Kaius had no idea what the hell had just happened. He stood in the hospital parking lot, invisible to the world, his hands still trembling from the adrenaline coursing through his veins. His mind spun in circles, searching for an explanation.

For the past year, he had worked on his self-control. He had learned to recognize his explosive emotions before they manifested, to channel them through magic in a controlled way. He had made so much progress.

He knew from the body’s memories that the original Kaius had been volatile, like a volcano always threatening to erupt. But during that year, he had managed to find a balance between both personalities.

What went wrong?

He looked at his hands. He could still taste the metallic tang on his tongue, the memory of fangs sinking into warm flesh. And the worst part—the part that truly terrified him—was that in that moment, it had felt… liberating.

He glanced at the sky through the hospital lights. It hadn’t even been night when he attacked Joseph. And according to the story he knew, that attack wasn’t supposed to happen until days later—not the same day.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

And now he’d have to make the boy forget. But I have no choice, he told himself bitterly.

The hospital was a modern three-story building, all glass and gleaming metal. The smell hit him immediately: disinfectant, sickness, fear. And beneath it all—blood.

Kaius didn’t understand. The scent didn’t bother him. It was as if the vampire who had attacked Joseph wasn’t the same one standing here now. His control was back. Maybe this was what the angels had meant by inflection points.

He found Emmet Faider in the emergency waiting room, head in his hands. His white shirt was stained with his brother’s blood, his hands trembling visibly.

Kaius sat in an empty chair across the room, keeping his invisibility spell active. The magic was exhausting when sustained for long periods, but he no longer felt drained—not after feeding on Joseph.

Hours passed. Night fell completely. As he waited, Kaius couldn’t stop asking himself: Why did this happen? He knew he’d have to kill people, even feed on them. He had prepared himself for that over the past year. He had already killed—but only bad people. This wasn’t supposed to happen yet. Not until days later.

Since returning to the town, he felt more unstable.

Is something else happening?

As that thought crossed his mind, pain stabbed his chest again—like a dagger piercing his heart. So sharp he almost screamed. Then, just as suddenly, it vanished.

What the hell was that?

He was pulled from his thoughts when the ER doors opened.

And then they walked in.

Nicolas first—chestnut hair tousled, green eyes scanning the room frantically.

Behind him came Ivana Forbes, her copper hair glowing under the fluorescent lights, her jet-black eyes filled with what looked like genuine concern. And behind her, the two friends.

Kaius watched them approach Emmet. Something dark twisted in his stomach.

—“Emmet!” Ivana’s voice rang out, worried. “What happened? Are you okay? How’s Joseph?”

Kaius studied her face. But all he saw now was falseness. Liar, he thought.

Emmet lifted his head, eyes red and swollen. —“I don’t know, Ivana. I left him for just a few minutes, and when I came back, I found him in the cemetery. There was blood everywhere…” His voice broke. “The doctor says he has wounds on his neck. He lost so much blood. They say chunks of flesh were torn out.”

That’s when Kaius noticed Nicolas. His body went rigid. His skin turned pale as snow. His fists clenched so tight his nails dug into his palms.

He knew. Of course he knew.

Kaius backed away. He couldn’t act now—not with Nicolas and the girls here.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a doctor emerged from surgery. —“Family of Joseph Faider?”

Emmet jumped up. —“Yes, I’m his brother. How is he?”

—“The surgery was successful. He was very lucky.”

Emmet collapsed with relief. —“Can I see him?”

—“Not yet. He’s still unconscious. We’re moving him to room 247 on the second floor.”

Kaius was already moving.

He slipped through the halls like a shadow, found room 247 easily.

He waited as they transferred Joseph, connected him to monitors, and finally left the room empty.

He pulled out a transmutation crystal. The small blue gem pulsed softly in his palm. He channeled magic into it, energy flowing outward in concentric waves. The gem glowed brighter, wrapping his body in a luminous second skin. The familiar tingling of transformation spread. His appearance shifted—not physically, but perceptually.

Now anyone who looked at him would see a middle-aged doctor.

The real doctor left after checking vitals. Kaius whispered a minor confusion spell—just enough to cloud thoughts—and caught his attention. —“Doctor, do you need anything else?”

