A Brilliantly Awful Plan

From that moment on, everything spiraled downward.

Roderick had expected the emperor to use a little cunning, maybe even some morally questionable tactics, to unite the vampire kingdoms. Nothing too crazy—just the usual political backstabbing, a bit of strategic deception, maybe a well-placed bribe or two. 

Yet, he had believed the cause to be noble, even benevolent. He had hoped that unification would uplift the less prosperous kingdoms, offering them better living conditions and a brighter future. 

In his mind, Kaan's intentions had been pure, driven by the good of their kind.

It was only natural to assume an emperor would act in the best interest of his people. But Roderick had overlooked one crucial flaw—Kaan's utter lack of empathy. 

Everything the emperor had ever done had served only his own ambitions. And Roderick, in his naivety, had foolishly believed that for his people, Kaan might be different.