The atmosphere inside the Vampire Covenant changed subtly after the debriefing within the Grand Hall concluded, though the majority of the Covenant's population remained unaware of the precise reason behind the growing tension spreading through the political wing. Servants moved more carefully through the elevated corridors surrounding the Council chambers while lower-ranking attendants avoided lingering unnecessarily near restricted sections of the structure. Rumors had already begun circulating quietly throughout portions of the Covenant following the northern expedition's return, but very few individuals possessed enough authority to understand what had actually unsettled the Council Elders themselves.
Emeralda and the remaining escorts departed the Grand Hall under formal dismissal shortly after the questioning concluded. None of them spoke while leaving the chamber. The oppressive circulation pressure lingering throughout the hall after the High Elder's declaration regarding the Vampire King remained heavy enough that even experienced Covenant escorts instinctively maintained silence until they had moved several corridors away from the political sector itself.
The expedition had changed more than they originally understood.
That realization settled heavily across the returning escorts while they moved through the Covenant interior beneath the dim crimson circulation lanterns lining the ancient hallways. Earlier, most of them had viewed the northern assignment as another dangerous external operation tied to Covenant territorial interests. Even Noctis's presence had initially represented little more than a politically important anomaly attached to the expedition itself.
Now the situation no longer resembled an ordinary mission report.
The Council's reaction inside the Grand Hall had made that abundantly clear.
Several escorts eventually separated naturally throughout the Covenant as attendants redirected them toward logistical recovery procedures connected to the northern operation. Emeralda continued deeper into the military wing alongside several surviving escorts while the atmosphere throughout the surrounding corridors remained unusually restrained.
No one openly discussed the possibility of awakening the Vampire King.
They did not need to.
The implication alone carried enough weight to suppress unnecessary conversation.
Far behind them, the Grand Hall remained sealed while the Council Elders continued their discussion regarding Noctis.
The ancient chamber felt heavier now than earlier during the debriefing itself. Massive pillars reinforced through centuries of blood circulation enhancement extended upward into darkness above the chamber while hidden blood wards pulsed steadily beneath the stone flooring surrounding the elevated arc formation where the elders remained seated.
Several elders maintained silence for an extended period following the escorts' departure.
The High Elder eventually shifted his attention toward the rest of the Council calmly.
"The situation has already progressed beyond ordinary Covenant oversight."
One elder folded his arms beneath the layered robes covering his body while his circulation fluctuated faintly beneath the heavy atmosphere inside the chamber.
"You continue speaking as though the Covenant has already lost authority over him."
The High Elder's expression remained calm.
"Have we not?"
The question settled across the Grand Hall heavily.
No immediate response followed.
Several elders understood the point immediately even if none appeared eager to acknowledge it openly. The issue surrounding Noctis no longer revolved solely around individual strength or abnormal bloodline development. Vampire society had dealt with dangerous progeny before throughout its long history. Violent bloodline mutations, unstable sovereign awakenings, and powerful combat-oriented vampires were not entirely unprecedented.
Noctis represented something different.
An elder seated near the far side of the arc eventually spoke.
"The dragon concerns me more than the lycanthrope."
Another elder nodded slowly afterward.
"The escorts described complete draconic stabilization despite marrow integration."
The High Elder folded his hands together calmly.
"That alone should not have been possible under ordinary evolutionary conditions."
None of the elders disputed the statement.
True dragon marrow represented one of the most biologically unstable integration materials known throughout several sovereign species ecosystems. Even draconic creatures themselves frequently suffered structural collapse attempting forced marrow synchronization between incompatible circulation systems.
Yet Bahamut had evolved successfully.
Completely.
Without permanent instability.
Without visible circulation degradation.
Without biological rejection.
One elder eventually narrowed his eyes slightly.
"The Crimson Ward played a significant role."
"Undoubtedly," another elder agreed.
The High Elder remained thoughtful.
"But the Ward alone does not explain successful integration at that scale."
The implication settled naturally throughout the chamber afterward.
Noctis's bloodline remained the central variable.
Another elder eventually shifted the discussion elsewhere.
"The lycanthrope is equally problematic politically."
Several elders glanced toward him.
The elder continued calmly.
"The creature possesses independent intelligence, sovereign pressure, elemental synchronization, and bloodline integration linked directly to Noctis. Yet according to the escorts, it obeys him willingly."
"That may concern me more than forced domination would," another elder admitted quietly.
