Vol.01: Ch.00: The Grimoire's Successor: A Tale of Sacrifice and Destiny

Throughout the ages, there had been whispers of a being so powerful, so mighty, that he had been given many names such as the Vampire King or the Great Eilif. His true name, however, remained shrouded in mystery.

This ancient entity was feared and respected by all who had heard of him, and with good reason because the Vampire King had no enemies. No one would dare to cross him, knowing full well the terrible consequences that would follow.

Some say he had no weaknesses, that he was invincible. Others claimed that he had no desires or that he had transcended such trivial things. But these rumors were just that, mere whispers in the night.

The truth was far more complex. Yes, the Vampire King possessed immense power, enough to rival the gods themselves. And yet, despite all his might, he harbored a wish, a longing that burned within him like a flame.

For over 50,000 years, he had roamed the world, bearing witness to every event in history. But as the centuries passed, he grew weary of it all. The endless cycle of birth and death, of joy and sorrow, became a monotonous blur.

And so, the Vampire King set his mind to one thing: fulfilling his wish. He scoured the world, searching for a way to escape the feeling that plagued him. He would stop at nothing to achieve his goal because he knew that only then would he find true peace.

...

Deep within a crumbling cathedral, hidden away in the forgotten corners of the kingdom of Gorka, a figure stood hunched over an ancient tome.

"HaHaHa!" His wild laughter echoed off the walls, filling the musty air with frenzied energy.

This was the Vampire King, the Great Eilif himself. His imposing figure was barely illuminated by the flickering candles that cast eerie shadows on the walls. With a twisted grin on his face, he held a Grimoire in his hands, its ancient pages crackling with power.

"At last! I have found it!" For millennia, he had wandered the world, seeking a way to escape his immortal existence. But now, he had the answer, the one thing he had been searching for.

His eyes gleaming with fierce determination, the Vampire King knew that his task was not yet complete. He would have to find a successor, someone who could withstand his incredible power and take his place.

Only then would he be able to rest, to finally find the release from his immortal life that he so desperately craved.

But as he was immersed in his inner thoughts, he was interrupted by the soft voice of his son.

"Are you sure about this, Father?" his son asked, concern etched on his face.

The Vampire King turned to face his child, his eyes filled with ancient wisdom.

"What are you afraid of, my son?" he asked. "Don't you know that your father has only one wish in his life?"

His son looked at him with a mixture of awe and reverence. "No, Father. I am not afraid. As your filial son, I will fulfill all your wishes that I can to the best of my abilities."

With a nod of approval, The Great Eilif smiled.

"Come on, cheer up, everybody," he said, addressing his family members who were looking at him anxiously. "I know I am selfish. But I am leaving the responsibility to find my successor in your hands. You are my children. The Grimoire can only be given to the successor by your blood. If he can withstand your power, then he can withstand my power."

A small girl approached him and looked at him with teary eyes. She asked with a trembling voice, "Grandpa! Are you leaving us?"

Eilif smiled and patted her head. "My sweet little Rose, how can I leave you? I still haven't found a good husband for you," he said.

"Wahhh... B-But I am just one thousand and eight years old. You should find a husband for big sister Anna. She is seven thousand years old and still has not found a good husband," she replied while pointing at the woman beside her.

She glanced at her and felt unease creeping into her heart. Anna's eyes were fixed on her, and they glared at her with a ferocity that made her shudder.

"Oi!... little girl," Anna spoke up, her voice harsh and threatening. "Talk more, and I will throw you in the scariest dungeon alone."

The younger girl's heart skipped a beat as she heard the threat, and she let out a desperate plea for help. "NOOOOO... Grandpa! Help me, please!" She looked up at her grandfather, hoping that he would come to her rescue, and she clutched at the hem of his clothes in a bid to draw him closer to her.

"Hahahaha, I am going to miss your playful antics," he laughed as he rubbed her head.

His expression was solemn for a second as he took one last look at his family before it changed to cheerful and energetic.

"Well, what are we waiting for?

LET THE CEREMONY BEGIN!"

...

Two thousand years later,

As the first rays of dawn began to illuminate the sky, two hooded figures raced through the winding streets of Xena, their hearts pounding with fear and desperation. Behind them, a group of menacing figures gave chase, their angry shouts echoing through the quiet morning air.

Suddenly, the fleeing duo came to an abrupt halt as they found an opening and hid quickly. The leader of the group barked orders at his subordinates, his eyes widened as the two figures before him escaped.

"We must get the grimoire before the others find out about it. Find them, now!" he quickly ordered his henchmen.

The hunted pair watched in terror as the group of hooded figures fanned out in search of them. They retreated to the relative safety of a nearby rooftop, gasping for breath and nursing their wounds. They knew that their time was running out.

