"Phantom Rebirth: The Last White Raven’s Path to the Ultimate Assassin"

A cold wind swept through the towering spires of Von Manor, its gothic architecture looming like a fortress of darkness. The moon cast its pale glow over the grand estate, illuminating the crimson banners that bore the sigil of the Von family—a coiled serpent with piercing eyes.

Deep within the manor, beyond the grand halls lined with ancient tapestries and flickering chandeliers, a meeting was underway.

Salazar Grimm Von, the patriarch of the Von bloodline, sat at the head of a long obsidian table. His fingers, pale and clawed, tapped rhythmically against the polished surface. His crimson eyes burned with an ancient intensity, his presence alone commanding silence.

Seated beside him were the last remnants of his once-mighty house:

• Magnus Von, the eldest and most ruthless of his sons, a warlord draped in black armor etched with runes of blood magic.

• Orpheus Von, the youngest, whose emerald eyes shimmered with intelligence, though his sharp tongue often earned him his father’s ire.

• General Veyron Malakar, his most trusted enforcer, a towering figure clad in crimson robes, his every movement laced with lethal precision.

• Several trusted advisors, each of them ancient, their faces lined with the wisdom and cruelty of centuries.

The chamber was lit by a massive chandelier fashioned from blackened bone

Orpheus leaned back, his arms crossed. “We need to talk about the increasing attacks. Seraphis is systematically eliminating our strongholds. She’s already wiped out Zepharion, and if the reports are true—”

Magnus scoffed, cutting him off. “We don’t need reports. We need action. She’s a pest, and we’ve entertained her long enough.”

Salazar remained silent, his sharp gaze drifting between his sons. He had ruled for centuries, long enough to know that patience was often more deadly than rage.

Then, a knock echoed against the heavy doors of the chamber.

A pale servant entered, his hands trembling as he clutched a parchment sealed in blood-red wax. “My lord… a letter has arrived.”

Salazar took the letter, breaking the seal with a flick of his clawed hand. As his crimson eyes scanned the words, his expression darkened. A low growl rumbled from his throat, a sound that sent a shiver through the gathered nobles.

The room fell into silence.

Finally, Salazar spoke, his voice like a blade cutting through the still air.

"Read it aloud."

The servant’s hands shook as he unfolded the parchment and began to read:

"Salazar Grimm Von,

The blood of your kin stains the earth, yet you cower in the shadows. Zepharion begged for his life. Orpheus died without a whisper. Their deaths were unworthy. Is this the legacy of the Von family? A line of weaklings who fall one by one?

Come to Raven Tower. Bring what remains of your dying house. Prove you are not a coward.

Or continue to hide while I hunt your family into extinction.

The choice is yours.

Seraphis."

The parchment crumbled beneath Salazar’s grasp, his nails puncturing the delicate paper.

Silence stretched in the chamber, thick with unspoken fury.

Orpheus exhaled sharply. “She’s mocking us.”

Magnus clenched his fists. “She thinks she can dictate the end of the Von bloodline? Insolence.”

Veyron Malakar, the general, leaned forward, his voice measured. “She’s baiting you, my lord. She wants you to march into her domain on her terms.”

Salazar’s lips curled into a slow, predatory smile. “She is clever.” He tapped a single finger against the table. “But she underestimates us.”

One of the advisors, an elder vampire with hollowed cheeks, nodded. “She has picked off the weak, yes, but you are not weak, my lord. You are the darkness that ruled before she was even a thought.”

Orpheus smirked. “She’s expecting a direct confrontation. We should give her something unexpected.”

Magnus growled. “Why not raze Raven Tower to the ground?”

Salazar chuckled, the sound deep and bone-chilling. “Because we are not mindless beasts. We are hunters.” His fingers curled into a fist. “And she will learn the difference soon enough.”

Veyron unfolded a map across the table, detailing Raven Tower and the surrounding regions.

"She has chosen her battlefield, but we will dictate the war." His finger traced along the routes leading to the fortress.

One of the advisors nodded. “We have spies within the outer towns. We can send a force to smoke her out before she even reaches Raven Tower.”

Salazar’s eyes glowed like embers in the dim light. “No. We go to her, but we bring the full might of the Von bloodline.”

The room tensed.

"You mean—" Magnus’s eyes widened slightly.

Salazar’s smile widened, revealing his razor-sharp fangs. “Yes. We awaken the sleepers.”

A ripple of realization spread through the room. The "sleepers"—ancient vampires entombed in blood-iron coffins, warriors of an age when the world trembled at their feet.

Orpheus’s expression turned grim. “If we release them, there is no turning back.”

Salazar rose from his chair, his black cloak cascading around him like flowing ink.

"Then let there be no turning back."

Orders were given. Seals were broken. Deep beneath Von Manor, the crypts stirred.

As the first coffin cracked open, a single, guttural breath echoed through the darkness.

The war had begun.