The atmosphere throughout the chamber tightened slightly again.
Because that observation carried uncomfortable truth behind it.
If Bahamut and Rengar had merely been bound through oppressive bloodline domination, the situation would still remain dangerous but understandable within the existing political framework of vampire society. Powerful vampires frequently subdued external creatures, blood beasts, or contracted entities through circulation authority.
What unsettled the Council was the nature of the loyalty surrounding Noctis's companions.
The escorts had described coordination.
Mutual trust.
Combat synchronization.
Willing cooperation.
The High Elder eventually spoke again.
"Noctis is no longer developing as an isolated vampire."
The statement immediately drew attention throughout the chamber.
The High Elder continued.
"An ecosystem is forming around him."
Silence followed briefly afterward.
The term fit too accurately to ignore.
Bahamut.
Rengar.
The Crimson Ward.
Bloodline synchronization.
Companion evolution.
All of it revolved around Noctis naturally rather than through forced territorial conquest.
One elder exhaled quietly.
"If this continues unchecked…"
He stopped before finishing the thought.
Because none of them truly understood where that path ultimately led.
Another elder shifted the conversation toward the Academy.
"The Demon Academy enrollment should proceed regardless."
Several elders nodded gradually.
The Academy represented one of the few politically neutral environments powerful enough to absorb someone like Noctis temporarily without immediately destabilizing existing Covenant hierarchy. The institution housed multiple demonic races, sovereign bloodlines, and external political factions simultaneously under regulated authority structures far broader than ordinary Covenant territory.
The High Elder agreed.
"Yes."
The elder nearest him frowned slightly afterward.
"And if his growth continues there as well?"
The High Elder remained calm.
"Then broader sovereign factions will witness it directly rather than learning through Covenant reports alone."
Another elder spoke quietly.
"You intend to spread responsibility."
The High Elder did not deny it.
"The Covenant cannot remain solely responsible for monitoring someone like Noctis indefinitely."
That statement carried no hostility toward Noctis himself.
Only realism.
Another elder eventually returned the conversation toward the matter everyone still avoided directly.
"The King."
The atmosphere throughout the Grand Hall grew noticeably heavier once more.
The High Elder's gaze shifted toward the ancient blood wards integrated throughout the chamber itself before answering.
"Preparations will begin quietly."
Several elders exchanged restrained glances immediately afterward.
One elder leaned slightly forward in his seat.
"You understand the implications once the King awakens."
"Yes."
"The Council loses autonomous authority."
"Yes."
"The Covenant's political structure changes entirely."
The High Elder remained calm throughout the exchange.
"And if the King determines Noctis represents either opportunity or threat, none of us will possess the authority to intervene afterward regardless."
Silence spread naturally across the chamber.
That reality disturbed the elders more than they openly admitted.
The Vampire King did not merely symbolize sovereign authority.
He embodied it.
Long before the modern Covenant structure existed in its current form, the King had already ruled vampire civilization through bloodline sovereignty powerful enough to unify ancient vampire territories beneath singular authority. The Council governed daily political affairs primarily because the King remained in prolonged slumber beneath the Covenant itself for generations at a time.
If awakened fully, his will superseded every political structure currently operating throughout the Covenant.
Another elder eventually spoke carefully.
"And if awakening him proves unnecessary?"
The High Elder answered without hesitation.
"Then the preparations remain unused."
No one responded immediately afterward.
Because the truth remained unavoidable now.
The Council had already crossed the point where ignoring Noctis's existence remained politically possible.
Far above the Grand Hall, however, Noctis remained entirely unaware of the debate unfolding around him.
His physical body rested calmly atop the bed inside his chambers while stable circulation moved naturally throughout the room in slow rhythmic pulses. Crimson light gathered faintly around the mark located on his forehead before portions of his consciousness projected directly into the pet space connected to Bahamut and Rengar.
The internal domain surrounding the projection stabilized gradually once Noctis fully materialized within the environment.
The pet space no longer resembled the relatively empty circulation chamber it had once been earlier during his development. Bahamut and Rengar's continued evolution had altered the internal structure of the domain itself through accumulated sovereign pressure and bloodline resonance.
Dense blood mist drifted slowly throughout portions of the environment while large sections of terrain had begun stabilizing naturally beneath the dark crimson sky stretching endlessly overhead. Circulation currents moved continuously through the domain like atmospheric pressure systems while faint fragments of mountainous terrain, fractured plains, and reinforced stone formations emerged gradually throughout the expanding environment.
