~~~TRAILER#1: The Ivory Tower~~~

The Sakamaki Brothers are cruel and sadistic vampires that truly give meaning to the phrase "soulless beasts in human form". However, these so-called monsters share a common secret. Deep within the manor lies the last sign of light representing their hearts, a secret room where their most precious treasure is kept hidden and protected from the outside world. Do you wish to see it?

There are nights when hidden chaos seem to occur beyond the darkness, and some nights go on with a tranquil silence that encourages slumber for most creatures.

Tonight...is one of those nights in which both classifications converge within the Sakamaki Household.

It was silent, peaceful, and serene. The manor was in a state of ideal tranquility that would encourage anyone to feel relaxed and unguarded. The only noise that could possibly disturb oneself is one's own thoughts that may persist beyond the meditated silence that reigns over the entire household.

For a family such as the one that dwells within the estate though, this is a dream too good to be true.

Beyond the serenity drifting through the atmosphere, there is a darkness that can never be removed in the air. It is a darkness filled with unsettled grudges, restless nightmares, and haunting shadows that remain constant for the residents of the manor. None of them could ever escape the Hell that was once their shelter, and now their own personal state of mind. Some hide it better than others in a mask of indifference, while others proudly demonstrate the results of such chaotic experiences.

Each one of these people are sinful creatures that indulge hedonism and decadence for guests whom dare to enter their territory, a mansion seemingly filled with wonderful luxuries but is in fact a den of monsters disguised as a humble abode.

All of them, soulless beasts in human forms, are what humanity called...Vampires.

All of them, merciless and ruthless, await the poor unfortunate souls that shall be victimized by an unquenchable thirst.

All of them, monsters...

All except one...

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CENTURIES AGO IN THE SAKAMAKI MANOR

It was a night of anticipation for the Sakamaki Family.

There, in the Entrance Hall, three women and six young boys await the arrival of a certain man whom is also the noble patriarch of their household. It was not often that he makes a visit to their home due to the tremendous amount of responsibilities that he needed to uphold. Even when he is supposed to stand as a husband and father to the family, his priorities were clearly focused on particular businesses.

For the man was not any ordinary man...

He is Karlheinz, the Vampire King.

What makes this visit so much more peculiar is how personal it seemed. Whenever Karlheinz stops by, there was always a certain formality lingering in his tone with the way he announces it as if his own family is just another business trip added to his agenda. He was never a family man, and he was never so genuine in expressing his affections if there were any.

However, the way he announced his arrival for tonight when he called, it was almost as if his voice carried something.

It was sentiment and sincerity.

The Vampire King was being sincerely sentimental.

The First Wife, Cordelia, viewed this as a sign that her husband has been simply missing her as she had been the one whom received the message first. She wasted no time gloating about it to the two other wives whom silently tolerated and endured her nonsensical rambling, even when all of them inwardly knew that what she says is most unlikely. Cordelia, for all her bravado, was already subconsciously aware that her husband was coming home early for a different purpose. He never came home whenever she pleaded before, so why would he start to miss her now?

Nevertheless, she continued her rather boastful mockery to keep her facade before her "rivals".

The Second Wife, Beatrix, merely wondered what could have happened to place her husband in such good spirits. Even when business is going his way, Karlheinz never outwardly expressed such enthusiasm. He gives out some good news and praises, but most of them are not without ulterior motive or foreshadowed consequence. For all her respectful reverence towards her husband, she is not ignorant to the cruelty he is capable of. She finds herself curious and also slightly anxious, somewhat predicting that whatever Karlheinz came home for is most probably going to change the family dynamics—or whatever is left of it—both for better and worse.

It was a change that will likely bring further changes.

The Third Wife, Christa, is practically terrified and paranoid though she made a valiant effort to not show it on her gentle features. She was the one most filled with trepidation and anticipation amongst the wives. She knew best what her husband's true nature really is, had seen the proof of everything. She knew where each of them stand whether it was her and the other wives, or his six sons that he never attentively paid attention to as a father should. She knew what purposes they are here to fulfill, and that knowledge had driven her to madness.

It was only through the exclusive announcement of her husband's arrival that she made an effort to get a hold of herself to personally welcome him alongside the others. Something tells her that whatever reason Karlheinz made special time to come home for is something that she needs to see and hear for herself.

Without her knowing, she would be right.

The children, six boys looking as if their ages ranged from 5 to 8, were more curiously innocent in their wait for their father. They have always been wondering why their father was always absent, and while their mothers vaguely explained the reason for that, it did not stop their persistent minds from thinking where he was and when he would come back. It had always been a big deal for all of them to welcome him like this whenever he announces his impending return, a sign of respect to his patriarchal role in the household as their mothers had said, and it was becoming routine for each of them.

