Chapter two

The dawn light struggled to break through the thick, oppressive clouds that loomed over Raeruven, casting a muted pallor across the castle's ancient stones. The air was heavy with foreboding, a silence settling over the land as the first echoes of the execution bell rang out, reverberating through the castle corridors like a death knell. Caroline was pulled from the damp confines of the castle dungeon, her heart pounding in her chest, each beat a reminder of the life she was about to lose.


As she was dragged through the cold, unforgiving halls, the chill seeped into her bones. The clanking of metal chains and the heavy thud of booted feet echoed ominously around her, each sound amplifying her dread. Shadows danced along the stone walls, twisting and turning as if mocking her impending fate. She could feel the weight of the guards’ eyes on her�"cold, unfeeling, a stark contrast to the warmth of the memories flooding her mind.


Emerging into the castle courtyard, the sight that met her eyes was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. A massive crowd had gathered, every citizen of the Raeruven empire packed tightly together, their faces a mixture of anticipation and morbid curiosity. The wooden platform stood before them, adorned with the guillotine�"a grim instrument of justice, its blade gleaming menacingly in the dim light. The murmurs of the crowd swelled into a cacophony of whispers, the rustling of clothing and the shuffling of feet creating a symphony of dread that enveloped her.


With each step toward the guillotine, the world around her faded into a blur. The roars of the crowd grew muffled, replaced by the rapid beating of her heart. As she reached the platform, the executioner�"a hulking figure cloaked in shadows�"loomed over her, his presence as cold and unyielding as the blade itself. The crowd fell into a hush, the anticipation palpable as they awaited the final act.


Caroline’s breath quickened as she was positioned beneath the guillotine, her neck aligned with the gaping hole. She closed her eyes tightly, shutting out the world, and in that darkness, memories flooded her mind like a torrent.


The ritual…


She recalled the day her parents had performed the dark ceremony that transformed her into a human, the chants echoing in the air as she was pulled from the abyss of her former existence. She had to be turned human because she was supposed to have a coronation(now her execution date) on her twenty-first birthday when they then turned her into a vampire so she could take the throne. The pain of the transformation had been excruciating, but it paled in comparison to the torment that followed. Her heart aches with recognition of the first time she felt dead.


Every day of abuse…


Images flashed before her�"harsh words, cruel laughter, and the relentless pressure to embrace a throne she had no desire to occupy. Her parents’ disappointment had been a constant shadow, their expectations suffocating. The echoes of their derision rang in her ears, a constant reminder that she was never good enough just because she thought of the world differently. Just because she didn’t want to be a dictator deciding the fate of innocent people. Rage bubbles beneath her skin.


And then, the moment of fleeting freedom…


At eighteen, she had found solace in the arms of a vampire, their passion igniting a fire within her. The memory of their bodies entwined, the sharp sting of his bites mingling with pleasure, was a bittersweet reminder of what it meant to feel alive, even for a moment. Their laughter, the way he had whispered promises of eternity, lingered in her mind, a stark contrast to the cold reality of the moment. She yearned to feel like that again. She needed it deep down, she could feel it. Her anger calms down and is replaced with a calm feeling of acceptance.


Suddenly, the flashbacks were shattered by the sharp clang of the guillotine’s mechanism. Caroline opened her eyes just as the blade began its descent. Time slowed as the world around her faded to black, the last thing she saw was the horrified faces of the crowd, their gasps echoing in her ears.


Then, nothing.


In that void, she felt an unfamiliar sensation�"a flicker of consciousness returning. As if pulled by an unseen force, her body stirred. She rose from the ground, the lifeless form of her own body sprawled beneath her. Blood gushed from the severed neck, pooling around her as she instinctively reached for her head, lifting it from the ground where it had fallen.


With a sickening squelch, she placed her head back upon her neck, the wound sealing itself as blood cascaded down her shoulders, painting her in crimson. The warmth enveloped her, invigorating her senses. The crowd, once filled with anticipation for her demise, now stared in shock and disbelief as the woman they thought dead had risen anew.


As her fangs elongated, glistening with the fresh blood, she licked her lips, savoring the metallic taste. A surge of power coursed through her veins, and she felt whole once more, every part of her body responding to her command. The whispers of the crowd turned to gasps of horror and awe, their expressions shifting from glee to sheer terror.


“Look!” a voice cried out, breaking the stunned silence. “She lives!”


The crowd shifted uneasily, their murmurs rising again, but Caroline raised her hand, silencing them with an authoritative gesture. She could feel the energy coursing through her, a blend of rage and liberation.


With each heartbeat, she felt the remnants of her past slip away. The pain of her childhood, the weight of her parents’ expectations, and the shackles of her former identity faded into the background. All that remained was the raw essence of her being, stripped bare and reborn in blood. She felt like a god, reincarnated.


As she surveyed the sea of faces before her, Caroline knew she had crossed a threshold. The execution that was meant to mark her end had instead ignited something within her�"a primal instinct, a hunger for life that surged through her veins like wildfire. The urge to get away and pursue other things coursing through her.


The crowd, their faces a blur of confusion and fear, had come to witness her death, but now they were witnessing her transformation. She was no longer the frightened girl molded by her parents’ ambition; she was a force of nature, a creature of power and darkness. A goddess free from her original burdens appointed to her at birth. She could already see her name on headlines and in books.


The blade that had threatened to sever her existence now lay dormant, a symbol of her rebirth. She took a step forward, feeling the ground beneath her feet, the blood still warm on her skin.

The air crackled with energy, and Caroline raised her head high, her eyes glowing with an intensity that demanded attention. “I am not here to be judged by you!” she declared, her voice

resonating with newfound strength. “I am free!”


The crowd gasped, some stepping back in fear, others inching closer, drawn to the undeniable power that emanated from her. In that moment, she understood that she was no longer bound by the chains of her past. She was a survivor, and her story was just beginning.


As she stood before the crowd, the world around her sharpened into focus. The colors of the courtyard were more vibrant, the sounds more pronounced. She could hear the heartbeat of every person present, a symphony of life that pulsed in rhythm with her own.


With each breath, she felt an insatiable thirst awaken within her�"a thirst not just for blood, but for freedom, for vengeance, for the chance to redefine her existence. The execution that was meant to extinguish her light had instead ignited a flame that would burn fiercely in the darkness.

Caroline took a deep breath, the scent of blood and fear filling her lungs. She was alive(despite actually being dead since she is a vampire), and with that realization came an overwhelming sense of purpose. She would no longer be a victim; she would become the architect of her own destiny.


The crowd stood in stunned silence, their eyes wide with disbelief. Caroline felt their fear, their uncertainty, but she also sensed the flicker of hope that had begun to spark among them. In that moment, she understood that she was not just a survivor; she was a catalyst for change.

And as she stood there, bloodied yet unbroken, Caroline embraced her new reality, ready to face whatever lay ahead. The world had changed irrevocably, and so had she.


Caroline turns to look at her parents who are dumbfounded at her actions. They look paler than usual, her mother dropped her glass of blood she was sipping on before. Her mother stands up and walks over before Caroline realizes if she doesn’t leave she will actually be killed. She begins to run.


As she runs she can hear her father’s faint voice in the distance. She can barely make out what he is saying. He orders for the empire’s best bounty hunters to chase after her and bring her heart back penetrated by a steak, her body skinned of the family emblem that was etched into her skin at birth, and her head back with the teeth shattered.