I closed my hands around his throat, my leg pressing down, nails digging into his neck. The force surging through my muscles crushed his windpipe, the beast within me almost fully merging, as our shared instinct to kill this man was fulfilled.

Just as I felt his life ebbing away, a thick vine shot from behind and impaled him through the heart. It lifted his limp body effortlessly, hanging him against the wall under the moonlight, his figure now bathed in a silver glow, no shadows left to conceal him.

Suddenly, silver blurs flashed through the hallway and up the stairs, swiftly reaching the garden. It was mother and father, leading over a hundred figures dressed in crisp white uniforms.

Mother ran to me, pulling me into her warm embrace. Her touch calmed the beast within me, and I felt my nails and fangs recede. My eyes returned to their natural hue.

"Are you alright, my love?" she asked, her voice trembling with concern.

"Don't worry, Mother. Everything's fine," I reassured her, my hands gently caressing her back in an effort to soothe her anxiety.

She turned then to Elara, who looked utterly drained, her posture weakened from the strain of using her power.

"Are you alright, my child?" she asked, her voice soft and motherly.

Elara nodded, her voice faint. "I'm fine, Mother. Just a little drained of essence. Resting under the moon will restore me. I didn't sustain any injuries, though Cael took a blade to the shoulder."

At her words, Mother's gaze snapped back to me, alarm flashing in her eyes as she hurriedly examined me. I had been hoping to hide the wound from her to avoid causing a scene.

"I'm perfectly fine, Mother. It's just a flesh wound," I said, pulling out the star-shaped blade now coated in silver blood. The wound closed almost instantly, silver essence knitting the skin together.

"See? I'm—" I began, but a sudden wave of nausea hit me. My throat tightened, and before I could stop it, I spat out a mouthful of thick black liquid.

"Cael, are you alright?" Elara asked, her voice laced with alarm.

"I'm fine," I replied, though my voice was shaky.

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Mother's expression shifted to one of understanding. "Of course you feel fine, my love. That blade was coated with a cheap poison, something meant to kill low-level vampires. But it takes much more than that to harm a nocturnal, especially one with blood as pure as yours. Your body rejected the poison, expelling it."

She explained calmly, but there was a fierce, almost maniacal glint in her eyes as she looked at the man still hanging on the wall. She picked up the now half-black, half-silver blade, her fingers tracing its deadly edge.

"HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?" my father roared suddenly, his voice booming through the garden. He turned, his eyes blazing as he addressed the soldiers standing behind him.

"How could someone from the House of Noctarian infiltrate our estate without my knowledge, even reaching the palace balcony?" His words radiated fury, pure moon essence rolling off him in waves, crashing into everyone present. The soldiers trembled under his power, barely able to stand in its wake.

"I will investigate this. This matter will not end easily. Whoever dared conspire against my family will face my wrath. I'll have their head—and the heads of their entire family. None will be spared," he vowed, his voice echoing with deadly finality.

"What are you waiting for?" he barked. "Get that man down and examine his body!"

The soldiers scattered, several rushing to retrieve the body. Blood dripped from the gaping wound in his neck, red mixed with black seeping from the hole where his heart had been.

"Come, my children," Mother said gently, turning back to me and Elara. "Let me take you both to rest." She took our hands, guiding us away.

"I'll join you shortly," Father called from behind, his voice still seething with barely contained rage.

We walked quietly for a while, until we reached a bedroom unlike the others. This one was made entirely of glass, allowing the moonlight to flood the room, reflecting off the polished surfaces and focusing on the large bed at its center.

Without a word, I collapsed onto the bed, exhaustion hitting me like a wave now that the adrenaline had worn off. My body, now deprived of the moon's essence, ached in ways I hadn't even realized during the battle. Every muscle screamed in protest, as though I had been broken and reassembled.

Elara lay down on the opposite side, her energy equally depleted.

Mother slipped between us, her presence a comforting balm. Elara drifted off almost immediately, while I pressed myself against Mother's soft, warm body, seeking comfort in her closeness. The weight of everything lifted, if only for a moment, as I let myself drift into sleep.

We slept like that through the night, undisturbed, until the sun rose, its rays shining through the glass, casting long golden beams across the room. As the sunlight reached us, the curtains were drawn, blocking its harsh light.

The door opened quietly, and Father entered, his tall figure framed by the doorway. His presence immediately pulled us from sleep.

"How are you all feeling?" he asked, his deep voice gentle now. "I came earlier, but you were all sleeping so peacefully I didn't want to disturb you."

"We're fine," Mother replied softly, glancing at Elara and me. We both nodded in agreement.

"We need to talk about something important," Mother said, her voice catching our attention.