[The Day of the Attack]
The sun was almost about to set, bleeding its final orange and purple light across the horizon. High above the jagged spires of the Crimson Castle, heavy grey clouds were starting to form in the sky, swirling together as if mirroring the unease growing within the stone walls. It was in this darkening twilight that the Crimson family gathered in the upper section of the castle, preparing to eat.
Cassandra, who had arrived at the castle just a few hours after Zeno came home, was present at the family dinner. She had recently returned from the mission assigned to her and was radiant, happy to see her husband and child again after a long period of time. She was also delighted to see her sister, Reina, the first wife of Zeno and mother to his three eldest children. Cassandra herself was the second wife of Zeno and the mother of Carmilla.
Cassandra leaned close to Zeno, her fingers gently touching his hand across the mahogany table. "Husband, you and Reina have spent enough time with each other. It is only fair for me to have you all to myself now," she said, a playful possessiveness in her voice.
Zeno smiled, acknowledging the familiar dynamics of his family. "My love, we have all eternity to spend time together. But if your wish is to be with me tonight, then consider it granted."
The Crimson family was seated around the grand table, the flickering candlelight struggling against the deepening shadows of the room. Anna, the matriarch, presided over the gathering, her composure barely masking a deep well of anxiety. "It is so good to see our family back together. I just wish my husband was here to enjoy this moment with us," she said, her voice soft but filled with a profound sense of missing her husband.
Richard spoke up, the young vampire looking concerned as he watched the shadows lengthen across the room. "Grandmother, is there any word from grandfather?"
Anna merely shook her head, the gesture confirming her fear.
"It is strange that Father has not said anything. Should I go look for him, Mother?" Zeno asked, his voice low and serious.
"I will go with you, Father," Caden volunteered immediately, rising slightly from his chair.
"No," Zeno said, a quick denial cutting the air. "I need you here in case anything happens."
Zeno then looked intently at Anna. "Mother, are we going to wake up first and second brothers?"
Anna shook her head again, a definitive movement that carried the weight of her authority. "They are not ready to awaken just yet. We first have to find out if your father is alive and well before we make any rash decisions that could risk our entire future."
"Good. I will leave tonight to find Father." Zeno knew that his father often did as he pleased, but a silence this complete was unprecedented. If the elder had been killed for any reason, it would cause a devastating blow to the Crimson family, both strategically and morally.
Markus, however, refused to indulge the negative thoughts. He knew his father was safe, as he had always looked up to Leonidas as the strongest being alive. "Let's stop and have some food," he commanded, his voice booming. Sitting at the end of the table with his huge muscles bulging out of his clothes, the large man provided a physical counterpoint to the mounting anxiety of the family. "Tell the kids that they must come and have dinner."
Reina was visibly nervous. She did not want her husband to go into unknown territories alone and deeply wished she could accompany him. However, the woman knew that Zeno would not allow it, especially with the imminent threat hanging over the family.
Emma, who was sitting next to her husband, held the hand of Markus tightly. She then looked directly at Anna. "Mother, why not send our son Richard or some of our fastest knights, like Dante? I do not think sending brother Zeno is a good idea. What if something did happen to our Lord? Sending him into the lion's den is a big mistake." Emma looked genuinely concerned, arguing against a decision based on the emotional risk to her own family.
Markus felt her hands gripping him tightly. "Then I suggest we send someone else, Mother," he added, backing the sensible concern of his wife.
Zeno did not say anything, allowing the matriarch to decide. Anna was pondering deeply. She initially thought sending her son would be the best option, as he is renowned for his expertise in stealth and information-gathering missions. However, if what Emma said were to come to fruition and Zeno walked into a trap, the blame would be entirely on her bad decision.
"You have a point, my dear daughter," Anna conceded, her expression softening. "Then we can ask Dante to take on this task. Maybe he can take a couple of vampires with him in case it is a trap. I will later have a talk with Dante."
Anna then wrote a brief note on a piece of paper and called out, "Guard!"
One of the vampire knights immediately entered the room, his armor silent on the stone floor as he bowed. "Where is knight Dante, and what is he currently occupied with?" she asked.
The knight responded respectfully, "My lady, Dante is currently off duty and is spending time with his wife and child."
"Give this to him." The matriarch handed the messenger the piece of paper, her expression unreadable.
"Yes, my Lady." The guard took the command and efficiently exited the room.
Helen, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke with a thread of worry in her voice. "Mother, what about John? What are we going to tell sister Angeline? What if the young man is dead?"
"We might find ourselves facing a problem with the father of the hybrid boy," Markus noted, leaning back in his chair. He brought up the issue of Jiren, anticipating a diplomatic complication if the boy had indeed fallen.
"No, I think Jiren would understand that this world is different. He is not an unreasonable man," Anna countered, defending the pragmatism of the father. "We will handle that situation when it arises. For now, we will first find out if they are alive. If not, we will search for the perpetrators and erase them from Paruga."