The man blinked, dazed, then nodded and walked away.

Kaius entered the room and closed the door. His hands traced runes in the air, glowing purple before settling into the door as an invisible barrier. A locking spell.

Joseph lay in bed, neck bandaged, gauze stained red. Kaius placed his hand on his forehead, closed his eyes, and focused.

He visualized silver threads flowing from his palm into Joseph’s brain, sliding deeper, touching synapses, stirring neurons.

Outside, voices approached. Someone tried the door.

Damn.

Kaius pushed more magic into the awakening spell. He had to be quick. Come on, wake up…

Joseph’s eyelids fluttered. His fingers twitched. Then—his eyes snapped open. They locked onto Kaius. Recognition. Terror. His mouth opened to scream.

Kaius was faster.

He clamped one hand over Joseph’s mouth, the other gripping his head, forcing him to meet his gaze. —“Look at me,” Kaius whispered, his voice low, resonant, vampiric.

His crimson eyes glowed, swirling with smoke-like patterns. Hypnotic. Terrible. Beautiful.

Joseph fell into the trance.

Kaius had no time. —“Listen. You will forget what happened in the cemetery. You will forget my face, my voice, my existence. When they ask what attacked you, you will say you saw no one. You remember nothing else. Understand?”

—“Yes.”

—“When you wake, you’ll be confused but calm. You’ll cooperate with the doctors, but you’ll have nothing to tell them.”

—“Yes.”

Kaius deactivated the crystal and reactivated full invisibility. He vanished.

Nicolas was the first to enter. He froze in the center of the room, scanning every corner. Kaius could see his nose twitching, sniffing the air.

Once outside, Kaius finally allowed himself to breathe.

The night was deep when he forced himself to move toward the Lindverg mansion.

It was time.

The mansion stood in the old part of town, hidden behind ancient trees. A towering Victorian structure.

Kaius had seen it countless times in the series. But standing before it now…

It was different. It was real.

The front door wasn’t locked. Nicolas never locked it. Kaius pushed it open.

Inside was exactly as he remembered: the grand foyer, the curved staircase, the portraits of dead ancestors. But it was more now.

He had grown up here. Run through these halls. Been beaten in that foyer. Bled on those stairs.

He forced himself to push those thoughts aside.

He walked into the main hall, lit the fireplace. Flames sprang to life.

He settled into a leather armchair, sat, and waited.

He didn’t wait long.

The sound of a car. A door opening.

Footsteps, slower now, cautious.

And then Nicolas appeared in the doorway.

Kaius said nothing at first. He just looked at his younger brother.

The silence stretched.

Then Kaius broke it.

—“You know, Nico,” he said softly, mocking, “playing the teenager doesn’t suit you.”

Nicolas flinched, eyes darting frantically. He rushed to the switches with vampiric speed.

The lights flickered on.

And there was Kaius, lounging in the chair, his smile more predator’s snarl than warmth.

—“Kaius…” Nicolas barely whispered the name.

His expression was complex: shock, fear.

Kaius rose smoothly, walking across the room, fingers brushing the furniture.

—“After seventy years,” he said finally, “all you say is my name? What about a ‘hello, brother, how have you been’? And I’d say, ‘fine, busy, but I finally came to see you.’” He paused, catlike grin flashing. “So… how about a hug for your big brother?”

The sarcasm was thick enough to cut.

Nicolas stood tense, uncomfortable.

—“Why are you here?”

Kaius continued, touching objects as if he were in a museum.

—“I missed my house,” he said with the same mocking tone. “And you.”

Nicolas didn’t believe it.

—“You and I both know you hate this place. Too boring for you.”

—“I’ve been busy, like I said.”

Nicolas stepped closer, his voice more serious.

—“That boy. He’s alive. Have you gotten rusty, or what happened?”

Kaius stopped, turning to face his brother.

—“You know that never happens to me. If I leave someone alive, it’s for a reason. It’s not my problem. And you know it, don’t you? I don’t care if they discover me.”

The challenge in his voice was clear.

Nicolas stepped forward again, frustration in his eyes.

—“Why now?”

Kaius thought about what he should say in that moment. But his mind went blank.

—“Not going to tell me?” Nicolas laughed humorlessly. “What’s wrong, shy about your plans now?”

