The Khörs Vampires did little more than observe the battlefield. They did not participate in the battle. At least, that was what Fern and Clove thought and said.

"What’s going on?" Fern asked, her voice laced with worry.

"Nothing much. I’m just... Honestly, I don’t understand what’s been happening. The Khörs Vampires didn’t fight anyone, even when we attacked the Rotheart Vampires. Why wouldn’t they stop the two of you, both 2nd Tier Chosen, from killing their newly turned vampires? That doesn’t make any sense to me, especially since they did intervene when a Tier-2 Demon attacked me while I was shifted into a Rotheart Vampire."

How was I supposed to make sense of something that didn’t make any sense? And what exactly had that older Vampire meant when he called the demons ’Outsiders’? They had not been part of a Clan or anything, but was that really all there was? Was that also why it had been so easy for me to force the demons into submission?

I thought so, but it was difficult to know for sure.

"What do you mean?" Fern asked, prompting Clove to step in.

"You sensed his transformation into the Juvenile Nature Dragon as well, didn’t you? That dragon Bloodline." The young fae whistled, looking rather excited at the notion. "He killed a Khörs Vampire and a Tier-2 Demon with his dragonbreath. Burned them to cinders."

I nodded at that, but expanded upon it before continuing. "I transformed into a Rotheart Vampire when I got injured. They regenerate faster, so I considered it a good idea. What I didn’t expect was to feel all that bloodlust. I was so hungry, and—no, that isn’t important." Shaking my head, I returned to the main topic. "Anyway, one of the Khörs Vampires interfered after a Tier-2 Demon attacked me when I turned into a Rotheart Vampire. He may have mistaken me for one of his newly turned thralls or something like that. Regardless of what he thought, he protected me, and I... well, I killed them both by turning into my dragon form when they were distracted. After that, I advanced, worried that more Tier-2 Demons and Khörs Vampires would attack me."

Looking around, I grimaced. "That was a mistake. Clearly, they couldn’t be bothered with me. At least, the Vampires couldn’t. I managed to kill three Demons at the 2nd Tier after breaking through."

There was some back and forth in which I explained everything in more detail, Core advancement included, prompting Fern to check out my Core.

"Your Core is massive. And that Essence... it’s so pure. But what is that—" She nodded in satisfaction at first, but her eyes narrowed, and worried streaks crossed her features. "What did you do to your Core, Xavier?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

***

Life in the Zetrian Empire never really changed. For years, decades, even, that sentiment rang true. The Zetrian Empire trained powerful Chosen and went on multiple conquests every year, trying to expand its borders further. Sometimes, the Zetrian armies succeeded and conquered towns and villages of the neighboring kingdoms and alliances, and other times, they lost their claim to villages and towns of similar size in other parts of the empire.

One way or another, the Zetrian Empire hadn’t grown all too much in recent years. It was expanding, but its forces weren’t growing as quickly as they used to.

But none of that mattered to the Halur family. Not until the most recent Choosing. Not until Xavier’s awakening turned the Orb of Awakening black. Pitch black, like the depths of the abyss.

His father, Deroth Halur, had not made a move. He knew his brothers and sisters were watching, smiling upon the fate of his son. They wanted to kill him, yet they couldn’t. The realm restrained their Divinity, and it blocked them entirely from intervening directly in the lives of the realmborn. But that did not stop them from performing the tasks the realm permitted: they could alter the paths of their followers. The extent of their actions was highly restricted, as Xavier did not believe in the gods like most of the realmborn, yet it was enough to shatter the protection Deroth had cast upon his son.

His Divinity, crumbling and no longer what it had once been, could not change Xavier’s Power. But knowing what his siblings would do, Deroth tried to change the Orb of Awakening—to turn it crimson when it was certain to display a ’Cursed Power’. He failed miserably at it.

His son was bound to get executed—or... he should have been. Yet instead of executing him in the town plaza, the soldiers carried him away. They dragged Xavier into a cage and imprisoned him to take him somewhere on a flying ship. That was not how the gods’ decree worked. The Order was supposed to kill all those born with a Divine Seed, fearing it would blossom, yet the Order’s Wizard did not.

Deroth considered interfering, exposing the identity he had concealed ever since his siblings forced his descent, but that hadn’t been necessary. Xavier wasn’t killed, and the human soldiers—oh, those foolish creatures—decided to ignore the Order’s decree. The Wizard, may he be blessed, was greedier than the Devil of Greed, and they suffered for it.

They did not even notice the Vampire in their own ranks, thinking Essence-restraining cages were enough to block their prisoners. Clearly, that hadn’t been good enough.

As for Xavier, he was all Deroth could have wished for. Sure, life would have been better if he had followed in his mother’s footsteps, but that had been wishful thinking.

After all, the son of a Fallen God was still destined to ascend the stairway to the Godlands, even if only one of his parents was divine.

And that was what Xavier did. He took the first step toward ascension much faster than Deroth could have hoped for. And that was not all.

His ascension was not like it was supposed to be. Deroth could feel it clearly. A perfect advancement. A pure Core brimming with the power of a Divine Seed. And... and demonic energy flowing through it.

His ascension sent ripples through the weave of the realm, informing all those bound to the realm that change was about to come. Deroth understood that much better than anyone, and he hated himself for failing to prepare his family for it. It had been inevitable, but he had been foolish enough to think he could prevent it.

Surrendering to the wheels of fate, Deroth gathered the rest of his family in their little home in the quaint town he had called home for decades.

"I have to tell you something."