Bloodline's Awakening

Chapter 3: A Brother's Summons

Blade

The nights wind howled secrets as I approached my brothers grandiose mansion, an eerie silhouette against the moonlit sky. Centuries had passed since I'd last stepped foot here, yet nothing seemed to have changed. Like always, the ancient oaks stood guard, their gnarled branches reaching towards the heavens as if in silent judgment of me.

I paused at the gates, my cold heart a silent drum in the stillness. My jet-black hair, reflecting the darkness of the night, swayed gently in the breeze. As long as I could remember, I had always been the night's child, more at home under the cloak of darkness than the harsh light of day.

The mansion's doors opened before I could touch them, revealing that my brother already knew I'd arrived. I was entering back into a world I had once ruled, a kingdom now in the hands of my egotistical younger brother, Fang.

The moment I stepped foot into the mansion, Fang was waiting for me in the grand hall, his blonde hair catching the faint light from the chandeliers above, an eerie halo around his head. Our eyes met, the same piercing blue, a reminder of our shared bloodline. We were the oldest and strongest of our kind, being one of the first.

"Brother," Fang's voice echoed, a mix of contempt and concealed excitement. "It's been too long."

My lips curled into a sardonic smile. "Has it? Time tends to blur when you're not waiting for a reunion."

Fang's gaze hardened. "Mockery doesn't become you, Blade. I didn't summon you for pleasantries."

My eyes narrowed. "Then why? To challenge me to a rematch?"

Last time we saw each other, I'd nearly killed my brother. He pleaded for his life and for some reason, I caved in. That wouldn't happen again. If he challenged me again, I would happily send him into the depths of Hell. He was only "King" because I let him.

Fang shook his head, his expression solemn. "There's a deadly disease, Blade. It's spreading among our kind, rapidly and viciously. We both know that Vampire's don't get sick. But this thing is spreading through our blood supply like rapid wildfire. This has to be part of the prophecy of OLD."

My interest piqued. The prophecy of OLD was a tale as ancient as our lineage, foretelling calamity and change. Fang has always been obsessed with this so called prophecy, even positioning himself as someone relevant to its fulfillment.

For centuries, Witches have happily preached about the demise of our species, always referencing the prophecy of OLD. But I knew those old hags hated everyone and had nothing better to do than cast worthless "spells" and "curses."

I glared at my brother. "And what does this have to do with me?"

"You're the only one who can find her—The Night Huntress," Fang said, his voice laced with urgency. "We need her. She's the key to stopping this plague."

My expression hardened. The Night Huntress, the nemesis of our kind... a Vampire Slayer was now supposedly our only hope? Was Fang delusional? I glared at him with skepticism. "And why would the most powerful Vampire Slayer, the person whose life's mission was to kill every single one of us, want to assist us?"

Fang's voice lowered to a whisper, carrying a weight of seriousness I hadn't heard in ages. "Because, brother, this disease doesn't just threaten vampires. It endangers all of us; the supernatural and mankind alike. My advisors have deciphered the prophecy's clues, and we've concluded that The Night Huntress is my fated mate. By joining our powerful bloodlines, the curse will be broken."

His words hung in the air, thick with implications. A deadly disease? The Night Huntress as Fang's destined mate? The idea seemed far-fetched, even for our kind.

I shook my head, disbelief mingling with annoyance. This was too much - prophecies, fated mates, alliances with sworn enemies. I had no time for such fairy tales.

"I won't be a part of this madness," I declared, my voice echoing through the hall. I turned to leave, my cloak billowing behind me, signaling my finality.

But before I could take another step, Fang, with a burst of vampire speed, appeared before me, blocking my path. His eyes blazed with an intensity I hadn't seen in years.

"You will not turn your back on this, Blade," he hissed, his voice barely containing his fury. "This is bigger than our feud, bigger than your pride. If you walk away now, you abandon not just our kind, but all supernatural creatures. You abandon your duty as an Original vampire, a protector of our lineage."

His words struck a chord deep within me. Despite our differences, despite the years of estrangement. As the former King of the Vampires, the weight of his words hit home. Maybe I could indulge Fang just a little and figure out if there's any truth to what he'd said.

I met his gaze. With a reluctant nod, I acknowledged his point. "Very well, Fang. I will find this Night Huntress but I can't make any promises. I just need you to remember that my allegiance is to solely to myself, not to you. If what you are saying is true, this is about self preservation."

Fang's jaw clenched, a subtle but unmistakable sign of his simmering anger, yet he held his tongue, choosing silence over further confrontation.

As I maneuvered past him, the weight of the night pressing in around us, I paused, a lingering question pricking at my resolve. I turned, facing him once more. "Say I manage to bring this woman to you," I asked, my voice low and steady, "what exactly do you plan to do with her to fulfill this so-called prophecy?"

Fang let out a derisive snort, his eyes glinting with a mix of contempt and secrecy. "That, dear brother, is my affair. Your role ends with her capture."

I turned away, a mix of resentment and resignation brewing within me. The task Fang had set before me was a treacherous path, a journey into the heart of enemy territory. The Night Huntress, a shadow in our world, was a being sculpted for our destruction, her entire existence an antithesis to our own.

As I melted into the night, the enormity of the challenge began to settle around me like a cloak. To seek out this fearsome huntress, to weave a web of persuasion and deceit, coaxing her into an alliance with those she was destined to annihilate – it was a task riddled with peril and uncertainty.

Yet, beneath the apprehension, a spark of something else flickered – curiosity, perhaps, or maybe the thrill of a challenge worthy of my ancient lineage.

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