The college lecture hall was old but comfortable. Wooden seating from the '90s mixed with early 2000s décor to create a rather homey atmosphere. Though neglected in favor of the institution's football team, the lecture hall was maintained well enough that large lectures could still be held. Today, a panel of experts was being hosted, led by Doctor Ryan McKinnley of the Astrophysics department.

  The doctor, an old man with a surprising energy about him. but a cautious gaze behind his glasses, took the podium. The hall was full. Never had the Astrophysics department generated so much interest. He was slightly unnerved by some of the more unusual members of the audience. A few brick-like men in suits and dark shades lingered against the far wall—a sign of the times, he guessed. Without further ado, he got the opening pleasantries out of the way and began his presentation.

  "What we know, we have determined from what we do not know," he began. "The X7 anomaly, more commonly known as the Black Sun, is not a solid celestial body. Nor is it a star, as the name would suggest. It currently orbits Sol just beyond the Kuiper Belt, the outermost boundary of our solar system, at roughly 45 astronomical units." He left out the detail that several months prior, the anomaly had been just inside the Oort cloud. "From our observations at the McDonald Observatory in Texas and through the Hubble telescope, the object seems unfazed by solar winds. Its orbit is not elliptical; it is perfectly circular. It has not been observed to have any gravity of its own. However, long-range photography reveals the expelling of gases from its observable rim. In short, it completely negates the laws of physics as we understand them.

  "So, what can we infer from this data? Well, I can assure you it is not a GCCO—that is, a Gravitationally Completely Collapsed Object," he clarified for those unfamiliar with the technical term for a black hole.

  "We still do not know exactly what it is, where it came from, or how it got so relatively close without being detected. But we can measure its effects. Because if you can't measure something actively, you can certainly measure it passively. What we have done, using the Cat-1 through Cat-3 space probes launched by NASA to investigate this very body, is measure the potential energy reaching Earth's atmosphere.

  "We have noticed a pattern using these instruments. At midnight GMT every night, there is a flare-up of energy from the Black Sun. We observe it expelling large amounts of frozen gases starting at that time, and this continues for exactly fifty-seven minutes. This coincides with exponentially increased activity in the Van Allen radiation belt surrounding Earth. Increased proton and electron activity causes electronic and signal interference. How it does this, we can't yet explain. But it is exact and has been determined not to be a coincidence."

  He shuffled a few notes as he hesitated to continue to the next part. This was where his credibility might take a hit. Thankfully, if he did lose it, so would NASA, the ESA, the entire global astrophysics community, the Department of Homeland Security, and about 60 other individuals.

  "We have found that this increased activity coincides directly with major events. The first was within several days of the U.S. Navy's engagement with an unidentified lifeform in the West Pacific. A record high was recorded during the... genocide on Kotlin Island in Russia. Another major spike was detected directly before the Battle of Los Angeles.

  "Now, as I said, these events happen at the same time every day and are immediately followed by a major occurrence. The implications of this are vast."

  An aged woman in a black dress addressed the gathered representatives in the closed-doors Senate hearing. "The Black Sun has been in system for 2 years by now. Even though these measurements only started one year ago, we can assume that such events have been occurring the entire time. So, are its usual outbursts, that occur daily, of any concern? The justice department believes so." A powerpoint slide illuminated to her left that showed a graph with a series of white bars, each increasing with monthly increments. The past two years showed significant increases in the bars. "We have noted an increase in violent crime during these periods. Now, crime has been on the rise for over a decade and this graph may appear to reflect that trend. But watch what happens when we sort by different types of violent crime." She gestured to the board and the white lines increased exponentially. So much so that a breakout box for mundane crimes was needed to show the true scale. "What we have seen is, explicitly, an increase in murders during midnight hours and an in increase in disappearances. This is occurring across all demographics; rich and poor, race, region and background with no discrimination. Notably, nearly all disappearances coincide with the murder increase. For every one person that disappears, another is killed and their body is found with specific markers on them. Primarily, two-to-four puncture marks on the neck and a drainage of the victims blood."

  There was increased mumbling from the gathered senators. She paused to let it settle down.

