In the early days of the incident; in the Radiant Kingdom, the announcement spread like wildfire: the battle royale was canceled.
The trainees stood in disbelief, their voices breaking into a storm of confusion.
"Naro!? No way he did that!"
"You mean to tell me a trainee became a vampire!?"
"Impossible… we trained beside him! He looked human just like us!"
The air was heavy with fear and suspicion.
Lloyd clenched his fists, his voice shaking with something unfamiliar—rage, grief, and a hollow sense of loss all tangled together.
"How could this happen… Even though I always hated Naro… this bastard—he killed Elara… and Markus."
Darian stood nearby, his face darkened. "Hate him all you want, Lloyd, but I can't believe it either. If someone like him was hiding this the whole time… what else don't we know?"
Elizebeth trembled, tears in her eyes. She had been close to Elara, closer than most. "No… no, this isn't fair. She didn't deserve this. None of them did… Elara was my friend…" Her voice cracked, and she covered her face, the weight of grief collapsing her composure.
The students stood divided between anger, disbelief, and terror. Some whispered that vampires had infiltrated the academy, others that Naro was a pawn of something greater. Whatever the truth, the faith they once had in their kingdom's walls was beginning to fracture.
…
Meanwhile, deep within the king's castle, the golden marble council chamber buzzed with tense voices. The long, circular table reflected the lanterns like ripples on still water.
The old lady principal sat straight-backed, her expression unreadable as elders debated around her.
"So no one knows where Thalgor disappeared to?" an elder asked sharply.
The principal replied in her cold, steady tone. "He definitely teleported with the vampire trainee, Naro… but what's confusing is how he hasn't returned yet."
A rival commander, a righteous Rank 5 who had long stood opposite to Thalgor, slammed his fist on the table. "I suspect that boy was a vampire spy all along! Thalgor must have been ambushed—dragged right into Dracula's castle!"
Another elder snapped, "Nonsense! Vampires never cooperate with humans. Have you gone mad?"
"Ambush or not," muttered another, his face pale, "if this was just one vampire hiding among us… what if an entire legion managed to slip through? What would become of the kingdom if they all struck at once?"
Murmurs of panic spread around the table.
"Worry not," another elder said firmly. "There is a barrier that prevents vampires from stepping into the kingdom. But…" He hesitated, his tone uneasy. "…this Naro. He did not step through. He turned into a vampire inside our barrier. That makes him… cunning. Dangerous."
The voices grew louder, the council descending into heated arguments, accusations, and fearful speculation.
Then a single voice silenced them.
"Enough."
The king's voice cracked through the chamber like a hammer. His presence filled the room, his eyes sharp, commanding. He leaned forward, resting his hands firmly on the table.
"How could none of you have discovered this? A trainee, under your very noses, carried such evil intentions… and yet not one of you saw it." His voice carried no anger, only cold judgment.
Silence weighed heavily.
But then the king sighed, the hardness in his expression giving way to measured thought. "What's done is done. No amount of shouting will undo what has already occurred. What matters now is not how we failed to see—but how we move forward."
The elders sat straighter, watching him carefully.
"Panic will spread quickly," the king continued. "Civilians will demand answers, the trainees will lose faith, and the parents—those who sent their children to us for safety—will rise in outrage. If we cannot control the storm, it will consume us before vampires ever lay a hand on our walls."
His words struck heavy truth into the room.
One elder muttered, "Then… what do you propose, Your Majesty?"
The king's eyes narrowed, calculating. "We tell the people the truth—but not all of it. The tale will not be one of our weakness, but of our vigilance. We will say this: that the academy uncovered a traitor, a spy who dared to bring corruption into our midst. That the instructors acted swiftly, that the council is already securing defenses. We admit tragedy, yes, but we do not admit helplessness."
The principal's eyes flickered in approval. "Wise. That will stabilize the hearts of the people."
Another commander leaned forward. "And what of Thalgor? What if he died..?"
"You speak of Thalgor as if he were a common soldier. He is not dead until we have proof of it. Until then, his fate remains unknown. And it will remain unknown to the public."
The elders shifted uneasily.
"Your Majesty…" one of them pressed carefully, "do you mean to withhold—"
"Yes," the king interrupted sharply. "We will not speak of Thalgor's disappearance outside this room. If the people hear their champion has fallen, despair will spread faster than fire through dry grass. Do you want riots in the streets? Parents clawing at our gates, demanding their children back? Trainees abandoning their posts? No. We will not feed the people weakness."
A hush fell over the table. The king's gaze swept across them, his voice like iron.