That is why it did not escape their youthfully inquisitive eyes that this particular visit will be different from the others, judging by their mothers' behaviors.

It excited them yet it also frightened them.

What was this special reason for the Vampire King's early return to his home?

As if fate had seen it fit to finally answer this question within each of their minds, a powerful presence made itself known beyond the two doors before they slowly creaked open.

Tension was apparent in the air and it became even more so when the visage of Karlheinz was shown before them.

There he stood: a charming smile upon his countenance, his allure was enchanting, his posture was flawless, and his stature was ever dignified as was expected of a king worthy of the entitlement of God. He was an impeccable symbol of true royalty as he took graceful steps towards his family, each pace naturally silent as he made them. His fair white hair, pink at the tips and kept almost as long as his height, drifted behind him like a spiritual veil while his sharp golden eyes burned with a smoldering glow as proof of an imminent power kept dormant until a threat makes itself known.

The Vampire King is truly the epitome of a predator that radiates a beastly beauty, a deadly temptation to all.

With a deep baritone voice ringing smoothly through the air, he spoke.

"I am home."

As the dutiful familial members, all three women and six children responded accordingly with a courteous bow.

"Welcome home."

It was upon the raising of their heads that the three wives saw it.

A soft black and red satin bundled with a cozy fleece blanket underneath rested within their husband's arms.

Karlheinz noticed their switch of attention and smirked, opting to keep his silence until they personally inquired him.

The six boys remained oblivious as their father stood at an intimidating height in which his cloaking cape camouflaged the bundle at an angle that would not prominently show the oddity that rested in their father's embrace.

However, it was at that point that a soft coo reigned over the brief silence of the Sakamaki Household.

Karlheinz turned his attention to the bundle in his arms, smiling tenderly as he lifted it to his face and leaned down. The bundle moved and the rest of them watched with wide eyes as a small pair of arms revealed itself from the blankets, its hands reaching towards the white strands of Karlheinz' hair with a playful hum.

It was a baby.

That much is obvious to everyone else by now.

By the looks of it, that baby is also going to be the newest addition to the family.

When the infant finally settled down, Karlheinz arranged the blankets more comfortably around its ward and looked back to his stunned family.

He smiled calmly, "Let us head to my office. We shall speak there. I can see you have questions and if you want answers, I suggest you follow quietly and obediently."

With no further ado, he walked past them all.

The rest of them followed, left with no other choice than to do so.

Cordelia fumed and seethed, frustrated with this turn of events as it would seem that her husband had brought a child whom he sired with another woman.

Beatrix remained passive and indifferent, though a part of her was angered and provoked as the thought of another child rivaling against her own has turned up.

Christa became even more distant, somewhat knowing that this would happen and became torn as to whether she should scorn the child just by being the product of her husband and a woman that is not her...or pity it for being born into this world as Karlheinz' child with seemingly no sign of its mother.

The six boys were left on a neutral perspective as, unlike their mothers, it did not seem to register that the baby held within their father's embrace is quite possibly their new half-sibling. Some of them were thrilled, others were confused, but all of them are undoubtedly awestruck.

This baby is going to become either the rise or fall of the entire family.

Only time will tell.

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Karlheinz sat on the chair behind his desk, comfortably settled in his rightful place despite the tension in the room.

A pink and white cradle was conjured just beside him where the baby, a little girl as he had confirmed, was now slumbering peacefully. He flicked his wrist and the cradle glimmered for a moment before returning to normal, a soundproof charm settling on it to ensure that the baby stays fully rested no matter the chaos that might ensue in the room.

The three matriarchs each took a seat on the three small arm chairs across the desk. Cordelia took the one across Karlheinz' left, Beatrix took the middle, and Christa settled on the last one on the right. Their sons dutifully either stood beside them or sat by their feet.

Shu and Reiji, respectively holding the title of eldest and second eldest amongst the brothers, stood on each side of their mother whom was Beatrix. Shu was on her left while Reiji was on her right, both playing the roles of dutiful sons.

The triplets surrounded their mother, Cordelia, in an almost triangle formation. Ayato, entitled as eldest as per tradition, stood to the left of his mother just on the other side of Reiji. Kanato, the middle triplet, timidly sat on the floor while keeping his pirate-themed stuffed bear—one he fondly calls "Teddy"—in his arms with a tight grip. Laito, biologically the eldest yet recognized by tradition as the youngest, took his place on his mother's right wherein he is closest to the desk and also the one brother whom had the clearest sight of the baby in the cradle.

