Greetings, my dear reader!

I apologize in advance, as I plan to change the narrative a little.

Since I am writing two books at once, there is some confusion in my head, which I do not always notice and have time to correct. Therefore, in order not to force you to read an awkward text, from this Chapter the narration will be conducted in the third person. I think the adaptation will not be too noticeable, but still I preferred to warn about it in advance.

Thank you for staying with me and supporting me. I love each of you very much. :*

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There was utter silence in Adaman. Those few people who remained alive were afraid to even stick their heads out of the house, so as not to fall under the displeasure of the occupying king. Fear settled so deeply in the souls of these people that it did not matter whether a person was young or old, everyone feared for their lives.

Everything happened too quickly to be able to adequately respond to the invasion. This man appeared under the cover of night. Unaccompanied, without weapons, he dealt with all the guards with his bare hands, leaving behind only a trailing trail of blood and the metallic smell of blood.

His movements were so fierce and fast that the human eye simply would not be able to catch them. Those who got in his way even unintentionally did not even have time to regret it, let alone scream.

The bloodiest night in the history of Adaman, the most cruel and inhuman, also became the most defensively short. But how could it be different when fragile people are trying to fight back against a centuries-old immortal vampire?

Ordinary residents could not understand what was happening, but there was no one to ask, all the nobles were killed like flies, the guards turned to dust, and the king ... the king fled, abandoning his people.

Many simply refused to believe it, because until that moment he was a relatively fair and good ruler who took care of his people, strengthened the army and conquered new lands without hindrance.

The territory of Adman tripled during his reign – it was a powerful, strong kingdom, inspiring fear in many neighboring countries. What went wrong? Many have asked this question without getting answers in return.

In an absolutely empty, once noisy and lively castle, it now smelled of the mustiness of clotted blood and decomposing corpses, but the new owner of this place did not care about this fact at all. It seemed that even on the contrary, he received tremendous pleasure from the actions he performed.

He strolled through the castle at a measured pace, dragging the hem of his cloak, soaked with blood and dampness, behind him. His eyes were unfathomably glassy, lifeless, while a creepy smile played on his face, like the smile of a maniac.

The crunch of bones and debris under his feet did not bother him at all and he continued walking until he was at the top of the observation tower – the highest place in the kingdom. From this place, thanks to his very sharp eyes, he could see the border connecting Adaman and Riliya.

Since he left Abion, he had already conquered two kingdoms unhindered. Although, is this a seizure, if in fact Sardon lost its ruler much earlier, and a new ruler was never elected.

It turned out to be easier, Sardon was a tiny state that could boast neither trade routes nor resources that would entice other rulers to seize it. That’s just why this kingdom has always remained untouched, because of its deplorable and distressed situation.

But Raphael did not disdain to unite the once great empire of Cardran under his command, even if it was the most worthless town, he would conquer them all. Each. Until there is a piece of scorched earth on which his little prey can hide from him. Thea.

Stretching his hand forward, he watched as each of his fingers, then his wrist and forearm sank into a dark haze, like a snake enveloping his hand. There was a burning sensation when he separated from himself a bird with piercing scarlet eyes.

- We’ll leave Riliya for last. They’re probably already raising an army against me. - his voice was hoarse and icily cold as he let out a sort of chuckle from his mouth. - Fools who don’t know their place. They will all die.

The smile on his face could have shocked everyone, because it was not just a human smile, it was a harbinger of danger, even more terrible events that could ever be witnessed by living people.

From the moment Thea left him, his heart, which he thought was blacker than the darkest night, plunged into even greater darkness. There is no place left for a drop of compassion, mercy, or a drop of love. His desire to find Thea was rather a desire to calm his hurt sense of self-esteem.

He promised himself that he wouldn’t let her manipulate him anymore. He will deprive her life of all colors, dragging her deep into his inner darkness without the possibility of getting out. She would stay with him forever, locked up like a bird in a cage. The way it should have been from the very beginning.

Falling from his hand, the raven swooped down sharply, and then smoothly rose above the descending currents of air that picked up his small bird body.

- And here are the guests. - his voice was blankly dry.

Returning to the throne room, he took the rightfully won place waiting for the guests, whose booming footsteps did not take long to wait. He propped his cheek on his hand, catching an uncertain knock on the door.

- Since when have you become so unpunctual? - his voice sounded as if with mockery when his adviser appeared from the opened door. - I expected you to show up here as soon as I left Abion. Or don’t tell me you didn’t notice my disappearance?

- How could I, Your Majesty? There were some things that had to be completed. But I see you didn’t have any problems here without my presence?

- I never have any problems. But you’ve become so absent-minded that it bothers me... - Raphael said, raising an eyebrow. – Didn’t you notice the tail behind you?

