Bloodlines of the Damned

The Return of the Forgotten Lord

The Erebus estate was shrouded in the stillness of the night, the thick, brooding atmosphere echoing the weight of Vane's declaration and the clan leaders' skepticism. The air crackled with tension, as if the estate itself was holding its breath, waiting for something monumental to happen. But none of them could have anticipated the arrival of the one figure whose mere presence could silence the entire room.

POV: Vane's Perspective

Vane's mind was still racing as the clan leaders continued their quiet conversations around him. His father had spoken—Vane had to prove himself, had to master his newfound power and lead the Erebus family into the next age of dominance. But just as the weight of his responsibility began to settle in, an unexpected ripple passed through the room, a strange shift in the air.

The doors to the grand hall creaked open.

Everyone turned at once.

For a moment, there was nothing but a cold, palpable silence. The figure standing in the doorway was a shadow—a tall, imposing figure cloaked in the darkness of the night. His presence was suffocating, the air thick with his power, almost as if he were drawing all light and warmth into himself.

Vane's heart skipped a beat.

The man before him was older than any of the clan leaders, his long black hair streaked with silver, and his piercing, ice-cold eyes that seemed to peer directly into your soul. The aura surrounding him was like a storm, dark and violent, yet oddly controlled. His clothing was ancient—a black robe embroidered with symbols no one here could recognize.

It was a presence that demanded silence.

And then, the impossible words left his lips.

"Vane..."

Vane's stomach dropped. His eyes widened in disbelief.

That voice. That tone.

"Grandfather?" he whispered.

POV: Aelric's Perspective

Aelric Erebus, the head of the family, stood frozen in place, his hand subtly clenching at his side as he regarded the figure at the entrance. His sharp eyes never left the newcomer. His pulse quickened, and a chill ran down his spine, despite the heat of the room.

It was him.

The last person anyone in House Erebus had expected to see again.

The previous ruler of the Erebus family. The grandfather of Vane. The one who had disappeared into the far reaches of the Dark Forest centuries ago, never to be seen by any of them again. His name was Hadrien Erebus, and he was a living legend—a figure whose story had been told in whispers, a figure both feared and revered.

For centuries, the Erebus family had known no ruler but Aelric. But the presence of Hadrien meant something important, something no one had dared to consider until now: Hadrien had felt the awakening of the Blood Field in his grandson.

That meant Vane's power had truly reached the level of the legendary. And it was enough to bring the forgotten Lord of Erebus back into the fold.

POV: Clan Leaders' Perspective

The room was a storm of silent whispers, every single clan leader watching Hadrien with a mixture of awe and fear. The Clan of Shields was the first to speak.

"Is that—could it be him?" Kaelen muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with disbelief. "The one who disappeared all those years ago?"

Sylvana, the leader of the Clan of Witches, narrowed her eyes. "Impossible. He's supposed to be dead... or lost forever."

But even she couldn't deny the undeniable presence of the figure standing before them.

"It's him," Darius said, his voice almost a whisper. "The Dark Lord himself."

Icarus, leader of the Clan of Sealing, stood with his hands clenched at his sides. "If it is truly him... this changes everything."

Vane could see the looks on their faces—looks of reverence, fear, and surprise. It was clear that even the most powerful of the clan leaders knew that Hadrien was no mere figure of myth. He was a being whose presence commanded respect, and whose power was beyond comprehension. To see him here, in the flesh, was something none of them had ever imagined.

POV: Hadrien's Perspective

Hadrien stood in the doorway, his cold, calculating eyes locked onto his grandson. Vane was standing there, surrounded by the most powerful figures in the vampire world, the weight of House Erebus upon his shoulders. He could see the uncertainty in Vane's eyes, the weight of what had just been revealed to him.

But there was something else there too—something Hadrien hadn't expected.

Determination.

Hadrien had watched from afar as Vane's powers began to awaken. It had taken centuries for the Blood Field to resurface, and it was no surprise that it had chosen the heir of the Erebus line. But there was something more to Vane—something unique, something that Hadrien had been waiting to see.

The boy was different from his father, Aelric. Where Aelric had always been methodical, calculating, Vane had a rawness to him—a ferocity that reminded Hadrien of himself when he was young.

But that raw power needed control, and it was something that Vane could only learn from experience. Hadrien had long known that Vane would need training. Real training.

"I've heard the news," Hadrien's voice echoed in the silent room. "The Blood Field has awakened in you, Vane. It is a power unlike any other. I've come to offer my services."

Aelric's eyes narrowed as he took a step forward, his jaw tightening. "Father, you're offering to—train him? You left us centuries ago. What are you doing here now?"

Hadrien's gaze shifted to Aelric, his expression unreadable. "You and your clan have failed to understand the full extent of what the Blood Field represents, Aelric. The power to control reality itself—to dominate minds, shape the world around you—requires more than the strength of will. It requires understanding. It requires experience."

He turned his eyes back to Vane. "Vane has that power. But it's unrefined, wild. If he's to survive the trials ahead of him, he will need guidance. And I... I will provide it."

POV: Vane's Perspective

Vane's mind was spinning, his heart pounding. His grandfather, the Dark Lord of Erebus, had returned. The man who had disappeared long ago, who had lived in the shadows of the Dark Forest, a place even the most powerful vampires feared. This was the person who could train him—who could teach him how to control the legendary Blood Field.

Aelric had always been distant, cold, but Hadrien was something else entirely.

Vane felt a rush of emotions—fear, awe, anger. His father's strained relationship with his grandfather had always been a subject of whispered discussions in the estate. But now, that tension was in full view, and Vane couldn't help but wonder what had happened between them all those years ago. Why had Hadrien disappeared? And why was he here now?

"Grandfather..." Vane started, his voice low, unsure.

Hadrien's eyes softened just a fraction, a flicker of something almost tender in them. "You don't need to call me that, Vane," he said, his voice a low rumble. "I'm here as your trainer. If you want to wield the Blood Field properly, if you want to stand as the true heir of House Erebus, you will need to learn to master the chaos inside of you."

Vane felt a strange mix of fear and excitement flood through him. This was it. The opportunity to learn from the most powerful being in the room—his grandfather, the very ruler of Erebus who had once controlled the fate of vampires across the lands.

And yet, as he met his grandfather's gaze, something stirred within him. He didn't know what the future held, but one thing was certain: Vane was ready.

He had to be.