As the towering gates of Nocturn loomed before them, Elara felt her breath catch in her throat. The vampire capital was a sight unlike anything she had ever imagined, a sprawling metropolis that seemed to defy the very laws of nature. Spires of obsidian and quartz reached towards the perpetually twilight sky, their surfaces shimmering with an inner light that pulsed like a heartbeat.
The gates themselves were a marvel of engineering and magic. Intricately carved with scenes from vampire history, they seemed to shift and move as Elara watched, the figures within coming to life in an endless, silent dance. At the center, a massive emblem depicted a crescent moon embracing a blood-red sun – a symbol, Elara realized with a start, of the very alliance she hoped to forge.
Lord Draven's voice cut through her reverie. "Welcome, Princess Elara, to Nocturn – the jewel of the Shadow Lands."