Bloodlines Legacy Arc 1 Eternal Night

Chapter 3: Eternal Connections

Violet left her father's study, the heavy door clicking shut behind her. The conversation with Cedric had left her unsettled. His cold pragmatism, his cryptic words—it all felt like a warning, but a warning without clarity. As she walked down the long, winding corridors of the Blackthorne estate, her thoughts drifted, pulling her back to memories she had tried to keep buried.

The house felt emptier than usual, its vast halls echoing with the silence of the night. Violet's steps were slow, deliberate, as she tried to process everything her father had said. His message had been clear: trust no one, not even family. But it was his actions—his distance, his secrecy—that troubled her the most. She wondered if he still saw her as his daughter, or if she was just another piece on the board of power.

Her mind wandered further, slipping into the past as she absentmindedly traced her fingers along the edges of a framed portrait of her ancestors. It was the kind of portrait that once filled her with pride, but now, it only reminded her of the weight of her bloodline.

Her memories began to pull her in, to the night everything had changed—the night she was turned.

The year was 1870, and Violet was nothing more than a simple woman living in the heart of New York, caught up in the fervor of the women's rights movement. Back then, the world had been cruel to women like her, women who dared to demand more. She had been outspoken, too bold for the time, and that night had nearly been the end of her.

She could still feel the cold pavement beneath her as she lay on the ground, bloodied and broken, her body trembling with pain. The man who had attacked her had been relentless—one of many who couldn't stand the idea of women having power, of them being equals. He had dragged her into a dark alley, his fists

swinging with a fury she couldn't escape. Violet had fought back, but she was no match for his strength.

The blows had come harder, faster, until her vision began to blur, and the world started to slip away.

But then, he appeared.

Cedric Blackthorne.

Even now, the memory of that night was etched into her soul. She had looked up, barely conscious, as a tall figure emerged from the shadows. Cedric's eyes had gleamed in the darkness, his presence commanding and terrifying. With a single glance, the man who had been beating her to death froze, as if held by an invisible force. And in the blink of an eye, Cedric was on him, his movements too fast for human eyes to follow.

Violet had watched in horror and awe as Cedric drained the life from the man in a matter of seconds, his fangs flashing in the dim light of the alley. It had been the first time she had ever seen a vampire—though she hadn't known it at the time. She only knew that the man who had nearly killed her was now nothing more than a lifeless husk, and the stranger who had saved her was something far more dangerous than anything she had ever encountered.

Cedric had looked down at her, his expression unreadable. "You're dying," he had said simply, his voice calm and cold. "But it doesn't have to be the end."

Violet had barely been able to speak, her breath ragged as blood pooled around her. She nodded, desperate to live, to survive. She hadn't fully understood what she was agreeing to—only that she wanted to escape death's cold grasp.

Cedric had knelt beside her, his eyes piercing into hers. "If I turn you, your life as you know it will end. You will belong to me, to my world. Are you prepared for that?"

Violet had whispered, her voice barely audible. "Yes."

And with that, Cedric had bitten into her neck, his fangs piercing her skin. The pain had been sharp, but brief, followed by a sensation of warmth that spread through her body like fire. In that moment, she had felt herself slipping away from the world of the living, drawn into the eternal darkness that was vampirism.

The memory faded as Violet blinked, her footsteps now carrying her toward the windows of the mansion. She gazed out into the night, the city lights twinkling in the distance. Cedric had saved her life, but he had also changed her forever. The man who had once been her savior was now a figure of mystery, his true intentions hidden behind layers of power and control.

Her mind drifted again, to another key moment in her long life—her first meeting with Sora Yamamoto in Osaka, Japan.

It had been years after Violet's transformation when she had traveled to Japan at Cedric's behest. The vampire families were old and powerful in the East, and the Yamamoto family was one of the most respected. Lady Aiko Yamamoto, the leader of the 5th family, was known for her wisdom and her unmatched skill in the ancient arts of combat and strategy.

Violet had arrived in Osaka, a foreigner in every sense of the word. She had been sent to learn from Lady Aiko, to train under her guidance, and to better understand the balance of power that ruled the vampire world. The Yamamoto estate had been a stark contrast to the grandeur of the Blackthorne mansion. It was simple yet elegant, its beauty found in the harmony of nature and structure.

It was there, in the gardens of the estate, that she had first met Sora.

Sora had been younger then, but no less formidable. She had moved through the courtyard with a fluid grace, her movements precise and controlled as she practiced with her katana. Her dark hair had flowed behind her, her eyes focused with an intensity that reminded Violet of herself.

Their first conversation had been brief, but it had sparked a friendship that would last centuries. Sora had been the first to truly challenge Violet, not just in combat, but in thought. They had trained together under Lady Aiko, pushing each other to new heights, and it was through those shared experiences that they had become more than allies—they had become sisters in arms.

Lady Aiko had taught them both the importance of patience, of strategy, and of never underestimating their enemies. "The greatest battles are won not with brute force, but with the mind," she had often said. It was a lesson Violet had carried with her ever since.

Violet's memories faded once more as she stood in the present, the weight of her past heavy on her shoulders. She had been shaped by those experiences, by the choices she had made and the people she had met. But now, as war loomed on the horizon, she wondered if all that training, all that wisdom, would be enough to protect her and those she cared about.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, pulling her out of her thoughts. She pulled it out, her eyes narrowing as she read the message on the screen.

Emergency team meeting.

Violet's heart raced. Something was happening, and it was happening now.

She slipped her phone back into her coat and turned toward the door, her mind already preparing for whatever was coming next.