There was no room for refusal.
Malakai gave a small nod to Caelum’s words. The man hadn’t come on his own. It was clear the Blood Sovereign himself had sent him. Which meant, whatever he said… was law.
Without a word, Malakai gestured behind him.
Nyx, who immediately understood what he meant, responded instantly. The blood around the bounded Delmas twisted, dragging him forward like a puppet.
“He’s a member of the Maugrim,” Malakai said coldly. “He and some others ambushed us on our way back.”
The atmosphere changed.
The temperature dropped.
Killing intent flooded the air.
Caelum’s eyes narrowed, and every other Sanguine Blade fixed their gaze on Delmas.
The Sanguine Clan might be riddled with politics, ambition, and backstabbing. Cold blooded warriors who didn’t hesitate to cut down even their own.
But that wasn’t all they were.
There was an old saying in the West:
“Cold to kin, colder to outsiders.”
Its meaning was simple. Within the clan, they might kill and betray each other. But the moment an outsider raised their hand against them, everything changed. The cold became ice. The blades became one.
And above all, there was one thing every Sanguine member despised:
A traitor.
Especially one who sold out their own to an outsider.
“Take him.”
While Caelum’s voice sounded composed, even Malakai could see the tightness in his jaw. The man was holding himself back from tearing Delmas apart piece by piece.
The Blades obeyed instantly, dragging Delmas away from the scene.
Now I can expect fairness.
Malakai exhaled inwardly. He was glad Caelum had been the one to meet him the instant he arrived at the clan. The man’s name wasn’t just for decoration; The Iron Saint.
His history was filled with noble exploits.
In a place like this, only someone like the Iron Saint could offer him anything close to justice.
Malakai gave a slight nod in gratitude, then turned.
He began walking down the paved pathway towards the main building.
Nyx and Varek flanked and followed him silently.
Malakai’s steps were quick, swift, and after some moments, the distance disappeared under his feet. Soon, they reached the front of the main building.
It was exactly as he remembered; large. Wide. Imposing.
But his gaze didn’t linger on the structure.
Instead, his eyes locked onto the line of carriages stationed outside. There were too many to be a coincidence.
Looks like the Sovereign isn’t the only one I’m meeting.
He could recognize some of the carriages, and many of the guards stationed beside them.
As Malakai reached the large space at the entrance of the main building, the gazes of the guards snapped toward him, and the usual happened. Expressions shifted into shock. Whispers erupted.
“He actually evolved…”
“How is this possible? Wasn’t his node destroyed?”
But the ones walking behind him weren’t small. The pressure of Nyx and Caelum alone was enough to kill the whispers instantly.
The guards bowed as Malakai walked past them, eventually reaching the massive doors.
Malakai paused, standing still.
This is it.
Everything beyond that door would decide his future. His mind had played through every scenario, each one worse than the last.
Everyone inside would try to bring him down.
And each possibility had sent waves of fear through him. They made him want to turn back. Give up.
But then he remembered his goal.
Then, he shoved it all down, cleared his mind, and braced himself for whatever would come his way.
Caelum, who was standing behind him, made no move to rush him.
He understood what Malakai must be going through. So, he waited.
But fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long.
Malakai took a step forward.
Then another.
And another.
The massive doors creaked… then opened.
In the next instant, a wave slammed into him with force, whipping his hair and clothes violently.
Malakai’s eyes sharpened. What had slammed onto him… it wasn’t air. It wasn’t wind either.
But he knew exactly what it was—
Pressure.
It was intense. Heavy.
The kind that crept into your bones. That chilled your soul. That made walking feel like a trial.
All this… and he hadn’t even stepped inside.
But Malakai had endured worse. He had faced death more times than he could count. He had felt pain beyond what many could imagine.
And in all of this, he had survived.
As long as both legs were working, nothing would make them shake.
His back straightened. Legs steadied. Eyes locked forward.
He moved.
His steps were utterly calm. Measured.
He didn’t rush. He didn’t stumble.
His gaze didn’t wander. His expression didn’t shift. He stepped into the hall like he belonged there.
And as he did, the pressure spiked.
The gravity intensified so much that his shoulders dipped slightly.
Still, he remained undaunted and kept on walking. At this point, the only thing he could see was his front.
Only his steps rang out across the vast hall. Nyx’s and Varek’s faded into the background.
In the entire hall, the center of attention was one.
And only one person.
A 14 year old who was clad in a jacket too big for his size. Bloodied. Beaten.
But walking with a calmness so unnatural… that every gaze in the hall narrowed sharply.
Then came the probing stares.
Intense and piercing.
Each one was meant to strip him bare.
To make him falter.
To make him tremble.
But Malakai just kept on walking.
The main hall of the Sanguine Clan was expansive. A grand, towering chamber with a flight of stairs at the far end that led to a high platform where a single throne sat.
All around it, the seats were arranged in tiers, each level rising higher than the one before. It was the place where laws were made, where the future of the clan was discussed, and where judgment… was passed.
Despite its size, only a few were permitted to be seated within the hall.
The direct descendants.
The Pulses.
The Veins.
And lastly… the Highbloods.