Terra Aeterna: The Rise of Humanity's War Machine

Alexander Corvinus stared at the young man before him with eyes that were sharp, yet weighed down by exhaustion.

"So, it seems you know everything… Mr. Kenthelion."

Kenthelion simply shrugged, calm and composed.

"I know just enough. But your sons—both of them—are unstable variables."

Alexander fell silent, then exhaled deeply. A bitter glint flickered in his eyes, the kind seen in someone who had carried the burden of history for far too long.

"He's still my son… Do you expect me to kill my own flesh and blood?"

His gaze drifted toward the distance, his low voice laced with loneliness.

"We still have our sanity. Even animals hesitate to kill their offspring. Sometimes, they're more human than we are."

Kenthelion didn't argue, but his next words rang with quiet finality.

"If Marcus goes free, he will release William. And you know exactly what that means."

Alexander didn't respond. He knew Kenthelion was right.

Suddenly, a clear and anxious voice echoed from Kenthelion's wrist—Red Queen.

"Brother, this is bad. I just received the data—Selene is under attack. She's wounded."

Kenthelion shot to his feet. The Aetherion aura surrounding him surged, sending a subtle pressure rippling through the air.

"What?! Red Queen, dispatch a rescue team immediately! Send the medivac, ghosts, and Terran marines from the battlecruiser in orbit—now!"

"Understood, Brother."

Alexander raised an eyebrow, his expression tightening.

"What's going on? What happened?"

Kenthelion tapped his wrist, activating a projection from his watch.

"My friend. Red Queen, display satellite footage for Mr. Corvinus."

A holographic projection appeared. In the middle of a dimly lit city street, a woman dressed in black was engaged in a brutal fight against a group of attackers. Her movements were swift and deadly, but the bleeding wound on her shoulder and the crimson trail she left behind spoke of how fierce the battle truly was. And still, she didn't retreat.

Alexander narrowed his eyes at the image.

"A vampire… She's your friend?"

Kenthelion gave a faint smile. Though his lips curved slightly, his gaze remained sharp and intense.

"Yes. My wife—or at least, not officially yet. But that's just a matter of time."

His eyes lingered on Selene as she stood tall in the holographic display. Despite her injuries, she was radiant—beautiful and unyielding.

---

Elsewhere, Selene was still on the run.

Figures closed in from all directions. Her chances of escape were dwindling fast. But it wasn't the inevitability of death that weighed on her—it was the truth.

She was being hunted… for daring to uncover her past.

So Kenthelion was right all along… My parents were murdered. And Viktor has been lying to me for centuries.

Selene let out a bitter laugh in her heart.

All this time, I've fought for him. Killed for him. Helped the man who slaughtered my family… And now, he wants me dead.

She pulled the trigger.

Click.

Empty. Not a single bullet left.

The vampires began to close in on her from all directions.

"Selene! Surrender yourself! Kraven wants you. He's willing to forget the past—even help you get your revenge!" one of the vampires shouted from the crowd.

Then, a firm command rang out from their leader.

"Move in. Kill her."

Just as the vampires were about to charge, a deafening roar shattered the silence of the night.

"WOOOOOSH—WHIRRRR—RRRAAAAAA!"

Modified Banshee strike crafts from StarCraft swooped across the sky.

With flashes of muzzle fire, they unleashed a relentless barrage from above.

Twin-Linked Heavy Bolters—usually mounted on Valkyrie dropships—now blazed from the wings of the Banshees.

A storm of high-caliber rounds tore through the vampires mercilessly. Flesh and bone exploded under the impact. Even those hiding behind walls were not spared.

Within seconds, several vampires were reduced to blood and ruin. The rest panicked.

A Medivac transport ship descended slowly into the battlefield. Its doors hissed open, revealing a squad of Terran soldiers clad in deep navy-blue power armor. Among them was a Ghost operative, easily identifiable by her sleek white rifle and distinctive body armor.

The squad leader, a Marine officer, stepped forward toward Selene, while issuing orders for his men to hold the perimeter.

Even though vampires were known for their resilience, Terran weaponry—engineered to battle horrors like the Zerg—proved overwhelmingly superior. These vampires didn't stand a chance.

"Tak! Tak! Tak!"

Gunfire echoed, sharp and deadly.

The Marine officer called out,

"Are you Miss Selene? We were sent by His Majesty the Emperor to extract and secure you."

Selene, still in shock, didn't answer right away. A nearby Marine yelled out in panic, mistakenly thinking she was severely wounded.

"Medic! Over here!"

Selene stared at them, wide-eyed.

She recognized the insignia on their armor.

"...Kenthelion... He sent you?" she whispered, voice trembling.

Her eyes welled up with tears. She couldn't hold them back any longer.

"Medic!" the officer barked again.

Several female Medics rushed over. Upon assessing Selene's condition, they carefully lifted her onto a stretcher and carried her into the Medivac.

They didn't administer any treatment yet. Selene wasn't human, and the Imperium Caelestis still lacked sufficient data on vampire physiology.

"Where is Kenthelion now?" Selene asked softly, though her voice remained steady.

She looked around the unfamiliar interior of the Medivac, then glanced outside—watching the low-flying Banshees and the heavily armed soldiers surrounding her.

One of the Medics replied politely,

"Miss Selene, we're sorry. We don't have authorization to disclose that information. You'll need to ask him directly."

