The next three months were brutal.
Adrian found himself at the center of an unprecedented effort—coordinating between species that had been enemies for centuries, managing resources across continents, training supernatural beings to fight something that defied conventional combat.
Cain worked with him personally, teaching him to access Seth's memories fully, to use the ancient knowledge buried in his soul.
"You need to remember how we fought last time," Cain instructed during one training session. "The techniques, the strategies, the ways we turned the entity's hunger against itself."
Adrian closed his eyes, diving deep into Seth's memories. They came more easily now, flooding his consciousness with knowledge from ten thousand years ago.
He saw coalitions of early supernatural beings, saw gods and spirits working together to create barriers against the entity. He saw Seth—young, afraid, but determined—learning to weaponize his own life force, to feed the entity just enough to trap it without being consumed.
"I remember," Adrian said, opening his eyes. "We used ourselves as bait. Drew it into concentrated areas where multiple species could attack simultaneously. We didn't try to kill it—we tried to drain it, to exhaust its reserves of consumed energy until it couldn't maintain physical presence."
"Exactly. And we'll do the same this time. But bigger, more organized." Cain conjured an image in the air—a map of strategic locations around the world. "These are the places where the entity will likely emerge. Ancient sites where the barriers between dimensions are thin. We need forces stationed at each one, ready to respond the moment it manifests."
Adrian studied the map. Stonehenge. The Pyramids. Mount Kilimanjaro. Uluru. Easter Island. Places of power, where human and supernatural history intersected.
"That's a lot of ground to cover."
"Which is why we need every species contributing forces. Vampires can't guard everywhere at once. Neither can werewolves or witches or demons. But together, we can create a network of defenders."
The training wasn't just strategic—it was personal. Adrian had to learn to control his ancient blood's power, to use it as a weapon instead of just a healing tool.
"Your blood is concentrated life force," Cain explained. "The entity craves it, but it's also toxic to it in large enough quantities. Like feeding poison to a predator. You can hurt it, drive it back, but you need to learn how without getting consumed in the process."
They practiced in controlled conditions—Cain would summon small amounts of entity energy, and Adrian would learn to repel it with his blood. It was exhausting, draining him to the point of collapse.
But slowly, he improved.
Kieran trained too, learning combat techniques specifically designed for fighting immaterial enemies. The First Generation shared knowledge from the ancient war, teaching modern vampires how to channel their life force into attacks.
Wei's werewolf packs practiced coordination with vampire units—something that would have been unthinkable a year ago. Old prejudices dissolved in the face of existential threat.
Witches developed new spells, combining ancient magic with modern understanding of energy manipulation. Demons contributed their knowledge of dimensional barriers, teaching others how to seal rifts the entity might use to enter their world.
Even the fae, usually aloof from mortal concerns, sent their warriors to train alongside other species.
"It's working," Marcus observed during one coordination meeting. "We're actually cooperating. Different species, working together, sharing knowledge. It's unprecedented."
"Let's hope it's enough," Adrian said.
At night, exhausted from training and coordination, Adrian would collapse into Kieran's arms. Their penthouse had become a command center, constantly filled with representatives and strategists, but their bedroom remained a sanctuary.
"How are you holding up?" Kieran asked one evening, gently massaging Adrian's shoulders.
"Exhausted. Overwhelmed. Terrified." Adrian leaned back against him. "But also... proud? We're doing something that's never been done before. Building a true coalition, not just an alliance of convenience. If we survive this, if we actually beat the entity, we'll have changed the supernatural world forever."
"That's assuming we survive."
"Optimist."
"Realist." Kieran pressed a kiss to Adrian's neck. "But you're right. What we're building is remarkable. No matter what happens, we've proven that cooperation is possible."
They made love that night, slow and tender, savoring each touch as if it might be their last. The blood bond between them pulsed with love and fear and determination.
"I love you," Adrian whispered afterward. "If something happens, if the entity—"
"Nothing is going to happen," Kieran interrupted firmly. "We're going to win. We're going to survive. And then we're going to have millennia together to celebrate."
"Promise?"
"Promise."