Hellbound Heart

Chapter 367  Descent

Midnight. Outside the Reigns castle…

Sebastian stood there silently. His demeanor remained calm, and his piercing grey eyes were unflinchingly fixed on the grand structure before him.

The rain was strong. The wind howled, rustling the leaves and causing the ancient trees to groan in response. This entire hill, upon which the Reigns castle majestically stood, seemed caught in the heart of the raging storm.

With barely a sound, Lucas appeared, landing swiftly and gracefully next to Sebastian. His arrival was heralded only by the subtle rustling of his coat, which fluttered like the wings of a nocturnal creature.

"It's about time, Your Highness," Lucas said, his voice cool and composed despite the chaos around them.

Sebastian gave a slight nod, his face partially hidden by the cascading rain. "Don't you think this storm is a bit too much?" he inquired.

"Ehm… I think so too, actually. Alexander seemed a bit overdoing it. The human soldiers trying to cross the borders are said to be literally pushed back by these fierce gusts right now." A smirk played on Lucas's lips. "But don't worry, he's just probably indulging himself after refraining from using his power for so long."

Sebastian sighed let out a thoughtful sigh. "Well, he claims to be a civilized person now."

"Exactly. So he's not going to cause any unnecessary deaths, and that's the only thing that matters–"

Suddenly, a tree branch, propelled by the furious wind, hurtled towards Lucas, causing him to sidestep and dodge.

"Probably…" Lucas continued.

Sebastian's expression abruptly changed. His eyes, once pensive, now bore such incredible intensity. This change did not escape Lucas, who felt an immediate tug at his warrior instincts, causing him to immediately turn serious.

"As planned, I'm getting in first." Sebastian declared and with that, he took a confident stride towards the looming entrance of the castle. "Please be careful, Your Highness." Lucas told him. "Don't forget someone is waiting for your return in Black Forest."

At the mention of Black Forest, a hint of warmth touched Sebastian's eyes. The corner of his lip curled into a half-smile. "I know," he whispered. And then, like a wisp of shadow, he disappeared into the castle's ominous darkness,

Once Sebastian was gone, Lucas took a deep breath. He raised his hand, and almost instantly, from the shadows, figures emerged, their pallor skin contrasting starkly against the dark backdrop. The vampires stood in silent formation, their crimson eyes aglow, radiating an otherworldly energy and readiness.

When all lights in the castle were extinguished, indicating that all was set, Lucas' senses sharpened. He could hear the subtlest rustling, feel the pulse of every creature nearby. He raised his hand again, and with a swift movement, signaled the next phase of their strategy.

Responding with supernatural agility, the vampires surged forward. Their movements, a blur to the human eye, bore the elegance of predators and the discipline of elite warriors.

…

Sebastian's footsteps echoed through the sinister silence of the throne hall, a space once adorned with grandeur, now transformed into a scene of horror.

The scent of blood was potent and lifeless bodies scattered on the floor.

At the center, upon the majestic throne carved from obsidian and adorned with gemstones that symbolized the Reigns' lineage, sat Elijah. There was a woman in his lap. Her face bore a vacant expression as the last of her essence was drained by the prince. When Elijah pulled his face away from her neck, the crimson stream flowed freely, dripping onto the cold marble floor.

Elijah then discarded the woman's lifeless body. His eyes, that used to have the regal crimson glow that a Reign prince possess, now held a hellish hue of the darkest red. His skin was now pallid and cadaverous. His hands were claw-like, and his veins, now had the same color as his eyes, protruded prominently against his ash-colored and corpse-like skin.

The remnants of his princely demeanor and elegant appearance were now completely gone. At the entrance of the hall, Sebastian stood tall, his posture unyielding but his eyes blazed a fiery crimson, reflecting both his royal lineage and his fury. The sight before him was a perversion of everything the Reigns stood for!

This man before him could no longer be called a Reign. No, this creature was no longer even a vampire. He's now… a corrupted being. In short, a mindless monster. The signs of corruption were obvious: the eyes devoid of humanity, the corpse-like skin, the color of his protruding veins and the insatiable thirst for blood and death. Since… when? When had Elijah started this descent into darkness? When had Elijah even become corrupted?

Vampire corruption was something that was unheard of for centuries. Vampires were immune to sickness. However, within their seemingly invulnerable existence, there was one affliction they acknowledged as one and only true vampire's ailment: Corruption. The knowledge surrounding this ominous condition was scarce because there were only three vampires throughout the entirety of vampiric history that had developed or had been hit by this so called Corruption. Strikingly, all three were blue-blooded, and were direct heirs to the vampire throne. This led many to speculate that Corruption was only confined to the male Reigns.

It was also said that once this nefarious condition took hold, hope for reversion to their former selves was zero. The exact cause of this corruption also remains a mystery, with no definitive explanation provided in any records.

And one of the worst thing about this was that these corrupted heirs will not only lose their humanity. Their powers and abilities will also reach far beyond their pinnacle, automatically turning them into destructive creatures that were nothing but a massive danger to the world. In fact, it was said that two corrupted princes long time ago had lived for countless of years, wreaking havoc, and causing so much death and destruction because none could stand against them. Elijah's voice, tainted with an eerie fusion of cruel delight and hollow malevolence, resonated through the hall. "You're finally here, my dearest brother," he murmured, his words ringing like a mournful hymn signaling a prince's descent into darkness and the rise of a true monster.