Nocteraia Unveiled: Where the Sun Died and the Shadows Rule

Gloria feels like an outcast at the Beltraine Sisterhood, an academy where witches hone their magic to kill vampires. She has no magic, only the ability to channel energy to fuel their rituals. But her lack of magic isn't what makes her tremble in the presence of her peers, it's the chilling secret she hides nightly.

She's a vampire.

If the witches find out, she's dead. But her cravings are intensifying, the blood of the sisters tempting her into satisfying her dark urges. Worse, the old and powerful headmistresses are increasing their presence on campus, their ghostly vestals watching over the institution like all-seeing eyes. How long can she ignore the beast inside her?

Tamsyn is in turmoil. As the daughter of the embattled Vampire King, she is constantly under scrutiny from the other royal vampire families. Hence, she cannot properly express her love for Kain from the disgraced Fangsworth house. She knows her own father would have her head on a spike if he knew the truth. But Tamsyn harbors a more dangerous secret, one that would not only get her killed but would cause a war within the vampire fraternity. The fire she's able to conjure tells it all—she's a witch, her magic blossoming like a dark flower. When her father enlists Kain in the army of vampires to attack the witches at the Beltraine Sisterhood, she feels it in her bones that he'll die there. And she will do anything to prevent it from happening.

The Unyielding Darkness of Nocteraia: A Realm Forged in Blood and Prophecy

Step into Nocteraia, a world where the sun is dead, extinguished by a cabal of witches in a ritual so profane it plunged an entire land into eternal night. This is no mere fantasy—it’s a gothic abyss where vampires, witches, and lycans wage a relentless war for supremacy under a bewitched moon. In The BloodVeil Prophecy, Book 1 of the Academy of Vampire Magic, I’ve crafted a realm of unassailable truths: the sun’s demise was no accident, the moon phases are a weapon of survival, and the gothic fortresses of Nocteraia pulse with the heartbeat of its cursed inhabitants. This is not a tale for the faint-hearted; it’s a descent into a world where darkness reigns absolute, and every shadow whispers of power and peril. Allow me, Asher Sharol, to unveil the ironclad truths of Nocteraia and beckon you into its haunting embrace.

The Sun’s Extinction: A Ritual of Divine Evil

The sun is gone—banished forever in 1674 by four witches whose ambition knew no bounds. In the prologue, the stage is set: “It was to be an otherwise normal day in Nocteraia, the blazing noon sun pitching light and life to the bustling men and women… until midday had somehow transformed into the blackest night.” This cataclysm unfolded in the dungeon of AshenHollow mansion, where Evangelina, Clementine, Agatha, and Grace performed a rite that shook the heavens. Their chant—“We pull from the darkness between stars / Fire, earth, air, water!”—culminated in a sacrificial blaze: “By the tenth recital, the entire Ashenhollow mansion was engulfed in flames… Their twisted faces betrayed their thoughts: an age of nightmares had begun.” The sun, once a god of Providence, was extinguished to cement their faction’s dominion over Nocteraia, a land already teetering on the edge of demonic chaos. This was no random act—it was a calculated strike to tip the scales of supremacy in the witches' favor, leaving vampires and lycans vulnerable to the lethal effects of the bewitched Salvia Moon.

The Bewitched Moon Phases: A Cycle of Power and Retribution

With the sun dead, Nocteraia bows to a cycle of moon phases—Ashveil, Emberglow, Ebenveil, Opal, Salvia, and the elusive Widow Moon—each an unyielding force that dictates life and death. These are not poetic flourishes; they are the bedrock of survival. In “The Scar,” Gloria tracks the cycle: “The gong struck atop the chapel… They’d just entered the Ebenveil Moon, which was bedtime.” Ebenveil cloaks the land in a cold, restful dark, while Opal, Ashveil, and Emberglow cast their own distinct hues—pale shimmer, ashen gloom, and fiery gleam—over six-hour spans, as Osara explains: “We’re now in Ebenveil… the moon will cycle… through the remainder of Ebenveil, the Opal Moon, Ashveil, Emberglow, then Ebenveil again.”

But it’s the Salvia Moon that wields the sharpest edge. Mother Meirothea reveals its origin: “Then came the Salvia Moon… the witches’ response to the vampires’ degenerate lifestyle… It represents a symbol of their oppression.” This moon’s lethal rays, born from ancient witch magic, force vampires into hiding, a fact Gloria dreads: “The next Salvia Moon will happen… in about forty-four hours’ time.” The Widow Moon, though shrouded in mystery, looms as a harbinger of grief, its name alone a promise of untold woe. These phases are no mere celestial clock—they’re a bewitched arsenal, with Salvia as the witches’ trump card against the bloodsuckers, driving the tension that fuels The BloodVeil Prophecy.

The Gothic Crucible: Vampire Castles and Beltraine Academy

Nocteraia’s gothic soul is forged in its architecture—castles and sanctums that stand as immutable bastions of power. The vampire families—Blackcross, Nightcreed, Moonshadow, and Fangsworth—rule from fortresses that defy time. Blackcross Castle, home of Vampire King Draven, is a colossus of dread: “Located at the peak of a desolate hill… the main building of the Blackcross castle rose more than three hundred feet into the starless sky… a gothic citadel made of charred bricks and greasy clay mortar, sporting a rather unique pair of bat wings” (“The Messenger”). Its dungeon, where Kain languishes, is a pit of despair: “Kain Fangsworth struggled against steel shackles… imbued with ancient magic” (“The Blackcross Castle”). Nightcreed, under Owl and the treacherous Carmine, bristles with intrigue; Moonshadow’s arcane knowledge hints at a mystical lair; Fangsworth, led by the defiant Vain, is a rogue stronghold of rebellion.

Then there’s Beltraine, the witches’ unassailable sanctum. “The entire Sisterhood watched as the ceremony progressed… surrounded by the Shadowgrove forest” (“Chain of Glory”). Its gothic splendor is undeniable: “Inside their mouths were softly burning candles… past dusty gothic tapestries of old witches and wizards… an eight-foot-high bronze statue of the three-faced Crown Goddess” (“The Scar”). The chapel, where the Three Mothers preside, is a tomb of silence: “The chapel was as quiet as a cemetery” (“The Scar”). Beltraine is no mere school—it’s a fortress of holy magic, guarded by vestals like Paracelsus, whose “cauterizing light” burns foes to ash (“Chain of Glory”). These structures are Nocteraia’s beating heart, each stone etched with the blood and ambition of its masters.

Enter the Abyss: A Call to the Brave

Nocteraia is no soft tale of twilight romance—it’s a crucible of unyielding darkness, where the sun’s death birthed a prophecy of chaos. The witches’ ritual of 1674 sealed its fate, the moon phases—especially the Salvia—wield life and death, and the gothic castles of Blackcross, Nightcreed, Moonshadow, Fangsworth, and Beltraine stand as eternal sentinels of a war without end. In The BloodVeil Prophecy, Gloria’s secret vampirism, Draven’s crumbling reign, and the lycans’ savage rise collide in a narrative that spares no one. Dare you uncover the Widow Moon’s truth? Can you withstand the Salvia Moon’s glare? Step into Nocteraia, where the night is absolute, and destiny is a blade dipped in blood. The shadows await—will you heed their call? If you love dark magic, forbidden romances, a ruthless social scene, and terrifying night-time rituals, then Academy of Vampire Magic: The BloodVeil Prophecy is your next obsession. Perfect for fans of Vampire Academy and Vampire Diaries. Free on Kindle Unlimited or just $2.99. Start your next best dark academia delight now!

ACADEMY OF VAMPIRE MAGIC