the city of eternal night

Vampires had always lived in the shadows. Their world was built around the night, as sunlight was their eternal enemy. For centuries, they developed protective technologies, created chemical compounds, hid under fortified domes, or simply stayed under umbrellas during the day. The city that would later be known as OctoCity was once a gothic sanctuary, with narrow alleys, stained-glass windows, and spires soaring above the squares.

When the day came, the city would freeze. Vampires had to hide in their homes, shielding themselves from the merciless sun. Only a few brave souls — like heroes, wrapped in special fabrics and protected by lenses — ventured outside, searching for ways to survive in a world not made for them. They dreamed of a time when they would no longer have to fear the sunrise.

But no one could have predicted that change would not come from laboratories, but from a rift between dimensions.

One day, a massive catastrophe occurred, changing their world forever. That night, the full moon illuminated the city as it had hundreds of times before. Vampires lived in their usual rhythm — couples strolled the streets, music played in taverns. Vampires lived their lives. But suddenly, everything froze.

The citizens froze in silent horror. On that very night, with a powerful rumble from underground, the earth shook, an explosion occurred inside the castle, and the moon froze in the sky, shining brighter than ever, like a spotlight among the stars. From under the castle, a chasm split open, and enormous tentacles emerged. Wrapping around the castle, they lifted it up along with the ground. From the abyss, green souls began to soar into the air, dissolving, but leaving behind clusters of energy. This was a new kind of energy — powerful and untamable. For a long time, no one understood its nature. Until someone appeared who began to use it for various purposes. The day disappeared; only the eternal, bright night remained.

At first, it was frightening. Some saw it as a sign — the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy whispered in the city's legends. Others perceived it as a harbinger of the end of the world.

But days passed, and fear gave way to habit. Vampires no longer needed to fear the light — now the night belonged to them forever.

This is how OctoCity was born — a symbol of a new era.

The city flourished. Technology began to develop at an unprecedented pace, ancient architecture merged with neon structures. Vampires could now walk the streets at any time. Everything changed, but one question remained unanswered:

What is this power? Why did the moon freeze after the arrival of the new Dracula?

And what happened to the old ruler?

Deep beneath Dracula's castle, which in recent times functioned as a museum but still had its secrets (although people knew it as a city landmark), in ancient stone corridors lit by flickering torches, there was a hidden passage. Only a handful knew about it, and even they preferred to stay away. The museum owners kept this secret — for before it became a landmark, the castle was Dracula's real home.

Once, he ruled from here… and then vanished.

Many thought he simply left the city, but no one really knew what happened to Dracula.

Later, there was a meeting that changed the course of history. A being unafraid of darkness entered those corridors. An intelligent Squid, driven by a mysterious call, made its way through the underground passages. It was searching for answers. And it found someone who could give them.

Edward Martinson — a scientist, exile, and researcher. He was the first to meet the Squid. This creature was neither aggressive nor kind. It was commanding, ancient, like the darkness itself.

Martinson realized: before him stood the new Dracula Era from the prophecy.

Gradually, understanding arose between them. They began to exchange knowledge, searching for ways to use the mysterious souls rising from underground, and to develop technologies to improve the city.

This is how the first laboratory appeared — hidden from sight, tucked among the old streets of OctoCity. Over time, the technologies developed there spread throughout the city. Edward Martinson began working in one of them.

After that event in OctoCity, time seemed to slow down. All the clocks malfunctioned and started working differently; new clocks had to be invented, and people had to live by a new time.

Vampires continued living in their own rhythm — only now without fear of the sun.

The city grew significantly. Neon covered the rooftops and streets, and many ancient towers were rebuilt into a true metropolis.

The tentacles holding the castle aloft became a symbol of the new order.

No one waited for the old Dracula anymore.

The inhabitants accepted the new one, though not immediately, reluctantly at first, but eventually together with all the changes.

The Squid, a creature from the darkness, once an outsider, now became their guide. Its reign was about direction.

It was here not for the throne, but for balance. For a new era of vampires.

OctoCity didn't even notice how it bowed to him and gave him all its trust.

People grew used to it. They stopped asking questions.

They were told that the new innovations were gifts of the new era, that the new energy was a natural phenomenon after the rift. But somewhere in the shadows, there were still those who knew more.

They saw how the very essence of the city had changed. How, behind the neon, there was an abyss beneath the castle. How, through the eternal night, a strange, almost divine light shone through.

And yet, one question remained, which no one has been able to answer.

Where did the Squid really come from?

And what happened on that very night when the moon froze and time stopped?

How many more secrets does OctoCity hold — and what price will the truth demand?