"What should we do now, Rina?" he asked. Rina looked at her wounds and clutched the grimoire in her hands. "We will do what we are meant to do, Archon," Rina said.

Archon was surprised and asked, "We will find him, HERE, in this backwater town?"

"SHUT UP! We don't have a choice. We cannot let them get the grimoire we have safeguarded for years," Rina said. Archon's tone became solemn. "What if we don't find him here, then what? We will die here, and they will get the grimoire."

Rina's face darkened for a second before her face bloomed into a beautiful smile. "We should visit the hospital. We can check whether the babies can withstand the ritual or not. This will buy us some time, and we will be lucky if we find him among them. It's a risk, but it's our only hope."

Archon also smiled and then laughed at her in a demeaning way. "Wow, looks like you are not some brainless doll like they say... hehehehe!"

Rina grabbed his neck and bared her fangs while she let out a wicked expression. "We don't need your tongue to finish our job. How about ripping it out?"

Archon started sweating and swallowed

his retort and quickly said, "I was just joking, Madam."

Rina let go of his neck and ordered, "Let's go! If we wait any longer, they will find our scent."

As they made their way to the hospital, Rina thought about the sacrifices her family had made to protect the grimoire for so many years. The responsibility had been passed down from generation to generation, and now it was up to her and Archon to ensure that it remained safe.

They finally arrived at the hospital and began their search. It was a daunting task, but they remained determined.

They entered the pediatric ward and scanned it. All the babies were crying, but there was one baby who was peacefully sleeping.

Seeing this, they were surprised. Usually, human babies who are born cry, but this little one was peacefully sleeping.

They walked towards the little guy and looked at his small face.

Their expressions turned serious.

Rina took the Grimoire and placed it on the baby's chest and started chanting an ancient verse. It began shining with a brilliant red light.

Archon and Rina took a vial of their blood and opened his mouth. The blood dripped into his mouth, but Archon's hand slipped as the baby gulped down the whole vial.

They both froze in their places as they comprehended what had happened.

Archon asked, "Ummm... Didn't we have to let the individual drink a drop of our blood to check the compatibility?"

Rina replied, "I think we messed up. We should not have let him drink the whole vial."

Just as they were talking, the baby started moving around.

Both of them looked at him with grim expressions.

But the inevitable never happened. The baby squirmed a little then burped at them and opened his eyes.

"Gugugu..." the baby touched the grimoire and started playing with it while smiling at them.

Seeing this, their expressions turned cheerful.

Archon and Rina looked at him with tears in their eyes and exclaimed, "We have met his successor at last."

The name tag shone at the edge of the crib with the sunlight, and they cheered, "Long Live Darell Rogers, His Majesty!"

Archon and Rina bowed to the baby as a sign of respect. Rina then took out a vial containing a dark red liquid that emitted vapors and carefully placed the vial on the grimoire. Rina started chanting an ancient verse while Archon watched with bated breath.

As she finished the chant, the vial shattered, and a single drop of the blood went into the baby's mouth while the rest of the blood flowed into the grimoire. The book shone with an otherworldly light, illuminating the room with its ancient inscriptions and runes. Suddenly, the grimoire shot toward the baby's head, and the newborn fell asleep almost instantly.

Archon and Rina exchanged a glance of relief and nodded their heads in unison. After years of safeguarding the grimoire and searching for the chosen one, their mission was finally complete.

They quietly jumped out of the window and ran to the outskirts of the town.

However, they were immediately surrounded by several hooded figures, and one of them took off his mask and grinned at Archon and Rina.

"Please hand over the grimoire, and all of this will be over," the leader said, his subordinates brandishing their weapons.

Archon and Rina's laughter echoed through the air, echoing the leader's greed and jealousy. "The Afanas Family knew all of you would act on your selfish desires," Archon said, "But we are not like you. We will fulfill His Majesty's wish even if we have to die for it."

The leader's face twisted with anger. "Capture them!" he commanded. "We need their blood for the ritual."

But Archon and Rina had one last trick up their sleeves. They removed their cloaks and shouted, "LONG LIVE THE AFANAS FAMILY! LONG LIVE HIS MAJESTY!"

A bright red flame erupted from their bodies, reducing them to ashes in the blink of an eye. The leader panicked, shouting for his subordinates to stop them, but it was too late. The Afanas Family had won.

"DAMN IT! DAMN THE AFANAS FAMILY!" the leader screamed in frustration as his subordinates looked on in alarm.

"Sir, what should we do now?" one of them asked.

"We need to report this incident to the lord. Let's go!" the leader barked, and they fled into the nearby forest, disappearing.

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