While Lucius and the court remained focused on Nova, the reporter who had witnessed everything had already slipped away during a moment of distraction. By midnight, he was working feverishly in the offices of the central vampire chronicle—the most widely distributed publication in supernatural society.

  The chapter house hummed with unprecedented activity at an hour when it would normally be winding down. Editors and typesetters were summoned from their homes, sworn to secrecy until publication, and put to work on what would unquestionably be the most significant story in vampire history.

  "You're certain about this?" the chief editor asked for the third time, his hands trembling slightly as he reviewed the reporter's notes. "These are extraordinary cims."

  "I witnessed it all personally," the reporter confirmed, his own hands shaking with a combination of exhaustion and nervous energy as he organized his notes. "Every word directly from the king's mouth, in the presence of Archdukes Dante, Seraphina, and Valerian."

  The chief editor nodded gravely. "Then we must work quickly. If this is true, there will be attempts to suppress it."

  Through the night, the publication staff worked with frantic dedication, knowing they were racing against inevitable pace reaction. Typesetters carefully arranged letters, proofreaders verified exact quotes, and runners prepared for immediate distribution the moment printing completed.

  The reporter oversaw every aspect personally, insisting on precision in every detail. This wasn't merely news—it was history itself, the revetion of truths concealed for two thousand years. The methodical approach that had served him well as a court reporter now ensured that vampire society would receive not sensational rumors but carefully documented facts directly from the king's own statements.

  As dawn approached, the presses rolled, producing thousands of copies for immediate distribution throughout vampire territories. The front page headline was stark in its simplicity:

  "KING LUCIUS REVEALS TRUE IDENTITY: 'I AM SUBJECT 23'"

  The article beneath methodically detailed each revetion:

  Lucius and Valerian as biological brothers born from the same human mother Their immunity to sunlight, silver, and all traditional vampire weaknesses Their consumption of regur food alongside blood Valerian's territory functioning as Lucius's secret military force Lucius's unprecedented power to suppress all vampires and wereanimals worldwide simultaneously Most significantly, Lucius's true identity as Subject 23—the progenitor of vampires and wereanimals

  Each cim was meticulously attributed to direct quotes from the king or his brother, with notation of which Archdukes were present as witnesses. The reporter had included detailed descriptions of the global suppression event where supernatural beings everywhere fell to their knees under Lucius's power—an unmistakable demonstration that the king's authority extended beyond political position to fundamental dominion over all beings descended from his original transformation.

  By early morning, vampire communities throughout all territories were experiencing unprecedented upheaval as the news spread. Reactions varied dramatically:

  In urban centers closest to the pace, initial disbelief quickly gave way to frantic verification as multiple sources confirmed the story's authenticity. Vampire nobles gathered in emergency sessions, attempting to determine how these revetions would affect their positions and privileges.

  In more distant communities, panic emerged as vampires questioned everything they had believed about their nature and limitations. If the king walked in sunlight and consumed food, what other "immutable ws" of vampire existence might be false?

  In some territories, particurly those aligned with traditional factions, the revetions triggered something approaching religious awe. Subject 23 had been a mythic figure for millennia—the original vampire whose transformation had created their species. Learning that this being had been their king all along created immediate cultlike responses, with impromptu worship services emerging spontaneously.

  Meanwhile, as dawn approached, the pace remained unaware of what was unfolding beyond its walls. Court officials were still processing the successive revetions in the dining room, their attention focused entirely on Lucius, Nova, and the dramatic confrontation still unfolding. No one had yet noticed the reporter's absence or realized that the most closely guarded secrets in vampire history were already being distributed throughout supernatural society.

  The revetions that had stunned the dining room would soon reach every corner of the vampire world, transforming not just their understanding of their king but the very foundations of supernatural society itself.