"We will not underestimate Naro again. He has already shown intelligence beyond his years. To survive this long… to deceive us all… this is no ordinary vampire." He paused, then added, "This is a mind that schemes."
He leaned back, folding his arms. "Mark my words. Whether Naro serves Dracula, or only himself, he will return. And when he does, the kingdom must be ready."
No one dared to interrupt him.
The king exhaled slowly. "For now… focus on stability. Secure the borders, silence the rumors, and reassure the parents. We cannot afford for our kingdom to fracture from within while enemies wait at the gates."
The council bowed their heads. The arguments had ended. The king's wisdom, as always, had carved a clear path forward.
But in the silence that followed, a single truth weighed heavy in everyone's hearts:
Naro was no longer just a runaway trainee. He had become a shadow over the entire Radiant Kingdom.
The king's continued to speak.
"And do not forget about the Light Travel Nyx." His gaze swept across the golden marble table, lingering on each elder and commander. "An immortal nyx… one our kingdom secured and guarded for generations. It has now fallen into the hands of a boy—no, a vampire—with the cunning to deceive us all. Its power is beyond simple teleportation. It carries dangers none of you have truly comprehended. We must prepare for the worst."
A nervous elder immediately spoke up, voice cracking. "If he wields it as you say, Majesty, then what's to stop him from appearing inside this very chamber? He could cut the heart of the kingdom out in a single night!"
Another general scoffed, though his unease was clear. "Nonsense. Our barrier holds strong. Not even Dracula himself could—"
"But the boy became a vampire inside the barrier!" the elder interrupted, slamming his palm against the table. "If he defied one safeguard, who is to say he cannot bypass others?"
The principal frowned. "What concerns me is not only where he can go… but what he may take with him. The Light Travel Nyx is no simple artifact. If he masters it, he could steal soldiers from our ranks mid-battle, scatter armies, isolate commanders… He could turn the tide of a war before it begins."
The rank 5 commander, Thalgor's long-time rival, leaned forward with narrowed eyes. "If he truly has the Conqueror's Sun as well, then mark my words—he will not hide in shadows like other vampires. He will walk in daylight, unchallenged, free to strike when he pleases. The kingdom has never faced such an enemy. Not even Dracula wields both gifts."
"Enough with these hypotheticals!" another elder barked, though his trembling hands betrayed his fear. "If this Naro boy can teleport at will, he is already unstoppable. Should we not call for aid? Rally allies from neighboring realms?"
The king lifted his hand, silencing the chamber once more. His expression was unreadable, but his tone was sharp.
"Do you hear yourselves? You speak like frightened villagers, not leaders of a kingdom."
The room fell quiet, shame tugging at their voices.
The king continued, voice like steel. "Yes, Naro now wields a weapon that threatens us all. Yes, he has grown beyond what anyone anticipated. But he is not invincible. He bleeds, just as we do. Remember that."
He leaned forward, his piercing gaze locking onto the trembling elder. "Should we spread talk of his power to our people, they will collapse into despair. Should we cry for aid from foreign thrones, they will see weakness, not strength, and perhaps turn their blades toward us instead. Do you want other kingdoms circling our own?"
The elder lowered his head in silence.
The king's gaze shifted around the table. "Our task is not to fear him, but to outwit him. To learn his nature. The Light Travel Nyx grants him movement, yes—but movement without strategy is nothing but chaos. He may think himself clever, but cleverness alone cannot win a war."
The principal spoke cautiously. "Majesty… are you suggesting we study him? Use his recklessness to reveal his weaknesses?"
A faint smile tugged at the king's lips. "Precisely. He has revealed his hand too soon. The boy is powerful, yes, but arrogance is a heavier chain than any we could place upon him."
The rival commander grunted. "So what do you propose? Sit and wait while he learns to master his treasures?"
The king's voice grew colder. "No. We will act in shadows, as he does. We will spread controlled rumors, bait him into overextending, and when the time comes, strike where he least expects. But mark me well—if word of Thalgor's disappearance or the truth of the Light Travel Nyx spreads… the chaos it would breed will do our enemy's work for him."
Silence fell again, heavy and oppressive. The council exchanged glances, some fearful, some determined, all bound by the king's command.
At last, he straightened, robes of gold and red pouring down like fire as he rose. "This boy thinks himself a schemer. Let us show him what true schemes are. We will not let a single vampire—no matter how cunning—be the undoing of the Radiant Kingdom."
His words struck like thunder, leaving the council both shaken and resolute. The Light Travel Nyx was in enemy hands—but the king had turned their fear into strategy, into a plan forged from secrecy and silence.
And above all else, he ensured one truth: the people would never know how close their world had come to collapse.