Nyssa Vire stepped fully out of the coffin, her movements precise despite the centuries of slumber. The fire in her eyes had not dimmed—it had merely waited. She knelt before Aarav, her voice reverent.
"My king, I dreamed of your return. The flame never died."
Aarav touched her shoulder. "Then let it burn again. We have enemies to unmake."
Behind them, the other coffins began to stir. Draven's eyes widened. "They're responding to you. All of them."
Cracks rippled through stone lids like spiderwebs. One by one, the Knights of Bloodhaven began to awaken.
Kieran watched, stunned. "He's not just the king—they're bonded to him."
Veyron gave a low whistle. "This just got fun."
A loud crack echoed as another lid shattered. A massive vampire emerged, his body laced with ancient runes.
"Commander Thorne," Aarav murmured.
Thorne knelt beside Nyssa without hesitation. "I live to serve. Who do we kill?"
Aarav's gaze swept across the chamber as more knights rose, twenty in total—each one a warrior once feared across the vampire world.
"The Elders," he said. "They took everything from us. We take it back."
Draven stepped forward, lowering his head. "With the Knights awakened, Bloodhaven can rise again. But the Elders will feel this surge. They'll come."
"Let them," Thorne growled, cracking his knuckles.
Aarav turned to the group. "This isn't just about revenge. It's about balance. The vampire world has rotted under their rule. We burn the corruption out."
Nyssa's voice was firm. "What are your orders, Kairos?"
He looked toward the great hall, long silent and cold.
"Light the torches. Gather the outcasts. Summon the loyal. Tonight, Bloodhaven breathes again—and the world will know that the true king has returned."
And as Nyssa drew her twin blades and fire burst to life in the brazier behind her, the flames cast long shadows on the wall—shadows of war, shadows of vengeance, and the birth of a rebellion long overdue.
To be continued…