Terra Aeterna: The Rise of Humanity's War Machine

Author's Note: In the original story, Alexander Corvinus is protected by the Cleaners—elite, fully armed agents dressed in black, tasked with erasing all traces of supernatural activity such as vampires and lycans. Their appearance resembles a modern-day SWAT team—no supernatural powers, but equipped with advanced military training and high-tech weaponry. They operate from a massive private cruiser, constantly changing location to keep Alexander hidden. The ship is heavily fortified with both cutting-edge security systems and elite human personnel.

---

Meanwhile, somewhere in the silent, nameless ocean...

A colossal sea cruiser, forged from sleek, jet-black armored steel, drifted silently across the calm surface of the water. Unregistered on any known map, this ghost ship moved without a trace, protected by one of the most clandestine units on Earth: the Cleaners. These fully-armed operatives were trained for one sole purpose—to keep the existence of the supernatural world forever hidden from human eyes.

But tonight, under a sky that should have remained quiet and still, an invisible threat loomed.

In low Earth orbit, five Terran Medivacs descended in tight, silent formation. Accompanying them were cloaked Banshee recon units and two Viking-class fighters in silent assault mode. They breached the atmosphere without so much as a whisper—shadows from a future war slipping past the radars of a modern world.

As they reached their target, the fleet tightened its formation, encircling Alexander Corvinus's cruiser from every angle. In one of the Medivacs, the drop bay opened, and forty Terran Marines—encased in futuristic power armor—leapt one by one onto the deck below, landing with inhuman precision.

There were no gunshots. No alarms.

Only the echo of armored boots and the hum of activated sensors.

---

Inside the ship...

A Cleaners operative, fully armed and armored, moved quickly down the narrow corridor. He stopped in front of a reinforced metal door and knocked with a coded rhythm.

Alexander Corvinus

"Enter."

The voice was calm, yet carried a weight of centuries. The door slid open, and the soldier stepped in, face stern and composed.

Cleaner

"Sir, we're surrounded."

Alexander Corvinus lifted his eyes from the ancient tome in his hands. Despite his age, his posture remained regal, his silver hair immaculately styled, and his gaze sharp—like a predator that had never once forgotten the hunt.

Alexander Corvinus

"Who are they?"

Cleaner

"We're not entirely sure yet. They appear to be elite military units. But their equipment... it's unlike anything we've ever encountered. Their armor is far beyond the capabilities of any military force known to this world."

Alexander Corvinus

"Have you contacted our assets in the government?"

Cleaners

"All communication lines have been severed, sir. Digital and analog signals—completely gone. It appears to be their doing."

Alexander narrowed his eyes. This situation... it was too clean, too precise for a typical assault.

Alexander Corvinus

"How many of them?"

Cleaners

"Forty ground personnel spotted, sir. They disembarked from one of five large aircraft currently circling the ship. Two other craft resemble jets, but their engine configuration is unlike anything we've seen before. Their function remains unknown."

Alexander fell silent. His face remained calm, but the sharp glint in his eyes betrayed a mind working at lightning speed.

Alexander Corvinus

"They're not attacking... Which means they're waiting."

He let out a slow breath and rose from his seat with deliberate grace. His age may have spanned centuries, but the aura he exuded still dominated the room.

Alexander Corvinus

"Go. If they approach, bring them to me. I want to know who's bold enough—no, foolish enough—to stand before me like this."

Cleaners

"Understood, sir."

The soldier gave a slight bow and swiftly exited, while Alexander slowly eased himself back into his seat, his gaze drifting forward.

Alexander Corvinus (muttering)

"This is... truly bothersome."

His eyes seemed to pierce through the steel walls of the ship, as if staring at something far beyond.

Alexander Corvinus

"I've worked so hard to keep everything buried. The vampires... the lycans... And now, someone dares disturb the order I've built over centuries. What should I do, Marcus... William...?"

He rubbed his face—not out of fear.

But because, for the first time in ages, he felt like a pawn in someone else's game.

—

A silent shadow descended from orbit—a Hercules-class stealth transport. Its destination: Budapest.

The aircraft came to retrieve Kenthelion.

Without a sound, the massive vessel soared across the night sky, heading straight toward a large ocean cruiser resting peacefully amidst the endless sea—Alexander Corvinus's ship.

With surgical precision, the Hercules-class transport hovered beside the vessel and slowly descended.

The cargo bay door hissed open. Fifty fully armed Terran Marines disembarked, seamlessly joining the forty troops already on the ground. Together, they formed a wide perimeter, securing the deck in a swift, calculated sweep.

The atmosphere was tense but under control.

