Chapter 21: The War Begins
The city skyline stretched before them, its neon glow a stark contrast to the darkness brewing beneath the surface. Aarav, Kieran, and Veyron stood on the rooftop of an abandoned high-rise, overlooking the streets below.
Kieran had been silent since the fight, his mind still processing the flood of memories that had resurfaced. Aarav could sense his turmoil—the anger, the betrayal, the thirst for vengeance.
Veyron, ever the opportunist, broke the silence. "So, what's the next move, Your Majesty?"
Aarav didn't react to the title. Not outwardly, at least. But something inside him recognized it. Owned it.
"We build our forces," Aarav said. His voice was firm, steady. "The Elders won't sit idly by. They'll come for us soon enough. We need to strike first."
Kieran nodded, his crimson eyes narrowing. "I know some who might still be loyal. Vampires who rejected the Elders' rule. Outcasts. Rogues. If we reach them before the Elders do, they might fight for us."
Veyron smirked. "Ah, a revolution. Now this is getting interesting."
Aarav turned to him. "You said there were others who remembered my name. Where are they?"
Veyron's grin widened. "Scattered. Some hiding, some surviving, some just waiting for a reason to come back. And I think I know just the place to start."
Kieran crossed his arms. "Where?"
Veyron's smirk faded slightly. "An old stronghold. One of your old strongholds, actually. The Bloodhaven Citadel."
Aarav's breath caught. The name sent a shiver down his spine.
Bloodhaven. His fortress. His sanctuary. The place where he had ruled before the Elders betrayed him.
And if it still stood… it meant others had kept it alive in his absence.
Aarav clenched his fists. "Then that's where we go."
Kieran cracked his knuckles. "And if the Elders have already claimed it?"
Aarav's eyes darkened, his voice low and sharp.
"Then we take it back."
To be continued…