HOUSE OF BRATOVIAE

Chapter 1

Riana Chalybs

Onyx Bay, Bratovi, Regnum.
1999RE

In the dim recesses of the city, Detective Riana Chalybs, a formidable agent of the coalition, pursued the elusive criminal, Seth, through shadowy alleys. The chase unfolded in a spectacle of daring leaps over buildings and deft maneuvers to evade projectiles hurled by irate traders whose sales had been disrupted. Seth, a vile perpetrator involved in the heinous act of kidnapping and selling human women to the sinister human trafficking rings in Regnum, found himself ensnared in Riana's pursuit.

In an intense chase, Riana, known for her unparalleled speed, closed in on the wretched man. A swift lash of her whip sent Seth sprawling into the muddy ground. As she moved to apprehend him, the criminal desperately aimed a sharp  blade at her. With uncanny agility, Riana narrowly avoided the blade's deadly arc, retaliating with a powerful punch that subdued Seth's resistance.

Emerging from the mud-smeared encounter, Riana, clad in her once-pristine blue coalition uniform, cast a disdainful glance at her tarnished appearance. Undeterred, she hauled the defeated criminal to his feet and, with a resolute expression, activated the "Glyph" on her left hand to alert her partner to their location.

As Riana tries to clean the mud stains from her once-immaculate uniform, her partner Zola, a seemingly unassuming figure with a sharp nose and eyes reflecting weariness, strides into view. His appearance belies a hidden strength despite how soft he looks.

"Well done, Riana. We're drawing closer to unveiling the sinister threads of the trafficking web," Zola commends, his blue beaded eyes mirroring exhaustion but hinting at resilience.

Gazing at the captured criminal, Riana expresses satisfaction, "Catching him was no easy feat. He's slippery and entwined with the upper echelons of this nefarious business. Extract every morsel of information from him.  Make sure you don't kill this one."

Zola, unleashing a bone-chilling laughter, responds, "I can promise you the secrets he harbors, but whether his life endures is a realm beyond my assurances." The air crackles with tension as the duo stands on the precipice of unraveling a deeper, more perilous mystery.

Amidst the labyrinthine alleys of Onyx Bay's forsaken slums, Riana endures the indignity of dirty water flung by traders tending to their fruits. As dilapidated buildings loom overhead, mud-laden roads bear witness to unrelenting rain, and the desolation of the slums unveils a stark reality: hungry human children and brazen pickpockets.

Navigating the market with the criminal in tow, Riana laments, "The stark contrast in treatment between humans and vampyres is a bitter truth to witness." Zola, his blue-beaded eyes reflecting the hardship, adds, "Vampyres dwell in pristine castles with immaculate roads and drainage, while our people endure destitution."

Riana, dragging the weight of disparity, sighs with a heavy heart. "Even within the coalition, where both humans and vampyres risk their lives, the divide persists. A tenth of their pay is all we receive." Zola, shaking his head in grim acknowledgment, presses forward toward a distant coalition office, their conversation echoing the underlying tensions within the kingdom.

As Riana pushes open the grand doors of the Onyx Bay coalition office, she is met with the haughty presence of Lilith Xangoe, a vampiric member of the coalition. Lilith, dripping with condescension, sneers, "Ah, the livestock returns," as she glides past. Zola, known for his impulsive nature, steps forward with the intent to engage in a skirmish, but Riana restrains him with a subtle gesture, a silent plea for restraint. "Some battles aren't worth the fight," she whispers.

Despite the unassuming exterior of the Onyx Bay coalition office, the interior reveals opulence. Velvet curtains of deep blue frame the space, marble floors gleam underfoot, and lavish furnishings adorn the reception area. A grand chandelier hangs majestically, casting a regal glow. Riana and Zola, accompanied by their captive Seth, proceed toward the reception, inscribing their names in the timebook.