Per Alexander's prior orders, no shots were fired. Both sides remained locked in a silent standoff, eyes sharp, fingers ready.

The Cleaners—the elite guards of Corvinus—were visibly unsettled. They realized that should a firefight erupt, they were woefully outmatched. The Marines' weapons were massive, their armor reinforced with shoulder-mounted energy shields. Behind the Terran formation stood a group of warriors clad in pristine white armor—undeniably female from their silhouettes. A red cross adorned their heavy shields: the elite medics of the Adepta Sororitas.

From within the transport, Kenthelion emerged.

His stride was calm but firm, eyes scanning the opposing forces. Skilled they may be—but compared to the Terran military, their gear and tech were decades, if not centuries behind.

The Marines parted wordlessly as he passed, forming a corridor in reverent silence.

Cleaner Commander

"Sir, are you the commanding officer of these forces?" a soldier asked, approaching unarmed.

Kenthelion

"Yes, soldier. I've come to meet Lord Alexander Corvinus. Announce my arrival."

Cleaner Commander

"Lord Corvinus has already issued orders. You are to be escorted to him immediately."

The soldier turned, prepared to lead the way.

Kenthelion

"You stay here," he ordered the Terran officer beside him without even glancing back.

Terran Marine Officer

"Emperor, are you safe?" the officer asked with a worried tone. Every Marine knew that if anything happened to Emperor Kenthelion, they would face the wrath of Terra Aeterna—the Inquisitors and the Adepta Sororitas would not hesitate to execute them all.

Kenthelion

"I'll be fine," he replied firmly but calmly. Without another glance, he stepped inside, leaving his elite guards to stand watch at the entrance.

He followed the Cleaners through the interior of the majestic ship. The inside was nearly indistinguishable from a luxury hotel, adorned with elegant decorations and steeped in aristocratic grandeur. It reflected the kind of old-world nobility once revered by European elites. Antique items and priceless ornaments were carefully placed in every corner.

Understandably so—Alexander Corvinus had lived for millennia. His collection was beyond valuation.

But Kenthelion? He had conquered entire universes. Treasures and rare artifacts no longer intrigued him.

Eventually, they reached a grand sitting room. There stood a tall, broad-shouldered old man with white hair and piercing, authoritative eyes.

Alexander Corvinus.

Kenthelion (with the etiquette of ancient Anatolian nobility)

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kenthelion. It is an honor to finally meet you in person, Alexander Corvinus."

His gaze was sharp and steady—not emotional, but far from vacant. He knew exactly who the old man before him was. Alexander wasn't just an immortal vampire. He was one of the true sovereigns of the underworld—the progenitor of all cursed bloodlines.

And for that, Kenthelion addressed him not as an enemy... but as a fellow noble.

Alexander Corvinus (replying with Eastern European continental noble decorum)

"Greetings, Lord Kenthelion. Please, have a seat."

His voice was calm and deep, yet laced with an implicit pressure that could only come from someone who had lived for thousands of years and witnessed the world shift hundreds of times. Yet even he—who had once spoken with Roman emperors and Ottoman sultans—couldn't hide his curiosity.

Corvinus observed Kenthelion the way a scientist would regard an unpredictable specimen. The etiquette this young man used... it was too authentic. Too deeply ingrained. As if Kenthelion hadn't just studied ancient Anatolian history—but had lived it.

Kenthelion

"Thank you, Lord Corvinus."

He sat with composure—upright, controlled, and utterly fearless.

Alexander Corvinus

"Now then, Lord Kenthelion... I don't quite understand. What exactly is the purpose of your visit today?"

Kenthelion

"Lord Corvinus, I've come... to speak about vampires and lycans."

He left the words hanging in the air like a heavy fog. That one sentence conveyed everything he needed: I know exactly who you are.

Alexander Corvinus

"Are you here as an envoy of some ancient European nation? A secret order, perhaps?"

Alexander Corvinus

"And... the etiquette you use... I recognize it. When I was young, I once read a manuscript from ancient Anatolia. Very few people know of it now."

Kenthelion

"No, no, Lord Corvinus. I do not represent any nation. I only speak on behalf of myself."

Alexander Corvinus (his eyebrows rising)

"So... no nation behind you? No kingdom? Then... all those soldiers are privately owned?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. The thought unsettled him. Because if it was true, then Kenthelion was a force beyond the reach of any current geopolitical system.

Kenthelion (calmly)

"I came for one reason only..."

Kenthelion rose to his feet, his gaze piercing straight through Alexander. Without a word, he spat on the ground beside Corvinus' chair—not as an insult, but as a gesture of ancient, primal courage.

"...Your blood. I want a sample of your blood, Alexander."