Subaru, youngest amongst the brothers and the only son of Christa and Karlheinz, leaned back on his hands by his mother's side on her right armrest while being on the other side of Shu. He kept his gaze on the ground, feeling greatly intimidated by the suffocating atmosphere but also eager to support his mother on such predicament. He knew how much it took for his mother to calm herself enough to be let out of the tower, and he wanted to help her in case she is close to snapping.

For a moment, nobody made a sound. Everyone merely watched Karlheinz and the cradle that he kept caressing with a gentle smile on his face, leaving the sons shocked and the wives agitated by such genuineness on his normally stern features.

After some time, Karlheinz looked up and made eye contact with each of his wives while taking small glances towards his sons.

"As all of you may have probably concluded, we shall have a new addition to the family." He stated rather proudly and amusedly.

Cordelia bristled, "I am guessing another whore will be coming along as well then."

Karlheinz raised a brow, his eyes flashing.

"A whore...? You mean like yourself, dear?"

A pair of bright green eyes, bridled with anger and hurt, turned away as the sting of rejection struck their owner.

He turned to Beatrix and Christa warningly.

"Any other concerns you would like to interrupt me with...?" He asked calmly.

Beatrix huffed but closed her eyes in compliance, making it known that she had no intentions of going against her husband even while she is also troubled.

Christa bowed her head submissively with a troubled frown, wanting to speak out but still too shaken by this side of her husband.

The brothers, knowing enough to observe silence while the adults are talking, shook their heads in answer when the golden eyes of their father turned to them.

"Good," Karlheinz smiled, "then let us continue. In response to Cordelia's statement earlier, the child's mother will not be joining the household for she is sadly no longer alive."

The brothers gasped, glancing at the cradle with pity and compassion. Their still pure hearts reached out to the now mother-orphaned baby.

His wives returned their gazes to him and promptly ignored the cradle that housed their current concerns.

Karlheinz spoke regally with his charming smile.

"Due to that, the child has been transferred explicitly to my custody. However, let it be known to each and every one of you that I do not want the knowledge of my daughter's existence to be known outside of this family."

The wives narrowed their eyes in suspicion while the brothers tilted their heads in confusion.

Beatrix then asked politely, "Is it due to the fact she is illegitimate or something else? Even if we speak of nothing regarding her true origins, we cannot stop people from talking about her."

Her husband's smile sharpened.

"That is the point, Beatrix. I do not want her existence known to outsiders, meaning I do not want any of you speaking of her to others nor do I want her stepping a single step out of this house. No one is allowed to see, hear, taste, touch, or so much as smell her aside from the members of this family."

Christa bit her lip and spoke rather quietly.

"You...wish to imprison her?" She asked.

Just like me...

Those three words were left unspoken but every single one of them knew it was tied with her question.

Golden eyes connected with ruby red.

"If it were up to me," Karlheinz said blankly, "none of you would even know about her in the first place."

The tension thickened as the Vampire King spread the influence of his presence even more critically. The other occupants of the room seem to hold their breaths due to the almost suffocating pressure.

Karlheinz laid a gloved hand onto the rails of the cradle as he continued to speak.

"This child shall be the precious treasure of the family, most especially mine. She is to remain a secret to anyone outside of this household, even to the servants. She is not to be taken outside of the room I assign her to without my permission, and her welfare is to be prioritized at all costs."

He inhaled and exhaled a defeated sigh.

"Frankly, I had planned to attend to all of these myself but I cannot always be near her without risking her existence to be known which is something I desperately wish to avoid. It leaves me with no other choice but to entrust her well-being to all of you. Being mothers to my sons, I am at least assured that you can manage caring for an infant without much problems."

The three women straightened their postures, feeling a mix of emotions in what seems to be an expectant statement disguised as subtle praise.

Karlheinz gave them a close-eyed smile.

"It seems simple enough, right? Be a mother to my daughter as you are to my sons. Feed her, wash her, clothe her, and play with her. All those things you do as you raise her into a fine young lady. I will be checking on her personally as often as I can, but in times I cannot, expect a phone call from me. I would most likely make this a daily routine as I do not want to miss a single progress regarding her growth and development."

Cordelia glared, "This child is that special to you...? What makes her any different from the rest of your children?"

Karlheinz raised an amused brow.

He chuckled darkly, "I have no intentions of answering that right now. All you need to do is follow my orders unless you wish to be sent to the dungeons."

Before another argument could escalate, Beatrix interfered with questions of her own.

"To be clear," she began, "all you want us to do is care for her while making sure to keep the knowledge of her existence between us...am I correct? Will there be anything else?"

