The Vampire King

Something Stirring

Five months passed, and the inevitable happened—Dylan proposed. Karina had eagerly accepted, and that night, she found herself in her art studio, gazing at the canvas before her. But something felt amiss. Unsettling thoughts had been haunting her lately, and it seemed they had now seeped into her artwork.

The nocturnal mountain scene she had painted looked stark and clinical, devoid of the enchantment and love that once infused her creations. As Karina stood there, a foreboding sense of unease gnawed at her. It was as if the canvas held a dark secret, one that she couldn't quite decipher, lurking beneath the surface, waiting to be unveiled.

As Karina reached an impasse in her quest to decipher the enigmatic canvas before her, the tinkling chime of the gallery's doorbells echoed through the space, announcing the arrival of an unexpected visitor. With a quick swipe of her paint-stained fingers across her apron, she removed the garment and carefully draped it over an armchair in her studio. Her creative sanctuary comprised two distinct areas—the main gallery space where her artwork graced the walls, and the upstairs art studio where the magic behind her creations unfolded.

As she made her way down the spiral staircase her eyes landed on a tall figure clad in black denim jeans, snug black shirt, and tousled brown hair.

"I couldn't resist the allure of your gallery," the stranger said, his voice a velvet whisper. "My name is Aden."

Karina extended her hand, feeling a magnetic pull that she couldn't quite comprehend. "I'm Karina. It's a pleasure to meet you, Aden."

Aden's dark eyes held a depth that seemed to beckon Karina into their depths, and she found herself drawn deeper into his enigmatic charm. The weight of her engagement ring suddenly felt heavier, a reminder of the life she had built with Dylan, the promises they had made. Yet, here stood Aden, a haunting and magnetic presence, igniting a forbidden curiosity within her. Karina wrestled with her emotions, her loyalty to Dylan warring with the inexplicable connection she felt to this stranger.

Their conversation continued, each word exchanged leaving an indelible mark on Karina's consciousness. Aden spoke of places he had traveled, experiences that seemed otherworldly, and passions that resonated with her soul. With every passing moment, the line between reality and desire blurred, and Karina couldn't help but wonder if her fate was irrevocably entwined with this mysterious man named Aden.

As they strolled through the gallery, Aden's gaze was drawn to Karina's paintings of various forest and mountain scenes. He paused before a mesmerizing canvas depicting an ancient, moss-covered forest bathed in ethereal moonlight. "This one speaks to the depths of my soul," he admitted, his voice a low, melodic rumble.

Karina couldn't deny the connection between her art and Aden's appreciation. "It's a piece that's very dear to me. I felt like I'd wandered those woods in a dream before I painted it."

A funny look mared Adens face but was gone so quick Karina felt she'd emagined it. She shook her head and continued showing him around.

Their steps carried them further into the gallery, where vibrant mountain landscapes came to life on the canvases, each scene capturing the essence of nature's beauty. Karina shared her inspirations and techniques, her passion for art kindling a spark in Aden's eyes.

As they delved deeper into there conversation, Karina's inner turmoil intensified. The magnetic pull she felt toward Aden was undeniable, a force that transcended the boundaries of her relationship with Dylan. She wanted to reach out and touch this stranger, and every time he looked at her she got caught in the swirl of his eyes, the dark depths enchanting her.

" "Karina, have you ventured to the places you immortalize on canvas, or do they all materialize for you as you lie in bed, tracing the contours of your imagination beneath the moonlight's tender embrace?" Aden questioned, his baritone voice, sending shivers down Karina's spine. She wet her lips with her tongue watching Adens eyes as he eyed her lips, before answering his question.

"I've visited a few of them but sadly a majority of them are from my imagination." She says, voice somewhat shaky.

Aden nodded, taking his eyes off her lips and focusing back on the painting in front of them. "How much for this one" Aden asked,Karina pulled herself from her thoughts trying to focus back on the present.

"To be honest, I haven't had much luck selling these paintings, except for one that found its way to a dear friend's heart, but it was a brief stroke of fortune, you might say."

"Well consider this a change in that luck" He says pulling a checkbook from his back pocket and a pen from somewhere. He scrawled on the paper then paused, looked at me then the painting before adding something else. He ripped the check free and handed it to her.

Karina looked at it and almost died, the check clearly had 1, or 3, extra zeros. "I think you made a mistake" Karina squeaked, trying to hand him the check back.

"I never make mistakes, Karina, never" He said, "I'll have someone come and pick this up" He tucked the check book back in his pocket along with the pen before looking up and staring at Karina with a penetrating gaze.

"We will see each other again, very soon" Aden said before turning and leaving.

Karina breathed a heavy sigh and couldn't help but wonder if fate was conspiring to weave a different path for her, one that would forever alter the course of her existence.