"The yoke of the strong is the weight of the chosen. If there is not enough strength, let them be crushed. We, the vampires, are chosen. The vulgar, on the other hand, have the duty to pay the price for their misery. Do not doubt this. The Paths will illuminate your convictions. But prefer to hesitate, to reflect, until your loyalty to power is established, rather than falter before the weak and insignificant. Be wiser than your sister, dear Sancta."
These words came from the pontiff of the Dracula cult, named Esteban, as advice to Atalia, who at the end of the meeting, had gone to the Church of Quebec. Esteban was there to intercede for the meeting, as it was the closest church to that location.
As we have already mentioned, Atalia, for past reasons, suffered constant dilemmas regarding her nature as a vampire, about her mission in this world. This was motivated by something she told Helena: the struggle her sister, Charlotte, waged against the principles of this world. However, the fact that Charlotte's absence is considered a mysterious disappearance raises considerable doubts. Did she really disappear? Did they get rid of her in the most hidden corners of the world? The answer is unknown.
The pontiff's words seemed to want to be heard by one side of her soul. The other, however, still could not succumb to this principle, taken as truth by those who resided in the world to the north. The idea of subjugating those who were of her own essence under a pretext of natural superiority was still a sting that bothered her ceaselessly.
Atalia politely thanked the religious man for his advice, and he returned to meditate in his room. But he left in the same way he had arrived. As Esteban had encouraged her: it was preferable to consolidate her faith in the Paths after the trial of doubt than to give in to a certainty that those principles were repugnant.
"Ah, Atalia… It's strange to think that, even though you're Charlotte's half-sister, that cursed bloodline still torments you, even if it doesn't run in your veins," Esteban thought. "But Dracula will prevail, just as he prevailed before."
"What are you doing at church at this hour, daughter?" Pierre asked as he arrived looking for Atalia. "I think you've been going too often in recent years."
"Father, I don't think I need to answer that question. It's the same reason that torments you. However, I'm seeking answers so that I can be the best person I can be."
"What kind of ideas are these, Atalia? This is no time for jokes. Something serious is happening here in this world." Pierre tried to change the subject, but his insecurity regarding his youngest daughter was glaring. Indeed, the reasons weren't exactly the same. "There's a traitor among the Paths, and we don't know who it is or even where they are. Our way of demonstrating power will need to change from now on. The Paths seem to be asking for it."
"Don't be mistaken, father; it's no joke that three women in our family have followed different paths from the one we have followed until today, two of whom died because of it, and we don't know if the third one hasn't also suffered the same fate." This statement disconcerted her father. "However, I agree: there are more urgent things to do," Atalia attempted to demonstrate firmness while hiding her dilemmas.
They then went to Paris to begin their training and pass on the new guidelines, just as everyone else was already doing.
In the church, then, an unexpected visitor appears. In fact, it wasn't a visitor.
"She was here too, my honored Esteban?"
"Reverentia Draculae, Reverentia Potestatis. To what do I owe the honor of my beloved and respectable Lord in this parish?"
"I am immensely grateful for your steadfast intercession for the future of this world."
"Is something troubling you, my Lord? I sense that some unforeseen factor arose during the meeting. Seeing you distressed terribly distresses me."
"Don't worry about it, my dear cleric. Those who dared to betray us will pay bitterly for it. He will not be able to withstand the new era that is coming."
"Are there still powerful heretics out there? Aren't the two insolent ones from the last century enough? Besides, speaking of Atalia, it seems she is going through the same temptation as her half-sister. "And your mother and stepmother are even worse influences."
"Have you forgotten, my dear cleric? That's not going to happen."
After that, an absurdly heavy atmosphere filled the room for two seconds. That was enough for Esteban to immediately sweat and then laugh with euphoria.
"Oh, Great Dracula! Your power is invaluable! Perish the heretics! Succumb the weak and vulgar!", he exclaimed, unable to contain himself.
"Ah, my friend! You are a valiant man."
"I feel honored, Lord. In fact, forgive me for being so impolite." The cleric then went to his study, specifically to a small dagger. He brought a bottle with a dark red liquid. However, it was not red wine. At least, not grape wine. Coming from vampires, one could not expect anything else.
"I almost forgave you." "If I had forgotten to bring the Calix Regni, it wouldn't just be my spiritual energy that would be released upon you."