Karlheinz hummed, "Just a few rules really: firstly, do not harm her in any way; secondly, I want her to remain unbitten and her blood untouched; thirdly, do not let a single ray of sunshine touch her skin as she gets sick easily; and lastly, do not let her out of her room.

"Aside from those, everything is practically common sense. Just play mother, monitor her progress, report it back to me, and so on. Of course, should you fail to adhere to the rules and my instructions in some way or form...expect a most severe punishment for all of you. I do not care which of you is truly responsible for any mishap. If she is harmed or if one drop of her blood is spilled, all of you will be held accountable for it."

The Vampire King paused as he stood up and leaned forward with his hands on the table, his eyes glowing a molten gold that blazed with a warning glare.

He then asked, his tone expectant of nothing but an affirmative answer.

"Do you understand me?"

The three females took a deep calming breath, trying to feel at ease against the looming threat of their husband's words.

Simultaneously, they replied dutifully.

"Yes, dear."

In that instant, the atmosphere lightened and everyone seemed to be able to breathe freely again.

"Well then," Karlheinz said with a pleased smile, "if you do not have any questions, you may leave. I shall make time to speak with each of you later."

Cordelia brightened up at the prospect of spending time with her husband and gave a sultry smirk.

Beatrix remained stoic though her deep blue eyes gleamed pleasantly as she bowed her head in respect.

Christa stiffened slightly but relaxed again as she had been wishing to be with her husband again, but is then burdened with a lingering bitterness spurned by her unstable mind.

In unison, the three wives stood and their sons soon followed.

"Oh," the patriarch interjected, "the boys need to stay. There is something I need to speak with them about."

The three women paused, glancing at him before turning to their sons and nodding at them to do as their father says.

The boys gulped as their mothers left and they lined themselves up before their father's desk from eldest on his left to youngest on his right.

Karlheinz smiled amusedly.

"No need to be so tense. You are not in trouble if that is what you think."

The six brothers relaxed slightly but most of them were still on guard.

Reiji cleared his throat and spoke on his siblings' behalf.

"What was it that you needed us for, Father?" He asked respectfully.

Karlheinz smirked, "Your mothers are now aware of their new responsibilities as maternal figures to our recent addition. Now, I want you all to know what it means to be brothers to your new sister."

Shu tilted his head, "Will it be that different from having brothers?"

His father chuckled, "Well, of course! Girls are gentler and much more sensitive as they grow."

His expression then turned serious as he regarded each of the younger males with a stern calculative gaze.

Each boy that stood before him is supposed to be nothing more but pawns to his game, mere specimens to be factored in his experiment. He had prior plans on how to make use of them in the future, but now there is something more that can put them to better use. He trusted his wives enough to care for his daughter, more so Beatrix or Christa if the latter is calm enough. Cordelia was too rough for his delicate princess as he was not blind to her transgressions, especially towards Ayato, not to mention her countless scandalous affairs.

However, there is one thing that only his sons can most likely do.

Before he could contemplate any deeper, a soft cry snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned his attention to the cradle together with his sons, and saw his darling daughter fussing slightly in her bundle.

He smiled and spoke to his sons.

"Well, before that, why don't I introduce you to your little sister?" He asked rhetorically.

The boys did not respond as they seemed transfixed on the cradle by his side.

He smirked, "Would you all like that?"

The brothers nodded slowly as if just barely able to snap out of it to give a response.

The toddler's cries were getting louder and more insistent, prompting Karlheinz to get closer to the cradle. With careful and gentle notions, he reached down and lifted the infant into his arms.

As if recognizing her father's warmth, the baby girl halted her whimpering and looked up innocently with doe-like golden eyes.

Karlheinz smiled down at her before slowly pacing towards his sons. He kneeled down on one knee as his sons started to gradually crowd around him to see the child who seemed to be happily cooing in his arms.

The six brothers stared in awe. The baby girl looked so small and soft, more fragile than a porcelain doll in a glass case. She was beautiful and ethereal like a baby angel that carried a precious piece of heaven which promised a lifetime of bliss and harmony. A surge of protectiveness rushed through them all as their vampire instincts immediately staked a claim on their little sister, not quite as lovers would do with one another but something a little more familial.

Then again, perhaps these boys have not matured enough to develop such possessiveness yet.

That does not mean that their need to protect and nurture the child in their father's embrace is any less strong, however.

"Would you like to hold her?" Karlheinz asked.

With glimmering hopeful eyes, the boys nodded.

At their answer, the Vampire King bade them to come closer. Hesitantly, they obeyed and Karlheinz turned to Shu so he could direct his eldest child on how to hold his little sister properly. An irrational part of the other five felt a little bit of jealousy but they mostly understood why their father turned to Shu first.

