Bloodbound

Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Ordinary World

Emma Sinclair sat in the back row of her folklore class, half-listening to Professor Davis's lecture on European vampire legends. The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the projector displaying slides of ancient manuscripts and eerie woodcuts. Her notebook lay open in front of her, filled with doodles more than notes. It wasn't that she found the subject uninteresting—on the contrary, it fascinated her. But today, a strange restlessness gripped her, making it hard to focus.

She absentmindedly twirled a lock of her dark hair around her finger, her mind wandering to the vivid dreams that had plagued her sleep for the past few weeks. Dreams of shadowy figures and whispered secrets, of blood and moonlit nights. They felt so real, as if she was living another life when her eyes were closed.

"Emma," a voice jolted her from her reverie. "Emma Sinclair, can you tell us what the Strigoi are?"

She blinked and looked up to see Professor Davis staring at her expectantly, the rest of the class turning in their seats to see her response. Heat crept up her neck.

"The Strigoi are a type of vampire from Romanian folklore," she said, grateful that she had read about them the night before. "They're restless spirits that can rise from the grave and drain the life from the living. They're often associated with plagues and misfortune."

Professor Davis nodded approvingly. "Correct. The Strigoi are indeed one of the most feared creatures in vampire lore, embodying the anxieties and superstitions of the time."

As the lecture continued, Emma forced herself to pay attention, scribbling down notes about various vampire myths and their cultural significance. But the unease lingered, a gnawing sensation in the pit of her stomach that refused to go away.

After class, Emma gathered her things and slipped out of the room, eager to escape the confines of the lecture hall. The crisp autumn air greeted her as she stepped outside, the leaves crunching beneath her boots. She decided to take a walk through the nearby park to clear her head.

The park was a mosaic of gold and crimson leaves, the trees standing like silent sentinels in the fading light. Emma wandered down a winding path, her thoughts drifting back to the dreams. There was one figure that stood out among the shadows, a man with piercing eyes that seemed to see right through her. She shivered at the memory, unsure if it was from fear or something else.

Lost in thought, she almost didn't notice the figure standing by the fountain until she was nearly upon him. He was tall and lean, with an air of quiet intensity that made him stand out despite his casual clothes. His dark hair fell in loose waves around his face, and his eyes—those eyes—locked onto hers with a familiarity that made her heart skip a beat.

"Emma Sinclair," he said, his voice smooth and low. "I've been looking for you."

She stopped in her tracks, her pulse quickening. "Do I know you?"

"Not yet," he replied, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "But you will."

There was something undeniably magnetic about him, a pull she couldn't quite resist. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"My name is Adrian," he said, stepping closer. "And we have a lot to talk about."

---

As they sat on a nearby bench, Adrian told her things that should have been impossible to believe—about ancient bloodlines, hidden societies, and the dark legacy that ran through her veins. Emma listened, her mind reeling with each revelation. It felt like stepping into one of her dreams, only this time she couldn't wake up.

"You are not entirely human, Emma," Adrian said, his gaze unwavering. "You are part of a lineage that dates back centuries, a lineage of vampires."

She wanted to laugh, to dismiss his words as the ravings of a madman. But deep down, something resonated with his story. The dreams, the restlessness, the sense of not belonging—they all started to make a twisted kind of sense.

"If what you're saying is true," she said slowly, "then what does that mean for me?"

"It means," Adrian replied, "that your life is about to change in ways you can't even imagine. But you won't have to face it alone. I'll be here to guide you."

Emma looked at him, a mix of fear and curiosity swirling in her chest. She didn't know what the future held, but one thing was certain—her ordinary world was about to be turned upside down.