"I find it despicable how those royals can celebrate when the world we live in is so flawed, so broken," Raphael continued, sauntering towards a table placed on the far corner of the room to grab himself a drink. "The weak are forced to cover, while the strong freely exert their will and authority. That has been the nature of this kingdom, if you can ever call it that in the first place.
"If you ask me, this civilization is more so a jungle that a society, one where power is everything. No one cares about what you know, as long as you have thr power to back it up," his gaze went back to the helpless state of his brother.
He walked back to the chained vampire, a delighted expression forming on his face as he spoke:
"Therefore, since I'm stronger than you, it's only right I enforce my own wishes upon you, no matter how insidiously twisted they may be."
An exoberant howl permeated the lightless skies, the cry of a shadow-bound monstrosity.
Life had returned to the somber streets of Fluxton as the citizens emerged from their places of rest, resuming their daily life toilage.
Raphael sucked his teeth, chuckling to himself as he sipped from his glass cup, the bioluminescent liquid coursing through his throat, revitalizing him.
He then placed the cup back on the table and returned to the chained state of his brother.
Moving his hands with swift precision, he undid the chains binding his limbs, allowing him to fall to the floor.
The subtle movements of his chest betrayed the fact that he was still breathing, despite all the torment his body had endured.
"Tsk. If that was all it took to kill you, I would have been ashamed to call you my brother," Raphael lingered above Darion's body for a while, then walked towards the door, swinging it open as he excited the room.
The guards stationed outside felt their blood run cold, the oppressive force exuding from their leader's body straining their lungs.
As his figure disappeared from their presence, they heaved out deep sighs as they exchanged wary glances once more.
******
Raphael's steps echoed through the hall, his figure shrouded in perpetuating darkness. Time crept along, its uncaring sloth streaking through the threads of reality, those of which harbored bottomless agony and despair.
His movements drew to a sudden halt, his legs shifting as he stood before another door within the hall.
His glowing eyes narrowed as he pressed his hand against the handle, pushing the door open.
He walked into the living space, closing the door behind him. His gaze lingered upon the images drawn on the walls, a couple of them showing a man and his wife, others showing both of them, along with one, two, and then three children. Everything appeared neatly kept, preserved through the flow of time.
Then, he looked down on the man laying on the bed, whose expression hinted at his awakening from slumber following the intrusion into his bedroom.
The older man hissed as he stared back at Raphael, his words filled with almost palpable disdain.
"What do you want, Raphael?"
Raphael moved closer to the bed, each step drowning the deep silence. Then, his figure stood a few inches away from the bed, a low smile appearing on his face.
"Oh, is it wrong for me to come and see my father?"
The old man ground his teeth, hands forming tight fists as he replied:
"You tyrant! You dare address me that way after all the horror you caused?!"
The room returned to silence, a contemptuous wave of laughter sliding gracefully through the air.
"A tyrant? Well, that doesn't sound too bad. I've been called worse, so I guess I'll take it," Raphael retorted, shaking his head in amusement.
The older man struggled to contain his furry, heaving out excessively as he gathered his thoughts.
Then, he looked back at Raphael, the hatred in his eyes remaining as he uttered:
"Why have you come here? What was so important that you chose to interrupt my sleep?"
Raphael's fit of laughter ended, a condescending gaze taking its place.
"Oh, nothing much. I just came to inform you that your other son would be out cold for some time. I thought I'd just let you know."
The old man shifted from his bed, rushing to his feet as he glared madly at Raphael.
"You devil! How dare you do such a thing to your brother?! Have you no shame?!"
Raphael's fit of laughter returned, its soft tone serving as a scraping force abrasing against the older man's heart.
"Stop it! Stop laughing right now!"
Raphael's body shook in the darkness, his hands pressing against his stomach .
"Oh? But why should I? It's just so funny, don't you think so to, father?" He replied, his voice a mixture of soothing essence and bone-chilling sadism. "Have you forgotten who I am? I am Raphael Night, Leader Of The Abyssal Gang."
A wide grin appeared on his face as he continued:
"The fate of my subordinates is mine to decide," he walked closer to his father, placing his hand on the older man's shoulder. "Gorden Night, you are merely a figure head for this town, having no real power whatsoever. Don't forget who put you in your current position."
Gordon's body shook involuntarily as Raphael's hand touched him, his eyes shifting between the hand and the alluring face of his firstborn.
"If we didn't do what we did back then, our lives wouldn't have been the way it is now."
Gordon's face turned paler as he remembered that ghoulish day. His face turned paler than usual, eyes lost, swept off by the abysmal whirlpool of emptiness.
His body stilled, incapable of utter a single word.
Seeing this, Raphael hissed, moving back to the door.
His head turned back as his hands clasped the handle, his face disgusted as he spoke:
"That stillness… it always irritated me," he sneered, pulled the door open, and left.
The room returned to absolute darkness, weak eyes staring blankly in the midst of oppressive silence.
*******
Days crept by after the Rumbling, everyone going about their lives as usual.
The Night Of Crimson drew nearer with each passing hour, the empire's citizens sharing mixed feelings about the monumental celebration.
It was the celebration of the first ever Emperor of Nefaria—Kaiser Darkhaven.
During a time of gluttonous anarchy, a sole individual battled against the various vampiric factions, eventually uniting most of them under his banner.
He was regarded as the most powerful vampire to ever live, revered as a demigod by his descendants.
The celebration was hosted by the royals who dwelled in the central metropolis of the empire, the region referred to as Dragon City.
It was named after the nickname given to Kaiser during his reign by his subordinates, insinuating the vastness of the carnage he sew upon those who refuted his wishes.
The lowerclass were admonished to pay additional tribute to the Darkhavens as their way of showing reverence to the original emperor. Failure to due so was met with swift retribution.
This included the common townsfolk, as well as the local gangs reigning over them.
All were subject to the decree of the emperor.
Ezeikel and Kennedy worked extremely hard to save enough in order to pay the additional tribute, skipping a couple means to ensure they didn't go below the stipulated amount.
Then finally, the Night Of Crimson arrived.