Shu is the eldest and therefore the most developed in his physical build, not to mention the one whom had seen all of them when they were just a toddler as well. He would be the most capable in holding a baby for the first time, and with how territorial their father showed himself to be when it comes to their new half-sibling, he would entrust her to the one who would be least likely to drop her.

With murmured instructions, Karlheinz passed his daughter to his eldest son's arms. Shu was a little awkward but nothing that could not be fixed by his father's directions as he slowly managed to get into a comfortable position for both himself and the baby.

As deep blue eyes looked down at soft gold, that innate protectiveness grew stronger and Shu found his arms hugging his little sister closer to himself. He felt a surge of excited joy as she responded by grasping his shirt and tugging curiously. As his brothers came closer, they were not far off in following his example given the baby's positive reaction.

All through that time, the baby girl just stared at the six new faces staring back down at her with newfound affection. She smiled and squealed in glee, capturing the hearts of her half-brothers in an even tighter leash. She reached out one of her hands as the other was still holding onto Shu's shirt.

Her free hand was then held by Reiji as he was instantly enamored by his sister's delighted expression. He smiled as he lightly shook their hands in a playful manner before kissing her small knuckles lovingly like a true gentleman.

"Greetings to you too, Milady." He whispered.

Not one to be left behind, Ayato went closer to them. With a scared yet determined heart, he reached out a hand to pet his sister's head. In response, the girl tilted her head slightly to keep him in view and giggled. She somewhat leaned into the touch as best as she could and Ayato grinned at her appreciation for his touch.

"You like that, huh?" He said confidently.

Kanato then leaned forward to see his sister whom grinned at him and squealed when he shyly smiled back. He lifted Teddy to let them meet and waved the toy's arms in a welcoming gesture, gaining a pleased laugh that enabled him to be more confident as well while his cheeks gained a rosy hue.

"Hello, little sister." He greeted softly.

Laito immediately followed his example by positioning himself across from Ayato, by the baby's feet and on the other side of Shu, and went to poke his sister's cheek. He marveled at the softness of her skin, so much that an innocent touch became a revering caress to which his sister closed her eyes in a pleased coo almost resembling a purring cat. His emerald eyes softened as his cheeks blushed lightly.

"Aww~! Hello to you too, Little Cutie." He cooed.

Subaru stood back, being the most hesitant to approach his sister. He then felt a small nudge on his back that pushed him forward. He looked over his shoulder to see his father who now stood tall and was giving him an encouraging nod to his crowding brothers' direction. He gulped before slowly walking closer to them.

His brothers looked up at the sound of his footsteps and smiled at him before turning back to the infant in Shu's arms, playing with her as they did before.

Taking his brothers as his example, Subaru went close enough to see his sister and also be in her view. Like his older brothers, he was enamored and quickly captured by her golden orbs. In a supportive gesture, Shu slightly raised his arms and tilted the baby girl to Subaru's direction while his other brothers made way for him to touch her while still not leaving their own positions.

Still scared that he would hurt her or taint her, it took some time before he could truly touch his baby sister. When he did get the courage, his shaking hand moved to softly massage her stomach which got her attention. She glanced at his hand before gripping it with the hand that once held onto her eldest brother. She played with his fingers before looking back at him and then giving him a toothless smile accompanied by an innocent laugh, causing him to blush and smile adoringly at her.

"Hi there." He mumbled.

Her attention went back to his fingers while her other hand also kept its grip on Reiji's index finger, which she had not let go of since he first reached to grasp her tiny hand.

Reiji did not mind. In fact, all of the brothers kept playing with her and cooing at her while Karlheinz watched with a knowing smirk on his face.

It would seem that he did not need to speak about their responsibilities as elder brothers after all. Everything was coming to them naturally. His little girl was binding them to her wordlessly.

Everything was going according to plan.

It was then that Shu spoke for the first time since a while ago, asking a question that had been lingering on their minds.

"What's her name?"

At that inquiry, everyone looked towards their father as they were eager to place a lovely name to their beloved sister.

Karlheinz smiled, looking at the baby girl in Shu's arms with an all-knowing glance.

"Her name...is Mikaela."

Mikaela...

The female version of Michael and Mikhail...

Meaning "the gift from God"...

It was an ironic name to give to a Vampire Princess, but as they stare down at the little miracle, the brothers could not find a name more fitting.

They all smiled lovingly as they officially proclaimed in their synchronized thoughts:

"Welcome to the family, Mikaela...our dear sister."

TAGS:

#VampireIncest

#SGEden