_*]:min-w-0 !gap-3.5">The Grand Judgment Hall had never been designed to accommodate such numbers. Vampires from every territory crowded the massive chamber, their bodies pressed together in rigid silence. Even with the vaulted ceilings soaring fifty meters overhead, the air felt thick with tension.

  Lucius stood on the elevated ptform, his posture perfect as always, reviewing the final data projection only he could see. Two thousand years of patience had culminated in this moment—the completion of his comprehensive evaluation of vampire nobility across all territories. Every vampire ciming aristocratic status, whether through title or lineage, had faced his judgment.

  Beside him, Nova observed the assembled vampires. His newly enhanced senses, still disorienting after his recent transformation, revealed the fear beneath their composed expressions. He could detect subtle changes in their bodies—the unnecessary quickening of breath, the tightening of muscles, the almost imperceptible trembling of hands quickly concealed.

  The results had been precisely calcuted. Lucius had shared the final numbers with Nova earlier that morning: approximately forty percent of former nobles would retain their positions, thirty percent would be removed entirely, and thirty percent would be reassigned to different responsibilities better matching their demonstrated capabilities.

  "Some might consider this generous," Lucius had remarked, his voice carrying the weight of two millennia of observation.

  Now, as the enormous dispy screens materialized behind him, showing the final categorical breakdowns by territory, bloodline, and demonstrated merit, the assembled nobility could see the mathematical precision of his judgment. There was nothing arbitrary about these assessments—each decision backed by centuries of documented behavior, meticulously cross-referenced against consistent standards.

  "The evaluation of existing nobility concludes today," Lucius stated, his voice carrying effortlessly through the hall without apparent amplification. "Tomorrow begins the assessment of those who deserve elevation based on merit alone."

  A visible ripple passed through the assembled vampires—not of movement, but of emotional reaction so intense that Nova could perceive it like a wave through water. The expansion of merit-based advancement to this unprecedented scale struck at the very foundation of vampire society. Though Lucius had established precedent through his elevation of vampires like Baron Cassian centuries ago and ter through the formalized Crimson Games, never before had such a comprehensive repcement of bloodline authority been attempted.

  Duke Rothven stepped forward from the front row, his ancient lineage evident in his bearing. His family had held noble status since the earliest days after the Evolution.

  "Your Majesty," he began, his voice steady despite the fear Nova could sense beneath it, "while none question your right to evaluate existing nobility, restructuring our entire society to elevate common vampires to positions of authority viotes the natural order established since our earliest days."

  The statement hung in the air, its challenge unmistakable despite the careful wording. The assembled nobles held their collective breath, many already calcuting how to position themselves depending on Lucius's response.

  Lucius regarded Duke Rothven with the calm assessment of one who had watched him grow from newly-turned vampire to ancient nobleman. After a moment that stretched painfully long, he finally responded.

  "I did not create this authority through decration," Lucius stated, his tone neither defensive nor angry, simply matter-of-fact. "It has always existed through the simple fact that without me, none of you would exist at all. All bloodlines come from me, so I can elevate whoever I want into nobility. This is not a new power I am ciming, but merely the exercise of authority that has always been mine."

  The simple, irrefutable truth of this statement silenced further challenge more effectively than any dispy of power could have. Duke Rothven physically recoiled as if struck, then lowered his gaze in acceptance.

  The dispy screens shifted, now showing the detailed framework Lucius had developed for identifying worthy candidates among common vampires. The criteria appeared with supporting graphics: centuries of observed service, demonstrated compassion toward resources, innovation in governance or resource management, and consistent ethical choices even when unobserved.

  "Merit alone will determine advancement," Lucius continued, as if the challenge had never occurred. "The same standards applied to evaluating nobility will determine which common vampires deserve elevation. This assessment begins tomorrow and will continue until all vacancies have been filled with those demonstrating proper character and capability."

  As the announcement concluded and the assembled nobles began filing out in subdued silence, Nova turned to Lucius. The vampires nearest them moved with careful precision, maintaining exact protocol while straining to overhear any exchange between their king and his newly-transformed companion.

  "You're not just removing the unworthy," Nova observed once the hall had emptied enough to speak privately. "You're creating potential for those who never had opportunity before."

  Lucius's expression softened slightly as he regarded Nova—a change imperceptible to most, but increasingly obvious to Nova's enhanced perception. After two millennia of waiting, Lucius still found himself adjusting to Nova's direct observations, which often cut straight to the heart of matters others danced around for centuries.

  "The evaluation of existing nobles was necessary but insufficient," Lucius replied, his voice carrying the weight of pns spanning millennia. "True transformation requires both removing those who abuse position and elevating those who deserve recognition. What comes next will demonstrate to all vampires that merit rather than birth will define our society for the next thousand years and beyond."

  As they exited through the private passage behind the ptform, Nova noticed the subtle transition in Lucius's bearing—the nearly imperceptible rexation of shoulders that had carried the weight of vampire society for two thousand years. One phase of his grand design had been completed. The next would begin tomorrow.

  The systematic dismantling and reconstruction of vampire society continued with the same methodical precision that had defined Lucius's rule since the beginning—patient, inevitable, and utterly transformative.