The black SUV came to a violent halt at the end of the lane.
Its tyres screeched against the wet road, the sound tearing through the silence of the sleeping neighbourhood.
Four doors opened in perfect sync.
Four figures stepped out.
Long black coats.
Silver-lined gloves.
Boots that made no unnecessary sound.
Their movements were too controlled.
Too precise.
Professionals.
My eyes narrowed.
Hunters.
Not the kind that chased animals.
These men hunted monsters.
And tonight, they had come for the newly awakened king.
The moonlight caught the weapons in their hands.
Silver daggers.
Crossbow-like launchers.
One of them carried a long spear whose blade shimmered with engraved runes.
Not ordinary silver.
Enchanted.
Seraphina's expression turned ice-cold.
"The Silver Dawn Order," she said quietly.
I glanced at her.
"Friends of yours?"
Her lips curved into a humourless smile.
"They've spent centuries exterminating vampire bloodlines."
Good.
That made things simple.
Enemies.
The frontman stepped forward.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
His face was stern, his jaw marked with an old scar that ran from ear to chin.
He looked straight at me.
No.
Through me.
As if he could already sense what I had become.
He raised the silver spear.
His voice was sharp and commanding.
"By the authority of the Silver Dawn Order, surrender the awakened blood vessel."
Blood vessel.
Interesting.
So they didn't know yet.
They thought I was only a host.
Not the king.
Seraphina moved half a step ahead of me.
Her crimson eyes glowed.
"He is under the protection of House Noir."
The hunter's expression didn't change.
"Then House Noir has chosen war."
The words had barely left his mouth when the other three moved.
Fast.
Too fast for normal humans.
One rushed from the left with twin silver blades.
Another raised the crossbow launcher.
The third disappeared into the shadows.
Assassin type.
I almost smiled.
That one was mine.
The crossbow fired first.
Three silver bolts screamed through the air.
Before Seraphina could react, my body moved.
Pure instinct.
I stepped forward, grabbed the first bolt midair, twisted sideways, and let the second graze past my shoulder.
The third—
I caught it between two fingers.
Silence.
For a moment, even the hunters froze.
The scarred leader's eyes narrowed.
"Impossible."
No.
Not impossible.
Just faster than they expected.
The assassin in the shadows lunged from behind.
A silver dagger aimed straight for my spine.
Classic blind-angle strike.
Amateur.
Without turning, I caught his wrist.
The bone cracked beneath my grip.
A scream tore from his throat.
I pivoted, pulled him forward, and slammed my elbow into his throat.
He dropped instantly.
Unconscious.
Maybe dead.
Didn't matter.
The lane erupted into chaos.
Seraphina moved like moonlight.
Elegant.
Lethal.
Her body blurred as she appeared in front of the blade wielder.
Her nails elongated into crimson claws.
One slash.
Blood sprayed across the pavement.
The hunter stumbled back, clutching his chest.
But the leader was different.
He thrust the silver spear toward me.
Fast.
Extremely fast.
The runes along its shaft glowed.
This weapon was meant to kill vampires.
I sidestepped.
Barely.
The tip brushed my sleeve, and a burning pain shot through my arm.
Silver.
So it still affected me.
Good to know.
The scarred hunter pressed forward.
A trained fighter.
Military stance.
Disciplined footwork.
His spear strikes were relentless.
Thrust.
Sweep.
Reverse stab.
No wasted movement.
I ducked under the sweep and stepped inside his range.
My fist drove into his ribs.
I heard at least two cracks.
He grunted but didn't fall.
Impressive.
He swung the spear shaft toward my temple.
I blocked with my forearm.
Pain flared.
Then I smiled.
For the first time in years—
I was enjoying myself.
"You fight well," I said.
His eyes hardened.
"You're not human."
I laughed softly.
"Neither are you."
The words were true.
His heartbeat.
His breathing.
Too steady.
Too enhanced.
This man had undergone modifications.
Hunter serum perhaps.
A vampire slayer made stronger to kill creatures like us.
Interesting.
He lunged again.
This time I didn't dodge.
I stepped into the attack.
My hand shot out and gripped the spear shaft.
The silver burnt my palm.
Smoke rose from my skin.
But I didn't let go.
His eyes widened.
Then I pulled.
Hard.
The spear ripped from his grasp.
Before he could recover, I drove my knee into his stomach.
He bent forward.
Perfect opening.
My fist crashed into his face.
He flew backwards and slammed into the SUV.
The windscreen shattered.
The remaining hunter aimed the crossbow again.
Seraphina was already there.
She appeared behind him like a shadow.
Her crimson eyes gleamed.
"Sleep."
Her fangs pierced his neck.
He collapsed instantly.
The lane fell silent.
Only one man remained.
The scarred leader slowly rose from the broken hood of the SUV.
Blood ran down his lip.
But instead of anger—
He smiled.
"You truly awakened."
My eyes narrowed.
So he knew.
He wiped the blood from his mouth.
"The Order will come in full force."
His gaze shifted to Seraphina.
"And the other nine houses will move soon."
Then he looked back at me.
"The world will not allow another king to rise."
I took one step forward.
Cold killing intent rolled off me like a storm.
"Then let the world try."
For a moment, the man held my gaze.
Then he reached into his coat and threw something onto the ground.
A silver sphere.
Smoke bomb.
The lane exploded in white mist.
By the time it cleared—
He was gone.
Only the ruined SUV and unconscious bodies remained.
Seraphina stood beside me.
Her expression was serious.
"This is bad."
I glanced at her.
"The hunters?"
She shook her head.
"The message."
I frowned.
"What message?"
Her crimson eyes met mine.
"The world now knows the Vampire King has awakened."
The words hung heavily in the air.
The ten great houses.
The hunters.
Outer enemies.
Everyone would come.
For power.
For blood.
For the throne.
I looked up at the moon.
A slow smile spread across my face.
Good.
Let them come.
The king had returned.
And this time—
I had something worth protecting.
The house behind me.
The family is sleeping inside.
This city would soon learn one truth.
I was no longer a king of assassins.
I was something far worse.