Alexander Corvinus let out a low chuckle, his voice like stone rolling down a mountain.

"Hah... Lord Kenthelion, you must be joking. I'm just an old man... my blood is nothing more than frozen history. What use could it possibly be to you?"

Kenthelion's eyes narrowed.

"The progenitor of vampires and lycans... and you think your blood is useless?"

Alexander suddenly stood, his voice shifting into a near-animalistic growl.

"How do you know that?!"

For the first time, Alexander lost his composure. The calm tone he'd maintained shattered, replaced by a guttural snarl. His hand gripped the arm of his ancient wooden chair so tightly it creaked under the pressure. His timeless eyes bore into Kenthelion's soul with a gaze that could pierce steel—but Kenthelion didn't flinch.

Of course, the old man was powerful.

In the films, Alexander Corvinus did almost nothing, playing the part of a passive observer. But Kenthelion knew better. The reason was simple: Marcus was his son. If not for that blood connection, Marcus would've been erased long ago.

But power like that wasn't enough to make Kenthelion tremble.

He was an Omega-class Aetherion wielder—a level of strength that had surpassed the realm of mortal comprehension. And with the battle instincts inherited from the memories of the Emperor of Mankind himself, Kenthelion wasn't someone who could be intimidated by the presence of an ancient ancestor.

Kenthelion's voice was calm, steady.

"I have my own channels. But don't worry—only I know. For now."

Alexander Corvinus narrowed his eyes.

"You don't intend to kill me? You're not afraid of me?"

Kenthelion tilted his head slightly.

"If I had the guts to come here, then I've already accepted every possible outcome. So tell me... why should I be afraid?"

Alexander studied the young man before him.

He's not afraid. He knows who I am... and still, he came.

His eyes drifted briefly toward the glass window—the hidden armed guards surrounding the estate were already in position. But...

Alexander Corvinus warned, voice low and dangerous.

"The troops outside won't be able to save you if I decide to strike."

Kenthelion smiled lazily.

"Then let me ask you this… Are you afraid of nuclear bombs?"

Alexander paused, raising a brow.

Kenthelion continued smoothly.

"I've prepared a few. And from the moment you sensed my presence, I think you knew—you can't defeat me."

Alexander gave a short laugh, attempting to brush it off.

"Lord Kenthelion, you have quite the... peculiar sense of humor. Nuclear bombs in Europe? Hah! Do you realize how insane that sounds?"

Despite the chuckle, his eyes remained sharp, calculating—trying to read Kenthelion's next move.

His instincts rarely failed him.

And this man before him... was no ordinary human.

Kenthelion smirked.

"It seems Lord Corvinus doesn't believe me. Red Queen, display the satellite feed."

Red Queen's voice responded sweetly in his ear.

"Yes, Brother."

Instantly, a beam of holographic light projected from Kenthelion's wristwatch, forming a massive virtual screen suspended in the air.

Satellite footage revealed ten colossal battlecruisers hovering just beyond Earth's orbit.

They loomed like silent space fortresses—intimidating in their stillness—surrounded by squadrons of fighter jets, swarms of missiles, and thousands of elite soldiers clad in high-tech combat armor.

Alexander Corvinus stared at the screen without blinking.

For the first time, his expression shifted. He fell silent, taking in the overwhelming show of force—one that surpassed the technological capabilities of this era by any conceivable standard.

These warships weren't made on Earth. Their designs were alien, brutal, and ruthlessly efficient. Thermal sensors and energy detectors painted a terrifying picture of destructive potential. Nuclear warheads. Drones. Spacecraft unlike anything even he had ever seen.

Alexander Corvinus

"…Mr. Kenthelion, your power is… impressive."

(takes a slow breath)

"But if I give you my blood… what guarantee do you offer? What do I gain in return?"

Kenthelion

"Mr. Corvinus, I don't know what you truly want. You already have wealth, influence, and time."

(pauses, locking eyes with him)

"But your children… even though you've hidden them carefully, they've still been discovered by governments and various international forces.

Nothing has happened—yet—but how long do you think that will last?"

Alexander Corvinus

"I can handle my family's safety myself, Mr. Kenthelion."

Kenthelion

"No, you can't. Just like your son—Marcus."

(his tone cold and flat)

"If he woke up right now, tell me… what do you think he would do?"

Corvinus studied Kenthelion more intently this time. His gaze sharpened. But the tension lasted only a moment before his expression settled back into its usual calm—regal and composed.

> (Author's Note: In the films, government and nation-state involvement is never directly mentioned. However, considering the timeline has entered the 2000s/2005, it's highly implausible that major world powers would remain unaware of such phenomena given the real-world level of surveillance and intelligence technology. This is purely my analysis.)