The pet space itself was adapting.
Noctis activated Omni Eyes immediately after entering.
The crimson rings inside his eyes rotated steadily while circulation pathways unfolded throughout the domain around him. Bahamut remained positioned farther across the terrain while stable draconic pressure spread naturally through the environment surrounding the massive dragon. Rengar stood much closer nearby with lightning circulation crackling intermittently around the armored structures integrated throughout his evolved body.
The lycanthrope rolled one dagger loosely through his fingers while blood circulation flowed beneath the weapon's surface.
"You're late."
Noctis ignored the comment.
"Same conditions."
Rengar smirked slightly.
"Full pressure?"
"Yes."
Bahamut lowered his head calmly from farther behind them.
"Understood."
The atmosphere throughout the pet space shifted immediately afterward.
Rengar moved first.
Lightning exploded outward beneath his feet while blood-enhanced acceleration launched the lycanthrope across the battlefield at speeds capable of overwhelming ordinary visual tracking entirely. Ice condensed briefly beneath his movement path as circulation pressure altered his directional momentum mid-acceleration.
Noctis responded instantly.
Nocturne and Ruin materialized simultaneously while blood rounds fired across the terrain toward the circulation signature approaching rapidly from the left flank.
Rengar twisted around the incoming shots through instinctive combat movement while compressed blood and lightning pressure gathered along one dagger before Wolf Fang Slash erupted outward in a crescent-shaped attack aimed directly toward Noctis's midsection.
Noctis intercepted immediately.
Blood bullets collided against the incoming slash while Omni Eyes tracked the circulation fluctuations hidden beneath Rengar's acceleration patterns. The impact displaced blood mist outward across portions of the terrain before Bahamut attacked next.
The dragon opened his jaws while blood-energy circulation condensed heavily throughout the draconic throat structure. A concentrated breath attack erupted across the battlefield several moments later carrying compressed crimson pressure dense enough to distort sections of terrain beneath its path.
Noctis accelerated sideways through blood circulation reinforcement before the breath attack reached him while Ruin fired repeatedly upward toward Bahamut's descending position.
The dragon adjusted instinctively.
Wing pressure shifted the surrounding airflow while armored wing fingers deflected several incoming blood rounds before Bahamut descended lower across the battlefield. The draconic pressure spreading throughout the domain intensified immediately afterward while Rengar attacked again simultaneously.
Lightning acceleration compressed around the lycanthrope's lower body while blood circulation reinforced both daggers during the next assault sequence. Ice formed briefly beneath his movement path before shattering apart under the pressure generated by the directional change.
The attack angle shifted instantly.
Noctis blocked through Nocturne while Ruin intercepted the second dagger strike milliseconds later.
The force behind the clash redirected Ruin downward toward the terrain beneath them.
Then Noctis noticed the positioning.
An idea surfaced immediately through the combat flow.
Rengar pressed forward aggressively while blood circulation continued reinforcing the dagger strikes aimed toward Noctis's circulation centers and movement joints.
Noctis fired Ruin directly into the ground.
The blood bullet struck the terrain beneath them and should have dispersed through impact pressure normally.
Instead, a small crimson magic circle formed instantly at the collision point.
The bullet ricocheted upward.
Rengar's instincts reacted immediately.
Lightning exploded across the battlefield while the lycanthrope twisted sideways fast enough to avoid a direct hit, but the rebounding blood round still grazed the left shoulder pauldron integrated into his armor before continuing past him.
Rengar immediately retreated backward across the terrain while circulation fluctuated sharply around him.
At the same moment, Bahamut descended from above.
The dragon's armored forelimbs slammed downward toward Noctis while draconic pressure compressed heavily throughout the battlefield beneath the descending attack.
Three days passed after the Council meeting within the Grand Hall, and during that time the atmosphere throughout the Vampire Covenant gradually shifted beneath layers of controlled political silence that very few ordinary vampires fully understood. Nothing outwardly dramatic occurred within the city surrounding the Covenant itself. Trade continued through the lower districts. Patrol units maintained ordinary circulation routes throughout the outer sectors. Noble families continued navigating their internal political disputes beneath the surface structure of Covenant society.
Yet the deeper layers of the Covenant had begun moving.
