps even sooner. His strength, composure, and discipline outshone the others of his generation. His features, sharp as carved marble, bore the unmistakable lineage of the Ebenholz family.

Yes. That one had potential.

The hall fell into absolute stillness.

Dozens of eyes turned upward toward Ethan. He rested one hand against his temple, eyes momentarily closed, as though he were gathering himself or suppressing something far more lethal.

When he finally spoke, his voice rumbled through the chamber, deep and resonant. Controlled, but only barely.