The city bled neon and rain.
Thornevale never slept, but Kael Vireon hadn't dreamed in over a century. Not since the night he was exiled, stripped of his fangs and his crown, left to rot among the humans he once fed on. Now he lived like a shadow—part myth, part man, all regret.
The club was loud. Bass thrummed like a heartbeat through the floor. Kael stood in the corner, shrouded in black, watching the mortals dance—so fragile, so alive. He hadn't fed in three days, not properly. Blood pouches dulled the edge, but the hunger was always there.
And tonight… he wasn't just hungry.
He was being watched.
"You're late, Prince of Ruin."
The voice slid through the music like silk over steel. Kael didn't turn. He recognized the scent before the words—night jasmine, burnt sage, and old magic. Selira Nox, witch of the fallen order. Her heels clicked as she approached, eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
Kael smiled without warmth.
"I'm not a prince anymore."
"No," she purred, stepping close enough for the crowd to fade. "But you're still cursed. And the Void wants you back."
The name hit him like cold fire—Selorantei.
He hadn't heard it spoken in years.
He turned then, slowly. His eyes—silver veined with black—met hers.
"Where did you hear that name?"
Selira leaned in, her breath grazing his ear.
"They say the Void has awakened. And it's looking… for the one who broke it."
👑 End of chapter one teaser.