The window closed silently.
Kael glided into the room like a shadow, landing on the floor with absolute lightness, as if he had never left. For a brief mont, everything was silent—the room bathed in soft twilight, the air tranquil, still.
Safe.
He took a step.
And then stopped.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
His eyes lifted.
And t... two presences.
Standing.
Waiting.
Irelia was on the left, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, her gaze sharp as a blade. There was no explosive anger there.
It was worse.
It was that dangerous calm that cos before soone decides to do sothing very, very painful.
Alia was on the right.
Hands on her hips.
Smiling.
But it wasn’t a gentle smile.
It was the kind of smile that promised consequences.
Serious ones. Slow.
Painful.
The air in the room was... heavy.
Kael was silent for a second.
Two.
And then—
He turned.
Instantly.
Without hesitation.
Trying to escape through the window he had just entered.
He didn’t even take half a step.
CRACK—
Ice surged beneath his feet.
Rising.
Exploding.
In a single instant, his body was completely trapped, encased in a solid layer of ice that locked him in place, freezing even the air around him.
He couldn’t even react.
He only blinked.
Once.
Slowly.
"...I understand," he murmured.
Footsteps echoed.
Calm.
asured.
Alia approached.
Slowly.
Each step made the ice creak slightly, as if the very environnt were reacting to her presence.
She stopped right in front of him.
She raised her face.
Her smile... widened.
"Three o’clock."
Her voice was sweet.
Soft.
Dangerous.
"Early morning."
Another step forward.
Now, too close.
"Without saying anything."
She tilted her head slightly, analyzing his face.
"And you thought...", she continued, almost whispering, "...that no one would notice?"
Kael maintained a neutral expression.
"Technically," he said calmly, "you were sleeping."
The silence that followed was... absolute.
Irelia uncrossed her arms.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
"Sleeping?", she repeated, her voice low. She took a step forward.
The ground didn’t freeze.
But... it cracked.
The air pressure increased.
"Asleep?" she repeated again, now closer.
Her eyes glead.
Not with magic.
But with sothing much more personal.
Much more direct.
Alia laughed.
Loosely.
Dangerously.
"He really said that."
She brought a hand to her face, as if trying to contain her own laughter.
"I’m going to kill him."
Kael sighed slightly.
"Before that," he said, still trapped in the ice, "I’d like to point out that I’m whole."
Irelia stopped right in front of him.
Close.
Too close.
"Should that help?" she asked.
"It usually does," Kael replied.
Alia raised her hand.
The ice around him... tightened.
A little.
Enough to make it clear.
She was holding back.
"You disappeared," she said. "Without warning."
Her voice was still sweet.
But now there was sothing more there.
Sothing deeper.
Worry.
Hidden.
But real.
"And you ca back... slling of blood."
Silence.
Kael didn’t answer imdiately.
Mistake.
Irelia narrowed her eyes.
"Ah," she said. "So you really did go."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Hunting."
It wasn’t a question.
Kael exhaled slowly.
"Situation under control," he said.
Alia closed her eyes for a second.
She took a deep breath.
When she opened them again...
The smile returned.
But her eyes didn’t follow. "You," she began, pointing at him, "don’t decide for yourself what is ’controlled’."
The ice rose a little more.
Now reaching his neck.
Not enough to hurt.
But enough to make it clear who was in charge there.
"You don’t go out in the middle of the night," she continued, "without warning."
Irelia crossed her arms again, now beside her.
"You don’t get into trouble," she added.
"And definitely—," Alia tilted her head, moving even closer—
"—you don’t find a vampire, let her drink your blood... and simply disappear."
Silence.
Heavy.
Very heavy.
Kael blinked.
Once.
"...Were you awake?" he asked.
Irelia smiled.
Finally.
But it wasn’t a good smile.
"Now we are."
The ice cracked.
Looser.
Alia placed her hand on his chest.
The cold intensified instantly.
"You’ll explain everything," she said.
Softly.
"Every detail."
Irelia tilted her head.
"Without omitting anything."
Kael closed his eyes for a second.
Thinking.
Calculating.
Risk assessnt.
And then—
"If I say I avoided a bigger problem..." he began.
Alia pressed her hand against the ice.
CRACK—
A fissure spread through the frozen layer.
Near his face.
"Kael."
Her voice lost its sweet tone.
Now it was... direct.
"...don’t test my patience." Silence.
Kael opened his eyes.
And then—
He sighed.
Giving up.
For now.
"It’s alright," he said.
Irelia raised an eyebrow.