The changes remained subtle enough that most lower vampires failed to identify the source directly, but instincts embedded deeply within vampire bloodlines reacted nonetheless. Ancient circulation arrays hidden throughout portions of the Covenant structure fluctuated intermittently beneath the stone foundations while restricted sectors beneath the political wing became increasingly isolated from ordinary movement. High Elders disappeared from public view entirely during the second day following the debriefing, and several sections of the lower Covenant were sealed under direct sovereign authority protocols not activated for generations.
Rumors spread naturally afterward.
Some believed the Covenant had discovered a hidden threat within the northern range. Others suspected conflict among the elder bloodlines after the expedition returned. A few lower nobles quietly speculated that the Council had begun preparing for war against an external sovereign faction.
None of them understood the truth.
Beneath the Covenant itself, preparations had already begun to awaken the oldest sovereign existence within vampire civilization.
Meanwhile, throughout all three days, Noctis never once stepped outside his chambers.
The majority of the Covenant interpreted his isolation differently depending on their position within the hierarchy surrounding him. Lower vampires assumed the Progenitor Inheritor was stabilizing circulation following the northern expedition. Several nobles believed he was consolidating strength before entering the Demon Academy. Others suspected experimentation involving bloodline techniques or sovereign abilities acquired beyond Covenant territory.
In reality, Noctis spent nearly the entire three-day period inside the pet space training continuously alongside Bahamut and Rengar.
The sounds of combat never escaped the chamber physically because the battles unfolded entirely within the sovereign internal domain linked through Noctis's bloodline. His physical body remained motionless atop the bed for most of the three days while projected consciousness fought continuously inside the evolving environment shaped through sovereign circulation resonance.
Within the pet space, the battles never truly stopped.
Rengar's speed continued increasing through repeated synchronization between blood circulation and lightning acceleration while Bahamut refined aerial pressure control and blood-energy projection through increasingly coordinated assault patterns against Noctis. The ricochet blood rounds Noctis had begun refining during the first spar evolved rapidly through constant battlefield application as he experimented with circulation-guided trajectory control, angled rebounds, delayed timing shots, and terrain manipulation through blood impact geometry.
All three continued adapting simultaneously.
The pet space itself evolved alongside them.
The domain surrounding their training grounds grew denser beneath the accumulated pressure generated by repeated sovereign combat. Blood mist thickened throughout sections of the environment while fractured terrain repeatedly reconstructed itself through circulation resonance after being destroyed during sparring sessions. The boundaries of the domain expanded gradually as Bahamut's draconic circulation and Rengar's predatory pressure integrated more deeply into the evolving sovereign ecosystem connected directly to Noctis himself.
Outside the chamber, however, the Covenant interpreted the silence surrounding Noctis very differently.
The uncertainty unsettled them far more than visible activity would have.
Far beneath the Covenant itself, the High Elders continued descending deeper through ancient restricted passages inaccessible to nearly every vampire currently living within the city above.
The architecture surrounding them changed gradually the farther downward they traveled.
The upper political corridors connected to the modern Covenant still carried traces of recognizable vampire civilization through reinforced crimson stone, circulation lanterns, noble insignias, and military ward structures integrated into the walls themselves. But those features slowly disappeared the deeper the High Elders descended beneath the foundation layers supporting the Covenant above.
The lower passages felt older.
Far older.
The stone darkened naturally into dense black structures reinforced through circulation pressure no longer resembling ordinary architectural design. Massive support pillars extended upward beyond visible range while ancient marrow inscriptions spread across the walls in patterns predating the modern Covenant language entirely.
Blood flowed openly through carved channels integrated into portions of the floor and walls surrounding the descending pathways.
Not ordinary blood.
Sovereign blood circulation.
The ancient channels pulsed slowly with dormant crimson pressure flowing deeper toward the sanctum hidden beneath the Covenant itself. Every High Elder moving through the lower sectors instinctively regulated their own circulation more carefully the farther they descended because the pressure throughout the environment gradually intensified around them.
None of the elders spoke much during the descent.
The atmosphere surrounding the lower sanctum naturally suppressed unnecessary conversation.
Massive blood wards embedded throughout the ancient structure activated one after another as the elders passed deeper into the restricted sectors beneath the Covenant. Ancient circulation mechanisms dormant for generations resumed movement gradually while marrow channels hidden beneath the structure pulsed faintly beneath the surrounding stone.
The Covenant itself had not been built independently above the sanctum.
