Aurelius Von Carstein.

The Last of the Lineage.

The storm outside had finally settled, but inside the mansion, the air was thick with tension. Aura sat alone in the grand hall, the massive chandelier overhead casting long, oppressive shadows across the room. His eyes were cold, unmoving, staring out into the empty space where once his father had stood, where once the house had been full of noise and life.

Now, there was nothing.

His father was dead. The von Carstein legacy was broken. The name, once feared across the land, now meant nothing. Aura had seen to it. The mansion, his inheritance, his destiny—everything was his. And yet, despite all of that, he felt an emptiness growing within him, gnawing at him from the inside.

It wasn’t guilt. No, guilt had no place in his heart. It wasn’t regret either. He had done what he needed to do, and now, everything that stood in his way was gone. What remained was a shadow of the empire his family had once ruled—a hollow shell that had been left behind, waiting for him to make it whole again.

But he wasn’t sure how to make it whole.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to.

---

It was late in the night when the whispers began.

Aura had been sitting in the study, going over the family’s finances, the business ventures his father had left behind. His mind was sharp, calculating, analyzing every detail with cold precision. But then, the door to the study opened without a sound, and the familiar figure of his uncle, Sylas von Carstein, stepped inside.

Sylas was different from the others. He wasn’t as interested in power as his brother had been—he was a scholar, a historian. His obsession lay in knowledge, in uncovering the truth about their lineage, about the ancient blood that ran through their veins. Aura had always found Sylas fascinating, but he had never trusted him. Sylas was the one person who had always questioned the family’s methods, the one person who seemed to know too much about what had really happened all those years ago.

But now, in the silence of the study, Sylas looked different. His expression was grim, his movements deliberate. He had always carried a certain weight, but now, it was heavier. Aura didn’t say anything as his uncle crossed the room and stood before him, his gaze focused on Aura’s face.

“You’ve done it,” Sylas said softly, his voice barely a whisper. “You’ve destroyed it all.”

Aura didn’t flinch. “It was already destroyed,” he replied, his tone flat, emotionless. “I merely finished the job.”

Sylas stared at him for a long moment, as though weighing the boy in front of him. Finally, he spoke again, his words measured and calm. “You think you’ve buried the von Carstein lineage under the rubble? You think you’ve destroyed everything?”

Aura raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a slight smile. “I’ve eliminated what needed to be eliminated. The house is mine now.”

“No,” Sylas whispered, shaking his head. “You’ve only buried the surface. The lineage, the legacy, the power—it doesn’t just vanish. It never does.”

Aura stood up from his chair, eyes narrowing. “What are you trying to say?”

Sylas’ eyes flashed with something dangerous, something dark. “You think you’re the last of the von Carsteins, don’t you? That you’re the only one left. But there’s more to our bloodline than you know. There are others. And they’ve been watching.”

The words struck Aura like a lightning bolt. “Others?”

“Yes,” Sylas replied, his voice steady, almost knowing. “Others who are far older than you, far older than your father. Those who see your rise as a threat to their own existence. You think you’ve taken everything, but there are things you don’t understand. Things that were buried long before your time.”

Aura felt a chill run down his spine, but his face remained impassive. He couldn’t show weakness, not now. “And what are you suggesting?” he asked, his voice low, dangerous.

“I’m suggesting that you’ve awoken something you don’t know how to control,” Sylas said, his eyes glinting with a strange kind of madness. “There are others in this world, others who want to keep the von Carstein bloodline intact. And they will come for you.”

Aura didn’t respond right away. He wasn’t sure how to process this. His mind, usually so sharp, was momentarily clouded by the uncertainty of what Sylas was implying.

But then, something inside him clicked.

“So,” Aura said, a small, knowing smile curling on his lips, “you’re telling me I’ve only just begun?”

Sylas’ expression softened slightly. “Yes. You’ve only just begun. You’ll face them soon enough. And when you do, you’ll have to decide what kind of ruler you want to be. Will you destroy them like you did the rest of your family? Or will you learn to control the power that binds you?”

Aura stood still for a long moment, considering the words. He had always known there was something more to this power—something deeper, darker—that he hadn’t yet unlocked. But now… now it seemed that the true test was coming. His enemies, the ones who had been lying in wait, would soon reveal themselves.

And he would be ready.

---

That night, as Sylas left the study, Aura stood alone in the darkness, staring out at the mansion. His heart, once cold and steady, now beat faster with anticipation. The von Carstein legacy wasn’t finished. No, it wasn’t finished at all.

It had only just begun.

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### **End of Chapter 6.**

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