Impact Winter · Audible Originals

Episode 2. Long Live

July 25, 2024·40 min·3 clips

Samira drives a metal spike into the Queen's chest, revealing a deep-seated plot against the monarchy.

This episode follows the vampire queen, Persephone, in her new human body as she navigates suspicion and power within her ancient council in a post-apocalyptic Dubrovnik. The narrative centers on her tense reunion with the council and the return of the youngest sibling, Kershian, from a global voyage. Key characters include the skeptical assassin Samira, the conflicted wife Veducia, and the cautious Kershian, all grappling with the queen's claimed rebirth. After a month of confinement and questioning, the council unlocks Persephone's door but remains divided on her identity. Samira attempts to assassinate Persephone during a blood-sharing rite using a silver spike, but is stopped by Veducia. Persephone later hunts a human prisoner in the forest, instructing her aide to keep her identity secret from the prey to make the chase more challenging. Kershian returns from circumnavigating the globe, having never seen the sun, and is briefed by her sibling Mello about the queen's new form and Samira's attack. In a private meeting, Persephone explains to Kershian her planned rebirth through a human vessel that found its way back to vampirism. The council votes on Samira's fate, resulting in a tie between execution and eternal entombment, which Veducia breaks in favor of entombment. Veducia later confesses her personal struggle with Persephone's physical change and their months of emotional distance. In a public ceremony, Veducia dramatically reverses her decision and beheads Samira with an axe as a statement against doubt, ordering her body to be traditionally burned. The episode concludes with the arrival of an intruder named Felix, found in a restricted area called Kea, whom Persephone claims to recognize. Persephone describes her rebirth as a calculated plan, not a random accident, involving a human girl in England who instinctively returned to vampirism. Kershian’s global journey confirms the perpetual winter, as she never witnessed sunlight during her entire trip. The hunting ritual reveals Persephone's desire for authentic fear from her prey, not a performance based on her royal status. Veducia’s private turmoil highlights the personal cost of the queen's transformation, questioning whether the new body houses the same soul or desires. The political maneuvering shows that sparing Samira was initially a tactical, reversible decision rather than pure mercy. The shocking public execution demonstrates Veducia's attempt to solidify loyalty and eradicate doubt through brutal spectacle. The story is told through a first-person narrative from Persephone's perspective, blending introspective monologue with tense, atmospheric dialogue. Its tone is gothic and suspenseful, focusing on psychological tension, political intrigue, and visceral horror elements like the hunt and execution. Listeners who enjoy character-driven dark fantasy, political machinations within immortal societies, and atmospheric post-apocalyptic worlds will appreciate this episode. Those preferring fast-paced action or straightforward plots might find the pace deliberate and the focus heavily on internal conflict and dialogue.

As heard by us

A courtly reckoning that turns memory, loyalty, and threat into the same knife-edge scene.

A tight chamber piece, this one, about a claim to power that has to hold up in the room before it can mean anything outside it. A woman kept under watch in Dubrovnik is brought before the council after a month of tests, and memory starts to feel less like a fact than something…

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Why you'd press play

You step into a palace vote that ends with an intruder at the door.

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