There are moments when your life can depend on a certain action. In this case, a tiny baby was trying to remember the storyline of a novel he read to get laid.

Did his life depend on it? Maybe. Was he in danger now? No. Did Elizabeth put the fear of the patriarch in him to the point that his diaper needed a change, so he felt like remembering the novel was a priority? Absolutely.

‘Remember. The plot was frustrating enough to be unforgettable.’

The abandoned half-blood prince. The title was a summary in itself. The main character was a half-blood. The hybrid of a royal vampire and another powerful race. Sounds familiar? Aelius fit the description to a tee. Yet the author decided otherwise. The true protagonist was Sebastian. His half-brother.

Sebastian is a powerful half-blood with the disposition of a born king. Strength and bloodline. Qualities that defined the vampire race and Sebastian earned the admiration, respect, and love of the entire population with his qualifications.

With the plot armor of the main character, he managed to gain the favor of their heartless father.

Like many stories of tyrants, the patriarch earned his throne through blood. More specifically patricide. Overthrowing the previous ruler and quelling any ambitious rebellion mercilessly. The year of his ascension was one where noble blood flowed freely through the streets of the kingdom. That alone solidified his position as a hero rather than the cold-blooded bastard that he was.

Sebastian was the spitting image of their father, but instead of a heart made of stone, he had the charisma of a devil. His personality and charm managed to influence a monster like Nicolas.

At the age of 12, Sebastian’s existence was introduced in the novel like a hurricane. His winds blew everyone aside and only those closest to him, at the eye of the storm were spared.

Sebastian’s mother was a Succ’uba. A woman Nicolas met shortly after Aelius’ mother disappeared. And again, after a night of passion, that demoness disappeared.

‘It makes one wonder how Nicolas can lead women to leave him so soon after the deed. Once is interesting, twice is just suspicious… and creepy.’

Sebastian’s mother was nefarious, which comes naturally from her race. As another immortal race, she bound a noble vampire household with soul contracts to take care of Sebastian after his birth. He was educated, trained, and provided the support of an entire ancient household.

Upon learning of Sebastian’s existence, Nicolas was as dismissive as he was with Aelius. However, Sebastian’s plot armor deflected all disinterest and made Nicolas eventually acknowledge him.

Once the stone started rolling, acknowledgment turned to interest then pride. With the patriarch’s support, Sebastian became the crown prince. Father and son, immortals with unfathomable power brought the vampires into an age of crimson prosperity.

“Grrrr! Pitu!”

Aelius tried to grit his teeth in frustration, but he had no teeth. Not even baby teeth. Gritting your gums tends to be painful. So, he spat out his frustration. If this was a Wuxia novel he might have coughed blood from anger.

‘Crimson age of prosperity… Yeah right! Not everyone lived happily ever after!’

While standing in the light, the shadow is often overlooked. Forgotten.

Being of royal blood, first-born, and the same age as Sebastian, Aelius had his light smothered. A child took upon his birth, experiencing a massacre, thrown into a palace with neglectful servants, and not experiencing an ounce of love or guidance his entire life… Well, it’s a wonder that he lasted until he was 18 years old.

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The child walked on eggshells. Afraid to catch the attention of scornful gazes and terrified of asking for anything for himself. His growth as a vampire was stunted and his bloodline stagnant from being fed the blood of vermin.

Aelius encountered his father at the age of 10 on his birthday.

Hungry from not being fed for a week, he followed his heightened sense of smell to the nearest source of food. He left through the window, letting instincts guide his path. Instincts that brought him before a bloodstained Nicolas sitting on a pile of bodies feasting.

An undeveloped child. Skinny and neglected. Wearing tattered clothing and walking around barefoot. Scared and alone from being outside his gilded case for the first time. Aelius glanced up at Nicolas. Amber eyes met a yellow reptilian gaze.

Instinctively, the boy flinched and took a step back. Not out of fear, but something within his blood made him want to run. The same instincts that brought him here decided it was time to leave.