Selene gave a faint nod.

She could wait—so long as she knew Kenthelion was alive.

The Marine officer spoke again,

"Miss Selene, our Lord is currently in negotiations with another party. As soon as he learned you were in danger, he ordered an immediate rescue. We'll take you to him. The facility there is equipped with advanced medical systems. What we have here is just emergency support."

Selene turned her head slowly.

"Kenthelion... is in danger?"

The officer replied quickly but calmly,

"Yes. But for now, the situation is under control."

----

Kenthelion and Alexander Corvinus observed the unfolding events through the holographic display projected by the Red Queen—streamed directly from the device strapped to Kenthelion's wrist.

Via satellite footage, Kenthelion watched as Selene was being treated by the medical team. One of the medics removed her clothing to properly tend to her wounds, prompting Kenthelion to immediately instruct the Red Queen to shut off the display.

Alexander Corvinus turned his head slightly.

"Lord Kenthelion, aren't you concerned that the nations of this world might start getting suspicious if you deploy aircrafts of such advanced technology?"

He was referring to the medivacs and Banshee starfighters that had descended from orbit.

"A country like this clearly doesn't possess combat aircraft of that level. It will raise alarms with the major powers."

Kenthelion responded casually, yet with unwavering confidence.

"What they cannot detect will never be recorded. Even if it appears online, Red Queen will wipe it clean in seconds."

"And if they still insist..." He smirked. "I'll deploy the full force of my fleet and seize their nations overnight."

He had absolute faith in the Red Queen and the troops stationed aboard his battlecruisers. These were not beings of mercy.

Kenthelion then turned toward Alexander Corvinus, his tone shifting to one of solemn intent.

"Lord Corvinus, I may require your blood in the near future. If there's anything you want in return, name it. I won't object."

Alexander narrowed his eyes.

"You plan to use it… for that woman."

Kenthelion nodded slowly.

"Yes. Is there any other way for her to feel the sun again without your blood, Lord Corvinus?"

A faint chuckle escaped Alexander.

"Haha… Lord Kenthelion, if my blood can help you marry the woman you love, you may have it. You may have even more—on one condition."

Kenthelion met his gaze with respect.

"Of course. Name your condition. I'm not the kind of man who forgets a debt, nor do I reject fair agreements."

Alexander's expression softened, the corner of his lips curving into a slight smile before shifting into something more somber.

"If the day comes when I require your aid, you must bring forth all your power. Even if it means waging war against the greatest forces in this world."

Kenthelion narrowed his eyes, trying to read the intent behind the request.

"This is about your children, isn't it? Are you planning to let them go free?"

Alexander sighed, his voice heavy and burdened.

"Don't worry. I won't burden you with anything unreasonable. William… he's already lost his humanity. If Marcus sets him loose, so be it. If Marcus fails to contain him, then I'll be the one to imprison him again."

He paused, his tone growing darker.

"I've also just learned… the government is beginning to discover the existence of vampires and lycans. Not yet—but the time is coming. When they act, I ask only one thing—give our kind time to survive. Don't let it all end in a flash."

What Corvinus didn't know was this: after his departure, the human world would become a nightmare for creatures of the night. Fear united the nations, and their response was singular—slaughter. A genocide that nearly wiped vampires and lycans off the face of the Earth.

"I'll stay here for about a month," Kenthelion said after a moment of thought. "During that time, all of my forces are at your disposal."

"That's more than enough. Here's to our partnership," Alexander said, extending his hand.

"To our partnership," Kenthelion replied, gripping the offered hand firmly.

At that moment, soldiers carried Selene into the room, lowering her stretcher before Kenthelion. He waved them off with a flick of his hand—ordering them to leave the room.

"Ck ck ck… I only looked away for a moment, but it feels like I lost something important. Not because I want to die, but because… I love you too much," he whispered softly, gazing deeply into Selene's eyes. A gentle smile spread across Kenthelion's face, impossible to hide.

Selene

"You shameless bastard…" she muttered weakly, her voice frail from her unhealed wounds.

Kenthelion

"Hey… don't talk so much. You could die if you keep this up. So promise me you'll be my wife—and I'll give you everything."

Selene

"I won't marry you, even if I die. Bastard."

Her sharp tone remained, though her body barely had strength to move.

Alexander Corvinus

"Mr. Kenthelion, looks like I have to pay the down payment first."

Corvinus looked at Selene and sighed. He knew there was no more time—his blood had to be given now.

Kenthelion

"That's right, Mr. Corvinus. But rest assured, I'm not just relying on words. In return, I'll replace all the troops and equipment under your command with the best elite forces I have."

"I'll also give you four Apache attack helicopters—fully armed with the latest weapons and gear," Kenthelion continued calmly, even though his body was still stained with Selene's blood.

To Kenthelion, all that modern equipment was merely a collection. He had stored it in a warp storage room—a special dimensional space he created using Aetherion energy. To him, those things held no real strategic value.

Kenthelion

"If you want, I can provide an aircraft carrier and several warships to guard it."

Alexander Corvinus

"Mr. Kenthelion, you're truly sincere. Very well, I'll save your wife first."

He turned to Selene with a smile, then added jokingly,

"Ma'am, your husband has paid quite a hefty price to save you."