I can't believe she just said that and left. I don't know whether I should be sad or angry right now, but I guess I can be both. Well… I suppose she was right. Maybe I was being a bit clingy, but can you really blame me? I'd just been thrust into a whole new world, like a newborn baby. And a newborn needs all the help it can get.Whatever. I'm not going to stay here and drown in my feelings.I stood up and made my way out of the diner. The young lady smiled at me as I passed, and I smiled back, feeling a flicker of warmth. I walked out of the lobby and onto the street, taking a deep breath."Fresh air," I muttered to myself.The city around me wasn't as overwhelming as last night. I was gradually learning how to filter the countless voices, movements, and sensations all around me. Footsteps approached and receded; water boiled in a nearby apartment; chairs scraped across floors somewhere in the distance. Heartbeats. There were so many heartbeats, I could feel each one, yet I could cho

We slowly walked amidst the crowd, bodies moving in time to the pounding music. I carefully scanned the dance floor, taking in the way people moved—their clothing, the curve of their bodies, the energy radiating off them. Every detail mattered; every movement was a potential target.We arrived at the bar, and Juliet ordered a couple of drinks. We sat with our backs to the bar, facing the thrumming crowd. The lights pulsed across the room, strobes cutting through the haze of smoke and glitter.“Which one has caught your eye?” Juliet whispered in my ear, her warm breath brushing my skin.I followed her gaze and spotted a girl dancing in the center of the floor. She was stunning—long auburn hair cascading down her back, a tight sequined dress clinging to her curves, moving in perfect rhythm with her friends. The girls circled each other, laughing, confident, unbothered by anyone else.“Her,” I said, pointing.“Bad idea,” Juliet murmured, a warning in her tone.“Why?” I asked.“She’s surr

As I approached the conference room door, I noticed it was slightly open.Voices drifted through the gap.“…reckless—”“…company image—”“…this cannot continue…”I exhaled slowly and pushed the door open.The conversation died instantly.All eyes turned to me.The conference room was exactly as I remembered — polished and intimidating. A massive oval mahogany table dominated the center, its glossy surface reflecting the overhead chandelier. Leather chairs circled it neatly. In front of every seat sat a glass bottle of water and a crystal tumbler placed on square coasters. Folders, tablets, and neatly stacked documents rested before each man.Every chair was occupied.Except one.At the head of the table — the most prominent position — sat an empty chair.Mine.I walked toward it slowly, heels clicking against the marble floor. Instead of sitting, I stepped behind it and rested my arms along the top of the chair, gripping it lightly.“Aren’t you going to sit?” an elderly man asked.He

I walked through the great corridors of the Count’s estate, and it struck me how nothing had changed.Not one bit.The same towering arches. The same crimson runners stretched across polished marble floors. The same oil paintings of long-dead ancestors staring down with hollow pride. Even the chandeliers—golden, elaborate, dripping with crystal—hung exactly where they had fifty years ago.Fifty years.And yet the place felt frozen in time, as if it had been preserved in glass the day I left.The air still carried that faint scent of aged wood and candle wax. The guards still stood in the same positions at the same corners. Even the echo of my footsteps sounded familiar—measured, lonely.I wondered where she was.My beloved.I had scanned the great hall earlier, hoping to catch a glimpse of her face among the crowd, but she was nowhere to be found. Now my feet carried me instinctively toward her private quarters.It was almost dawn.She would be preparing to rest.I smiled faintly at t

“Antarctica?” I stared at her. “Why Antarctica of all places? That’s just a giant frozen desert.”Juliet didn’t even blink. “What makes you say that? Have you been there before?”“No. But I watch documentaries. It’s penguins, whales, ice… and more ice.”She leaned back in her seat, calm as ever. “I suppose it’s time you learn a valuable lesson.”“And what lesson is that?”“Patience, Daniel. Patience.”I exhaled. “Fine. How long is this flight anyway?”“Thirteen to fourteen hours.”“Damn. That’s long. What if I get hungry?”A faint smile curved her lips. “That won’t be a problem. There are flight attendants on board. They’d gladly offer themselves.”I raised a brow. “Did you hypnotize them too?”“Not exactly. They want this.”“Want what?”“To be turned. To be part of our world. They would do almost anything for the opportunity.”I stared at her. “Anything?”She didn’t flinch. “They’re what you’d call Renfields. Blood servants. Loyal. Devoted. Some of the staff at my hotel are the same.