"Miracle."
He ignored her.
"Vampires crossed the border," he began.
The atmosphere changed.
Imdiately.
The tension ceased to be personal.
And beca... strategic.
Alia didn’t let go of the ice.
But her expression changed.
"How many?" Irelia asked.
"More than ten," Kael replied. "Divided into groups."
Their gazes deepened.
Total seriousness now.
"And?" Alia asked.
"They’re not hunting humans."
Silence.
Confusion.
"So what are you doing here?" Irelia asked.
Kael looked at them.
"Running away."
That... wasn’t expected.
"From what?" Alia asked.
Kael answered without hesitation.
"From the king himself."
The room fell silent.
Heavy silence.
"That doesn’t make sense," Irelia said.
"It shouldn’t," Kael replied.
He paused.
And then—
"And there’s more."
Alia narrowed her eyes.
"Of course there is."
Kael tilted his head slightly.
"Their princess is here."
Silence.
Total silence.
Irelia blinked.
Once.
"...What?"
Alia stood completely still.
"And before you ask," Kael continued, with his usual calm—
"...yes."
He looked directly at them.
"She’s the vampire."
The ice... didn’t budge.
But the room’s temperature plumted.
Even more.
Alia smiled.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
Irelia brought her hand to her face.
She took a deep breath.
Once.
Twice.
And then—
"Kael..."
Her voice ca out low.
Very low.
"You brought... the vampire princess..."
Alia finished the sentence.
"...closer to us."
Silence.
Kael didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
The two remained motionless for a few seconds.
Processing.
Reorganizing.
Evaluating.
And then—
Alia slamd her hand on the ice.
CRACK—
It shattered.
Kael fell forward—
And she caught him by his clothes.
Pulling him back.
Closer.
Very close.
Her smile returned.
Completely.
"Great," she said.
Irelia smiled too.
But hers was different.
More cold.
More calculated.
"So tomorrow..." Irelia said slowly—
"...we’re going to et this princess."
Kael opened his mouth to speak—
Alia tightened her grip on his collar.
"And you," she said, drawing closer—
"...you’re not going out alone again."
Silence.
Kael looked at the two of them.
Then at the window.
Then back at them.
"...Understood," he said.
Alia smiled.
Satisfied.
Irelia crossed her arms.
"Great."
A pause.
And then—
Alia tilted her head.
"Now..."
Her smile widened.
"...you’re going to sit down."
Irelia pointed to the sofa.
"And explain."
Silence.
Kael sighed.
No way out.
"Right," he said.
And for the first ti that night—
He seed... at a disadvantage.
Kael sat down.
Not by choice.
But because, for the first ti that night... there was no advantage in standing.
The sofa creaked slightly under his weight as Alia and Irelia positioned themselves in front of him, like judges awaiting a confession. The impulsive heat of before was gone—now it was sothing more dangerous.
Full attention.
Absolute silence.
"Begin," Irelia said, crossing her arms.
Alia said nothing.
But her eyes said enough.
Kael rested his elbows on his knees, interlacing his fingers, his gaze fixed on the floor for a brief mont—organizing the sequence.
"I’ve located a group on the periphery," he began calmly. "Six vampires. Hidden. No offensive movent." Alia tilted her head slightly.
"You went alone," she murmured.
It wasn’t a question.
He ignored it.
"They weren’t hunting," she continued. "They were arguing."
"About what?" Irelia asked.
"About their king... and the queen."
The air in the room shifted again.
Thicker.
"Go on," Alia said.
Kael looked up.
"They believe the queen didn’t die."
Silence.
Irelia frowned.
"What do you an ’believe’?"
"There was no body," Kael replied. "No funeral. Just an announcent."
The two exchanged a look.
Quick.
But heavy.
"That’s already strange," Irelia said.
"No," Alia corrected. "That’s impossible."
Kael nodded slightly.
"And it gets worse."
He paused.
"Anyone who questions this... is executed."
The silence that followed was heavy.
"So it’s narrative control," Irelia said, narrowing her eyes.
"Yes," Kael replied.
Alia lightly ran her tongue over her lips, thoughtfully.
"And the king?" she asked.
"Claiming he can sense ’impurity in the blood’," Kael said. "And using that as justification for executions."
Irelia let out a small sound of disbelief.
"Too convenient."
"That’s exactly what I said," Kael replied.
Alia didn’t smile.
She was analyzing.
"And you believe that?" she asked.
"No," Kael said without hesitation. "That’s not instinct. It’s direction."