That mockery stirred something in Kaius. A wide, false grin spread across his face.

—“Sometimes silence is necessary. Still, I don’t want my little brother having problems, so I already took care of him. Generous of me, isn’t it?”

He paused.

—“Besides, I’m not the one who went to a hospital just to see a girl. What was her name? Ivana?” He pretended to think. “Oh, brother, that’s not how it’s done. A first date in a hospital… how awkward.” He stepped closer. “But it works for your little humanity act. Tell me, does she know what you are?”

—“She’s not… she’s different.”

Kaius laughed. Dry. Brutal.

—“Sure. Let me ask you something. You want her, don’t you? Her blood. How long since you tasted it?” He gestured toward Nicolas’s pale face. “Judging by your color, I’d say almost an eternity.”

Nicolas tried to step back.

—“No, Kaius. I know what you’re doing. You won’t make me angry.”

But Kaius wasn’t ready to let him go. He grabbed Nicolas’s shoulders, too hard.

—“What’s wrong, scared, Nico? Come on. Together. Plenty of girls nearby.” He paused. “Or better yet… let’s go for Ivana.”

And that was what broke Nicolas’s control.

—“I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!”

The roar shook the windows. He grabbed Kaius by the shirt, shoving him with vampiric speed and strength. They struggled. Nicolas used his height and weight, trying to overpower Kaius, to push him out of the house.

For a moment, it almost worked.

But Kaius had been drinking human blood regularly.

With a fluid motion, he used Nicolas’s momentum against him. He twisted, grabbed, and hurled his brother outside.

Nicolas flew, crashing onto the rocks several meters away.

Kaius walked out, laughing.

—“Hahaha… ah, brother. That’s why proper feeding is important. Nutrition matters. But I’ll give you an A for effort. Entertaining to see you growl. Very fun. We’re not dogs, Nico.”

Nicolas rose slowly.

—“Kaius, every time you come, people die.”

—“Well, that’s obvious, isn’t it?”

—“Not this time. I won’t allow it.”

—“That sounded like a challenge.”

—“Kaius, please. It’s been too long. We can forget everything—”

—“Mmm, no thanks.” Kaius cut him off coldly. That was what angered him most—Nicolas had never apologized.

Before Nicolas could react, Kaius moved. In an instant he was behind him. His hand closed around his brother’s throat.

He lifted him and hurled him back into the mansion.

Nicolas slammed into the brick wall, collapsing.

Kaius leaned close, his red eyes glowing.

—“Here’s some advice, Nico. As long as you don’t drink human blood, don’t try again.”

And then he left.

When he was far enough away, he finally slowed down.

And then he laughed.

—“Damn!” he shouted at the sky. “I think I went too far. That was embarrassing!”

Because it was true. He had gone too far. He had enjoyed intimidating Nicolas in a way that made him feel dirty.

He had never done that before. Never been intentionally cruel.

But it felt… good.

And that was the terrifying part.

—“Besides,” he said aloud, “he deserved it. Just a scare, so he learns not to play with me.”

He had to go home.

Adrenaline still surged like electricity. His skin tingled. His fangs pulsed. His heart—though it didn’t need to beat—thudded against his ribs.

I need to come down from this high, he thought.

He finally reached his house, collapsing into the armchair.

—“What’s wrong with me? Am I becoming a sadist?”

He stood, went to the kitchen. Pulled a blood bag from the special refrigerator. Poured it into a glass, added whiskey.

He took a long drink. The blood satisfied the hunger, while the whiskey reminded him he could still enjoy things beyond blood and violence.

The adrenaline finally began to fade, leaving him exhausted in a way that went beyond the physical.

Today I hurt my brother, he thought. And I enjoyed it immensely. I’ll need to speak with Yarix and Michail—why did I feel that? Was this attack supposed to happen this way?

Eventually, he went to the bathroom. He needed a shower. The hot water was almost painfully perfect.

When he stepped out, he looked at himself in the fogged mirror.

He dried off, put on comfortable clothes, and slipped into bed.

But one thing was certain: nothing would ever be the same after tonight.

The game had begun.

And Kaius could only hope that, when it was all over, there would still be enough of himself left to recognize in the mirror.