The old ancestor’s voice rolled through the hall like distant thunder carried by a cold wind.
"It seems," he said slowly, his ancient eyes narrowing as though he were staring into a mory that none of them could see, "that an Emperor nightmare old ancestor of our Vampire race has awakened. Drinking the blood of two Emperors may have stirred the ancient blood sleeping within his descendants. It seems the Moonshade family was fortunate this ti... and Cornelia is one of those descendants."
For a mont, there was nothing but silence.
Then whispers began.
"A sleeping Emperor ancestor?"
"Awakened by Emperor blood?"
"That would explain it..."
"That’s truly magnificent if that’s the case!"
"Indeed..."
The gathered vampires looked at one another, their pale faces flickering between greed and awe.
So nodded as though they had always believed it, while others swallowed nervously, calculating what such a thing would an for their standing within the clan.
"So that’s why her bloodline improved..."
"It makes sense. It must be the resonance."
"The Emperor’s blood awakening a dormant Emperor lineage..."
"Yes, yes, that must be it..."
"Can our lineage be affected next too?"
Cornelia stood in the center of the hall, her hands resting lightly at her sides. She could feel their eyes on her like the weight of a storm cloud pressing down on her shoulders.
The air itself felt thicker, heavier, as though the entire hall was holding its breath.
The old ancestor lifted his chin slightly.
"We can speak of invasion and territory later," he said, his tone shifting, sharpening. "For now—"
His voice suddenly rose, echoing off the stone pillars.
"—who among you wishes to test Cornelia’s bloodline?"
The reaction was imdiate.
"Test it!"
"Yes, test it now!"
"Let the tower speak!"
"Show us the truth!"
"Let us know!!"
"Let’s do iiittt!!"
The Moonshade vampires erupted into a storm of voices.
So stepped forward eagerly, their crimson eyes gleaming. Others clapped their hands together in excitent, unable to hide their anticipation.
"Let us see how far it goes!"
"If it truly carries Emperor resonance, then the tower will not lie!"
"This is a blessing for our family!"
"Our Moonshade will rise!"
"Rise above the other houses!"
"Yes, yes, let us see it!"
Their voices overlapped, tangled together in a rising wave of hunger and pride.
Even the younger vampires who had been scheming quietly monts before now forgot their petty calculations, swept away by the possibility of witnessing sothing historic.
Cornelia felt her heart beating steadily in her chest. Not fast. Not frantic. Just steady.
She inhaled slowly.
Suddenly, the old ancestor lifted one hand.
"Bring out the Bloodline Test Tower."
At once, a vampire in dark formal attire bowed and hurried from the hall, his steps quick but careful. The crowd parted instinctively, forming a wide circle in the center of the chamber.
The ten Blood Ancestors shifted slightly, their presence commanding space without effort. They moved aside just enough for Cornelia to stand clearly in the middle.
"Go," one of them said gently.
Cornelia stepped forward.
Her boots echoed softly against the stone floor.
For her, the hall seed larger now, emptier despite the hundreds of eyes fixed on her. She could feel the cold gaze of the ancestors behind her and the burning stares of her kin before her.
Then the vampire returned.
Four others followed him, carrying sothing massive between them.
The Bloodline Test Tower.
It stood nearly seven feet tall, a pillar of dark crystal and blackened tal. Inside its transparent core flowed thick, crimson liquid that shimred faintly under the hall’s torchlight.
Ancient runes were carved along its surface, glowing faintly like veins beneath skin.
The air grew colder as it was set upright.
One of the ancestors stepped forward and placed a hand upon the tower.
"This," he said calmly, "contains preserved blood from each rank of our lineage. From Baron to Emperor. Each level rests within its own chamber. Release your Blood Mana into the corresponding seal, and the blood will respond. The tower will determine the limit of your awakened bloodline."
Cornelia nodded.
Around her, murmurs swelled again.
"Look at it..."
"It hasn’t been used in decades..."
"Do you think she’ll reach Earl?"
"Marquis at most..."
"No, no, if the ancestor speaks true..."
"Could she...?"
"Impossible."
"Co on, don’t waste ti and let us see!"
"Hey, don’t be impatient!"
Cornelia’s gaze drifted to the corner of the hall.
Cain stood there, arms loosely crossed, leaning against a pillar. His expression was calm, almost bored, yet there was sothing sharp beneath it.
She smiled at him.
Just a small, quiet smile.
Cain stiffened.
"This girl..." he muttered under his breath.
She turned back to the tower.
The ancestor gestured to the lowest seal.
"Begin with Baron."
Cornelia stepped closer. The tower lood before her like a silent judge.
She raised her hand and placed it just below the first chamber marked Baron.
