The Shadow of the Simulacrum

Chapter 28: The prophecy

Summer 1809 (19 years) : Part Two

My dominance over the town was overwhelming, and I relished every moment of my quest for power. Thanks to the books my uncle had entrusted to me, I discovered a multitude of different rituals and artifacts infused with phenomenal energy, capable of performing supernatural wonders. The more I delved into these readings, the more I deciphered the annotations left by my uncle. It was through these studies that I learned a lunar eclipse would occur in the coming months, an eclipse that would offer the opportunity to acquire unparalleled strength. By channeling an extremely rare cosmic energy, which manifests only once every 500 years, this eclipse would allow me to absorb all the supernatural powers existing on earth.

I exulted with satisfaction, already imagining myself possessing this immeasurable energy. The ritual, however, would require time and patience to be successfully completed. To succeed, it was imperative that my disciples be present to gather this colossal power. Artemis had left some clues about the location of the cosmic stone necessary for the completion of this ritual. I sent my brother Julius, accompanied by my most loyal followers, to search for this relic.

As I planned this moment of glory, Richard and the Weir family were plotting something.

Indeed, Richard contacted a village priestess with the aim of overthrowing me, and he rallied the other villagers to join his quest for destruction. The Weirs, with their grimoire and powers, were able to read omens. Emerald, the mother of the family, had seen in her dreams the day of the eclipse and the destructive force I would unleash, capable of annihilating all the town's inhabitants — a catastrophe far worse than my dictatorship.

Although Emerald was not inclined to trigger a revolt, fearing a direct confrontation with my kind, she was convinced by Morgan's determination. They eventually met to discuss the dream she had: the lunar eclipse would occur in exactly three months. Fear then gripped their hearts, the terror of seeing suffering and death spread throughout the town was unbearable.

Thus, this carpenter and the other inhabitants meticulously prepared their plan, sacrificing humans to turn them into one of our own, using them as spies to report back on my own schemes. This is how Richard and his allies learned that I was preparing a ritual for that fateful night of the eclipse, with the aim of increasing my supremacy.

I spent hours in my orchard, surrounded by the soothing whispers of the leaves and the gentle caress of the wind. It was here, in the heart of nature, that I found a semblance of peace, a place where my thoughts could roam freely, far from the chaos of my reign. I immersed myself in the ancient manuscripts I had unearthed, seeking to decipher their hidden secrets. Yet, even in these moments of chosen solitude, I could not escape a strange sensation that was growing within me.

I was no longer that miserable child, broken by the authority of a tyrannical father. I had become the one who surpassed all those who once dominated me, including the man I had sworn to outshine. But despite this triumph, despite the power I had acquired, a strange melancholy began to seep into my heart. There was an emptiness, an absence I could not fill with strength or domination.

This feeling, as vague as it was, left me with a persistent unease, a void I couldn't quite define. It seemed as though something more fundamental was missing, something... or perhaps someone. This idea troubled me, even though I couldn't fully grasp its meaning just yet. But this absence left a deep, almost painful imprint on me, like an invisible wound that refused to heal.

After a month, my dear brother finally found the much-coveted relic. I presented it to my disciples during an assembly in the Church, and an explosion of cheers and acclamations echoed under the dark arches. My fellow vampires, gathered for the occasion, rejoiced in this new achievement. To celebrate this victory, an evening was organized, but it was not just any ordinary celebration: humans were also invited, not by choice, but by obligation, under threat of retaliation. They were forced to attend, dressed in their finest attire, as if they were at a high-society banquet, though their hearts beat with terror.