Calder was astounded to witness such an unexpected event inside the abandoned castle!

He activated the whistle that would alert the others to come to the crumbling castle. ​​

A few minutes later, thirty men in black hooded cape entered the castle.

Calder addressed them. "Everyone listen carefully! Lord Graven was swallowed by the ground on that exact area!" he said pointing at the spot where his master disappeared.

Everyone looked at the area.

"Our master was standing on that area and suddenly the ground opened up and swallowed him. I think there's something strange going on beneath the ground. There is a powerful force underneath the ground we are currently standing. We need to blast our way to the depth and save our master! Everyone activate your sonic flare!" he commanded.

The men pointed their palms at the area where their master was swallowed by the ground, deadly flames erupted from their palms and blasted the area, a few minutes later... the ground opened up and swallowed them... some of the men tried to escape but the gravity that is pulling them down is too much for them to handle and evade... it's like a powerful vacuum that is sucking them down. A moment later they all disappeared from the surface and the ground returned to its original estate as if nothing happened.

Meanwhile...

Two hundred feet below the ground, there's a tunnel and chambers everywhere connecting the whole place.

Inside a chamber, the size of half of a basketball court is three pools filled with black liquid. In one of the pools was Graven, he was submerged in the black liquid, both hands were tied by a chain. The black liquid was leveled with his neck.

On the second pool was Calder and the thirty men, their hands were bound with chains as well and the black liquid was now reaching the level of their necks.

On the third pool was a lone figure submerged in the black liquid, everything about him is black, the only thing that stands out are his white eyes, the rest are black.

"Gentlemen! Welcome to my kingdom!" the black figure addressed his visitors.

Graven and his men looked at the lone figure.

"As you can see, the black liquid might disgust you but it is the one thing that keeps me alive through centuries. I've been imprisoned here for the last 1000 years of my pathetic life by my arch enemy, although I am powerful I can't leave this place because the moment I escape from here I will die because I can't bring my life source - the black liquid anywhere, it will only stay in this place.

The black liquid remains here in this place only, therefore I have to stay here unless I can get my soulmate back in my arms and taste her blood again, the moment I can taste her blood again I can break free from this place and revive my kingdom again from scratch. Her blood can break the curse running in my veins and expel the black liquid setting me free!

Today is a lucky day because destiny finally gives me a chance again and sends you all to my place to aid my comeback.

Gentlemen, from now, starting today, you are now my slaves, you will do everything in my bidding, whether you like it or not!

Bring this woman to me, the soonest possible time! She is my soulmate! Only her blood can set me free from this place.

Find her!

Once I can escape this place, I will reward you all greatly! You will become my trusted men, and with me as your king, we will dominate the world!

Look at the face of my soulmate! She's been reincarnated several times and sad to say she's been with many men in several lifetimes," the King said.

He waved his hand at the wall and Laura's face appeared on the wall in different lifetimes together with the faces of the men she got involved with intimately.

The King freeze Laura and Graven images in the wall...

He looked at Graven in the other pool and pointed his fingers at him. "You! You recently married my woman! You are a lucky guy! Don't worry... I won't blame or punish you in this lifetime. Just deliver my beloved woman to my side and you will be forgiven!" he said.

Graven looked at the black figure. "I will never deliver my wife to you!" he shouted in a defiant tone.

The King erupted into peals of laughter, he finds Graven's response amusing.

Then King looked at Graven in the eyes. "You will! You cannot disobey my command!" he said. "Listen, everyone! Once you ingested some of the black liquid, it will stay in your body and you have to come back here every month to report to me and bring my woman.

If you don't report to me, you will start dying because the black liquid that you ingested will destroy every organ of your body. I can assure you, you will suffer a painful death. But once you return here with my soulmate, I can give you the antidote allowing you to live another month.

This will keep going on and on, you cannot disobey me or ignore the task I give you because this will result in your untimely death, the end of your life! So, your life depended on your decision. Decide wisely or else you all suffer a painful death!" the King concluded his speech.

Graven and his men looked at each other in confusion.

They were about to use their powers to set themselves free but surprisingly they cannot wield their powers! It's not working below the ground!

The King looked at them and smirked. "Ah, I forgot to inform you guys that you are powerless here in my domain. In my territory I reign supreme, you can't activate your power, you're just like tiny ants to me and I can easily kill you all with just the wave of my hand if I wanted to! But I won't waste your lives because you are useful to me. After a few minutes you will be taken back to the surface, and next month I'm expecting you all to report to me!" he said.

The King waved his hands at the men, the black liquid rises higher above the men's head submerging them completely in the black liquid.

A few minutes later.

The black liquid went down and the men lose their consciousness.

The King exited the black pool and entered the next chamber.

One hour later.

Graven and his men found themselves on the surface with no trace of black liquid on their bodies and clothes.

Calder looked at his master. "My Lord...are we just hallucinating? There are no traces of black liquid in our body and I'm not feeling bad at all. Ingesting that black liquid will surely bring discomfort to our tummy but I feel normal," he said.

Graven looked at the faces of his men around him. "We don't know for sure if that is just a hallucination or real, I guess the only way to find out the truth is after one month. If we all start dying then the cursed King is telling the truth and we have to come back here for the antidote," he replied.

"It looks real to me!" one of the men said.

"Yes, me too!" the others responded in unison.

Graven addressed them all. "Alright, we will leave this place at once and go back to South Pond Town! Rebecca is not here which is our main purpose in coming here! It's our bad luck to stumble into a 1000 years old Vampire King while searching for Rebecca's whereabouts," he concluded in a troubled voice.

A few seconds later.

They all hovered in the air the castle and disappeared instantly from the place.

Graven appeared inside the room in the inn that they have rented which was located in Larnwick Town.

He lay down on the bed pondering about what just happened below the ground of the castle.

The King is real! And so was his threat!

They would die if they can't report to him next month.

The King wants Laura back! He wants his wife!

No! He can't give him Laura! He has to find a way how to counter the harmful effects of the black liquid in their bodies before the next month is over.

He has no plans to be subjected to the King's command! Over his dead body! He will never surrender his wife to that insane King!

He needs to go back to Bay Meadow and see his beloved wife!

He needs to consult the healer as well if there is a remedy to counter that black liquid from creating havoc in their bodies. There's still enough time to concoct a medicine that can prevent the black liquid from killing him and his men.

He needs to see the healer right away!

He exited the room and found Calder waiting outside for his command. "Inform the men to teleport back to South Pond Town. And order the driver to start their journey back home tomorrow morning. I need to consult the healer - if he can find a remedy to our dilemma before the next month arrived," he said.

"Got it, My lord!" Calder said and disappeared from the room.

Graven went back inside the room, put all his things in the bag, and make sure that he left nothing behind. His stay in the inn was already paid, he can disappear anytime.

He initiated the teleportation process in his mind and vanished from the room instantly.

A few seconds later.

He appeared inside his room in Bay Meadow. He was expecting to see his wife inside the room when he arrived because it's already evening, but she's not in the room! Where is she!?

Suddenly his heart starts beating rapidly in his rib cage.

He dropped the bag on the floor and exited the room in a hurry to find Laura downstairs.