The Dread of Damned

I took the vase in my hands. It was strangely weightless, neither cold nor warm. Moonlight surged around me, a thick silver stream weaving through the air and into the vase.

Slowly, I brought it to my lips and tipped it back. The cool liquid slid down my throat, spreading through my body like a slow-burning current.

I felt it everywhere—threading through my veins, settling deep in my core. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the moonlight stopped surging. It returned to spilling into the lake, its purity restored.

I waited. Expected a change. A blow. A revelation.

But nothing happened.

A strange sensation coiled around my heart. The liquid had formed a cage-like stream around it, yet it remained dormant.

"This was to be expected," the elder said, his voice calm.

"The sacred water increases your affinity for moonlight, drawing it to you. But your power depends on the essence, not pure moonlight alone."

"So it will only activate once I become a Supreme One," I murmured, understanding at last.

The elder nodded. "Come back when you are ready to break through. This place holds the densest concentration of moonlight in all of House Aestherisin."

I gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

With that, I left the cave. The elders followed me to the entrance, bowing in farewell.

Lucian closed the carriage door behind me, and we retraced the path we had taken to arrive. Before long, the castle loomed ahead.

I stepped out, climbing the grand staircase.

Just as I reached the top floor, Eldon appeared before me.

"Your Highness, your presence is required in the grand hall," he reported.

I nodded, already moving. "What's happening?"

"The representatives from the four grand houses have arrived on the border."

I stilled for only a moment. "What do they want?"

"They have not yet arrived in the castle, they are being escorted right now, but we believe they're here in response to the recent crackdown on the Damned," Eldon explained.

So they came faster than expected. I had anticipated a reaction—just not this soon.

We reached the towering doors. The guards stepped aside and pulled them open. Inside, my father sat upon the throne, my mother at his side. The elders were already gathered below them.

Moonlight streamed through the high windows, casting a silver glow across the dark stone floor. The towering pillars loomed, heavy with tension.

I walked forward, up the steps, and took my seat beside my father.

The elders bowed. "Greetings, Your Royal Highness."

I dismissed the formalities with a slight gesture.

"Speak," I commanded.

Victor stepped forward, his voice measured as he explained the situation.

"The representatives from the four grand houses have arrived for a meeting with us. We believe their main reason is our swift handling of the new bullet threat—by creating enchanted armor—and our rapid elimination of the Damned within our ranks."

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle before continuing.

"Meanwhile, the other grand houses are still struggling with Damned attacks and intelligence leaks."

A quiet murmur passed through the gathered council. The contrast between House Aestherisin's efficiency and the others' struggles was clear.

"For starters, we suspect they may want enchanted armor from us," Victor went on. "As we all know, only House Aestherisin possesses the mystical power of enchantment among the nocturnal houses."

Unlike the other houses, which each had a single specialized power, Aestherisin alone wielded mystical abilities—making them invaluable, yet also a target.

"They are reaching the castle," Eldon reported.

"Should we give them the armor?" someone asked.

Victor shook his head slightly. "We need to negotiate. We hold the advantage, and we must use it."

"Now that we have officially declared His Highness as the successor, they may also request a grand summit," Kai Rylan suggested.

A ripple of understanding passed through the room.

A summit. A competition.

For generations, House Aestherisin had been the last of the grand houses to name a successor. Now, with me formally recognized as crown prince, the others would seize the opportunity to call for a grand summit.

The summit was more than a mere gathering—it was a battlefield. A test of strength and strategy, where the heirs of each house were pitted against one another. Officially, it was a way for the new generation to become familiar with one another. Unofficially, it was a contest to establish dominance, a precursor to the balance of power in the years to come.

After all, a grand house could only be as powerful as its leader.

"Let them propose it," I said coolly. "It's not as if we fear them."

"They have arrived," Eldon announced.

All conversation ceased. The air shifted, thick with anticipation.

"Let them in," my father commanded.

The grand doors swung open, and four figures stepped inside.

Two men. Two women.

Each bore the unmistakable hair and eye color of their respective houses, marking their lineage as clearly as a crest on a banner. Their presence carried the weight of their houses' authority, and yet, as they approached, I could feel their attention fixed on me.

They reached the center of the hall, the elders standing in solemn rows beside them. My parents and I sat above them, watching.

As one, they bowed. "We greet the House Aestherisin."

"At ease," my father replied. They straightened, but I did not miss how their eyes flickered back to me.

Victor, ever the tactician, let a smirk play at his lips. "What a coincidence that all four representatives arrive at the same time."

One of the women, her piercing purple eyes sharp as a blade, met his gaze and smiled. "Elder Victor, what can we do? We were simply eager to greet the new successor of House Aestherisin."

Her gaze snapped to me, scanning, measuring.

I held her stare, offering no reaction as she bowed in greeting.

"We apologize for the lack of ceremony, Your Highness," she said smoothly. "We brought lines upon lines of gifts to honor your ascension—but they were not permitted past the castle gates."

I regarded her evenly. "No need to worry," I said, my tone as dry as untouched parchment. "We will see your gifts when the time is right."

A flicker of something—amusement? Annoyance?—passed through her expression, but she quickly masked it.

The game had begun.