Blood & Eternity Part 1: The Stranger in the Dark

The town of Blackthorn was the kind of place where secrets settled like mist in the streets, curling into every crevice and crack. It was old—older than its records claimed, older than its people realized. The buildings, with their weathered stones and moss-covered roofs, whispered of forgotten times. The forests that surrounded the town seemed to breathe, shifting under the weight of something unseen.

Evangeline "Eva" Sinclair had lived here her entire life. She knew every winding path, every rusted gate, every whispered legend. But she had never believed in them.

Not until that night.

The moon hung low, casting silver light onto the damp cobblestone streets as Eva walked home from the bookshop where she worked. She hugged her coat closer to her body, her boots clicking softly against the stone. It was late—later than usual. The shop had been busy that evening, and she had lost track of time.

The wind carried the scent of salt from the distant cliffs, mingling with the crispness of autumn. The trees, their branches skeletal against the night sky, swayed like silent watchers. Blackthorn was never loud at night, but something about the quiet unsettled her.

As she turned down a familiar street, the sensation of being watched crept over her.

She paused, glancing around. The street was empty. The houses, old and forgotten, stood in their usual places, their windows dark. And yet, the feeling remained—a weight on her skin, a whisper against the back of her neck.

She shook it off and kept walking, though her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag.

Then, she saw him.

A figure stood at the edge of an abandoned estate, just beyond the broken iron gate. He was tall, his frame cloaked in a long, black coat that shifted slightly in the wind. His features were cast in shadow, but the moonlight caught the sharp angles of his face—high cheekbones, a strong jaw, lips set in something that wasn’t quite a smile.

His eyes, though…

Even from a distance, they seemed to burn—dark, endless, filled with something ancient.

Eva’s breath caught in her throat.

She didn’t know why she stopped. She didn’t know why she felt compelled to meet his gaze, to let the moment stretch between them like a silent question. But she did.

"You shouldn't walk alone at night," the stranger said.

His voice was low, smooth, but laced with something dangerous.

Eva hesitated. Every instinct told her to keep walking, to ignore him, to pretend this moment had never happened. But her curiosity overpowered her fear.

"Neither should you," she replied.

Something flickered across his face—surprise, perhaps. Then, the corner of his lips lifted in the ghost of a smirk.

"I suppose you're right."

His voice was calm, but there was an underlying weight to it, as if he were speaking from experience. He tilted his head slightly, studying her, and for a brief moment, Eva felt as though he could see right through her.

"Tell me, Eva Sinclair," he murmured, "do you believe in monsters?"

Her pulse stuttered.

She hadn’t given him her name.

A chill spread through her limbs, but not from the cold. She should have turned and walked away. She should have been afraid. But there was something about him—something that drew her in like the tide pulling toward the shore.

"Not until now," she whispered.

The stranger chuckled, but there was no amusement in it. It was a sound filled with something older, something sorrowful.

"Then let me be the first to warn you," he said, his voice softer now, almost… regretful. "Not all monsters hide in the dark."

Before she could respond, before she could even fully process his words, he stepped back.

And vanished.

Eva’s heart pounded as she blinked, staring at the empty space where he had just stood. One moment he was there, and the next… nothing. No footsteps, no fading figure in the distance. Just the wind and the silence.

She took a step forward, gripping the iron gate, peering into the overgrown garden beyond. The old estate loomed ahead, its windows dark and lifeless, its doors sealed by time. Had he gone inside?

No. That was impossible.

Wasn’t it?

Eva exhaled sharply and forced herself to move, to turn away from the estate and continue home. But her mind swirled with questions, her body still humming with the strange electricity of the encounter.

Who was he?

How had he known her name?

And why, despite every logical part of her screaming at her to forget this ever happened, did she want to see him again?

As she reached her house and locked the door behind her, she pressed her back against the wood, trying to steady herself.

She didn’t know it yet, but tonight was only the beginning.

Because the stranger she had just met was no ordinary man.

He was a vampire.

And her fate had already been sealed.

To be continued...

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