Inside, past dark verandas and halls whose walls were carved with histories long forgotten, stood a gigantic door adorned with bronze, copper, and gold. With a low groan, it swung open, revealing a vast courtroom. The room was filled with rows of figures, all clad in the same distinctive violet cloaks.

In the center of the hall, three figures lay unconscious on the cold marble floor: Torfyn, Amanda, and Wei. Kneeling beside them were the three cloaked individuals who had brought them there.

Torfyn was the first to stir. His eyes snapped open, and the memory of the fight and the silver-induced darkness flooded back. He saw the man with the golden eyes—Dylan—kneeling nearby. A surge of anger overpowered his confusion. With a snarl, his arm shifted, claws erupting from his fingertips. He launched himself at Dylan.

But Dylan was ready. He moved with a blur of speed, catching Torfyn’s wrist with one hand, stopping the attack effortlessly.

“You… you poisoned me!” Torfyn growled, struggling against the iron grip. “Where am I? Where did you bring me?”

The commotion woke Amanda and Wei. Amanda’s eyes glowed crimson as she saw the vampire woman, Siya, who had captured her. “You!” she hissed, baring her fangs. Wei, meanwhile, scrambled backward, his mind racing to piece together the strange new environment and the hostile faces.

The hall erupted into a cacophony of their shouts and accusations.

“SILENCE.”

A single word, spoken by a voice of pure, commanding power, echoed through the hall. It was not loud, but it carried an immense, crushing aura that pressed down on everyone. The three teenagers froze, a primal fear silencing their protests. Their eyes were drawn to the far end of the hall.

There, on a throne that dominated the room, sat a woman. She was majestic, dangerous, and breathtakingly beautiful. Her long black hair cascaded over a dress of violet and black that spoke of absolute authority. Her eyes, a dark, ancient red, held them captive.

“Welcome to my palace,” she said, her voice now calm but no less powerful. “I am Ahalya, though you may know me as the Blood Queen.”

The name hit them like a physical blow. Torfyn’s heart hammered in his chest. The Blood Queen? The one Grandfather warned me about? How can I ever hope to avenge my clan against someone this powerful?

The fear curdled into a desperate, furious courage. He stepped forward, his voice trembling but clear. “You… you are the Blood Queen? Why did you kill my grandfather? Why my entire clan?” He clenched his fists, his body shaking with rage. “I will make you pay for that!”

A stunned silence fell over the entire court. The queen didn’t react with anger. Instead, she looked at him, a flicker of sympathy in her crimson eyes. She then glanced at the three kneeling generals, her expression unreadable, before returning her gaze to Torfyn.

“Who told you that I killed your clan?” she asked softly. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if feeling the weight of his pain. When she opened them, she addressed all three of them. “I am truly sorry for what has happened to you all. But you have been misled. I will explain everything. And I need your help to stop what is coming.”

Wei found his voice, his concern for his sister overriding his fear. “The woman who took my sister… who is she? What do they want with her?”

“I will tell you everything,” the queen promised. She looked at Amanda. “Have you ever heard the story about an evil lord and his two children?”

Amanda, cautious, replied, “Yes… I read it in a book. The son sacrificed his life to seal the Dark Lord away.”

Ahalya nodded, a hint of sadness on her face. “That is not a story. It is history. Twenty-five thousand years ago, there was the first vampire. He lived with his family—his wife, a powerful witch, and his twelve loyal followers. He had two children: a son, gifted in magic, and a daughter, strong in vampiric power. They lived in harmony.” The queen paused, her expression darkening. “Then, one day, their mother died. The reason is lost to time. Her death broke the lord. He was consumed by fury and grief, and began to rule the world with an iron fist, believing his cruel ways would create a better world.”

“His children could not accept this. The daughter, the sister, tricked the twelve generals away, while the son confronted his father alone. It was a battle of immense power, and the sister soon joined the fight. In the end, the brother used a forbidden magic to seal the Dark Lord away. To contain the explosive power of the spell, he had to seal himself along with his father. Otherwise, the world would have been destroyed.”

“With the lord sealed, the power of the twelve generals was halved. The supernatural world fell into chaos. So, the sister took it upon herself to rule, to maintain the balance. She became known as the Blood Queen.”

She let the revelation sink in. The figure from the myth was the woman sitting before them.

“The ones who attacked your families are members of the original twelve,” Ahalya continued. “They seek to resurrect my father so they can regain their full power. If he returns, the world as we know it will end.”

Wei’s eyes widened as he connected the dots. “So why do they need us?”

“Because you are unique,” the queen explained. “Wei, you and your sister are rare twin witches, a pairing born once in a millennium. Torfyn, you carry the direct bloodline of Lycan, the first werewolf. And Amanda… your blood is directly connected to the Dark Lord himself.”

The three teenagers stared at her, utterly shocked.

The queen’s voice was grim. “By mixing the blood of all four unique lineages into a single witch’s body and performing a dark ritual sacrifice, they can break the seal.”

Wei’s blood ran cold. “So… Mei is going to be the sacrifice?”

“Yes,” Ahalya confirmed sadly.

“What should we do?” Torfyn asked, his anger toward the queen momentarily replaced by a greater threat.

“We must stop them,” she stated. “They already have your blood samples and a sacrificial vessel. The final component—a massive concentration of magical energy—will be available during the upcoming solar eclipse. We have one month. You must train. We will locate their hideout. The fate of the world depends on it.” The three of them nodded nervously, the immense stakes finally clear.

Amanda then asked the question burning in her heart. “What about my mother? Is she okay?”

