Soulbound

Rumors

The rumor had come to Isabella like a faint whisper, carried on the lips of a stranger in a crowded city street. She hadn't been looking for it, not that night. She hadn't been searching for answers—just existing, going through the motions of her endless, lonely routine. But as with so many things in this new life, it had found her when she least expected it.

It started with a conversation she overheard in a tavern on the outskirts of a town whose name she hadn't bothered to remember. She had been sitting in the far corner, her hood pulled low over her face, trying to blend into the shadows. It was one of her many stops as she moved from place to place, constantly on the run, avoiding any potential encounter with the Vampire Council or, worse, Vincent himself. She had learned to keep her head down, to listen more than she spoke, to remain invisible in a world that no longer welcomed her.

That night, however, something changed. Something stirred.

Two men had been sitting at a table near the bar, both looking rough around the edges—hunters, by the looks of them. They were speaking in low voices, their eyes darting around as if afraid of being overheard. Normally, Isabella wouldn't have paid any attention to them. But then she caught a single word that made her blood run cold.

"Vampires."

Her senses sharpened instantly, her hearing picking up the rest of their conversation with unsettling clarity. The men were talking about an ancient artifact—something powerful, something hidden deep within the Vampire Council's stronghold. They didn't seem to know much, but they had heard enough to be dangerous.

"Some kind of relic," one of them muttered, taking a swig from his mug. "Old as time, they say. Buried in the Council's vaults, guarded by the most powerful of their kind."

"Yeah," the other one replied, glancing around nervously. "But there's more to it than that. They say it's got the power to do things—impossible things."

"Like what?"

The man hesitated, lowering his voice even further. "Like reverse immortality."

The words hit Isabella like a punch to the gut. She froze in her seat, her mind racing as she tried to process what she had just heard. Reverse immortality? Could it be true? Could there really be a way to undo what had been done to her?

She knew better than to get her hopes up. Over the years, she had heard countless tales of artifacts, spells, and potions that were said to hold the key to reversing vampirism. Each one had been a dead end, a false promise, and she had learned to guard her heart against disappointment. But something about the way these men spoke, the seriousness in their voices, made her listen just a little more closely.

She watched them from the shadows, her fingers trembling slightly as she gripped the edge of the table. They continued talking, their voices low, their words almost lost in the din of the tavern. But she heard enough to understand one thing: they believed in this relic. Whether it was real or not, they believed.

And that was enough for her to investigate further.

Later that night, after the men had left the tavern, she followed them. It wasn't difficult—her vampire senses made tracking them through the narrow, twisting streets easy. She stayed in the shadows, silent, invisible, watching as they made their way to a small, run-down inn at the edge of town. When they entered their room, she waited outside, perched on a nearby rooftop, listening to their conversation through the thin walls.

"Do you really think it's real?" one of the men asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "This... this relic? I mean, it sounds like something out of a fairy tale."

"I don't know," the other replied, his tone more confident. "But I've heard enough stories to think it's worth looking into. They say the Council's been protecting it for centuries, that it's hidden in their vault for a reason. If it's real, and if it can really do what they say..."

There was a pause, then a soft chuckle. "Imagine that. A world without vampires."

Isabella's heart skipped a beat.

She knew that most humans feared vampires—hated them, even. And why wouldn't they? Vampires were predators, feeding on the blood of the living, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake. She understood that fear now better than ever, having lived with the constant hunger and the violence it demanded. But she also knew that the idea of destroying all vampires wasn't just a dream for humans—it was a nightmare for her kind.

Still, the idea of reversing immortality... That was something she couldn't ignore.

She waited until the men fell silent, their voices drifting into the quiet murmur of sleep, before making her move. Silently, she crept into their room, slipping through the window without making a sound. She wasn't here to harm them—only to learn what they knew.

As they slept, she searched their belongings. They had maps, crude sketches of the Vampire Council's stronghold, and notes scribbled in a hurried, nearly illegible scrawl. Most of it was useless, speculation and rumor, but one scrap of paper caught her eye. It was a torn page from an old book, the text faded but still legible.

"The Heart of Eternity," it read. "An ancient relic said to be the key to reversing the curse of immortality. Hidden deep within the vaults of the Vampire Council, it is guarded by those who wish to preserve its power. To destroy it would be to undo the curse of the vampire, returning them to mortal form."

Isabella stared at the page, her mind racing. The Heart of Eternity. Could it be real? Could this be the cure she had been searching for all these years?

She didn't have time to think. She tucked the page into her coat and slipped out of the room as silently as she had entered, her thoughts a chaotic whirlwind as she made her way back into the night. The rain had started to fall again, soft at first but quickly turning into a heavy downpour. It soaked through her clothes, chilling her to the bone, but she hardly noticed.

Her mind was consumed with the possibility of what she had just discovered.

For years, she had lived in the shadows, hiding from the world, from the Council, from Vincent. She had given up hope of ever finding a way out of this nightmare, resigned herself to a life of endless nights and unquenchable hunger. But now, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, there was a glimmer of hope.

The Heart of Eternity.

She didn't know if it was real, or if it could truly reverse what had been done to her. But she had to find out. If there was even the slightest chance that she could be free of this curse, she had to take it.

But it wouldn't be easy. The Vampire Council was powerful, and their stronghold was impenetrable. And then there was Vincent—he was still out there, searching for her, always watching, always waiting. He wouldn't let her go easily, and if he knew she was after the Heart of Eternity, he would stop at nothing to prevent her from reaching it.

But none of that mattered. She had to try.

For the first time in years, Isabella felt something she hadn't felt in what seemed like a lifetime.

Hope.

It was fragile, tentative, but it was there. And she would cling to it with everything she had.