"I humbly present myself before you, Lord Julius."
Alexander kneels before Julius Azuralis — head of the Azuralis family. He is a powerful middle-aged man with a long beard and graying hair past his shoulders. He sits in a leather armchair inside an abandoned ruin on the outskirts of New York.
Beside him stand two figures in long brown cloaks.
To his right stands Victoria Azuralis, a woman with long light-blue hair gathered in a braid.
To his left stands Rudeor Azuralis, a young man slightly older than Alexander, unusually tall and muscular, with a shaved head.
Julius scrutinizes Alexander for several seconds.
"Why isn’t Elisabeth here with you?"
"M-My sister..."
Alexander struggles to speak, his voice choked with tears he tries to hold back.
"...we were about to kidnap Princess Mia’s brother when the Platinum Death intervened. You warned us more than once to flee if we ever encountered her, but my sister attacked her, and... she didn’t make it. Killed before she could even finish casting her spell... that woman is truly a monster..."
"What you say pains deeply, but it does not surprise . Elisabeth has always been an impulsive girl, and it is no wonder that at the sight of a vampire she lost her reason — after all, those foul creatures are the reason your parents are no longer among the living. She died with courage and honor, fearlessly challenging the strongest among vampires. You must not cry, but be proud of the courage your sister showed. Above all, imprint this pain deep in your mind and preserve it within you. It is this pain that will allow you to beco even stronger."
Alexander wipes his tears with the sleeve of his hoodie and bows even lower.
"Y-You’re right, Lord Julius. I will carry the loss of my sister and avenge her — whatever the cost! Now that the original plan has failed, how shall we proceed? I await your orders."
"For now, we can only wait and observe."
"So... we will do nothing? May I ask why, Lord Julius?"
"The Platinum Death is no fool. I don’t know why she let you escape — it is not like her to spare an enemy — but it certainly wasn’t out of kindness. She has sothing in mind and will surely be on guard. Attacking her now would be suicide."
The sound of Rudeor’s knuckles striking together echoes through the room.
"This cowardice is unlike you, father. Has old age turned you into a weak and fearful man? That is not how you raised . You taught never to run from an enemy, and yet now I see you standing with your tail between your legs like a frightened dog. Ever since your brother and his wife died, you’ve beco only a shadow of the man you once were."
Alexander clenches his fists when he hears that last sentence. Rudeor is referring to his parents. That makes Julius his uncle and Rudeor his cousin.
"That’s no way to speak to your father!" Victoria scolds him.
"Mother, don’t start too. They say behind every strong man there is a strong woman, and if nothing remains of the man who made the Azuralis great, that’s also your fault."
"SILENCE!" Julius roars, springing to his feet.
Rudeor freezes instantly, and Julius continues in a calr tone.
"What I taught you is what I still believe, my son. But there is a difference between courage and stupidity. You are an experienced fighter who has fought many battles and defeated many enemies, but none of them co close to the Platinum Death. The feats and massacres attributed to that woman have spread from Elyndra all the way to N-Raeth — she did not earn that title by chance. Challenging her openly would an certain death, even for you. I have already lost my beloved brother, my sister-in-law, and now my dear niece. I will not allow another mber of my family to fall by the hand of a vampire!"
Julius sits down again.
"Princess Mia and the Tear of Azkarith are not the only missions we have taken on. If you are truly itching to use your fists, go find that traitor and kill him."
"Pff... if it were that easy, I would have done it already. We’ve been hunting that bastard for years, but that sewer rat knows how to hide."
Julius’s stern gaze returns to Alexander.
"This applies to you as well. I know you burn with the desire to avenge your beloved sister, but making reckless moves would bring you nothing but ruin. Swear to that you will not act on your own."
Alexander takes a deep breath and sighs in resignation. Pretending nothing happened is the last thing he wants to do.
Like Rudeor, he expected a more imdiate and decisive reaction from Julius, but he has no choice but to set aside his desire for revenge and obey his uncle — the head of the Azuralis family.
"All right, Lord Julius. I will..."
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