The queen’s face softened. “Angela is strong, stronger than you know. She was captured, but she is alive. Do not worry; she will be safe.”

“How… how do you know her?” Amanda pressed.

“She is my Second General. My most trusted friend.”

Amanda took a shaky breath, her final, most terrifying question hanging in the air. “And how… how do I have the Dark Lord’s blood?”

Ahalya’s regal composure finally broke. A wave of guilt and sorrow passed over her features. She looked at her daughter, her voice barely a whisper, yet it echoed in the silent hall.

“Because… you are my daughter.”

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the court. Torfyn and Wei looked at Amanda in stunned silence. Amanda felt the world tilt. She was the daughter of the villain from her storybook? The strongest being in the world?

Seeing the turmoil on her daughter’s face and the unrest in the court, the queen’s sorrow was replaced by regal fury. An overwhelming aura burst from her, shaking the very foundations of the palace.

“ENOUGH!”

The hall fell deathly quiet instantly.

She took a deep breath, her calm mask returning. “Once again, welcome. Accommodation has been arranged for you. I have also assigned you mentors to train you.” She gestured to the three who had brought them. “This is Dylan, one of my best warriors and the Sixth General of my court. He will train you, Torfyn.”

Dylan stood and bowed, his hand over his heart.

“This is Lena, a master of magic and my Fifth General. She will be your guide, Wei.”

Lena offered Wei a small, reassuring smile as she bowed.

“And this is Siya, my Third General and a formidable warrior. She will instruct you, Amanda.” Siya bowed deeply.

“We have one month until the solar eclipse. We must be ready. Now, go and rest. You will need it.” With that final command, Queen Ahalya vanished into thin air.

The oppressive weight in the room lifted. Dylan approached the still-shell-shocked trio. “Come on, let’s get you to your rooms.”

---

As Dylan led Torfyn through the ornate verandas, he could feel the young werewolf’s confusion and tension. When they reached a luxurious, well-furnished room, Dylan paused at the door. “I know it’s a lot to take in,” he said with an understanding tone. “But trust me, you will be fine.” Torfyn simply gave a confused nod and stepped inside.

Meanwhile, Lena was surprised by Wei’s calm demeanor as they walked. After a long silence, Wei spoke. “May I ask a question?”

“Of course,” Lena replied.

“If the queen is this powerful,” Wei asked, his voice thoughtful, “what was her brother like? How strong was he?”

Lena was taken aback by the question. She had expected fear or questions about his sister. “I… I don’t know him personally,” she admitted. “But from Her Majesty’s stories, he was calm, collected, intelligent, and kind-hearted. And yes, he was said to be even stronger than she is.”

A tense smile touched Wei’s lips. “Thank you,” he said quietly.

“You are welcome,” Lena replied, thinking how remarkably mature this boy was for his age.

Siya walked with Amanda, acutely aware of the storm of emotions on the girl’s face—confusion, anger, fear. She didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t make it worse. When they reached Amanda’s door, Siya simply said, “We’ve reached your room.”

But when Siya opened the door, she stiffened. Inside, Queen Ahalya was waiting, seated in a simple chair. She was no longer the commanding monarch, but a woman with kind, regretful eyes.

“Thank you, Siya,” the queen said softly. “I will take it from here.”

Siya bowed and quickly closed the door, relieved. Only the queen can mend this, she thought.

Amanda stood frozen in the doorway. The queen gestured for her to come in. “I do not know what to say to make you understand,” Ahalya began, her voice gentle. “But I beg you to listen to my story.”

Amanda nodded silently, stepping fully into the room.

“Centuries ago,” the queen started, “I was deeply in love with a werewolf. He was kind and charming. His name was Matthew. We were so happy when I became pregnant. Our daughter, Elena, was beautiful.” Ahalya’s eyes welled with tears. “But she was born a queen’s heir, and the burden was heavy. To prove herself, despite our protests, she went to war. Four days later… I felt our bond break. She was gone.”

A tear traced a path down her cheek. “It destroyed us. Matthew never blamed me, but I blamed myself. Years later, a miracle happened. I became pregnant again. But… I lost the baby before it was born. It felt like a punishment. Matthew fell ill from grief and passed away. My world was empty.”

She took a steadying breath. “Centuries later, I was roaming a mortal city, trying to escape my duties, when two thugs confronted me. I was about to deal with them when a man stepped in to protect me. I thought him a foolish human. His name was Alan Savior.” Ahalya managed a small, sad smile. “I teased him about his name. We fell in love. For a year, I was happy. Then, on October 7th, I discovered I was pregnant with you. The old fears returned. And that same day… I received a call. Alan had been killed, shot by a criminal.”

Her voice became hard. “That night, I hunted down his killers and destroyed them all. But I was left with a terrible choice. If I brought you back here, I feared the past would repeat itself. So, I asked my best friend, Angela, to raise you, to give you an ordinary life away from all this… this darkness.”

The queen was now openly crying, the vulnerable mother beneath the crown. Amanda, hearing the profound pain and love in the story, felt her own walls crumble. Tears streamed down her face. Without a word, she rushed forward and hugged her mother tightly. They held each other, two souls finding each other after a lifetime apart.

---

Far away, in the damp darkness of an abandoned building, a figure was encased in a crystalline shell, bound by heavy chains. A faint smoke of wolfbane hung in the air around the cell. Outside, black-hooded vampires patrolled.

A small crack appeared on the surface of the crystal.

Inside, visible through the fractured surface, Angela, was smiling.