Rumors in the Castle
The de Martel halls were not quiet for long after I left. Though Aurora and Lucien had been turned, though Rebekah and Elijah held the family together, whispers began to seep beyond the castle walls.
Servants spoke of nobles who never aged. Travelers told tales of lords who drank blood beneath the moon. Merchants carried stories of eyes glowing like fire, of monsters walking among men.
By the time the rumors spread through the villages, the word had already taken root: vampire.
Rebekah cursed under her breath when she heard it first. "It spreads faster than wildfire."
Elijah's face darkened. "And once fear has a name, it grows teeth."
The Gathering of Hunters
Far beyond the castle, in a smoky hall lit by torches, five men gathered. They were not noble lords, nor wandering peasants — but warriors, each scarred by loss.
One's wife had been drained in the night. Another's child had vanished, her body found pale and bloodless. Each had a story. Each had a reason.
Together, they swore an oath before steel and flame.
"We are the blade against the unnatural."
"We are the shield of mankind."
"We are five — and together we will be enough."
And so they named themselves: The Five.
Back at the Castle
Aurora, newly turned and still learning to control her hunger, caught the whispers in the courtyard. She returned to Rebekah, uneasy.
"They speak of hunters," she said, her voice low. "Men gathering in secret. They call themselves the Five. They say their blades are blessed, their mission holy — to rid the world of us."
Rebekah stiffened. "Of course. Humans always fear what they do not understand."
Elijah's jaw clenched. "This is no idle superstition. This… is organized. If they spread, they could become a true threat."
Lucien, leaning against the wall with a smirk, tried to mask his nerves. "Let them come. I have power now. More than any human could stand against."
Elijah shot him a sharp look. "Power makes us targets, Lucien. Do not forget that."
Rebekah exhaled slowly, her thoughts already drifting north. "Nik… you should be here. You always swore you'd protect us from Father, from Mother. And now you're gone. What if these Five are more than we can handle?"
Aurora's red-tinged eyes narrowed. "Then we handle them. Klaus may be gone, but he left us stronger than before. If the Five want war… they will find it."
The First Signs of War
That very night, one of the Five struck. A noble known to feed in secret was dragged from his manor at dawn, his body pinned to the ground with wooden spears. His head was severed.
The Five left a mark carved into the stone of his gate — a circle of five lines crossing, their symbol, their warning.
The message was clear:
We know what you are. And we are coming.
Back in the castle, Rebekah stared at the mark, her hands trembling.
"They will not stop," she whispered.
Elijah placed a hand on her shoulder, his voice grim. "Then neither will we."