Calix Regni. A renowned blood red wine, with a high degree of purity. Only Sanctos had access to this type of drink. Don't expect long fangs to be the natural way to consume human blood. At least, not for those of higher classes. Esteban brought two glasses, and they drank two sips of that beverage. During the meeting, the vampires consumed another type of wine: Plasma Vulgaris, which had slightly more impurities but was renowned enough.
"Dear Esteban, I must go. Although Jerome is a despicable man, he is my son. I need to show him one more step on the path to absolute power. He will pay for his mistakes alone, but I will use him until I can no longer do so. Regarding Atalia's bad examples, I already subdued them before she was even born. The three cursed bloodlines."
"Go in peace, my Lord. I, Esteban, will remain serving you faithfully until death."
Arturo and Lameque went with their families and subordinates to their provinces.
"Ah, my son! Consider yourself the author of the greatest revolution in favor of our cause as vampires. Mommy's pride!", and Carmen hugged her son.
"Ah, mother, I'm already about 115 years old. It's not like I'm still a child," said Arturo, a little embarrassed, but happy and satisfied to know that his brief raising of hands had some effect.
"Don't forget, my son: for vampires, age passes differently."
"Yes, Mom, I know..."
"Look, Arturo, being your friend is a learning experience. I hope to be with you in this new stage of our world," said Lamech.
"After our training, I can say that you will be more powerful than even Jerônimo, my son," added Baruch.
"Egocentric as always, my dear Count," replied Lawson.
"Although it is perfectly permissible to feel this way," Astarote stated. "If we are under Dracula's rule, feeding the ego is not a vice, but a virtue."
And then, she addressed the subordinates who accompanied them.
"Valiant men, strengthen your minds and hearts! If you fail, be crushed. Dracula tecum sit!"
And they all shouted euphorically. After that, they all went to a great banquet at Lamech's house in Kabul, where they would drink an enviable supply of Calix Regni bottles before beginning their training, while flying at very high speeds.
After everyone left, Helena finally returned with her mother to Tokyo.
"Let's go back, daughter," Catarina called, but Helena still seemed distant, with a dejected look towards the horizon. This made it necessary for her to be frank.
"Helena, more than ever, you need to be strong. We don't know the level of this threat, but if Nipônia continues as the eighth political force in this empire, all that awaits us is disgrace. There is no more time for dilemmas that weaken it even further. The next Measurement will be an even more important turning point than the Night Ascension was in times past, and you, my daughter, must show yourself to be truly strong. Our Lord will not tolerate those who succumb on the journey."
Helena turns her face and looks at her mother. The dejected look becomes, in a few seconds, a determined look.
"I know I disappointed you, my mother. Even more: I disappointed my fellow citizens and the Lord. But the desires of the circumstances that surround us will not be frustrated. Know that a new Helena will need to emerge. I will not dare to repeat my father's mistakes."
The gleam in Helena's eyes enlivened the core of Catarina's soul. They returned to their homeland with their army. It seemed that, after years of observing the high points (or perhaps the low points) of Teresa and Elizabeth, she finally understood what she needed to do. Their firmness resulted in extreme effectiveness in achieving their goals. However, they approached things differently. Teresa was intimidating and knew how to demonstrate power without necessarily using it. She was a born blackmailer, a ruthless negotiator. Elizabeth, on the other hand, although not so focused on public recognition, masterfully operated in the shadows to ensure her strength was acknowledged without needing to force it. She crossed the line of threat through her own efforts, something Teresa didn't need to do except through others. Helena, according to her principles, considered that, now, it was enough for her to find her own path between these two courses of action. Something that Atalia was not yet able to embrace.
While the mere appearance of those two figures in that incident was able to suddenly and radically change the decisions of the vampire world, in the world of vulgars things took the opposite turn. A sign of extreme hope arose in humanity.
They were just rumors, but there was the credibility of a hundred people having seen the same two hooded figures at the same time. A commotion, in a good sense, took hold of the collective sentiment. The news kept reporting on the existence of mysterious and sudden heroes. Some people remained skeptical, but the vast majority anxiously viewed a prospect of salvation. But there was a problem: just two people could not face thousands of nuclear warheads. Furthermore, if it was a matter of supernatural powers, the vulgars, as has already been said, could not use them.
And here's the crucial point: this barrier would be broken, and it wouldn't take more than a day to begin. The night of the following day, November 5th, 2025, would become the beginning of a landmark for humanity: the Night Reaction.