Deep within the OrionHeart Kingdom of the Vampire World, the atmosphere inside the grand royal palace was tense but orderly.
King Virgil sat upon his throne, flanked by his royal Vesiers and high-ranking aristocrats. Prince Victus, the strongest champion of the realm, stood at the base of the dais, discussing political boundaries and military readiness.
Suddenly, the entire assembly abruptly ground to a halt.
The blood-red sky directly above the capital it violently fractured. Without waiting for a full moon or a specific stellar alignment, a massive, jagged rift tore through the fabric of space.
Crimson spatial lightning arced across the clouds, and a thunderous shockwave rippled through the capital, shattering every reinforced stained-glass window in the royal palace.
The ceiling of the grand throne room parted like paper as a column of pure, blinding golden light descended from the spatial tear.
