Chapter 1 The Predator’s Interview

The monolith of Eternity Tower did not merely dominate the skyline of Noctaria; it seemed to dictate the very respiratory rhythm of the city. This fifty-story skyscraper, a marvel of dark engineering and a symbol of absolute corporate dominion, reflected the chaotic lights of the metropolis like a jagged shard of obsidian carved into the night. At the very apex, within a penthouse bathed in a clinical, bluish holographic glow, Catherine Draven reigned over her empire.

Catherine was the living icon of a modern goddess. Her porcelain skin, almost translucent under the artificial lights, contrasted sharply with her golden hair that cascaded down to her waist like a river of liquid sunlight. She exuded an aura of quiet, terrifying power, but her scarlet eyes—deep as ancient pools of blood—betrayed a heavy weariness.

"Haa… where is my future squire?"

Her angelic voice echoed through the vast office, carrying a hint of unconfessed desire that hung in the cold air. The scent of fresh roses mingled with the rich aroma of aged leather from designer furniture. Catherine sighed, the weight of solitude pressing down on her marble-like shoulders. With a disdainful gesture, she swiped through the holograms of candidates flickering across her glass interface.

"Always the same... they speak of nothing but their lineages, their connections, their unearned privileges. So incredibly boring."

She craved a spark—a soul capable of seeing past her title as a crown princess and her devastating beauty. Suddenly, two slender fangs shimmered under the neon lights as her blood-red tongue slid slowly along them with predatory precision.

"I am hungry. Is it already time?"

Her voice trembled slightly, revealing the abyssal void she felt within. She leaned back in her black executive chair, the leather creaking under her movement. The view of the teeming city below offered no comfort; it was merely a feeding ground. She pushed aside the digital files with a flick of her thumb, but one sheet remained strangely stuck to the main screen, as if refusing to be ignored.

"Hmmm? A strange CV."

Her eyes narrowed with sudden interest. The attached image showed a face with chiseled features, a wild intensity, and an almost haunting symmetry.

"Eric Vance? A familiar name…" she whispered.

The name stirred memories of the Vance family—once a noble and formidable line of warriors, now fallen and forgotten. Her fingertips clicked relentlessly on the keyboard as she twirled a lock of her golden hair around her index finger.

"So it is true... a Vance applying to serve me. Is he foolish, or simply desperate?"

A crescent-shaped smile, both beautiful and cruel, formed on her lips.

"The strongest of wolf-knights serving the highest of vampire royalty? I must see this man."

Excited, she dialed a twelve-digit security number in a millisecond.

"I have found my squire. Organize an interview for candidate 106, Eric Vance."

"V-Vance, Your Highness? Are you certain?" Wilma stammered on the other end, her voice shaking with shock.

"It is an order, Wilma!"

Catherine hung up and sprang to her feet, her divine silhouette magnified by the city lights. She raised a crystal glass filled with a dark crimson liquid, feeling anticipation thrumming through her veins.

"You will serve your princess well, Eric!"

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of this glacial luxury, in a dilapidated apartment on the outskirts of Noctaria, the world smelled of sweat and burnt coffee. The morning sun filtered through thin, yellowed curtains, casting a warm but harsh glow over modest furniture worn down by years of hardship. On the small veranda, Eric Vance was performing his morning exercise routine.

Dressed in a stained gray shirt and frayed trousers, Eric battled gravity with iron discipline.

"One, two! One, two!"

His deep voice echoed through the city's heavy air like a challenge thrown at the heavens. Below, the neighborhood "aunts" had gathered to watch him, as they did every morning.

"That Vance boy never stops..." one middle-aged woman whispered. "They say he has a shot at a job in Eternity Tower. He was nearly crying with joy last night."

Eric, his face chiseled and his gaze dark, moved into one-handed vertical push-ups, the muscles of his back rippling under the effort. At that moment, Naya, with her short white hair and long wool hooded jacket, walked past the group.

"Morning, ladies!" she called out in her bright, slightly raspy voice. Her golden eyes settled on Eric.

"Showing off as always, Eric…" she breathed, a dry smile touching her lips.

Naya caught the scent of his exertion, her alpine wolf instincts flickering, before she abruptly turned away, claiming she had family matters to attend to. On the veranda, Eric savored the burn in his muscles. He had to be ready. This afternoon’s interview was his only chance to save what was left of his family.

"Eric!"

A harsh, wheezing voice summoned him from within. Eric hurried into the modest living room, where the scent of incense drifted lazily before the framed photographs of Eunice Bathora—his mother, whose hair was as black as ebony and whose eyes held a haunting crimson depth. On the faded blue sofa sat Gilbert, his body a map of old scars, now tethered to a rhythmic, whistling oxygen machine.

"Boy! Don't just stand there staring at me! Help me clean your mother’s altar!"

Eric didn't flinch. He knew Gilbert’s gruffness was nothing more than a mask for his mounting fear. Gilbert was his stepfather, the man who had taken him in and raised him as his own out of pure, undying love for Eunice. Born to a single mother, Eric had never known his biological father; Gilbert had been the only wall standing between him and the crushing misery of Noctaria.

"Yes, Father. Let me handle it. I have the interview today. We’re going to make it through this."

He began to polish Eunice’s urn with military precision. For a brief moment, Gilbert allowed a rare, fragile smile to surface.

"Do your best, Eric. You are a Vance."

Suddenly, a violent coughing fit seized the old man, staining his handkerchief with a spray of blood. Eric froze in place, his heart tightening.

"I’m fine!" Gilbert growled, fighting for air. "I’m not dying until I see you settled with a woman worthy of the name!"

After preparing a nutritious soup for Gilbert, Eric changed into his black suit—the hard-won fruit of two years of savings. With his sides shaved and his wild black hair slicked back, he looked like a prince of the underworld.

"Pop. I’m heading out. Wish me luck."

"You don't need luck. You're my son," Gilbert replied, watching him disappear into the harsh morning light.

Once the door slammed shut, Gilbert remained alone. He slowly unhooked his machine, his silver eyes shimmering with unshed tears as he stared at Eunice’s photograph. True to his promise, he did not move from his seat. He sat there, a silent, broken guardian of a dangerous history.

"Eunice, forgive me... our son is walking straight into the lion's den. He knows nothing of his progenitor, or the real reason that man abandoned you... But I will tell him everything tonight. When he comes back."

He touched the cold surface of the urn, his hand trembling. He would wait right there for Eric’s return, praying the boy could survive his first encounter with the Draven bloodline.