"Release a asured amount," the ancestor instructed.
Cornelia closed her eyes.
She felt the familiar warmth of her Blood Mana coiling within her veins. It was thicker than it used to be, heavier, like liquid fire moving beneath her skin. She guided a thin stream of it outward.
The mont her mana touched the seal, the blood inside the Baron chamber trembled.
Slowly.
Then more noticeably.
A ripple spread through the crimson liquid, as though sothing beneath its surface had awakened.
The hall exploded with sound.
"It’s responding!"
"Above Baron!"
"Of course!"
"Did you doubt it?"
"Her aura alone surpasses Baron!"
The younger vampires laughed in relief, pride swelling in their voices.
"I told you!"
"She’s no re Baron blood!"
Cornelia withdrew her hand.
The ancestor nodded once.
"Proceed."
She moved to the second seal.
Viscount.
Again, she placed her palm beneath it.
Again, she released her Blood Mana.
This ti, the blood within the Viscount chamber did not rely ripple. It churned. A slow vortex ford inside, crimson liquid spiraling as though drawn toward her presence.
Gasps filled the hall.
"It’s stirring deeply..."
"Above Viscount as well!"
"She’s surpassed two ranks already!"
"Amazing..."
"Truly amazing..."
So of the elders leaned forward unconsciously, their composure slipping.
Cornelia’s breathing remained steady, but she could feel the warmth spreading through her limbs. The tower’s reaction fed sothing inside her, sothing ancient and hungry.
She stepped to the third seal.
Earl.
The murmurs quieted, tension replacing excitent.
"Now we’ll see..."
"Earl is not so easily surpassed..."
"She’s talented, but—"
Cornelia pressed her hand down.
Her mana flowed more confidently now.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then the blood in the Earl chamber trembled violently.
A sharp pulse ran through the tower, causing the runes to glow brighter.
The crimson liquid inside the chamber surged upward, slamming against the inner walls as though trying to escape.
The hall fell silent.
Then—
"It’s reacting strongly!"
"Above Earl!"
"Above Earl!"
Shock replaced pride.
"That’s impossible..."
"She’s still so young..."
"Above Earl?"
One vampire whispered, almost to himself, "That places her potential among the higher nobility..."
Cornelia felt her pulse quicken slightly now. The energy inside her was no longer gentle. It pressed outward, eager.
She stepped to the fourth seal.
Marquis.
Even the ancestors were watching closely now.
"Careful," one of them said softly.
Cornelia nodded.
She placed her palm beneath the seal and drew in a deeper breath. This ti, she did not release a thin stream. She allowed more of her Blood Mana to flow.
The tower reacted instantly.
The Marquis chamber erupted into motion. The blood inside spun wildly, forming a violent storm of crimson. The runes across the tower flared bright red, casting harsh light across the hall.
The floor trembled faintly.
Several vampires stumbled back in shock.
"Marquis!"
"It’s surpassed Marquis!"
"No... look at it!"
The blood did not rely stir. It roared.
The sound was faint but real, like a distant tide crashing against unseen shores.
Even the ten Blood Ancestors straightened, their ancient eyes wide.
"This..."
"Her resonance..."
"It’s not stopping..."
Cornelia withdrew her hand slowly. The tower continued to hum for a few seconds before settling.
The hall was utterly silent now.
No one cheered.
No one laughed.
Fear had crept in.
One of the younger vampires swallowed audibly.
"If it surpassed Marquis..."
Another finished the thought in a whisper.
"Could it be..."
A third shook his head weakly.
"No... Duke level bloodline is reserved for the highest nobility..."
"But the tower..."
"The reaction..."
They stared at Cornelia as though seeing her for the first ti.
Not as a promising descendant.
Not as a talented young woman.
But as sothing higher.
Sothing they want to revere.
The air felt colder now.
Heavy.
One of the elders licked his dry lips.
"If her bloodline truly reaches Duke..."
Another whispered, almost afraid of the words.
"Then the balance within the Moonshade family will change."
Eyes shifted subtly toward certain influential figures.
Toward those who had long held authority.
Cornelia stood quietly in front of the tower, her chest rising and falling gently. She could feel it too. The change in the air. The shift in how they looked at her.
Not with simple admiration.
But with awe.
And perhaps... fear.
Behind her, Cain watched in silence, his expression unreadable, though there was a faint curve at the corner of his lips.
The hall felt as though it stood on the edge of sothing vast.
One of the Blood Ancestors finally spoke, his voice low but carrying through every corner of the chamber.
"Prepare the Duke chamber."
A collective breath was drawn in.
And in that breath lived a single, trembling thought.
Could it be... her bloodline lineage was truly Duke level?
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