Chapter Text
The atmosphere of the palace was more suffocating than ever.
The only sounds echoing through the halls were the quiet whispers of maids and guards.
Everyone had the same question in their minds. Why had the Emperor suddenly decided to hold an imperial court meeting and discuss his successor?
A gentle spring breeze brushed against his face, playing with his hair. With every step he took, memories of his childhood, memories he wished he could bury forever, came back to him.
"You have to leave the palace, Jay-A... This place... this place isn't safe!"
This palace reminded him of a time when he was nothing but an innocent child, hiding in his mother's arms, trying to escape from the flames that wanted to destroy both his past and his future.
—Your Highness.
—Oh, Minister Chan. It has been a long time since we last met. I assume you came here for the successor announcement?
—No, Your Highness. I am here to serve the Emperor.
—It seems you've risen quite high since the last time we met. Otherwise, working in the main hall was something you wouldn't have even dreamed of before.
Jay could see it clearly.
The way the minister's hands slowly tightened into fists. The hatred hidden behind his eyes.
Minister Chan let out a short, nervous laugh.
—That's right. A lot has changed since you were expelled from the palace.
—Anyone who doesn't know the truth might believe that. But you know exactly why I left the palace... After all, it was your plan.
—Then perhaps you should leave again now... just like always.
—You’re making me want to stay even more and reclaim the position that rightfully belongs to me.
—Please don't forget... that position can never belong to the son of—
Before the minister could finish his sentence, Jay stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder, squeezing it tightly.
—The son of what, Minister Chan?
His voice remained calm, but the warning behind it was clear.
—It seems you've decided that today will be the day people hold a memorial for you every year. But I don't want to ruin the celebration after today's meeting.
Jay released him and brushed the dust from his black robe.
The minister's expression darkened with every passing second. His fists tightened even more.
If it wasn't for their difference in status, there was no doubt he would have already tried to take Jay's life.
—Ah... I think I should change my robe. I can't possibly attend the meeting wearing something this dirty, can I?
When he received no answer, Jay simply walked away.
Jay had no doubts about what today's meeting was truly about.
His father should have known that choosing a successor would not guarantee his retirement. It would only guarantee his death.
No matter which of his sons he chose as the heir to the throne, the result would be the same.
First, there would be a great war between the factions supporting each prince. Then, after one side claimed victory, the next target would be the Emperor himself.
They would kill the Emperor in order to place the new successor on the throne and completely take control of the affairs of the court.
In reality, this decision made by the Emperor, especially at the peak of his power, was nothing but a conscious form of suicide.
The vampire territory was not a safe place for humans or witches, but it was not a peaceful place even for the most powerful vampire of all, Jay's father.
And what had happened to Jay during his childhood was proof of that.
When he reached the entrance of the main hall, he ordered the servants to announce his arrival.
The doors opened, and more than a hundred eyes immediately turned toward him.
His gaze fell upon his younger brother.
Niki was wearing an emerald robe decorated with intricate patterns, a color that perfectly complemented his flawless appearance.
He gave Jay a beautiful smile, making his face shine even brighter.
This was the court's politics. A game that had separated the lives of two brothers.
Neither of them wanted to hurt each other or harm the people of the factions just to obtain the throne.
Apparently, they were the only ones who thought that way.
Jay stood beside Niki, trying to control his anxiety.
He was not worried about being chosen as the successor.
What frightened him was what would happen after the announcement.
Suddenly, the warmth of Niki's hand wrapping around his own pulled Jay back to reality.
—Hyung, what will you do if you aren't chosen as the successor?
—I don't know. What about you?
—Don't worry, Hyung. I won't kill you.
—You won't... but they will.
Jay glanced toward the ministers who were watching them from the corner of their eyes.
Before either of them could say anything else, the doors opened once again.
The Emperor entered the hall.
Everyone lowered their heads, and quiet whispers spread through the room.
They all knew it.
The Emperor had declared war.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
The Emperor slowly walked toward the throne, his expression unreadable. No one dared to raise their head or speak a single word.
—I am certain you all know why I have summoned you here today.
His voice echoed throughout the hall.
—I intend to discuss my successor. However... I will not announce the next heir directly.
A heavy silence fell over the entire room.
Interesting.
It seemed the Emperor had already considered every possibility.
He wanted to choose his successor while also protecting his own throne.
—The princes who wish to claim the position of heir must complete the missions I assign to them. The one who finishes their mission first will be recognized as my successor.
The hall immediately erupted into chaos.
Voices rose, ministers began whispering among themselves, and the atmosphere became tense.
No one was praising the Emperor’s intelligence or his ability to control the situation.
No one was relieved that a war between the factions had been avoided.
Instead, they were furious because they could no longer influence the decision of who would inherit the throne.
Amid the uproar, the Emperor turned his attention toward his eldest son.
—Jay-A.
Jay took a few steps forward and stood before his father, offering a small bow.
—Yes, Father.
—For your mission, you will travel to the territory of the witches.
At that moment, Jay realized that perhaps allowing the palace to fall into chaos would have been far better than walking willingly toward his own death.
The relationship between vampires and witches had always been the worst possible.
Although they had lived in peace for several years, Jay knew the witches would never forgive them for the massacre that happened ten years ago.
If they discovered his true identity, he would not survive.
—You must bring me the seven ancient Dragon Mark stones.