  "And that's not all." The presentation clicked to another slide, this one showing a compilations of videos with timestamps, dates and locations. "This also coincides with strange abnormalities. Thanks to the internet and social media, we've been able to catalogue them. These events include animal attacks. For example, a white-tailed deer in northern Wisconsin attacked and attempted to eat a 10 year old boy while he was taking the trash out. The animal showed no sign of rabies but its jaw was heavily deformed and contained rows of shark-like teeth. Thankfully, the boys mother was present and shot the deer before the attack was fatal. That was one of the tame examples. I will read a few verified cases that have been reported from around the entire United States:

  "-Omaha, Nebraska, a farmer observed a large bird eating one of his livestock. The creature was killed and brought to a vet for identification. It bore no resemblance to any flying animal currently alive nor found in the fossil record. It appeared alien in nature.

  -New York City, New York. Subway riders at the Bowery Station witnessed a black writhing mass pull a man onto the tracks. Two bystanders attempted to help and were pulled down by the mass as well. An arriving train then killed all 3 and the creature when it moved through the station at high speed. The creature was made up entirely of an element not on the periodic table.

  -Palm Bay, Florida, a series of lights were seen over the coast and suspected of being a rogue large-size drone for several hours. After the drone violated restricted airspace, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 out of NAS Key West was dispatched to intercept. Aircraft and drone disappeared off of radar scopes for 22 hours. The missing jet was then found without its pilot, half-submerged in a swamp. The drone, or more accurately, the UFO, was never seen again."

  "These are three out of 25 significant events that have been investigated and found to be genuine. We have reports of 50 more that are actively being investigated and we expect that number to increase. What these highlight is an increase in new unexplained phenomenon that can no longer be relegated to the realm of science fiction." She paused and drew in a breath, allowing a more serious tone to overtake the hall. "There is all the vampiric threat. Where do I even start with that one?" She said mostly to herself.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "I, for one, welcome our new vampire cousins," declared a man in red robes, addressing a similarly dressed congregation in a dark and secluded location. "They have been sent by our Lord. There can be no doubt. Our Lord—the great goat, the freer of man, Satan himself—has sent his angels to grant us eternal life."

  There was a nodding of heads from his congregation, which had swelled in number in recent months. He continued his sermon with feverish religiosity.

  "We need not be afraid. We must welcome these messengers, these celestial beings, for they have come to free us from death. But we must not be complacent, much like those ignorant to the ways of our dark Lord. Those seduced by the papacy and the false prophets will reject their gifts. We must declare ourselves now: declare our existence, declare our devotion.

  "We must throw off the shackles of civility and inhibition, that we might curry favor with them, so they will fold us first into the ranks of the immortal. Yes! The vampires come from the thing they call the 'Black Sun.' I have seen it with my own eyes. We must show our devotion, and by their science, we will be uplifted!"

  Salvo Island

  The airbase tarmac baked under the hot midday sun. A bright blue sky did nothing to soften the sun’s rays pounding down on the island’s largest base by square footage. A twin-engine jet cargo aircraft halted just short of a set of hangar doors. The run-ragged men of the CIP exercise filed off. They were grimy, covered in mud, and looked as if a horde of zombies had just stumbled off the ramp.

  Perelli walked to the tune of a marching cadence in his head. Left, left, left, right, left. He was so tired, his muscles so exhausted, that he had reverted to his most basic level of training. The final crucible had been much more difficult than expected. It put things into perspective. Until now, most of the operations he had been a part of had been high-intensity and short-duration. After four grueling days on the small training island, he was acutely aware of that fact. He filed in behind the others, carrying his kit bag in one hand and his helmet in the other.

  As they waited to enter the hangar for a debriefing, a strange aircraft approached the runway with its gear down. It was a four-engine turboprop with a tubular fuselage. Its hull was painted stark white, with "U.N." stenciled on every side in large black letters. The C-130 was the first foreign aircraft to enter Salvo Island’s airspace—let alone land there. Until now, every visitor to the island had been picked up at a foreign airport and flown to Salvo by a Terra Vanguard airliner.

  The group watched as the aircraft taxied to another hangar on the opposite side of the field, where a large congregation of high-ranking brass awaited its arrival.

  “Who the hell are they?” someone asked.

  “Interpol, and a U.N. security force detachment,” someone in-the-know answered. “They’re here to watch.”

  Italy

  The small chapel, nestled on the outskirts of Rome, was bathed in the dim glow of flickering candles. Its cracked stone walls seemed to exhale centuries of history with every faint whisper of wind that seeped through the old wooden windows. Seated at a weathered wooden pew, Sister Caterina adjusted the hood of her habit, feeling the weight of the 9mm concealed on her hip. Her trembling hands betrayed her nerves, a rare lapse in control for someone with her experience. Across from her, leaning casually against the edge of the confessional booth, Brother Emilio folded his arms, his sharp, hawk-like eyes scanning the room vigilantly.

