The Rise of the Crown Prince

Roderick hadn't fully grasped the gravity of his father and Emperor Klyn's warnings about Kaan—until the day the crown prince ascended the throne after the previous emperor's death in battle. 

It was only then, as Roderick began serving under Kaan, that the weight of their concerns became clear.

At first, Roderick dismissed Kaan's peculiar behaviors as growing pains, the natural adjustments of a new ruler finding his footing as the leader of the vampire empire. 

But as time passed, Roderick came to understand that Kaan's so-called 'quirks' were far more sinister. Kaan found an unsettling joy in what he called 'teasing'—though that word barely scratched the surface.

Being a genius who excelled in all things, and now the most powerful vampire on the continent, Kaan considered nearly everyone beneath him. And toying with those weaker than himself was, in his eyes, an endless source of entertainment.