Meanwhile…
Somewhere far beyond Mystery Village—
the world changed.
No explosion sounded.
No storm arrived.
And yet…
something ancient moved beneath the surface of the earth.
⸻
Deep within the forests of Frost Hollow, Alaska, endless darkness stretched beneath towering frozen pines as the wind suddenly died.
Silence followed.
A heavy silence.
The kind that made the forest itself feel alive.
Then—
the night trembled.
A violent surge of power erupted through the Blackwell bloodline without warning.
Every descendant carrying even a fragment of Blackwell blood froze instantly.
Some collapsed where they stood.
Others gasped as unbearable heat burned through their veins like fire awakening beneath their skin.
And in the shadows…
something answered.
⸻
The creatures bound to the ancient royal bloodline became frantic.
Monsters hidden deep within the darkness fled through the frozen trees.
Others bowed instinctively.
As if something they had feared…
—or worshipped—
had finally returned.
⸻
Across the world, members of the Blackwell bloodline felt it.
A businessman suddenly gripped the edge of a conference table as crimson flickers appeared briefly within his eyes.
A prisoner sealed beneath an underground temple slowly opened glowing crimson eyes for the first time in decades.
A child began crying as shadows moved unnaturally across the walls of her bedroom.
An ancient relic cracked down the center.
A hidden Blackwell crest began glowing beneath layers of dust.
And somewhere far away—
a clan elder whispered in horror,
"Impossible… the blood has awakened…"
before collapsing onto the floor as blood-like tears streamed from his eyes.
⸻
Far beneath the frozen earth—
ancient crimson symbols slowly began to glow.
And something sealed in darkness…
opened its eyes.
—————————
Chapter 14
The surge of energy burned through the veins of every member of the Blackwell bloodline.
Across the world, each descendant reacted differently to the overwhelming power that suddenly awakened within them.
The weakest members collapsed instantly, blood tears streaming from their eyes as their bodies convulsed from the unbearable pain.
Others dropped to their knees, screaming in agony while clutching their heads as if their minds were being torn apart from the inside.
And the stronger members—
though they remained standing—
still felt violent headaches split through their skulls, many suffering nosebleeds as the pressure surged through their veins like wildfire.
No matter their strength, every single member of the Blackwell bloodline understood one thing.
Something had awakened.
And something far greater was coming.
⸻
Within minutes, members of the Blackwell Council began reaching out to elders across the world—including former elders long removed from active duty.
An emergency meeting was immediately requested.
Especially by Elder Marcus.
⸻
As Elder Marcus established a mind-link with Elder Hunter, his expression darkened.
"Could it be…" Marcus muttered quietly. "The Queen has returned?"
Elder Hunter's response came instantly.
"That is impossible."
His voice remained calm, but firm.
"We all witnessed her death. Our bloodline does not return from the grave. Once we die, our souls descend into the underworld. They do not come back."
A brief silence followed.
Then Hunter spoke again.
"There must be another explanation. Something greater. Something we have not considered yet."
His tone lowered slightly.
"But whatever caused this… it could become useful for the war."
Marcus slowly narrowed his eyes.
"You believe we can use it?"
"If we find it first."
Marcus remained silent for a moment before nodding slowly.
"Then let us hear what the council says."
⸻
Several hours later—
inside the Blackwell Council Hall—
seven elders sat within their assigned seats surrounding a massive black marble table carved with ancient silver symbols.
Moonlight poured through the towering windows surrounding the chamber.
The oldest elders sat furthest behind.
At the very front sat Elder Lucius.
⸻
Lucius did not appear old.
In fact, he looked no older than his mid-thirties.
Sharp jawline.
Perfect posture.
A powerful build hidden beneath elegant black robes embroidered with silver markings.
His pale skin looked almost flawless beneath the moonlight.
But what stood out most were his eyes.
Silver.
Cold.
Inhumanly calm.
Everyone within the Blackwell bloodline understood one thing—
if Lucius's eyes ever turned crimson—
you ran.
Because it meant death would follow soon after.
He was the strongest elder among them all.
The true head of the Blackwell family.
⸻
Then the doors opened once more.
A hooded figure quietly entered beside Elder Hunter.
Several elders immediately stiffened.
Most lowered their heads respectfully.
Others looked visibly displeased.
A few simply remained silent, pretending not to notice.
The figure said nothing as they took a seat directly beside Elder Hunter.
Their hood never moved.
Their face remained hidden beneath darkness.
⸻
Lucius slowly looked toward Elder Hunter.
One silver eyebrow slightly raised.
"What is the meaning of this?" he asked calmly.
His voice was quiet—
but heavy enough to silence the room instantly.
"This meeting does not require guests."
Elder Hunter immediately bowed his head respectfully.
"My apologies, Elder Lucius."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"However… my guest belongs to the original royal family."
