My Wife is a Vampire Princess – Season 1: Chapter 1
"The Hike Before Everything Changed"
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1st April, 2022 – New York City, USA
It was a crisp, sunny morning—the kind that smelled of fresh beginnings and spring rain—when Henry Mathew leaned back in his dorm room chair and stared blankly at the flurry of WhatsApp messages on his phone. The world was still limping back from the nightmare of COVID-19, but lockdown restrictions were being lifted one by one. Airports were reopening. Travel was no longer a dream.
And for someone like Henry, a British transfer student studying finance at New York University, the obvious thing to do was pack his bags and return home. His final semester was wrapping up, and his younger brother, Tom, was already in the city to escort him back. That was the plan.
Until Joshua Brick Sanders barged into his dorm room.
"Bro, you're seriously just gonna leave?" Joshua huffed, his sandy-blonde curls bouncing as he dragged his girlfriend Lilly Richards behind him. "You've got, what, ten days left? No exams? No major projects? And you wanna just fly back to rainy Birmingham?"
Lilly smiled warmly, brushing a lock of her auburn hair behind her ear. "Come with us, Henry. Just one hiking trip. Something to remember this place by."
Joshua tossed a folded tourist brochure onto Henry's lap. It was colorful and crumpled, but unmistakably scenic: Zion National Park – Utah's Natural Cathedral.
"Zion, huh?" Henry said with a small laugh, flipping the brochure. "That's across the whole damn country."
"Exactly!" Joshua beamed, throwing his arms wide like an evangelist. "Think about it, man. You, me, Lilly... and Tom! The Grand Circle! Mountains, canyons, zero signal, and a chance to detox from all this exam stress."
Henry arched an eyebrow. He hadn't even told Tom about the idea yet. His younger brother had always been... cautious. More responsible. More serious. But if there was one person Tom admired, it was his older brother.
"I'm not saying no," Henry muttered, already unlocking his phone. "But I'm not throwing Tom into the wild without asking him either."
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An Hour Later – NYU Dormitory Lounge
Tom Mathew leaned against the vending machine, eyes darting between his older brother and the American duo who were now chatting animatedly about national parks and "divine burrito spots" in New Mexico.
"So let me get this straight," Tom said, arms crossed. "We're supposed to go on a 10-day road trip with your college friends? Who I've never met?"
"Well," Henry grinned, clapping Tom on the shoulder. "You've met them now."
Joshua extended a hand with a wink. "Joshua Brick Sanders. I talk a lot, but I carry my weight. Unless it's uphill. Then Henry carries my pack."
Tom shook his hand firmly. "You better not snore."
Lilly stepped forward. "We've already got the route mapped out. Zion, Grand Canyon, maybe Yosemite if we're lucky. Four people, one SUV, no rules."
Henry leaned in. "Come on, little bro. One last adventure in America. Something to tell Mum and Dad before we land back in Heathrow."
Tom hesitated. His eyes flicked to Lilly, then to Joshua, then finally to Henry's stupid, hopeful smile.
"...Fine. But I'm not carrying your backpacks when you two get tired."
Joshua whooped and pumped a fist in the air. "Let's goooo!"
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What began as a farewell hiking trip across the American Southwest, meant only to be a short memory... would unknowingly become the first domino. The calm before the storm. The last normal thing that happened in Henry Mathew's life—before vampires, castles, secrets, and blood-red moons rewrote his entire life but what was coming for him would ultimately shake the very foundation of human history, what excatly they were going to discover was something they were not ready for. Henry joshua & lilly ended up buying alot stuff like as if they were
to spend the next 6 months in the woods or something like that & the sun had already set as soon as they reached the woods these woods were known to sacred to the Native American people but Henry Joshua & Emily were behaving like as if they don't care at all what the Native American think about their behavior Tom's reaction was like " they not excatly gonna feel Pissed by our presence right right. That when both Joshua & Henry realised they need to tone it down a bit with drinking & Smoking cigarettes, they decided to eventually take a short-cut but this short-cut was gonna lead them straight into the road that many even Native Americans are afraid to take infact road was leading them unknowingly straight in front of Caelum's Maw unaware of the danger they stopped at a Native American town but even the Native American's reaction was like why are guys who look more like Brits coming towards this town? That's when they realised that the Native Americans were basically having a worried expression on their face it was not like they were unwelcoming or anything but they were simply worried what if they try to flirt with their daughters openly the Native Americans still didn't excatly entertain this idea at all but Lilly & Tom sensing that the people were basically hesitating to even speak with them immediately signaled to both Henry & Joshua that they need to leave
this town after all even Lilly didn't feel comfortable by being surrounded by a bunch of Native Americans, where some them looked like they Mauri tribe's people.
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The engine hummed quietly as the SUV cruised down a narrow trail flanked by towering pines. In the back seat, Tom had his earbuds in, one leg propped up, gazing silently out the window. Up front, Joshua leaned sideways from the passenger seat, watching Henry steer while simultaneously tossing peanut M&M's into his mouth like a sportsman in the middle of an intense match.
"Hey," Joshua said casually, flicking an M&M at Henry, who dodged with a smirk, "I've been meaning to ask—why'd you and your brother even come to the U.S. for college, man? I mean, you've got frickin' Oxford and Cambridge back home. What gives?"
Henry chuckled, but there was a pause in his response—a subtle crack in his cheerful mask. "Bro, you really think my family can afford that?" he said finally, his tone more grounded. "Oxford and Cambridge are like castles with libraries. If you're not born into a house with a coat of arms or three homes, good luck staying in one past the interview phase."
