The carriage that carried Aiden and Selene moved quietly through the elegant vampire district, where towering estates sat behind wrought-iron gates and veils of enchantments. For Aiden, it felt like another world — too perfect, too regal, too far from the orphanage where he'd spent most of his life.
Selene leaned against him slightly, her voice low. "Don't look so tense. My parents won't bite."
Aiden managed a weak chuckle, though his chest felt heavy. Meeting her parents wasn't the problem. It was the weight of who she was — the daughter of the Vampire Countess, one of the most powerful figures among their kind.
The gates opened silently, revealing a sprawling manor bathed in silver moonlight. Servants bowed as the pair entered, but all Aiden could feel were the eyes that followed him, measuring, weighing, judging.
Inside, Selene guided him to the grand hall, where her mother — the Countess Valeria Nightbane — sat poised on a throne-like chair, her beauty and power radiating like an icy flame. Her father stood nearby, arms folded, his expression unreadable.
"Mother, Father," Selene began, her voice clear, "I wanted to update you on what's been happening at Xul Academy."
She spoke quickly, detailing everything that had transpired: Aiden's sudden clashes with the werewolves, the strange aura that drew Ophis Tepes to their school, Victor Allucard's arrival, and the unexpected enrollment of his children, Lilith and Lucien. Her voice only faltered when she mentioned the whispers about Aiden — the fights, the bullying, and the way his presence seemed to stir things none of them understood.
The Countess listened quietly, her sharp eyes flicking between her daughter and Aiden, who stood silently at her side. When Selene finished, the silence was almost unbearable.
"I see," Valeria said finally. Her voice was soft, but it carried a weight that pressed down on Aiden's chest. "Much has changed in such a short time. And you, boy…" Her gaze narrowed. "You stand at the center of it."
Aiden lowered his head, unsure of how to answer.
Selene quickly stepped in. "He never asked for this. It just… happens around him. But he's not dangerous, Mother. I believe in him."
For a long moment, Valeria said nothing, her expression unreadable. Then, she turned away. "We will speak later. Leave us."
Selene frowned but obeyed, gently pulling Aiden out of the hall. The doors closed behind them with a heavy thud.
Alone in the candlelit chamber, the Countess and her husband faced one another.
"You saw it too," her father said first, his deep voice rumbling. "The way he carries himself. The rawness in his aura. It's familiar. Too familiar."
Valeria's lips tightened. "Yes. It reminded me of Victor."
Her husband nodded grimly. "Victor was the monster of our time. None could match him. And yet… this boy. He's unrefined, but there's something in him — a storm waiting to break. We cannot ignore it. If he truly shares Selene's bond, if he grows into his power… what then?"
"Then we support him," Valeria said firmly. "He may come from nothing, but power like that cannot be denied or suppressed. Selene chose him, and she is rarely wrong. You call him a monster — but perhaps he is the monster we will need in the future."
Her husband's eyes narrowed. "Or the one that destroys us."
The Countess looked toward the door where her daughter had just left with Aiden, her expression softening slightly.
"Either way," she murmured, "another monster has appeared… and the world will never be the same."