Page 5

R.I.O.T

T here’s something in the air tonight; an electric hum that threads through the night, subtle yet undeniable. It crackles at the edges of my senses, heavy with promises, of power… and something evil.

But I'm not the only one disturbed tonight. They feel it, too—our Sovereigns. Our Gods.

I tilt my head, my gaze lifting toward the ink-black sky, where my castle hovers above the world.

It drifts in the night like a silent phantom, suspended in the sky by forces beyond human comprehension, its spires stretching toward the heavens—carved from onyx and moonstone, shimmering with an otherworldly glow.

Massive bridges of obsidian arch across the void, seamlessly extending from its towering turrets, their edges dissolving into the mist like remnants of a forgotten dream.

And tonight, it stirs.

I can feel its unrest, the silent tremor in its foundations. It's not just a castle; it's an extension of the Gods. And through them, it stirs with the same dark premonition that lingers in the air.

"The Defect's going hysterical," says my General , Seth Valerius. His voice rings in my head, pulling me out of my thoughts. "What if it attacks one of the guests?"

"Let him try," I murmur, my gaze locked onto the sky, unblinking.

Because I can feel it—the Gods' mark, pressing against my teeth like iron wedged between my molars, heavy and electric, humming with a power that isn't mine. It slithers along my tongue, coiling, restless, impatient. Waiting.

The enslavement mark is more than just a brand; it's a shackle, forged in divinity and cruelty alike. A thing of absolute control, designed to bend and break Nightwalkers until they're nothing more than tools—stripped of will, their purpose rewritten by a single command.

And now, for the first time, it'll be used.

If it fails, I'll have to get creative in controlling the Defect. But I doubt it'll come to that. The mark feels potent even now, simmering like an unspoken oath, thrumming with something ancient and absolute.

It'll be more than enough.

"I'd have a lot more faith in those words if you were here," Seth grumbles, his voice crackling through the link, laced with irritation. "Like we planned."

I frown, glancing down as the last of the guests of Maya's memorial service slip into her home. Seth's right; I'm not meant to be here on this balcony. I'm meant to be deep below the castle, where Maya and Valadez had enslaved the Defect.

But it was that presence—a power that can rival my own.

I don't know why I followed it to this balcony, only that the moment I sensed it, something inside me shifted.

It was a whisper in the air, a scent that smelled like the night itself—cold, sharp, and laced with the promise of something unknown.

A chill ghosted down my spine; a slow trickle of anticipation, of warning.

It was different. Unfamiliar.

And so, I followed.

It wasn't a choice; it was instinct. A need so deep, I couldn't contain it.

But now, it's suddenly… gone.

"My General said you'd come." The clicking of Maya's heels comes to an abrupt stop behind me as I lean over the balcony, staring at District 2—the toppled buildings, the red bleeding into black, the cries, the helplessness—as her gold dress shimmers in my peripheral.

"I had a hard time believing him since you so rarely leave your floating castle. "

"Is that what you think?" I release the fumes from my lips, tainting the clean air with the smell of nicotine and smoke, and glance only briefly at Maya.

Maya’s eyes sharpen. "You're becoming a story, Saviour. The longer you trap yourself on that island, the less real you are to the creatures that idolise you." It's the same damn song, and I'm beginning to get tired of the noise. "You need to show your face more. Show the creatures there's hope."

"Let me be a story, Maya," I drawl, holding my cigarette up, the glowing red bud melting with the chaos before my eyes. "Creatures aren't afraid to place hope in stories, because if there's one thing they can rely on, reality will always be disappointing."

"If you're so keen on being a story, why are you here?" Maya grits, her tone seething in anger. And maybe it's because of her anger that she had briefly forgotten who I am.

I take one last drag of my cigarette and flick the butt off the balcony before turning and rising to my full height to meet the young Queen's gaze.

Her eyes widen as I quietly tut, "You have a nice face, Maya; it would be a shame to melt that plastic nose you're so fond of because it was sniffing in my direction. "

Maya stiffens, her olive complexion turning pale and her fangs extending. Some might think she's ready to attack, but I know better. I taste it—her fear.

I lean back against the balcony, tattooed arms crossed over my chest, as I watch the young Queen struggle to keep her body from shaking. I narrow my gaze, asking, "Where is he?"

Maya clenches her hands. She obviously doesn't want to answer, but I'm not giving her a choice. "The dungeon, under my home."

I nod, believing her. "Do your guests know what kind of creature lurks beneath their feet as they dance and drink champagne, unaware of the danger? Do they know it's the main event?"

Maya purses her lips. "It's locked up and completely powerless. Once my guests realise that, they'll cheer me on when I do the things I've planned."

I see Maya's made her first mistake. They should know the rules by now; never underestimate the enemy, no matter how strong you think you are.

Maya's young for a Queen— too young. As powerful as she may be, she lacks experience. If I want this Defect, all I need to do is sit back and watch the night unfold. Maya seems to be unintentionally helping me, and why should I stop her?

I have Seth stationed outside the Defect’s cell. If he's going to escape, he'll go to the guests first. Once he causes enough havoc, I'll step in.

"And I'm here to make sure he stays compliant," I lie, causing the vampire to purse her lips, and I don't miss the slight hesitation that betrays her regal posture for a second. My gaze darkens. "You don't want this either, do you?"

