Chapter 46: Stalemate
The world seemed to hold its breath in the wake of Kaelen's silence. The vampires, once so confident in their ability to push him to act, now found themselves facing an unnerving stillness. They had razed villages, slaughtered his subordinates, and decimated everything in their path, expecting Kaelen to respond with fury. But he did not.
For weeks, no word came from the heart of Kaelen's domain. The vampire attacks had continued, growing bolder, more daring. Yet, no counterattack came. No retaliation. No grandiose display of power from the boy who had once promised to conquer the world. Instead, he remained hidden, somewhere far beyond their reach, as if waiting for the perfect moment.
The vampires were growing restless.
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Inside their grand, cavernous lair, the vampire lords convened once more. The Primogenitor sat at the head of the table, his long, bony fingers steepled in contemplation. His ancient, blood-red eyes flickered with a quiet rage. Kaelen's absence—his refusal to engage—was frustrating, but it was also terrifying.
"He does not come," said the silver-haired vampire, her voice tinged with frustration. "We've given him every opportunity to act. Every attack we've made, every person we've killed, every city we've burned—it's all been in vain. Why is he waiting? Why won't he come for us?"
The Primogenitor's gaze was fixed, his mind working through the situation with a cold clarity only centuries of experience could provide. He had studied Kaelen. He had analyzed the boy's every move. And now, this... This new phase of stillness was unlike anything the vampires had faced before. It wasn't fear. It wasn't hesitation. No, it was something else entirely.
"He is calculating," the Primogenitor finally said, his voice deep and slow. "Kaelen will not act until he is certain of victory. He is not a fool. He knows that if he confronts us now, he may die. He knows that if he faces me directly, it could cost him everything."
The room fell silent, each vampire processing the weight of the Primogenitor's words. The tension in the air thickened. It wasn't just about power anymore. It was about survival. Kaelen was no reckless warrior charging into battle with blind ambition. He was a strategist, biding his time, waiting for the precise moment to strike.
"You mean to say…" The scarred vampire leaned forward, his voice edged with disbelief. "He's not attacking us because he believes he cannot win? He's playing the long game?"
The Primogenitor nodded once. "Yes. Kaelen refuses to show himself until he is certain that he can kill me without dying in the process. He has no interest in wasting his life in a confrontation he does not control. And that, my lords, is a problem we must address."
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While the vampires debated and plotted in their lair, Kaelen had retreated into the shadows, far from the destruction and the war that had surrounded him. The world outside had gone mad, the once-grand kingdom of Arcane now a battlefield between him and the vampire lords. But Kaelen knew better than to rush headfirst into danger. He had learned long ago that true power required patience, and patience was something the vampires had not counted on.
He had watched the chaos unfold, the ruin spread, and the innocent perish, but none of it had moved him. None of it had shaken his resolve. His ambition was greater than anything else. He had felt the sting of the vampires' assault, but each loss, each setback, only made his drive for power burn brighter. He was untouchable, and he knew it. But he had not forgotten the most important lesson of all: **a fight fought too soon could end in failure.**
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As weeks turned into months, the stalemate deepened. Kaelen remained hidden, focusing on strengthening himself further. He spent countless hours training with Abyssal Night, learning to wield its power in ways no other had ever imagined. He studied the ancient arts of vampire blood magic, honing his abilities, unlocking secrets that would make him stronger, more dangerous. His power was growing—undeniably, impossibly stronger.
But the Primogenitor's shadow loomed larger with each passing day. Kaelen knew that one day, he would have to face the vampire king. And that moment would come only when he was absolutely certain that the balance of power tipped in his favor.
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The vampires, for their part, had begun to grow weary. Their attacks on Kaelen's holdings continued, but each blow seemed to fall on deaf ears. There was no retaliation, no sign of Kaelen's forces rising up to meet them. All they could do was wait. Wait for Kaelen to make the first move.
Some vampires began to question the wisdom of their approach.
"We cannot just sit here forever," said the scarred vampire, his voice growing more impatient. "The longer we wait, the stronger he becomes. He may have hidden himself for now, but he's growing in power. We can't afford to just wait for him to act. We should go after him, find him and crush him before he grows too strong."
"No," the Primogenitor said firmly, his gaze cold and unwavering. "We will not hunt him. We will not risk our forces in a reckless attack. Kaelen is too dangerous to be provoked without careful preparation. He will act when he is ready."
The room was filled with quiet tension as the vampire lords exchanged uneasy glances. They had always been predators, always the ones to strike first. But now, they were forced to wait, to play Kaelen's game. It was a humiliation they had not expected.
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Kaelen, in the meantime, was fully aware of what was happening. He knew the vampires were waiting for him to act. They were expecting him to make a mistake, to reveal himself before he was ready. But he was smarter than that. He would not give them the satisfaction of seeing him rush into a fight. Instead, he would let them stew in their uncertainty. Let them think they were winning.
**And when the time came, when he was certain his victory was guaranteed, he would strike.**
The vampires had miscalculated. They had assumed they could manipulate him by taking away his subordinates, by attacking his holdings. But Kaelen had always known that he was the only one worth caring for. His goal was always the same—power. Everything and everyone else was expendable.
The Primogenitor had made the mistake of thinking Kaelen was like them—a creature bound by loyalty or emotion. But Kaelen was something else. He was cold, calculating, and willing to sacrifice anything to reach his ultimate goal.
He would wait. He would bide his time. And when he did strike, the vampires would learn the true meaning of their mistake.
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