The moment Jay heard those words, his expression changed slightly.
Those seven stones were once part of the vampire kingdom’s greatest treasures, but they had been stolen during the last war.
—But Father... no one knows where they are.
The Emperor looked at him calmly.
—Then why do you think I am sending you there, Jay? You will find their location and bring them back to me.
The task seemed impossible.
For the first time, Jay found himself caught between two choices.
Should he abandon everything, forget about the throne, and choose a life away from the endless conflicts of the royal court?
Or should he continue fighting for the crown, even if it meant risking his own life?
The members of the faction supporting him were already arguing among themselves.
They were debating whether Jay should gamble his life on this mission or refuse it altogether.
Then, Jay slowly raised his head and looked directly into his father’s eyes.
—I will do it.
No one in the hall was surprised by Jay’s decision.
Not even Niki.
The younger prince only lowered his gaze, staring silently at the ground.
And when Niki’s name finally echoed through the hall, everyone knew one thing.
His mission would not be easy either.
The moment Niki’s mission was announced, the atmosphere inside the hall changed once again.
The whispers that had filled the room grew louder.
Everyone knew that the mission assigned to the second prince would be just as dangerous, if not more.
The Emperor turned his gaze toward Niki.
—Niki.
The younger prince stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
—Yes, Father.
The Emperor remained silent for a moment, as if carefully choosing his words.
—You will travel to the human realm and bring me their royal crown.
For a moment, the entire hall froze.
The voices of the ministers turned into open protests.
If Jay’s mission had seemed impossible, Niki’s was something beyond reason.
The royal crown was not something anyone could simply obtain. Even among humans, only the royal family knew where it was kept.
Finding it was already a challenge. Bringing it back to the vampire kingdom was something that seemed almost impossible.
A minister leaned closer to Jay and whispered:
—Your Highness, this is the perfect opportunity for you to secure your position as the heir.
Jay hated nothing more than people interfering in his decisions.
Without even lowering his voice, he replied:
—Do not interfere in matters that do not concern you.
He did not know whether his brother would accept the mission or not.
Niki was considered one of the strongest vampires in the kingdom, but even someone with their father’s level of power would be taking a great risk by attempting this mission.
Then, Niki’s voice pulled Jay out of his thoughts.
—I will do my best.
A small smile appeared on Jay’s lips.
So this child cared about the throne more than he had expected.
He silently thought:
"Alright, Niki... let's fight."
—well... Start your missions tomorrow.
After the Emperor finished speaking, Jay gave a small bow and left the hall. He had to do some research and take care of a few things. There was no doubt that if the witches discovered his identity, they would not let him live.
The sounds of murmurs and quiet laughter from the hall slowly faded behind him. Now, the only sounds he could hear were his own footsteps and the occasional rustling of papers.
He looked around. Dark wooden shelves stretched all the way to the ceiling. He moved between them, briefly scanning the books until he finally found what he was looking for.
A book with a deep purple cover. A velvet-like, endless shade of purple, resembling the midnight sky above a desert.
His fingers traced the raised golden lines on the cover.
Everything about the witches was recorded in this book. Everything Jay needed.
"From the depths of time, when the stars had yet to find their names and the earth trembled beneath the feet of the first creatures, the 'Light of Magic' flowed through the veins of the chosen ones.
This power was not acquired, but innate; a gift from the restless universe, or perhaps an echo of the raw energy of creation.
The witches were the guardians of magic. They played with the very fabric of reality and shaped the fate of mortal beings with their own will.
However, this limitless power was always accompanied by division. Ancient families were constantly in conflict with one another. These disagreements reached their peak during the era when witches held absolute dominance over the mortal world."
—The division between them was what made them weak.
In truth, it was the witches' greed for power that made vampires think of expanding their territory and destroying them.
Then, a certain passage caught Jay's attention:
"If the witches had been able to obtain blood magic during that time, the defeat of the vampires would have been inevitable."
Just as Jay was about to search for blood magic in the book's index, the door opened with a terrifying sound.
Jay looked up and saw Niki slowly walking toward him.
—Hyung, are you looking for something?
—Yeah. I'm looking for a way to survive.
While Niki silently watched him, Jay picked up the book and left the library.
The scent of ink and old paper was replaced by the spring breeze. The golden lines on the book's cover shimmered beneath the sunlight.
He left the main palace and, upon reaching the garden, sat down on one of the chairs.
He was ready to find information about blood magic in the index of the book called Umbra, when his eyes fell upon the writing on the first page:
"Due to the existence of information that is not permitted to be read by the public or members of the royal court, certain sections of this book can only be accessed through the blood of the royal family."
—How ridiculous.
Jay took out the small pocket knife hidden inside his robe's belt, placed it against his palm, and pressed down firmly.
Blood fell onto the empty, white page. After a few moments, the hidden words slowly began to appear.
"Blood magic is created from vampire blood and has the ability to amplify the powers of witches to an extraordinary level, allowing even a first-level witch to kill the strongest vampires."
—Your Highness!
At the sound of Minister Kang’s voice, Jay instinctively closed the book and hid it behind his back.
—Is something wrong, Minister Kang?
—You know what will happen if they discover your identity, don’t you? So I wanted to tell you some methods to hide your true self—
—I know.
—What?
—I know all of them.
—How?