Silence.
"Manipulation..." Irelia murmured.
Kael nodded.
"Or soone taking advantage of an unstable state."
Alia crossed her arms slowly.
"Continue."
Kael took a deep breath.
"They’re also looking for the princess."
This ti, neither of them reacted imdiately.
But the attention... increased.
"To hand her over?" Irelia asked.
"No," Kael said. "To protect her."
This made Alia raise an eyebrow.
"Protect her... from the king himself?"
"Yes."
Silence.
Heavy.
"So there are factions," Irelia murmured.
"Or survivors," Kael corrected.
He leaned back slightly on the sofa.
"I confronted four of them later."
Alia closed her eyes for a second.
She took a deep breath.
But she didn’t interrupt.
"They confird everything," Kael continued. "The ’dead’ queen, the unstable king... mass executions."
"And the princess being called a traitor," Irelia added, already connecting the dots.
Kael nodded.
"Exactly."
Alia opened her eyes again.
"And the attack?"
Kael looked away for a mont.
"They were being followed."
Silence.
"How many?" Irelia asked.
"Nine."
The two remained completely still.
"...You fought nine vampires," Alia said slowly.
"Yes."
Silence.
"And you ca back whole," Irelia added.
"Yes."
Another silence.
A longer one.
Alia sighed.
Slowly.
"You really have a problem," she murmured.
Kael didn’t answer.
"And them?" Irelia asked.
"Two survived initially," Kael said. "But they didn’t cooperate."
He paused.
"So they’re no longer a problem."
The two accepted this without reaction.
They expected it.
"And the four?" Alia asked.
"They’re on our side," Kael replied. "Loyal to the princess."
Irelia nodded slightly.
"And they want to see her."
"Yes."
"And you said no."
"Yes."
Alia looked directly at him.
"And yet you arranged a eting."
"Yes."
Silence.
"You’re creating a network," Irelia said.
It wasn’t a criticism.
It was... an observation.
Kael nodded.
"We need information."
Alia stared at him for a few seconds.
Long seconds.
"Or you just can’t stay out of trouble," she said.
Kael didn’t answer.
Because, this ti...
There was no better answer.
Silence settled in again.
But now... different.
Deeper.
More analytical.
Irelia was the first to break it.
"Sothing doesn’t add up," she said.
Alia nodded.
"Several things."
She began to walk around the room, slowly.
Thinking.
"A ’dead’ queen... without a body," she said. "No ritual. No proof."
"A king who completely changes his behavior," Irelia added. "And that conveniently eliminates anyone who questions it," Alia said.
Kael watched.
In silence.
"That’s not just suspicious," Irelia said. "It’s absurd."
Alia stopped.
She turned to Kael.
"How is this still accepted?" she asked.
Silence.
That... was the question.
"It doesn’t make sense," she continued. "Vampires aren’t stupid. Even less so noble ones."
Irelia nodded.
"They live for centuries. They’re political, manipulative... paranoid."
She crossed her arms.
"They would demand proof."
Kael tilted his head slightly.
"Not everyone has a choice."
The two looked at him.
"Explain," Alia said.
"Fear," Kael replied. "Public executions. Arbitrary accusations."
He paused.
"If questioning ans death... most people stop questioning."
Silence.
Heavy.
Real.
Irelia looked away.
"...So they are being silenced."
"Yes," said Kael.
Alia pursed her lips slightly.
"And those who don’t accept it... run away."
"Or die," Kael added.
The room fell silent again.
But this ti...
There was sothing more there.
Sothing bigger.
Irelia was the first to speak.
"So soone is controlling everything."
It wasn’t a doubt.
It was a conclusion.
Alia nodded slowly.
"Or manipulating soone who controls."
Kael looked at the two of them.
"And that person managed to influence the vampire king."
Silence.
This... wasn’t small. It wasn’t simple.
It was... dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Alia looked at him again.
"This isn’t just a vampire problem."
Kael didn’t answer.
But he agreed.
"This could turn into a war," Irelia said.
"Or it already has," Kael replied.
Silence fell again.
Heavier than before.
Alia took a deep breath.
Slowly.
"So we have...," she began, counting on her fingers—
"A hidden vampire princess."
Another finger.
"A king out of control."
Another.
"A queen possibly alive... or missing."
Another.
"And soone manipulating all of this behind the scenes."
She looked directly at Kael.
"And you decided to get involved."
Silence.
Kael tilted his head slightly.
"...Yes."
Irelia let out a small laugh.
No humor.
"Of course."
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