“What has happened? Why have so many of my Blessed perished?”
Tenebrice’s voice rumbled through the void, the sound warping space itself, like thunder trapped inside an endless cavern. His words were calm — but beneath the calmness, an ancient fury stirred, dark and boundless.
Valeira stood alone within that void, her body dwarfed by the looming, endless structure behind the throne — the Red Temple, its spires spiraling infinitely into the abyss of space. At the heart of it all sat her Patron, draped in robes woven from shadows deeper than night, upon a throne that pulsed with a dim, crimson light. His presence was suffocating, and his wrath hung in the air like the scent of iron before a storm.
Every blessing was an investnt, a fragnt of divine power offered to mortal hands — and now, multiple blessings had been extinguished under her watch. Outside of the tutorial, such gifts were rare, coveted beyond asure. Even the smallest blessing was treated as a sacred contract, enough to elevate entire bloodlines. To lose so many at once was nothing short of sacrilege.
And worse: the Sanguine Thorns, which had cost Tenebrice a steep price to bestow, had not only been wasted, but one had been consud by a human — a human who had sohow slain one of the Blessed early on. At least, that was the conclusion Tenebrice had drawn from the notifications marking their deaths.
“We attacked a human stronghold, one more fortified than we expected,” Valeira began, lowering herself into the deepest bow her body allowed. “The human who now carries the Sanguine Thorn killed my sister before the battle and sohow evolved the thorn's power. When we faced him together, even combined, we couldn’t defeat him.”
Her voice trembled with both sha and calculation. She was still, by far, the strongest of Tenebrice’s Blessed — at least for now. But she couldn’t shake the question from her mind: was their true purpose rely to cultivate the Sanguine Thorns, only to be devoured later by the chosen vampires once the tutorial ended?
“What?”
The word burst from Tenebrice with the weight of an avalanche. “And this human has consud the other Sanguine Thorn?” His anger rippled outward, painting the entire void in a vivid, blood-red hue for a heartbeat before the color slowly bled away. This was rely his projection, his avatar — not even the true god — and still the raw, unfiltered power of his outrage left her frozen in place.
“Yes,” she managed to whisper, her voice barely holding together. “That is the situation. The survivors have regrouped at the Black Fortress, and we are preparing for the battle to co.”
Even standing on the fringe of her Patron’s presence, only sensing a sliver of his aura, it felt as if her body was caught between death and dissolution. Tenebrice did not tolerate failure. She knew — had she not still been bound to the tutorial, her life would have ended the mont she spoke those words.
“How strong is this human? And what of the others? Are there any more threats hidden among them?” Tenebrice asked, his voice cold now, barely containing the storm beneath.
“There are two more human outposts, but they pose no real danger. Their defenders are weak, their champions barely worth ntion,” Valeira replied, still bowed so low her forehead nearly touched the void itself. “But the one who defeated us is... different. His fortress shelters more than ten thousand souls, and his strength vastly outclasses mine. If I were to face him alone, I would stand no chance.” She paused, voice darkening. “I want nothing more than to rip him apart for killing my sister... for stealing her eyes. But I must restrain myself. Reckless revenge would only lead to more failure.”
A heavy silence fell. Then Tenebrice spoke again — slowly, dangerously quiet.
“What do you an... he took her eyes?”
“I do not know how,” she answered, her voice stripped of all emotion. “But when I saw him, he wielded her gaze as if it were his own. He had her eyes — and her power.”
For a mont, she braced for divine fury. But the outburst never ca. Instead, Tenebrice leaned back against his throne, his shadowed form falling eerily still. His voice, when it ca, was a thoughtful murmur, more to himself than to her.
“So... for such knowledge to be in mortal hands this early... another god must be involved.” His voice darkened further, the words soaking in suspicion. “A mortal, even a gifted one, couldn’t possibly transmute and bind another’s eyes to themselves without guidance. That ans soone — one of the stronger gods — has interfered. No god would invest this much into a human unless the reward promised to be extraordinary. The question is... which god?”
Valeira remained silent, her heart calming slightly, relieved that his rage had shifted elsewhere — to so unseen rival, rather than her.
After a long mont, Tenebrice moved again, his piercing gaze falling back on her, voice heavy with finality.
“You are still the strongest among my Blessed in this trial. And you possess potential far beyond them. I will grant you one chance for redemption.”
His words sharpened like blades.
“I will elevate your blessing. I will provide specially crafted nourishnt for your Sanguine Thorn, powerful enough to stand against a Crimson Virethorn. You will hunt this human. You will kill him and consu his evolved Thorn. Then, you will seek out your siblings and consu them as well. The last part must be done in secret — such things are... bad for morale.”
He paused, the void crackling faintly under the force of his resolve.
“As I’ve always told you: no price is too great for ascension. And the cost I must pay to empower you will be steep — but worthwhile, in the end. The human’s strength speaks to deeper manipulation. So god has gone far beyond the rules to create this anomaly, and I will see their gamble undone.”
Valeira felt a rush of excitent surge through her chest, so intense it was almost difficult to suppress. When this eting ended, she would be stronger than ever. Strong enough to claim the Crimson Virethorn. Strong enough to eclipse every other vampire in this tutorial. And perhaps — if her ascent pleased Tenebrice — strong enough to remain at his Chosen One’s side in the future.
Her gaze lifted slightly, drawn to the glittering object that had appeared in her Patron’s hand: a single blood-red crystal, pulsing with unfathomable power. Within its core, a single droplet floated, glowing with a potency beyond anything she had ever witnessed.
This was the gift. The rebirth. After this... she would erge as sothing entirely new.
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