The special unit conducted roll calls throughout the rescue operation. In the last of them, they came up one headstrong lieutenant short…

“To hell with him. We need to finish dousing the barracks! Kataske will turn up later…” said one of the officers, a few medals gleaming on his chest.

While fighting the fire, several men were distracted by a silhouette approaching through the smoke. Thinking it an enemy, a few mages dropped into combat stances until they recognized the outline of a comrade carrying a boy in his arms.

And yes… the boy looked unconscious.

When they saw who he was carrying, all questions about the missing lieutenant answered themselves.

“Lieutenant Kataske!” One of the soldiers nearest to him rushed over, stripping off his topcoat to cover the boy.

Lieutenant Kataske tapped the rushing subordinate lightly with the toe of his boot. “What are you thinking, idiot!? The child is alive, he needs a healer now!”

The soldier, who had mistaken Nero for a corpse, froze then nodded, shrugged his coat back on, and sprinted off for a doctor. The senior lieutenant remained where he was, holding the battered boy in his arms.

The cold northern wind cut straight through them, tossing hair and howling through the charred ruins.
Kataske stared in silence at the blackened frames of buildings, the smoldering beams, the gray tatters of ash curling in the air. A heavy sense of helplessness settled in his chest, and he thought about what this boy must have endured over the last few hours.

“A cruel fate for someone so young,” Kataske thought.

What had happened here was more than a tragedy; the consequences of this night would echo through the Empire’s history for a long time to come.

For now, though, Kataske spotted a healer approaching and carried Nero toward him.

Earlier that morning about six hours later…

“117, 118, 119, 120… plus two more, one missing… that makes exactly 123 dead and…” The man in an elegant suit let out a weary sigh, jotting notes into a ledger. “Good Lord right before the New Year, too. Horrific. And they still haven’t found the Stella’s body…”

Officials and military personnel from across the district converged on the Von Lavrelio estate. By that time, the special unit had already returned to the capital with their report.

All except Lieutenant Kataske he stayed with Nero even after the official representatives arrived: the Von Lavrelio proxies, as well as the Von Dorr family and its head, Frank Von Dorr.
Upon arrival, Frank was horrified by the sight: over a hundred covered bodies laid just off to the side of the main gate, while doctors in white coats moved among them.

From time to time they lifted the blue shrouds to identify the dead. But they avoided the red ones. Those were forbidden to touch identification for members of a Stella’s household was performed at the recovery site itself, and after that only close friends and family were permitted to see them.

Somewhere near Renos…

Along a road cutting through the forest moved a large carriage, flanked on both sides by mounted guards in full iron plate that hid their entire bodies.

On the carriage doors and panels, the crest of House Dan Rossi was clearly visible a black shield bearing a bright red rose.

Inside sat two passengers: Benjamin Dan Rossi, head of the house a man of imposing presence in a prestigious suit, a bear-fur coat draped across his knees; and beside him his daughter, Izzy Dan Rossi.
A year older than Nero, the girl wore a red dress her mother swore suited her perfectly matching her ruby eyes and crimson hair.

Izzy watched the treeline through the window. The landscapes had shifted constantly on their journey north—first plains and wheat fields, then ordinary forest, and since nightfall, the harsher northern territories.

One of the riders spotted an eagle in the sky, slowed, and held out his arm. The eagle dipped, beat its wings, decelerated, and landed on his forearm. A small packet was tied to its leg. The knight carefully untied and opened it.

Each report’s urgency was marked by color from green to black. In recent years, the Empire hadn’t seen a single blackreport.

The guard noticed the black edging on the parchment and, reading the opening line, realized the letter had to be delivered personally to Stella Dan Rossi.

He hastened toward the carriage, releasing the eagle and pushing back into formation. Holding the black-bordered report aloft, he made his way through. The other riders were visibly shaken many had never seen a black report in their lives. Their shock was justified; such dispatches usually meant catastrophic disaster or the death of someone close.

Despite their unease, they formed a path.

Drawing level with his lord’s carriage, the knight removed a gauntlet and rapped gently on the window.

Benjamin glanced over, cracked the shutter, and asked directly, “Has something happened, Luke?”

The knight extended the parchment, insisting his lord read it himself. “My lord, please—read this! It has just arrived and...”

“And?..” Benjamin prompted, hand outstretched.

“It’s black, Señor Stella!” The knight placed the scroll in Benjamin’s hand.

Stella Dan Rossi paled at the words, but he still took the document, thanked his guard, closed the window, and prepared to read.

Unfolded, the document looked almost like a student prank rather than a formal dispatch. Along with black sigils and scrollwork underscoring its urgency and the instruction at the top: “Deliver into the hands of Stella Dan Rossi” there was, at the center, a single glyph: a rune. Strange and inscrutable but undeniably a rune.

After steadying himself with a deep breath, Benjamin bit his thumb and pressed the pad to the symbol.

Izzy watched carefully, saying nothing.

Murmuring a spell in an unknown tongue, he lifted his finger. The rune flared and began to transform, unraveling into lines of text that spread across the parchment.

The history of the great Dan Rossi family began long before the Magical Revolutionbefore the unification of the Empire of Dustin. It began with a chance encounter between a sentient monster and one vampire on the brink of death.

The first founder became half-vampire, mastered ancient vampiric sorcery, and passed it down through the generations along with the “cursed” vampire blood.

Thus the magic of those who died out nearly a thousand years ago still existed embodied in their last heirs.

Having read the message, Benjamin first rubbed his eyes, then turned to his daughter. “Izzy… Izzy!” he said, his voice rising without meaning to.

The girl didn’t immediately catch the worry in his tone and frowned. “I’m right here no need to shout. And… what is it, Dad?” she asked, troubled.

Stella clenched the paper so tightly his knuckles whitened. A single tear traced down his cheek.

“We’ll be arriving soon…” he exhaled, set the letter aside, and wiped his tears with his sleeve.

Then, drawing a long breath, he added, “And… only… No perhaps you should read it yourself.” He carefully smoothed the parchment and handed it to his daughter.

Izzy, confused and anxious, took it in both hands…

“On the night of December 17th–18th, the Empire received a distress signal from a spy-artifact installed at the Von Lavrelio manor. Upon arrival of the special unit, the following was established: the surrounding forest and the entire estate grounds were engulfed in flames or completely destroyed by fire.
After the blaze was contained, the deaths of 120 servants and guards were confirmed. Members of the Stella’s family Dolores and Antonio Von Lavrelio were also found. Both deceased.
Stella Theo Von Lavrelio is missing; his whereabouts remain unknown. The son of the Lord of the North, Nero Von Lavrelio, was found alive essentially rescued by one of our lieutenants however, his condition is considered critical. Emergency medical care is currently being provided.
According to expert opinion, the attack occurred shortly before a celebration organized in honor of the Stella’s son Nero.
Several bodies were found six kilometers from the estate presumed accomplices, eliminated immediately after the incident.
The Imperial Guard has opened an investigation.
Please take care, Stella.
Advisor to the City of Renos.”

Izzy dropped the scroll. Horror and something like fear spread across her face. Benjamin picked the parchment up and slipped it into his inner pocket.

“Make speed. I have work to do…” he said, looking out the window, a sorrowful note trailing off at the end.