"Why... why?"
Those were the last words she spoke. They lingered in the air like a poisoned memory, echoing in the mind of a man who had long ago forgotten how to trust. For eons, the world of humans and the world of vampires were believed to be two parallel universes that would never meet. This was the absolute truth every vampire lived by—a deep-seated conviction that coexistence was impossible, and that both the strong and the weak among us were destined to remain forever behind the borders of the night.
We watched them from behind a veil, witnessing the vibrant details of their lives in the morning while we inhabited the suffocating shadows of the night. To them, we were nothing but a myth—the living embodiment of "Evil." To us, they were the owners of the world we had always craved... until now.
Every year, when the moon completes its crimson transformation, a single window of opportunity opens to conquer that radiant world. But the key has always been missing: a fragment of the "Life Stone." This relic, which sustains human existence and balances the scales of the world, is hidden where no light can reach and no sun can find. No human knows its location, and no vampire dares to seek it; for our bodies would dissolve into mist the moment we attempted to reach the surface.
Amidst these obstacles, Professor Alfred searched for a breakthrough in his laboratory, tucked away in the depths of a vast cavern. It was more than a room; it was a sanctuary of forbidden science, smelling of damp earth and the rhythmic drip-drip-drip of water from rocky crevices. In the dark corners, iron cages held hybrid beasts—lions and tigers with piercing red eyes, the twisted results of merging vampire blood with predators. On his shoulder sat a black crow, a sharp-eyed and loyal companion. Despite the chaos, Alfred was meticulously organized; his journals were handmade from animal hides, and within those pages, he brewed a recipe for a nightmare: a drop of human blood to create a "Hybrid"—the only hope of fulfilling the dream of colonizing the lost world.
The heavy silence was shattered by the arrival of the heir apparent, Leo. His crimson eyes scanned the room like a predator, and his raspy voice cut through the stillness: — "Is it ready?" Alfred's hands trembled as he replied: — "Yes... just a few drops will paralyze the senses. Whoever drinks it will lose the ability to speak or hear. They will become a silent witness to their own downfall." Leo took the vial coldly, a wicked smile spreading across his face—a smile that only made his harsh features look more cruel. — "Good. Give it to me, and forget I was ever here."
In our world, defiance against the Noble Family meant certain death. Soon, a chaotic scream erupted from the royal dining hall: "The King has fallen!" The King was carried to his chambers like a living corpse—pale, motionless, and silent. Only his eyes moved, darting in silent terror, following Leo and staring at him alone, fixed in an unmoving accusation. Leo seized the throne immediately, declaring his father incapacitated and unfit to rule. But that incapacity did not mean the start of a new era of peace or approval for Leo's reign; though no one truly agreed in their hearts, Leo was the only option—the sole heir to a King who had no other sons.
The Queen entered the room, her eyes burning with a mixture of rage and grief. She stood defiantly before Leo and said: — "I will never accept this... and you will never be crowned King as long as I draw breath."
Leo looked at her with cold indifference, his eyes wandering toward the throne. — "There is no other choice, Mother. If no one rules this kingdom, we will become easy prey for our enemies and drown in weakness. As for that old man... if you are waiting for him to rise again, I suggest you forget it."
The Queen stepped closer, her voice trembling with bitterness: — "You did this! How could your heart allow you to do this to your own father?"
Leo didn't move a muscle; he didn't even bother to respond. He turned to leave the room with steady strides, but his mother's scream stopped him at the door: — "Listen to me! You will never be the true ruler of this world as long as I am alive!"
Leo paused for a moment without looking back. His voice was flat and final: — "This day was coming regardless, sooner or later. It would be best for you to accept reality."
Leo returned to the Professor with a darker demand: — "I want a poison that ends life in an instant." — "I cannot!" Alfred cried out in despair. "I will not harm my own kind!" Leo looked at him with pure disdain. "Then think of your young daughter... perhaps she will be the one to complete your work when she grows up. That is, if she lives that long."
Broken and cornered, Alfred surrendered to Leo's demands, especially after Leo leaned in and whispered in a voice dripping with venom: — "Since you refused me at first, you will be the one to serve the poison to your mistress, the Queen, with your own hand. This is the only price for my forgiveness—and for your life."
The Professor tried to find a loophole, any way to escape this nightmare without committing such a heinous crime. But the image of his little daughter never left his mind; he knew for a fact that Leo was not joking, and that he was truly capable of ending her life in cold blood. After a bitter struggle with his conscience and deep reflection that yielded no escape, Alfred realized he had no choice but to submit and do exactly what Leo wanted.
During the royal banquet, as "Venison cooked in bat blood" was served to the Queen, a guard's voice rang out: "Traitor! Traitor!" Alfred was "caught" poisoning the Queen's plate—a meticulous setup orchestrated by Leo to frame the Professor and wash his own hands of the crime. The Queen rushed to the cell, her eyes overflowing with the bitterness of betrayal: — "Were you the reason for what happened to my husband, too?" Before Alfred could speak, Leo's voice cut through from the shadows: — "How can a traitor confess? Such creatures have no honor."
Leo dragged his mother away and addressed the angry mob: — "People! This man tried to kill your Queen! Professor Alfred is no longer one of us!"
And so, the great scientist was cast out. Exiled from the vampire world, he was thrown into the world of humans... carrying nothing but the dangerous secrets of his research hidden in his pocket.