"It is…"
He paused.
"My twin brother."
A wave of murmurs swept through the court.
Veltherion slowly lifted his head and looked directly at the Queen.
"…Keltherion."
The name echoed across the vast hall like a dropped blade.
Several nobles stiffened immediately.
Even the Vampire King's expression darkened.
Veltherion continued, his voice steady despite the weight of the accusation.
"Yes, Mother," he said quietly. "It was Keltherion."
The Queen did not move.
Her crimson eyes remained fixed on him.
The torches flickered softly along the stone walls, shadows dancing across the silent court.
Because accusing an enemy was one thing.
But accusing your own twin brother…
That was something else entirely.
The Queen did not react immediately.
Her crimson eyes remained fixed on Veltherion, cold and unreadable.
For a moment, the throne room was completely silent.
Then she spoke.
"And where," she asked slowly, her voice carrying a dangerous calm, "is he right now?"
The question echoed through the hall.
Veltherion straightened slightly, but there was a faint tension in his posture now.
"Missing," he replied.
A ripple of unease moved through the gathered nobles.
The Queen's fingers tapped once against the arm of her throne.
"Missing," she repeated softly.
Her gaze sharpened.
"So the traitor has already fled."
Behind her, Crimson Death gave another faint metallic tremble, the low hum vibrating through the chamber.
The Queen leaned back again, her expression darkening slightly.
"How… predictable."
Veltherion bowed his head slightly.
"We tried to find him," he said.
His voice was calm, but there was a faint frustration beneath it.
"We searched the entire empire."
The court listened in silence.
"But he is not here."
A murmur spread among the nobles.
Veltherion continued.
"He has already fled."
The Queen's crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
"Fled where?"
Veltherion exhaled slowly.
"We believe he escaped beyond our borders," he replied.
"To another empire… or another kingdom."
The words settled heavily in the hall.
Escaping the Vampire Empire was not something done lightly.
It meant planning.
Help.
Possibly allies.
The Queen leaned back in her throne, her gaze turning colder.
"So," she murmured.
"A traitor… hiding among our enemies."
Behind her, Crimson Death gave a faint metallic hum again.
As if the sword itself disapproved.
Veltherion shook his head slowly.
"No," he said. "Not enemies, Mother."
The Queen's crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
"You may not know this," he continued carefully, "because you were asleep for a very long time."
A faint ripple passed through the court at that bold reminder.
Veltherion gestured slightly in my direction.
"But Felix… this human…"
Great.
Here we go again.
"When Father asked him what reward he wanted for saving Lilith from the bandits," Veltherion continued, "he promised to grant him anything."
The Queen raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
Veltherion allowed a faint smile to appear.
"You will not believe what he asked for."
Now the entire hall turned toward me again.
Lucien leaned closer and whispered, barely containing his grin.
"…You really enjoy causing chaos, don't you?"
I groaned quietly.
Because somehow—
I had the feeling this was about to become very embarrassing.
Veltherion looked back at the Queen.
"He asked for a treaty," he said.
The Queen's eyebrow lifted slightly.
"A treaty?"
Veltherion nodded.
"Yes. The Great Race Treaty."
A murmur moved through the court, though many already knew the story. Lucien didn't look surprised at all—he simply folded his arms, watching the Queen's reaction with interest.
Veltherion continued.
"When Father offered him any reward for saving Lilith from the bandits…"
He gestured slightly toward me.
"…this human asked for something no king, lord, or conqueror has asked for before."
The Queen's crimson gaze shifted slowly toward me.
"And what was that?" she asked.
Veltherion answered calmly.
"A world where every race lives together."
"No resentment."
"No hatred."
"No endless wars between kingdoms, vampires, humans, or werewolves."
"A single treaty… binding them as allies."
The hall fell quiet again.
This time, the silence was different.
Not confusion.
Reflection.
Because most of them had already heard the request before.
But hearing it spoken again—before the Immortal Queen herself—made it sound far more dangerous.
The Queen studied me for a long moment.
Then she said quietly:
"…How naive."
Veltherion continued, his voice steady as he addressed the Queen.
"And Father accepted it."
A few nobles shifted slightly, remembering the moment.
"The treaty," he said, "was agreed upon in principle."
The Queen's crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
"And the human?" she asked.
Veltherion gestured faintly toward me.
"He accepted something as well."
The entire court seemed to focus on me again.
"He agreed to become the witness of the treaty."
A murmur spread through the hall.
Not a ruler.
Not a king.
A witness.
Someone who would stand between races and remind them of the promise they made.
The Queen leaned back slowly in her throne, studying me with renewed interest.
"So," she murmured.
"A human who wishes to unite the races…"
Her eyes glinted faintly.
"…and the one who will witness the promise meant to bind them."
She rested her chin in her hand again.
"How very unusual."
The Queen watched me for a long moment.
Her crimson eyes studied me carefully, as if measuring something far deeper than my words.
Then she leaned back in her throne, resting her chin on her hand again.
"Well, kid," she said at last.
Her voice was calm, almost casual—like she was discussing the weather instead of the future of a kingdom.
"If you want…"
She gestured lazily toward Lilith.
"I can arrange your engagement to my daughter."
The words dropped into the hall like a stone in still water.
Several nobles stiffened.
Lucien nearly choked beside me.
Lilith blinked.
And every single vampire in the room suddenly looked at me again.
Waiting.
To see what the human would say.
The entire court was watching me.
Even the Queen.
I took a slow breath and straightened slightly.
"Your Majesty," I said carefully.
"I… can't accept it."
A ripple of surprise moved through the throne hall.
Lucien turned his head sharply toward me.
Lilith blinked.
Even Veltherion looked mildly interested.
I continued, forcing the words out honestly.
"Not yet."
The Queen's crimson eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't interrupt.
"After what happened," I said, my voice quieter now, "I realized something."
My hands clenched slightly at my sides as the memory of the attack returned.
"I'm still weak."
The words felt heavy in the silent hall.
"If that Alpha had been stronger…"
I paused.
"If things had gone differently…"
My gaze lowered for a moment.
"I might not have been able to save the people I care about."
The room stayed silent.
Then I lifted my head again.
"So before I accept something like that…"
My voice steadied.
"I need to become stronger."
Strong enough…
"To protect those I like."
For a moment, the Queen simply stared at me.
And the court waited to see how she would respond.
The Queen studied me for a moment longer.
Then she leaned back in her throne, her expression returning to that calm, almost bored look she wore so often.
"Very well," she said.
Her voice carried easily across the silent hall.
"If strength is what you seek…"
She paused briefly.
"…then you will obtain it here."
A few nobles exchanged surprised glances.
The Queen lifted one hand slightly and gestured toward the tall figure standing among her sons.
"Atherion."
The eldest brother straightened at the mention of his name.
"You will train him," the Queen continued calmly.
"Until he learns everything he needs to survive in this world."
The words echoed through the chamber.
Lucien leaned toward me again and whispered quietly,
"…Congratulations."
I slowly turned my head toward him.
"For what?"
He smiled faintly.
"You just got recruited into the most terrifying training program in the empire."
Across the hall, Atherion was already watching me.
And somehow…
That felt even more dangerous than the Queen.
And that was how it ended.
Or at least… how that chapter of my life ended.
Back then, I never imagined how much things would change.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
Training began, and soon the days started blending together. Morning drills, endless lessons, sword practice until my arms felt like they would fall off, lectures about politics, history, magic—everything the empire thought I needed to survive.
At some point, time stopped feeling normal.
Days became months.
Months became years.
And before I truly realized it…