Maya stiffens her shoulders and lifts her head.

"Valadez assures me everything will be fine, and I believe him.

Not only have we successfully trapped a Defect, but we can show the people that these abominations are not Gods.

As leaders and protectors, we have the power to bring them to their knees. "

Good. If she continues to blindly follow that incompetent bastard, everything will go according to my plan.

Speaking of the District 1 King, he isn't here. I followed his trail to the balcony, but it disappeared. "Where is he?"

"Watching the Defect." She glances at the golden watch on her thin wrist. "It's almost time for the main event."

A loud explosion shatters behind me. I glance over my shoulder as a white light engulfs the night, washing over me. "A few monsters must have managed to slip into the Yellow Zone." She sighs. "As time passes, it feels like we're burning through our missiles more and more each day."

My gaze sharpens on the scenery. At the screaming, the pleas for help, the sirens; the destruction grows louder. I turn to Maya. "Why are you relying on missiles? You have soldiers."

"They're around for the cleanup, I can't— Ugh." Maya gasps before her eyes turn completely white, and she grabs her head as her face scrunches up in pain. "W-What's happening?"

I narrow my gaze, because she's only recently become Queen after her mother stepped down. Maya wouldn't know the piercing ringing tearing through her skull right now. She snaps her gaze at me and whispers, "Valadez. Why is his name screaming in my head right now?"

"Because he's dead."

Maya's eyes widen as she stumbles back from the shock.

I pass Maya, gritting my teeth as I storm down the corridor when Seth once again interrupts my thoughts. “ It's as you said; the Defect escaped through the garden. I'm following it now.”

I stop in the corridor, tilting my head, confused. Wasn't Valadez in the dungeon?

Just as I'm about to turn to Maya and demand answers, I find her General—Dame Thorne—walking towards me. He doesn't look happy. "Where's Valadez?"

Dame grits his teeth and says, "That's why I'm here. He was supposed to meet me in the dungeon half an hour ago, and he hasn't appeared."

If he wasn't with the Defect, then who killed him?

Valadez is powerful, and very few creatures on this earth can kill him. He doesn't have the title of King for nothing.

"He's…" I begin, only to pause. As if a wall had shattered, the smell of blood taints the air. I angle my head, staring at the door where that smell seems to be the strongest. "Hm."

"What?"

"Interesting." My gaze narrows. That presence I had spent the night following—it's back. "Someone blocked my senses."

It shouldn't be possible—but that isn't the only thing that concerns me. This is District 2, home of the Vampires; why hadn't a single one sensed all that blood tainting the air?

Heels tap against the tiled floor, and I glance at Maya—Queen of the Vampires. Her eyes are bloodshot, her face paler than usual. Maya's eyes connect with mine, and she whispers, "Do you smell that?"

It appears this creature not only blocked my senses, but the senses of every Vampire in the entire castle—hundreds of them.

I walk to the door; the smell seems to be strongest here, and I twist the knob. Surprisingly, it's open. Dame follows me inside, his body shielding Maya as she peers around him—at the dead body sprawled across the floor.

"Fuck," Dame whispers.

"Oh Gods… I-Is that…" Maya stutters, eyes wide and fingers trembling.

"Valadez," I say, and her eyes snap to mine.

"We… We need to g-gather the others," she tries to say, her eyes glittering with fury as she seethes. "Someone needs to pay for this!"

I don't bother to respond and turn my attention to the dead body.

Valadez is naked on the floor, his heart laid out beside his head. I perch low, staring at the terror frozen across his face—his eyes still wide, his mouth parted, and a bloody tear stain rolling down his face. "What could have done this?"

I glance at his hands, at the black blood staining his fingers and raise a curious brow. How did he inflict that much damage on a Second-Generation Nightwalker?

"Seth said the Defect was hysterical." I didn't think much of it since it was a Defect. They're mindless, destructive beings on a normal day.

"The Defect was trying to escape. We didn't think much of it at the time." Dame sighs behind me.

"Well, if the Defect can sense Nightwalkers, he probably detected the Nightwalker that did this," I murmur, mostly to myself.

But Dame hears and wonders curiously, "What makes you think it's a Second-Generation Nightwalker?"

My gaze drifts to the shattered window of the backdrop, noticing that the room overlooks the same garden the Defect was last sighted.

Is it following the Second-Generation Nightwalker?

"The Nightwalker blocked our senses. Isolated Valadez and killed him," I tell Dame, walking slowly towards the shattered backdrop. Glass glints in the moonlight. "It's intellectual, powerful and cunning; what else could it be?"

"I understand, Grand Arbiter," Dame says, but I know it's a lie. If he truly understood what I meant, he'd know the consequences that would result if these two beings of chaos meet.

This would usually be exciting for me, but not tonight.

Tonight, I'm uneasy.

The mark I plan to bind the Defect with sits on my teeth—wating, patiently.

"I'll need to assist my Queen, Grand Arbiter. Please excuse me." Dame bows his head low, but I hardly pay attention as I walk closer towards the backdrop, glass crunching beneath my black boots until I'm standing at the very edge.

Dame yells, his voice tinged with panic. "Where are you going?"

I glance over my shoulder at Dame, his brows furrowed. I smirk, the hunter in me excited for a taste of Nightwalker blood. "Hunting."

If those two cross paths, I know which one will be walking away, and I can't allow that.