The doors of the library closed softly behind me, muffling the scent of aged parchment and old ink.
Ligia's footsteps echoed quietly through the mansion's corridors.
She sighed.
Her mind was a storm.
The story of my family still rang in my blood like an ancestral whisper on the edge of turning into a roar.
I sighed.
But I didn't have time to dive deeper into my thoughts.
An elegant shadow appeared at my side.
"Miss," said Vael, his voice low and deep, like distant thunder over a golden field
"Dinner is served"
I raised an eyebrow
"As always, punctual like a possessed clock"
He didn't respond. He just looked at me with that enchanted stone expression
The kind of man who seems ripped from a book of honor and tragedy
The kind who could destroy you or protect you with the same intensity
The silent-alpha type with eyes that deserved their own color name
I laughed inwardly at the thought
I followed his steps
We crossed golden corridors under the soft glow of crystal lamps
Everything felt more solemn, as if the house itself whispered of some invisible preparation
When we reached the Solar Hall, the double doors opened like stage curtains
There they were
My father, imposing at the head of the table
My little sister, eating fruit like a peaceful fairy
Dorian, half-lidded eyes, calculating expression
"Good evening" I murmured as I sat in my usual seat
"Good evening, sis" said Clarisse with a sweet smile
"You were reading, weren't you"
"A book about crimson roses and charming vampires"
My father raised his eyes
"The lineage must be known. Then you know we must prepare"
Silence fell
Dorian cut his meat with surgical precision, but his gaze lingered on me, evaluating
"Prepare for what, exactly" I asked, playing with the linen napkin
"A ball? Or another one of those meetings where everyone debates who married who for convenience"
"Don't joke about this, Ligia" said the Count firmly
"I'm talking about the Awakening Ritual"
The air seemed to freeze
Even the holographic cat, who was chewing on an invisible pixel by my side, stopped
"Awakening by ritual sounds... uncomfortable"
"It's the process by which we activate the family's vampiric lineage. You are sixteen summers. You're late, but still within the acceptable window. In three days, we begin"
The meat lost its flavor
The room seemed to shrink
The food went down like stone. The fork trembled, even though your hand didn't dare to show it
The dress seemed tighter. Or maybe it was the air, contracting with each word spoken
My heart raced, but my face stayed calm
"What if I don't want to"
"It's not a matter of want. It's destiny
You are a daughter of the Crimson Rose. There is no escape"
Dorian cleared his throat. His gaze, half skeptical, half... cautious
"Will it hurt" I asked
"Yes. But afterward, you'll see the world through different eyes"
The table fell silent
Clarisse bit her lip, confused
Vael remained still behind me, like a statue standing guard
Dinner continued calmly
As if words soaked in blood hadn't just been served with the wine
The system whispered in my ear
"If you survive, your base stats will increase significantly. And you'll unlock the Special Training tab"
Tempting...
I ignored it
The weight of the inevitable tore at my nerves with invisible claws
After dinner, I was left alone in the hall
My shadow stretched beneath the ruby-stained glass
I looked at my hands
So human. So... fragile
But in three days, they might hold enough power to crush fate itself
Only the whispers of the night breeze passed through the curtains, touching the furniture with cold fingers
I returned to my room in silence
The constant purr of the holographic cat followed me
I sighed
My shoulders sagged under the weight of another day of revelations, realities, and expectations
As I opened the door, I whispered to no one, only to the shadows
"Let the duties wait for tomorrow"
The bath was warm
It washed the thoughts away like foam slipping down the drain
Afterward, I put on a light nightgown and lay between sheets as white as clouds
But sleep... didn't come
I turned to one side. Then the other. I sighed
I opened my eyes in the dark, staring at the ceiling as if it could answer me
"Peste, are you there"
The cat, curled at the foot of the bed like a lazy spirit, opened one glowing eye
"That's not my name, you idiotic host"
"Can you tell me... what the Awakening Ritual is like"
He stopped licking his paw. Tilted his head
For a moment, there was silence
Then, in a tone more neutral than usual, he answered
"The Awakening Ritual is a pact sealed with Velmor, the God of Contracts
Created by the firstborn of House d'Argêntea
Using his bloodline, soul magic, and mystical clauses, he created a tradition that binds the family to its own destiny"
"Contract"
"Yes
By participating, your body connects to the ancestral bloodline, activating inherited traits
Strength, longevity, enhanced senses, control over shadows, blood, and vampiric instinct"
He paused
A beat of silence
"But there's a price"
I sat up slightly, eyes shining in the dimness
"What's the price"
He stared at me, eyes like blades of crystal
"...I won't tell you"
"What? Why"
He turned away. Ignored me
"Because it's more fun that way"
"Stupid system"
"You say that, but I'm the only one telling you truths in this castle" he murmured, his tail swaying like a bored serpent
I went quiet
My breathing was calm. My thoughts? Galloping stallions
"You said I can't break the family rules... what kind of rules"
"Never betray the blood
Never break an Argêntea oath
Never refuse the Clan's call"
"And if I do"
"The contract consumes your essence
Your soul shatters into fragments
It's absorbed into the bloodline
You become a voiceless specter of yourself
Forever trapped in the house's memory"
The words fell on her like a glass rain
She swallowed hard
The threat was cruel, elegant, and absolute
Like everything in this damned nobility
"No one told me this during morning class"
"Of course not
Only those who truly awaken... know"
"And why did you tell me"
He looked at me, almost serious
"Because, despite being an idiot, you still have to continue this story
And maybe... just maybe... you have the potential to rewrite it"
I smiled to the side
A tired smile, but a sincere one
"You're a manipulative damn cat"
"I'm a system. I just took the form of a cat because humans like cute things"
I lay back down. Eyes fixed on the ceiling
"Will I survive this"
He approached, lay on my chest with the unreal weight of a comfortable illusion
"I don't know
But it'll be fun watching you try"
I let out a soft laugh
I closed my eyes
Now the room felt less cold. Less lonely
Even with a system purring on top of me
"Good night, Peste"
"Good night, host
May your nightmares be educational
Or at least cinematic"