Pov:Drakein Joo
I knew this day would eventually come.
I rise slowly from my throne, eyes lifted to the marble ceiling where the reflections of ancient magic still dance.
Five centuries of waiting.
Five hundred years gnawing on my impatience in the shadows.
Today, my reign begins.
— Isn't it wonderful?I say, turning to my slave.
She trembles from head to toe, unable to meet my gaze.
— Y… yes, Master…
A deep, deranged laugh bursts from my throat, echoing against the palace walls.
I advance toward her, my steps resonating on the stone.
— Are you afraid of me?
— Y… yes, Master…
— Hush.
I raise my hand; her body is instantly thrown across the hall.
She crashes into a stone ornament, which shatters with a dull thud.
I watch her for a moment, lying on the floor, before moving forward again, my boots clicking on the obsidian.
— Do you know what the difference is between her and you?
She tries to get up, trembling. I pin her to the ground with an invisible force, then press my boot onto her head.
— Despite your perfect resemblance, she… she was never afraid of me.
She always looked me straight in the eye.
She defied me.
And just thinking about it… still makes me hard.
I hold back a rough breath.
— But I've waited long enough. The wait is over.
I'll finally claim her.
Make her mine, as she was always meant to be.
Then my power will reach its peak.
The curse will be broken.
And the entire world will bow before me.
I lift my head, eyes burning with impatience.
— For I am, and will always be, the strongest man in the universe.
No wolf, no vampire, no witch can rival me.
The weak kneel before the strong.
It is the law of nature.
— I, Drakein Joo, Master of Shadows, Lord of Worlds… have returned.
It's time the world remembers my name.
They've lived too long thinking they were safe from my wrath.
I reach out my hand.
The mirror suspended from the ceiling glows blood red.
An image appears — that of a woman.
— Wait for me, my dear Ella.
It's time you return to the man you belong to.
We will reign together over this world.
I brush my fingers over the mirror's surface.
— I once thought you were an obstacle.
But now I understand… you are my equal.
The only one capable of defying me.
And that's precisely why you are mine.
You were made for me.
I turn toward the silhouette kneeling at my feet.
Her wound from the fall has already healed.
An icy beauty.
A perfect replica of Ella.
— It's time you fulfill your purpose, I murmur.
— Yes, Master," she replies in a trembling voice. "Your will is my command.
I smile.
— I hope you won't disappoint me.
She bows her head and disappears into a cloud of dark mist.
I remain alone in the hall, a grin carved onto my lips.
— Five hundred years of waiting… It's time the world learns that Drakein Joo is no legend — but truth.
I spread my arms, summoning the ancient runes.
A portal rips open in the air, glowing with crimson light.
— After all this time, the world will finally kneel before the one true king.
I step through the gate.
The outside air strikes me like rebirth.
The sky rumbles. The winds howl.
For my reign begins now.