So Aelius ran. Hunger forgotten, he ran as fast and as hard as he could. He made it back under his covers and hid. Scrapes and cuts were ignored as one thought filled his mind.

That was his father.

Thus, this fateful encounter set the first and last goal for Aelius. To earn his father’s attention.

With a goal in mind, he began to train his body by watching other servants. Learning about bloodlines through mimicry. Hunting monsters for better blood and growing stronger for a certain event.

The Bloodline Awakening ceremony. The day when the full moon turns crimson and vampire children are brought before the patriarch to show their innate talents.

‘The whole thing was dramatic. The author had a thing for red or crimson and tried to put it everywhere in the book.’

In this particular event, Aelius was determined to prove himself. To get his father’s attention. Maybe even be able to get close to him.

It was not meant to be.

His goal and resolve were swept aside by the winds of change. Sebastian came forth, eyes a mirror image of Nicolas. Aelius stood alone, in out-of-date clothing, while Sebastian walked in with an entire ancient bloodline family at his back.

The author made the contrast between the two as night was to day. The event that was Aelius’ moment in the spotlight, a time of triumph and positive change… That event turned into the stepping stone and stage for Sebastian.

‘It was truly unbelievable how Aelius didn’t hold a grudge. Sebastian was the protagonist and in typical plotlines, Aelius would become the antagonist. Yet, that wasn’t the case at all.’

Aelius helped Sebastian.

‘Not that Mr. Perfect needed any help.’

Aelius took it upon himself to guide his half-brother through whatever knowledge he had gathered from the palace he was raised in. The knowledge of a dead ancient vampire was sacred, yet Aelius shared it without care.

‘Idiot. Foolish. Naïve. Aelius should have taken all the books, gathered some money, taken the hoarded rare blood vials, and just booked it out of the kingdom.’

Aelius simply handed everything to Sebastian. He hoped to get closer to their father through Sebastian. To at least be in their presence when those two were together.

He failed miserably. Their father didn’t spare him a glance. Sebastian didn’t treat Aelius badly, nor did he treat him as a brother, Aelius was simply an acquaintance in the palace.

Eventually, Aelius gets imprisoned in the main palace’s dungeon. A prince left to starve to death in the dark. The crime for his imprisonment was from an accident during sparring with Sebastian.

The accident was manipulated by Sebastian’s mother. She wanted to eliminate any chance of Aelius becoming the crown prince.

Something that was completely unnecessary. Ignorant as he was, Aelius didn’t even know that the position existed in the first place. If he had known then he would have left voluntarily and might have even managed to live a normal life.

When the truth was revealed, Sebastian killed his mother for her betrayal and manipulation. He spared Aelius some passing thoughts over the years, but their relationship never developed for him to truly understand the twinge in his heart. Nor did he understand why he took Aelius’ body out of the dungeon and buried him away from the palaces.

This act might have brought Aelius to tears even after his death. Nevertheless, this act of kindness was a little too late.

The truth about Aelius’ imprisonment and death was brought before the patriarch. The court feared his wrath and the slaughter to come.

Yet, Nicolas simply laughed.

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‘Bastard.’

The baby felt even more pissed off. The novel was so popular back in his world, but he just felt frustrated for Aelius even then. Aelius died a dog’s death all to build Sebastian’s character into a better person.

The baby didn’t care for revenge or even to become the best vampire that ever was. Nope, that would be stupid. The struggle alone is hopeless, there were too many hurdles.

The baby, Aelius now, wanted to live, survive, and become strong enough to leave this place. He hoped to show the Aelius of the novel that there was a better world outside of this cursed plot.

The novel hinted at Aelius’ bloodline and powers, but no one was there to help or guide him. Aelius had the potential to become great but without a guiding hand, his end became a stepping stone for the main character.

No more.

He’ll show this world that even side characters can carve a slice of life for themselves.