It had been built around it.
That truth became overwhelmingly obvious within the lower sectors beneath the modern political structure. The ancient architecture surrounding the elders no longer resembled extensions of the current Covenant because the sovereign sanctum predated the existing vampire civilization structure itself.
The modern Covenant merely occupied the surface above the older sovereign foundation hidden beneath it.
Eventually, the descending pathways opened into an enormous chamber stretching beyond ordinary visual scale.
The High Elders slowed instinctively afterward.
The sanctum housing the Vampire King spread outward before them beneath layers of ancient sovereign architecture unlike anything visible within the city above. Massive pillars carved directly into the surrounding subterranean structure extended upward into darkness while blood circulation channels flowed openly throughout the chamber floor like rivers of dense crimson pressure moving steadily toward the sealed center of the sanctum.
Ancient marrow inscriptions covered nearly every visible surface surrounding the chamber.
Some pulsed faintly beneath the dormant circulation flowing through the sanctum while others remained completely dark despite the increasing pressure gradually spreading throughout the lower structure.
The air itself felt heavier here.
Not through ordinary circulation density.
Through age.
The sovereign pressure embedded throughout the sanctum carried weight accumulated across generations of slumber beneath the Covenant itself.
Several High Elders instinctively lowered their circulation naturally while approaching the center of the chamber.
The sealed resting structure housing the Vampire King dominated the sanctum.
It did not resemble a throne.
Nor a tomb.
The structure resembled something far older and more biological than either comparison adequately described. Massive black bloodstone formations extended around the sealed resting chamber while circulation roots spread outward beneath the surrounding floor in dense interconnected patterns feeding directly into the deeper marrow channels hidden throughout the sanctum.
Ancient sovereign pressure regulators surrounded portions of the resting structure while layered blood wards pulsed faintly across the surface of the enormous sealed chamber itself.
The High Elders stopped several dozen meters away.
Even they did not approach carelessly.
One elder exhaled quietly while observing the dormant sovereign structure before them.
"It has been generations."
Another elder nodded slowly.
"The city above has nearly forgotten what rests beneath it."
The High Elder standing nearest the center of the formation remained silent while observing the sealed chamber.
No vampire present within the sanctum underestimated the significance of what they were preparing to do.
The Vampire King's slumber was not ordinary rest.
It represented sovereign hibernation at the highest level of vampire civilization. The King suppressed his circulation intentionally for generations at a time while the Covenant itself maintained the surrounding sovereign systems preserving the dormant state beneath the city.
Awakening him meant reactivating the apex sovereign foundation underlying vampire society itself.
The High Elder eventually raised one hand slowly.
The ancient blood wards integrated throughout the sanctum responded immediately.
Crimson circulation spread outward beneath the floor while marrow inscriptions across the surrounding chamber gradually illuminated one after another. The blood rivers flowing throughout the sanctum accelerated subtly afterward as dormant circulation channels resumed movement deeper beneath the structure.
The remaining High Elders activated additional sovereign arrays throughout the chamber.
Ancient circulation mechanisms hidden beneath the floor awakened gradually while pressure regulators embedded throughout the sanctum shifted in response to the reactivation process. Blood moved steadily through marrow channels integrated into the walls themselves while layers of sovereign seals surrounding the resting structure weakened incrementally beneath the synchronized activation sequence.
Nothing exploded.
No violent eruptions spread through the chamber.
The awakening felt slow.
Heavy.
Inevitable.
Far above the sanctum, subtle changes began spreading naturally throughout the Covenant itself.
Lower vampires throughout portions of the city paused intermittently without understanding why as instinctive unease spread through their circulation. Ancient wards hidden throughout the Covenant structure gradually reactivated beneath the surface while blood lanterns flickered irregularly throughout isolated corridors connected to the lower sectors.
Older vampires noticed the pressure changes first.
Their bloodlines reacted instinctively to the sovereign circulation beginning to move beneath the city once again.
Several nobles emerged from private chambers during the third night after Noctis's return while faint circulation instability spread throughout portions of the Covenant. Patrol units throughout restricted sectors received direct orders rerouting movement away from the deeper political wings while lower attendants avoided the sealed lower corridors entirely after pressure fluctuations began spreading upward from beneath the structure itself.
Still, almost nobody understood the truth.
Deep beneath the Covenant, the awakening continued.