Several elders immediately exchanged looks.
The atmosphere shifted.
"I brought her here out of concern for our bloodline," Hunter continued calmly. "She is only here to observe the meeting and offer insight if necessary."
Lucius studied the hooded figure silently.
The figure never reacted.
After several long seconds, Lucius finally waved his hand.
"Continue the meeting."
Though many elders remained displeased, none dared challenge his decision.
⸻
Silence filled the council hall.
Then Lucius slowly leaned back into his chair, tapping one finger lightly against the table.
The sound echoed sharply throughout the room.
"Does anyone know," Lucius began calmly, "what that energy was?"
No one answered.
His silver eyes slowly moved across every elder seated before him.
"And where can we find it?"
Still silence.
The atmosphere in the room instantly became heavier.
Oppressive.
Several elders lowered their eyes without realizing it.
A few moments later, Elder Roland finally cleared his throat.
"Elder Lucius… your guess is as good as ours."
Lucius stared at him.
"With all the centuries this council has existed…"
His voice remained calm.
Too calm.
"All the books gathered. All the knowledge passed through our bloodline…"
His silver eyes narrowed slightly.
"And none of you know what shook every Blackwell descendant across the world?"
The pressure in the room exploded instantly.
Several elders gasped quietly.
Others struggled to breathe beneath the overwhelming force pouring from Lucius.
⸻
Elder Ruby nearly collapsed forward before forcing herself to speak.
"It is understandable that we should know where the power came from…" she struggled out between breaths. "But it is still being investigated."
Lucius slowly pulled back part of his pressure.
Just enough for her to continue.
Ruby inhaled sharply.
"The energy originated somewhere within the United States. We are currently trying to locate the exact area and determine whether it can be contained…"
Her eyes darkened slightly.
"…or controlled."
The hooded figure suddenly flinched beneath the cloak at the mention of the United States.
Small.
Almost invisible.
But Elder Marcus noticed.
He said nothing.
⸻
Lucius sat there quietly, tapping his finger against the table once more.
Then he spoke.
"Find it faster."
The simple sentence alone made several elders tense.
⸻
After a long silence, Lucius shifted the discussion.
"What is the current status of the war?"
Elder Hunter finally answered.
"We are holding our ground."
"But?" Lucius asked coldly.
Hunter's expression darkened.
"Ever since that surge appeared… everyone on the front lines felt it. Even our enemies."
He paused briefly.
"There was fear in everyone's eyes."
Lucius remained silent.
"So we temporarily retreated to regroup."
The room instantly grew colder.
Lucius slowly lifted his gaze toward Elder Hunter.
"What is so difficult," he asked quietly, "about taking what already belongs to us?"
The pressure in the room began rising again.
"Are you all becoming useless?"
Several elders immediately lowered their heads.
"Do I need to involve myself personally?" Lucius continued. "What kind of elders struggle against insects?"
Even Elder Hunter remained silent for a moment.
Finally, he spoke carefully.
"If we obtain that power for ourselves, this war will end quickly."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"But our forces are dying."
A brief pause followed.
"Even if some of them are creatures we do not value… they are still useful for this war."
⸻
Hours passed as the meeting continued deeper into the night.
Exhaustion slowly spread throughout the council hall.
Still—
the hooded figure never spoke once.
They simply observed everything in silence.
Watching.
Listening.
Waiting.
⸻
Finally, Lucius rose from his seat.
The moment he stood—
the entire room became tense.
"We are Blackwell," Lucius declared coldly.
His silver eyes slowly swept across every elder in the chamber.
"We do not retreat."
The pressure pouring from him became suffocating.
"We do not allow enemies to take what belongs to us."
Several elders visibly stiffened beneath his gaze.
Lucius looked at each one of them as though measuring their worth.
"I expect results before our next meeting."
The force behind his words alone nearly crushed the atmosphere inside the hall.
Then Lucius turned away.
The massive doors slowly opened behind him.
At that moment—
five figures standing silently behind the council hall finally stepped forward.
The Five Great Elders.
The moment they moved, several council members instinctively lowered their heads.
Unlike the other elders, these five carried an entirely different presence.
Ancient.
Terrifying.
Monstrous.
Each one wore black robes marked with silver crests of the original bloodline.
And not a single one spoke.
They simply followed behind Lucius as he walked toward the exit.
But among them—
one figure walked last.
Slow.
Silent.
Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the chamber as darkness seemed to follow behind him unnaturally.
Even the elders avoided looking directly at him.
Because everyone inside the Blackwell bloodline knew one thing.
He was the worst among them.
The most feared man within the Blackwell family.
And if Lucius was the ruler—
then that man was the nightmare that carried out his will.
The massive doors slammed shut behind them.
And silence consumed the council hall once morei.