  “They’re late,” Emilio muttered under his breath, his Italian accent contorted by years spent in foreign postings.

  “They’re cautious,” Caterina replied, though she wasn’t entirely sure if their contact's delay was prudence or distrust. The Order of Joshua’s reputation preceded them, even among allies.

  The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the chapel’s nave, and both agents tensed. A man and a woman entered, dressed in the plain but functional attire of field operatives. The man, a tall, broad-shouldered South African with a close-cropped beard, moved confidently with a puffed up chest. His partner, a shorter, wiry woman with sharp green eyes, carried a tablet tucked under her arm and had an air of poignancy about her.

  “You’re ISR?” Emilio inquired, his voice neutral but firm.

  The South African nodded. “Field agent Mbele,” he introduced himself, his tone low and deliberate. “And this is Analyst Calder. You’re from the Order of Joshua?”

  “Brother Emilio,” the man confirmed, gesturing toward Caterina. “Sister Caterina.”

  Mbele’s sharp gaze flicked to the nun, lingering on her briefly before returning to Emilio. “Shall we dispense with the formalities?”

  “By all means,” Emilio said.

  Calder brought up her tablet. “We understand the Holy See has information on vampire cells operating within Italy. Specifically, we’re interested in the so-called ‘Council of Equals.’ We need to know who’s involved, where they’re meeting, and what their plans are.”

  Caterina hesitated, her hands clenching in her lap. “These are… unprecedented times,” she began, her voice wavering. “The Church is paralyzed with indecision. The Cardinals cannot agree on how to respond to the rising threat, and the Council of Equals represents the greatest challenge we’ve ever faced.”

  Mbele’s expression hardened. “We don’t need a Vatican history lesson, Sister. We need actionable intelligence.”

  Emilio shot Mbele a warning glance, then stepped in. “We’ve intercepted communications between several vampire covens across Europe. 174,000 priests makes for quite a HUMINT net. The Council of Equals is an unprecedented gathering of these covens, hosted in northern Italy. The meeting is rumored to be a response to recent attacks on their kind, including the events in Los Angeles. They see it as a direct threat to their existence.”

  Calder quickly filed the information, but frowned. “A threat to their existence?” she asked, her fingers flying across the tablet’s screen as she recorded the details.

  “Unity,” Emilio replied. “The vampire cells operate independently, bound only by loose traditions and a common belief. Now, they’re organizing. We believe the Council’s purpose is to establish a central authority—a coalition to protect their interests and, potentially, to retaliate against humanity.”

  “And where will this Council meet?” Mbele pressed.

  Caterina glanced nervously at Emilio, who nodded for her to continue. “We suspect it will be held in a remote villa in the Appenimo Centrale, near Monte Cassino. The location changes frequently, and their security measures are… extensive.”

  “Extensive how?” Mbele asked.

  “Encrypted communications, layers of human and supernatural guards, and the use of arcane wards to prevent unauthorized entry,” Emilio explained. “Even with your technology, infiltrating such a gathering would be extraordinarily dangerous.”

  "We don't intend to infiltrate it." Mbele said with a cocky grin. His implication was immediately understood.

  The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of the information settling over them. Caterina finally broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper. “Do you think you can handle this threat?”

  Mbele’s lips curled into a faint, humorless smile. “We wouldn’t be here if we couldn’t. Vanguard ISR has dealt with things most people wouldn’t believe, Sister. Vampires are just another enemy—dangerous, yes, but not invincible.”

  Her doubt was palpable. “Bravery is nothing faith,” she said, looking down at her hands.

  “It doesn’t have to be,” Mbele replied firmly. “We have the tools, the expertise, and the will to fight this. What we need is information. If you help us, we can do what the Vatican seems incapable of.”

  Caterina flinched at the implicit criticism of her superiors but couldn’t argue the point. Emilio also frowned. “I’ll give you everything we have,” she said finally, her voice steadier now. "But know you are not alone. The Order of Joshua has agents all across Italy. The times are changing. They call forth from the shadows monsters... and allies. Even those whom would rather remain forgotten.”

  Mbele and Calder exchanged a glance, their suspicion of the Order deepening. “We’ll keep that in mind,” Calder said coolly, lowering her tablet.

  As the ISR agents turned to leave, Emilio leaned in close to Caterina. “You did well,” he whispered.

  But as the chapel doors creaked shut, Caterina couldn’t shake the feeling that they were all walking into a storm far greater than any of them could handle.