The blood circulation throughout the sanctum intensified gradually while ancient marrow channels embedded beneath the chamber pulsed with increasing sovereign pressure. The enormous sealed resting structure at the center of the sanctum responded slowly as circulation resumed throughout the dormant systems connected directly to the Vampire King's suppressed body.
The High Elders maintained formation throughout the activation process while carefully regulating their own circulation beneath the increasing sovereign pressure filling the chamber.
Then the pressure changed.
The shift remained subtle initially.
A single fluctuation spread outward from the sealed resting structure before stabilizing again throughout the sanctum.
Breathing.
The circulation flowing through the chamber altered immediately afterward.
Ancient sovereign pressure dormant for generations resumed movement slowly beneath the Covenant itself while the blood rivers throughout the sanctum accelerated another degree faster.
Several High Elders instinctively lowered themselves farther.
Not because the King attacked them.
Their bloodlines reacted naturally to superior sovereign authority reawakening nearby.
The sealed structure pulsed once more.
Then again.
The sovereign pressure surrounding the sanctum thickened gradually while circulation resumed throughout the dormant body hidden within the resting chamber.
The Vampire King was awakening.
Far above the sanctum, lower vampires throughout portions of the Covenant instinctively paused mid-conversation while sudden pressure spread faintly through the city. Several older bloodline nobles visibly regulated their circulation immediately afterward despite lacking any understanding of the source beneath them.
The city itself reacted biologically.
Inside his chambers, Noctis remained completely unaware.
Within the pet space, another blood round ricocheted across fractured terrain while Bahamut descended through blood-energy pressure toward Noctis's position and Rengar accelerated sideways beneath arcs of lightning and blood circulation.
The battles continued uninterrupted.
Deep beneath the Covenant, the sealed structure surrounding the Vampire King finally began opening.
Ancient bloodstone layers separated gradually while marrow seals embedded throughout the chamber weakened beneath the restored sovereign circulation spreading throughout the sanctum. Pressure thickened heavily across the environment while the High Elders lowered themselves instinctively beneath the overwhelming density now filling the chamber.
Then the structure fully opened.
The Vampire King sat motionless within the center of the sanctum.
Ancient crimson eyes gradually opened beneath the sovereign pressure spreading naturally throughout the chamber while circulation resumed fully throughout the body of the apex ruler underlying vampire civilization itself.
The atmosphere changed immediately.
Not through violence.
Presence.
The High Elders instinctively lowered themselves farther beneath the pressure radiating from the awakened sovereign before them. Their bloodlines reacted naturally beneath the overwhelming circulation density now spreading throughout the sanctum.
The Vampire King rose slowly afterward.
The movement alone altered the circulation throughout the chamber.
Ancient sovereign pressure spread naturally outward from his body while the dormant sanctum fully awakened beneath the restored circulation moving throughout the structure itself. The King's appearance carried no exaggerated theatricality despite the overwhelming pressure surrounding him. He simply looked ancient beyond ordinary comprehension.
Calm.
Controlled.
Sovereign.
The High Elder nearest the front finally spoke carefully.
"Your Majesty."
The Vampire King's gaze shifted toward the assembled elders quietly.
"You awakened me."
No accusation existed within the statement.
Only acknowledgment.
The High Elder lowered his head slightly.
"A situation has emerged involving the Progenitor Inheritor."
The atmosphere throughout the sanctum remained silent afterward while the High Elders explained:
the northern expedition, Bahamut, Rengar, the sovereign evolutions, the bloodline synchronization, and Noctis's current development.
The Vampire King listened without interruption.
His expression never changed throughout the explanation.
No visible alarm surfaced after hearing about Bahamut.
Nor Rengar.
Nor the sovereign pressure surrounding Noctis's companions.
That reaction alone subtly unsettled several High Elders more than panic would have.
Because unlike the Council above, the Vampire King clearly understood sovereign evolution far better than any of them.
Eventually, silence returned throughout the sanctum once the explanation concluded.
The Vampire King remained motionless briefly afterward while ancient sovereign pressure continued flowing naturally throughout the chamber surrounding him.
Then he finally spoke.
"So the Progenitor Inheritor has reached this stage already."
The statement carried calm recognition rather than surprise.
The High Elders remained lowered beneath the pressure spreading through the sanctum.
The Vampire King eventually stepped forward from the opened resting structure while the circulation throughout the chamber shifted naturally around him.
"It seems," he said quietly, "that I should speak with Noctis personally."