The private chamber fell into profound silence after Nova's decration.

  Lucius stood perfectly still, his expression frozen in a way Nova had never witnessed before. Not the carefully controlled composure that had guided vampire society for millennia, but something entirely different—a complete absence of response, as if Nova's words had somehow short-circuited two thousand years of perfect self-possession.

  "Lucius?" Nova reached toward him cautiously. "Did you hear what I said?"

  Lucius remained motionless, his eyes fixed on some distant point beyond Nova. The being who had orchestrated vampire society's transformation across two millennia, who had maniputed territorial dynamics and noble hierarchies with perfect strategic precision, who had never once lost control even when unleashing his full power—now stood completely paralyzed by three simple words.

  "I meant it," Nova continued, his voice gentler now. "I'm in love with you. Not curious, not confused, not mistaken. In love."

  Still no response. Not even the subtle microexpressions that typically betrayed Lucius's thoughts to those who knew him well. His face remained completely, unnaturally bnk—the perfect stillness of profound shock.

  Nova moved closer, carefully taking Lucius's hand in his. The king's skin felt cold, even for a vampire. "Lucius? You're starting to worry me. Say something. Anything."

  When Lucius finally spoke, his voice emerged as barely a whisper, disconnected from his usual measured tones.

  "Not... possible."

  The words carried no conviction, no certainty—merely mechanical repetition of what he'd said earlier, as if his mind couldn't progress beyond this single concept.

  "It is possible," Nova insisted, squeezing Lucius's hand gently. "It's not just possible—it's real. I love you."

  Lucius's eyes finally focused on Nova's face, but his expression remained disturbingly vacant. "You... love me?"

  "Yes," Nova affirmed, relief flickering across his features at this small sign of engagement. "I love you."

  "You... love... me." Lucius repeated the words slowly, as if trying to decipher an impossible equation. His expression shifted subtly, confusion repcing vacancy.

  Nova thought he was finally breaking through, until Lucius's next words emerged.

  "System error. Recalcution required."

  The clinical, detached phrasing sent a chill through Nova. The person standing before him no longer seemed like Lucius at all—more like an advanced AI encountering a logic problem it couldn't process. Nova had joked about Lucius's analytical mind before, but this wasn't analytical thinking. This was something else entirely.

  "Lucius, you're scaring me." Nova pced both hands on Lucius's shoulders, trying to ground him through physical contact. "Come back to me."

  No response.

  Nova moved his hands to either side of Lucius's face, looking directly into his eyes. "Lucius. Please."

  Nothing.

  With dawning horror, Nova realized what was happening. The being who had guided vampire society for two millennia, who had maintained perfect composure through the Evolution and everything that followed, who had orchestrated the most comprehensive social transformation in history—had completely shut down when faced with the possibility of being loved in return.

  Nova released Lucius and backed toward the door, his movements increasingly urgent. Two thousand years of waiting, of loving someone who existed only in prophetic dreams, had somehow prevented Lucius from accepting that love might be reciprocated. Nova had thought their misunderstanding was simply about physical intimacy versus emotional connection, but this went much deeper—to something fundamental in how Lucius saw himself.

  Nova fumbled with the door handle, his usual grace forgotten in his growing panic. When the door finally opened, he found Valerian waiting just outside.

  "Something's wrong with Lucius," Nova managed, his voice tight with concern. "He's not responding. It's like he's... frozen."

  Valerian pushed past Nova into the chamber, moving with military efficiency toward his brother. One look at Lucius's vacant expression was enough. The military leader who had commanded vampire armies for millennia turned back toward the door.

  "Get Maximilian and the medical team," he ordered, his voice clipped with rare urgency. "Now."

  Nova hesitated, unwilling to leave Lucius in this state.

  "NOW!" Valerian's command shook Nova from his indecision.

  As Nova rushed to summon help, he gnced back to see Valerian guiding his completely unresisting brother to a chair, speaking to him in low, urgent tones. For the first time since his transformation, Nova felt a cold fear that had nothing to do with his former captivity or uncertain pce in vampire society.

  The most powerful being in existence, the progenitor of all vampires, the architect of their civilization—had been completely undone not by challenge to his power or threat to his rule, but by three simple words:

  "I love you."