Chapter 19 – Balance of Blood and Code
3:55 PM – Holland Family Syndicate Headquarters, War Room
The War Room had no windows—only the hum of machines and the faint ticking of a grandfather clock wedged between two towering bookshelves. Digital screens covered the walls—war maps, intel feeds, supernatural incident logs—blinking with quiet menace. This was the nerve center of the Holland Family Syndicate. Every inch of it pulsed with centuries of blood-soaked resolve.
Jean sat at the long obsidian table, fingers tapping in slow rhythm. His dark dress shirt was rolled at the sleeves, a silver pinky ring gleaming like a brand. His chair leaned back slightly, but his eyes—sharp, restless, calculating—missed nothing. Stillness layered over a storm.
"Whenever you're ready," he said, voice clipped with a hint of a smirk. "Lecture me."
Tyler stood off to the side, arms crossed. The eldest Holland enforcer, he radiated a silence not born of peace, but violence perfectly leashed.
Malcom, the family's tactical historian, clicked a remote. The largest screen surged to life—flashing a global map with color-coded hotspots. Red pulsed in Southeast Asia. Blue blinked across Northern Europe. Entire regions lay black—off-grid, unknown.
Malcom didn't smile. He never did. "Let's begin."
The map shrank, transforming into a segmented pie chart—ten slices, each subtly shifting like they breathed.
"There are ten major supernatural factions," Malcom began. "Each with its own web of bloodlines, traditions, and dominions. Most stay beneath human notice. Some pretend to integrate. Others don't even bother."
He clicked again. The first segment expanded.
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1. Vampires
"Nocturnal apex predators," Malcom said. "They feed on blood. Ageless. Seductive. They plan in centuries."
House Vaelmont (France) – Lord Alric & Lady Genevieve Vaelmont
House Draeven (Eastern Europe) – Matriarch Ivanna Draeven
House Lucano (Italy) – Duke Matteo Lucano
House Shinohara (Japan) – Lady Misaki Shinohara
House Redgrave (USA) – Patriarch Julius Redgrave
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2. Werewolves
"Rage-born. Tribal. Territorial," Malcom continued. "They don't think in kingdoms. They think in packs."
Clan Fenhart (Norway) – Alpha Eirik Fenhart
Clan Rauthen (Germany) – Elder Bastian Rauthen
Clan Arashi (Japan) – Alpha Kaede Arashi
Clan O'Clawen (Ireland) – Matron Fiona O'Clawen
Clan Ybarra (Spain) – Patriarch Raul Ybarra
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3. Kitsune
"Fox spirits. Illusion-weavers. Beautiful. Dangerous."
House Inari (Japan) – Lady Sayuri Inari
House Myobu (Korea) – Lord Jinho Myobu
House Daigo (Japan) – Elder Kazuo Daigo
House Sunhwa (China) – Lady Meilin Sunhwa
House Nishitani (Japan) – Lord Riku Nishitani
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4. Witches & Wizards
"Western spellcasters. Covens. Blood rituals. Ancient tomes. They walk the same halls as senators and scholars."
The Graysons (UK) – Archmage Eleanor Grayson
The Belmores (USA) – Warlock Edgar Belmore
The Iskanders (Canada) – Lady Zahra Iskander
The Elberts (Germany) – High Wizard Otto Elbert
The Mistrals (France) – Lucille Mistral
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5. Sorcerers & Sorceresses
"Eastern counterparts. Elemental. Spiritual. Martial."
House Zhang (China) – Master Shen Zhang
House Anikawa (Japan) – Mistress Yumi Anikawa
House Chetri (Nepal) – Patriarch Rohan Chetri
House Bae (Korea) – Elder Hae-Jin Bae
House Taoran (Vietnam) – Matriarch Lan Taoran
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6. Spiritualists
"Monks. Priests. Exorcists. Their strength is faith—channeled into divine wrath."
Order of Saint Orestes (Vatican) – Grand Bishop Mathias Ordo
Shaolin Temple Sect (China) – Grandmaster Liu Shen
Mahadeva Disciples (India) – Guru Ramesh
Holy Guardians of Meknes (Morocco) – Father Nadir el-Fahd
Order of the Silver Flame (Greece) – Commander Thalia Kyrkos
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7. Shamans
"Indigenous spirit-walkers. Bound to earth, beast, and blood."
The Skywalker Circle (North America) – Elder Naomi Rivers
The Orokna Kin (Siberia) – Chieftain Dmitri Orokna
The Mboko Clan (Congo) – Shamaness Kira Mboko
The Atacama Path (Chile) – Elder Tito Nahuel (former leader: Rasa Moon-Eye)
The Ta'jitu Heirs (Mongolia) – Oracle Ganbaatar
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8. Hunters
The final segment glowed gold.
"Every species once had hunters," Tyler said. "Checks and balances. Most of them faded. Bought into peace. Laid down arms."
He locked eyes with Jean.
"Only one group still stands."
Jean didn't blink. "Us."
Malcom nodded. "The Holland family absorbed the remains of every old hunter line—wolf-slayers, blood-breakers, exorcists, null-magi, curse-sealers."
"We forged one purpose," Tyler added. "We don't worship gods. We don't take contracts. We end threats. All of them."
Jean leaned forward. His voice dropped.
"Even the harmless ones?"
Malcom paused. "We don't hunt the harmless. But we don't trust them either. Harmless is a temporary state."
A heavy silence followed.
Then Jean smiled—something dark, decisive sparking in his gaze.
"Good," he said. "I like clear rules."
But beneath that clarity, a question coiled like smoke:
Who decides what's harmless… and what's not?