Dexter frowned and immediately his eyes widened with the realization that he was so keen to come to Raphael sooner that he did not notice the presence of another person, whom he expected to see here the least. He thought she was still mad at him, at both of them.

Opening the door with a bang, Amanda flew into the hall like a fury, to Dexter’s surprise and to Raphael’s complete indifference. There was a feeling that he was completely indifferent to everything. And if earlier he had been against Amanda participating in any questionable actions, now he has given her his wordless consent to an independent adult life.

- Hello, Sister. - he tried to stretch a smile on his face, but it turned out even more creepy, which sent a chill down Amanda’s spine.

She stared in front of her and did not recognize her once majestic brother at all. No, he was even more majestic now than before, but not as neat and well-groomed. His face was more haggard, paler, there were minor shadows under his eyes, which indicated that he had not slept properly for a long time. His jet-black hair had grown a little longer and was tangled in a chaotic mess. Her bangs kept trying to fall over her eyes.

And through all this appearance, she could see that his whole body was covered with dried blood. How long has it been since he took a bath? Although this thought immediately disappeared from her mind, because his mental state was now a higher priority.

- You could have at least warned us before you ran off like that. – crossing her arms over her chest, she replied, still proudly lifting her chin, which was her distinctive feature. – Seriously, is it really necessary to solve problems with bloodshed every time? What happened to you, Raphael? I don’t recognize you!

She almost screamed, forgetting that her brother was currently dangerous even to her and it was more than rash to piss him off. In a matter of seconds, he was right in front of her and roughly squeezed her jaw, not giving her a chance to say a word. Her face was distorted with fright, which was clearly reflected in her rounded eyes, but despite this she did not try to escape.

She finally realized that she had overreacted by raising her voice at him, because he had never before allowed himself to touch her so unceremoniously and rudely, almost hurting her.

Even more surprising and shocking to her was Dexter’s hand gripping Raphael’s forearm. Her heart sank in fear as her brother very slowly shifted his angry gaze to the side. There was a deep furrow between the eyebrows, the eyes narrowed, and fangs cut through the gums, bared in the desire to bite Dexter’s throat.

A sharp push and Amanda fell to the floor, flying a couple of meters. Fortunately, her vampire reflexes were with her and she was able to soften the blow in time so as not to hit the wall. But Dexter was not so lucky, his reflexes were significantly inferior to the speed of Raphael, who instantly plunged his hand into his friend’s chest, tearing flesh and squeezing his beating heart.

- Raphael, stop it! Let him go! - Amanda pleaded, who had forgotten how to hold her face in shock and was now bursting into tears. - Please don’t do this. You are welcome.

She was sobbing convulsively, wiping away tears with her hands and trying to get closer to her brother as slowly and carefully as possible, while he continued to hold his friend choking with blood in a vice. She could not understand how he could do this to him, because he was like a brother to him. But most of all she was worried about her heart, which threatened to stop exactly at the moment when he could end Dexter’s life.

- Don’t do that. Do you really wish me the same pain that you are going through yourself? - Raphael’s gaze was impenetrable even after her words, his grip was as steely as before.

- What do you know about the pain I’m going through? What do you even know about me? - He said through clenched teeth, but in the end he threw Dexter aside, leaving his heart to still keep him alive. - Don’t you ever interfere again!

His harsh words did not make any impression on Dexter, because he did not give in to emotions and was able to think rationally, and therefore understood that he would not harm Amanda so much that her life was in danger. And yet his actions were spontaneously unexpected even for him when Raphael grabbed Amanda. No matter how he distanced himself from her, he couldn’t let her get hurt, so he didn’t care about his own condition.

Raphael returned to the throne and took a comfortable position, throwing his cloak over one of the armrests. His legs were spread wide apart, and his head rested on the soft back of the throne chair, but his eyes were closely following the two guests.

Amanda looked at her brother with a mixture of fear and disbelief in her own eyes, it was a completely different person, cruel, unshakable and insensitive. She helped Dexter up and took out a handkerchief to apply to the bleeding wound in his chest. Of course, his wound gradually began to heal, but it will take some more time for him to fully heal. Their eyes met and they both realized that they were in a situation they had not met before.

Even after the death of Artemis that Dexter haven’t met before, Amanda saw how her brother was going crazy, he was like a brainless monster who succumbed to instincts. But even then, he limited himself to killing witches. But now he went even further, was he going to take over the entire continent? How many more innocent victims do you need to calm the monster that has captured his soul?

- Why don’t we come and pay a nice visit to our old friends? - The corners of Raphael’s lips lifted a little, although his eyes were still sternly impenetrable.