Bloodlines Legacy Arc 1 Eternal Night

Chapter 11: Cracks in the Foundation

Violet stormed out of her father's office, her mind racing. The conversation with Cedric had left her with more questions than answers, but one thing was clear: the situation was spiraling out of control. She needed to talk to the others, to the Cleaners, but they had to be cautious. Too many meetings in quick succession could raise suspicion.

Pulling out her phone, Violet quickly typed a message to the Cleaners: Meeting tomorrow. Usual place. We need to talk.

The following day, Violet was the first to arrive at the warehouse, pacing back and forth near the table at the center of the room. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess—she didn't know who to trust anymore. Cedric's words echoed in her mind, pointing her toward Ivan, but something about it felt off. Was her father manipulating her, or was Ivan truly the threat Cedric made him out to be?

The door creaked open, and one by one, the rest of the Cleaners entered the room. Sora was the first to approach her, concern etched on her face.

"Violet," Sora said softly, her eyes searching Violet's for answers. "What's wrong? You look... uneasy."

Violet stopped pacing and took a deep breath. She had to be honest with them, even if it meant stirring up more tension. "I spoke to my father," she began, her voice steady but strained. "There's something going on, something bigger than what we thought."

Sora exchanged a worried glance with Lucian, and Hugo crossed his arms, his brow furrowed. Sergei, however, remained silent, standing off to the side, his expression unreadable.

"What did Cedric say?" Sora asked, her voice low.

Violet hesitated for a moment before continuing. "He talked about the old power—the ability to drain life from humans completely. He admitted that the five

original leaders, including himself, had this power. But he also mentioned... Ivan."

At the mention of Ivan's name, Hugo immediately stiffened. "What about Ivan?"

Violet took a deep breath. "My father said that Ivan struggled to control that power. That he relapsed, more than once, and it took him centuries to finally master it."

Lucian's eyes narrowed. "And now you think Ivan is behind the recent deaths?"

Violet shook her head. "I don't know. Cedric was... leading me to suspect Ivan. But something about it doesn't feel right."

Hugo let out a sharp laugh. "Of course it doesn't feel right. Ivan is many things, but he's not reckless enough to endanger the entire vampire world by exposing us to humans. Your father is manipulating you, Violet."

Lucian cut in, his voice hard. "Or Ivan is exactly as dangerous as Cedric says. He has a history of struggling with his powers. Maybe he's relapsing again."

Sora nodded in agreement. "It makes sense. Ivan has always had a disdain for humans. If he still harbors those old desires, he could be trying to reignite the old ways."

The room began to buzz with heated arguments. Hugo stood firm, defending Ivan, while Sora and Lucian grew more convinced that Ivan was behind the mysterious deaths.

Throughout the escalating debate, Sergei remained silent, his jaw clenched and his eyes fixed on the floor. He listened as the others went back and forth, tension building in the air like a storm ready to break.

Finally, Sergei spoke, in his normal language of Russian, his voice cutting through the noise like a blade. "Dovol'no!" ("Quiet!")

The room fell silent, all eyes turning to Sergei as he slowly looked up, his face grim.

"Yes, Ivan is my leader," Sergei began, his voice low but firm. "But that doesn't mean I'm blind to his faults. He has made no secret of his hatred for the human

race. For years, he's spoken about how much easier our lives would be if humans either bowed to us or were eradicated entirely."

Violet's heart sank as Sergei continued. "And lately, Ivan has made several trips to New York. At first, I thought nothing of it—just business, I assumed. But now... I'm not so sure. There's something going on, and Ivan may be more involved than we think."

A heavy silence settled over the room as Sergei's words sank in. Even Hugo seemed taken aback, his earlier certainty wavering.

Sora was the first to break the silence. "Then we need to go to Russia. Confront Ivan and bring him in for interrogation."

Lucian nodded in agreement. "We can't wait any longer. If Ivan is responsible, we need to stop him before more humans die."

Hugo, still reluctant, muttered, "We're talking about accusing one of the most powerful vampire leaders in the world. We can't go in without proof."

The room buzzed with energy as the Cleaners debated their next move, but Violet wasn't convinced. She knew they couldn't rush into this blindly, especially not with the delicate balance of power in the vampire world hanging in the balance.

"No," Violet said firmly, her voice cutting through the conversation. The others turned to look at her, surprise evident on their faces.

"We can't just go to Russia and accuse Ivan without concrete evidence," Violet continued. "If we're wrong, or if we act too quickly, we'll spark a war between the families. That's exactly what we need to avoid."

"But if Ivan is behind this—" Sora started, but Violet cut her off.

"We need a plan," Violet said. "A careful plan. We can't afford to make mistakes here. If we act recklessly, the entire vampire world could fall apart."

The room fell silent once more as the weight of Violet's words hung in the air. The Cleaners knew she was right. They couldn't risk plunging the vampire world into chaos without knowing the full truth.

Sergei nodded slowly. "She's right. We need to be smart about this."

Hugo, still clearly conflicted, sighed. "Then what do we do?"

Violet glanced around the room, meeting each of their gazes in turn. "We gather more information. We figure out what Ivan's really up to. And when the time is right, we strike. But not before we know for sure."