"For now, we will assume that they are still alive and well. It is agreed that we will send Dante as a scout to find out if our assumptions are correct," Zeno spoke calmly. But anyone who observed him closely in the fading twilight would see a wicked, dangerous glimmer in his eyes, a flicker of the rage he was containing. "If they are safe, we continue as normal. If not, we will raise hell against whoever captured or killed them."
Not long after, a light knock could be heard on the door, and two children entered the room. "Carmilla, Thomas, come take a seat; dinner is almost ready," Anna said.
"Yes, Grandma." Both Carmilla and Thomas took their seats next to their parents.
"What were you two doing, Milla?" Cassandra asked her daughter while wearing a lovely smile.
"We were giving the horses food, Mom," Carmilla said while looking proudly at Thomas.
Markus looked at his son and noticed he did not say anything. "Tommy, is everything alright?"
"I am fine, Father."
"Good, good. How is your training going, son? Do you want to spar with your father?"
Thomas started to get excited. "When can we spar, Father?"
"Are you an idiot, Tommy?" Carmilla interjected, rolling her eyes.
"What?"
"You already have a tough time beating me. How are you going to even put a scratch on Uncle Markus?"
"What do you know? Father is a big guy; I can easily touch him," Thomas retorted.
The large man had a wide grin on his face. "Oh, really? So are you calling your old man a slow poke?"
"No, Father, you are not a slow poke. I think Father's speed can be compared more to a slug," Thomas said, grinning widely at the bulk of the warrior.
"I agree. Your father's movement is kind of slow. I can easily predict his movement," Zeno said, joining the taunt. He leaned back in his chair with crossed arms and closed eyes.
Markus looked at his brother for a moment. He clenched his fist and started to chuckle lightly, a dangerous challenge in his eyes. "It's truly funny. After today's dinner, I simply must put dear old brother to the test. Let's see if he can predict the trajectory of my fist as it becomes intimately acquainted with his face. And as for you, Thomas, we will see if you can follow this slug's movements."
Not long after, a light knock could be heard on the door, and two children entered the room. "Carmilla, Thomas, come take a seat; dinner is almost ready," Anna said.
"Yes, Grandma." Both Carmilla and Thomas took their seats next to their parents.
"What were you two doing, Milla?" Cassandra asked her daughter while wearing a lovely smile.
"We were giving the horses food, Mom," Carmilla said while looking proudly at Thomas.
Markus looked at his son and noticed he did not say anything. "Tommy, is everything alright?"
"I am fine, Father."
"Good, good. How is your training going, son? Do you want to spar with your father?"
Thomas started to get excited. "When can we spar, Father?"
"Are you an idiot, Tommy?" Carmilla interjected, rolling her eyes.
"What?"
"You already have a tough time beating me. How are you going to even put a scratch on Uncle Markus?"
"What do you know? Father is a big guy; I can easily touch him," Thomas retorted.
The large man had a wide grin on his face. "Oh, really? So are you calling your old man a slow poke?"
"No, Father, you are not a slow poke. I think Father's speed can be compared more to a slug," Thomas said, grinning widely at the bulk of his father.
"I agree. Your father's movement is kind of slow. I can easily predict his movement," Zeno said, joining the taunt. He leaned back in his chair with crossed arms and closed eyes.
Markus looked at his brother for a moment. He clenched his fist and started to chuckle lightly, a dangerous challenge in his eyes. "It's truly funny. After today's dinner, I simply must put dear old brother to the test. Let's see if he can predict the trajectory of my fist as it becomes intimately acquainted with his face. And as for you, Thomas, we will see if you can follow the movements of this slug."
Markus could not help himself from laughing out loud. Anna was happy seeing her family having a good time at the dinner table. The room was later filled with hushed conversations as their goblets were filled with red liquids and rare steaks were served alongside exotic fruits.
The three adults seated near the windows, Markus, Anna, and Zeno, sensed something was amiss, and their intuition was correct. A deafening explosion shattered the tranquility. The windows exploded into more than a thousand shards, creating a huge hole in the wall that revealed the fading sky. Through the chaos and billowing smoke, a figure emerged with a dark aura. The intruder stepped through the broken wall with an air of sinister confidence and an evil grin on his face.
Three vampire knights rushed through the door of the dining room, responding immediately to the blast. A few seconds later, another guard entered with grave news. "My Lady, we are currently under attack!"
The knights drew their swords the moment they saw the intruder near the window. All of them were fearless and ready to strike; they only needed a word from their Lady.
Anna was shocked when she finally recognized the mysterious figure. Many thoughts raced through her head as she stared at the familiar vampire. "Decker, what is the meaning of this?"
The man wore black pants, leather boots, and a white, tucked-in long-sleeved shirt. "Good day, Lady Anna. I apologize for coming in so rudely," Decker said. "I am here to erase the Crimson family from Paruga."