Joshua blinked. "Damn. That bad?"
Henry gave a half-smile. "Let's just say, we make ends meet. Mum's a nurse. Dad used to be a builder—now does odd maintenance jobs. Sending me here was already a miracle thanks to scholarships, part-time work... and one helpful family friend."
Tom, hearing that, finally pulled out one earbud. "Dad's American friend. Mike. He's been trying to get a permanent position at the education department in Arizona. Says once he's in, he'll make sure I get into a government-funded state college without a hitch."
"Wait," Joshua said, twisting in his seat, "you're saying your brother's going to college here because of connections?"
Henry smirked. "Not connections. Kindness. Big difference."
Joshua whistled. "Respect, man. I thought your life was all tea, crumpets, and royal guards with furry hats."
"Yeah," Henry said dryly, "and we ride swans to school."
Everyone laughed.
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Later That Night – Inside the Forest, Near a Small Clearing
The air smelled of pine needles, ash, and crisp smoke. A small fire crackled at the center of the camp, illuminating four relaxed figures sitting on logs and camping mats, each with steaming bowls of instant pasta or leftover burritos in their hands.
Henry leaned back with his arms behind his head, staring up through the pine canopy toward the sliver of starlit sky above. "This is the life," he murmured.
Tom nodded. "Beats the subways of New York."
Lilly was the only one who didn't seem fully immersed in her food. She sat staring at the darkness beyond the firelight, as though listening to something the others couldn't hear. Then she spoke.
"You know," she said, her voice almost dreamy, "if we keep hiking another half-day east... there's a cave. A huge one. Locals call it 'Caelum's Maw.' Some say it hides ancient Roman treasure—like stuff from the lost legions. Coins, armor, scrolls… all buried in the largest cavern in these woods."
Joshua nearly spat out his drink. "Lilly, not this again. Babe, you really believe that nonsense? Romans? In America?"
Lilly shrugged. "There are weirder things in history. I'm just saying what the locals believe. Some claim the cave goes so deep it touches the underworld."
Tom looked intrigued. "There's always some truth behind a myth. At least a spark."
Joshua rolled his eyes. "That 'spark' is probably just some hiker's flashlight bouncing off cave slime."
Henry stayed silent, staring at the fire as it popped and sparked upward. There was something in Lilly's voice—a kind of intuitive seriousness that was out of character for her.
And for the briefest second, a cool gust of wind slipped through the clearing… and the fire dimmed.
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April 3rd, 2022 – The Forest Trail, Near the Base of Caelum's Maw
The sun was beginning its slow descent, casting golden spears of light through the tall pine canopy. The group of four—Henry, Tom, Joshua, and Lilly—had stopped beside a shallow stream to refill their bottles and catch their breath. The air was thick with birdsong and the earthy aroma of wet bark.
That's when they heard it: soft footfalls on moss, followed by a gentle voice.
"Strangers do not often take this trail unless they're searching for something they shouldn't."
Turning around, Henry saw a Native American couple standing behind them. They appeared to be in their early forties—cloaked in long coats and worn hiking boots, but with the grace of people who knew every root and stone in the forest. The man nodded a silent greeting, while the woman stepped forward, her braided hair woven with small silver charms that shimmered in the fading sunlight.
"You're heading to the cave," the woman said, her tone calm but unmistakably heavy. "Caelum's Maw. We saw your campfire smoke earlier."
Joshua looked mildly startled. "Uh… yeah, that's the plan. You heard of it?"
The woman tilted her head slightly. "Everyone born here has heard of it. Few are foolish enough to seek it. And none who enter come out unchanged."
Tom frowned. "What's inside?"
She paused, studying each of them. "Not treasure. Not fortune. What's inside reflects what you carry. Fear. Doubt. Desire. Grief. If you go in... make sure all four of you come out. All four."
Her husband, who had remained silent, finally added in a low voice, "This forest tests the arrogant. Don't go in thinking it's just another cave."
Then, with no further words, the couple turned and disappeared into the trees as quietly as they had come.
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An Hour Later – Back at Camp
The four sat around the fire again, silent for a moment after the couple's visit.
"Well that was dramatic," Joshua muttered, breaking the tension. "I mean, cool and mysterious, but also a bit creepy."
Lilly leaned toward him. "You don't believe her?"
"I believe she's got a solid sense of performance," he said, then grinned. "But listen—this just got more interesting! I'm definitely vlogging this. Ancient cave? Local legends? Spiritual warnings? This is gold for the channel."
Henry raised an eyebrow. "You brought your camera again?"
Joshua beamed. "Dude, I always bring my camera. And my phone's charged. 'Urban Myth Diggers: Episode One.' Gotta start somewhere."
Tom sighed, rubbing his temples. "Why not just wait till tomorrow, when we're actually at the cave, instead of filming our soup and mosquito bites?"
"I don't want to miss anything," Joshua replied. "You never know when something cinematic might happen."
Henry chuckled. "Just don't record me snoring."
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Midnight – In the Deep Stillness of Camp
The forest had quieted into that haunting silence that only truly ancient places know. The fire was embers now, flickering weakly. Inside their small tent, Henry and Tom lay on their backs in their sleeping bags, eyes wide open, listening to the muffled laughter and low voices coming from the nearby tent.
"Is it just me," Tom whispered, "or are they like... bonding with nature a little too loudly?"
Henry groaned quietly, pressing his face into his pillow. "Yup. That's Joshua trying to vibe with the spiritual energy or something."
"…We really came all the way to Manhattan for this?" Tom muttered.
Henry exhaled, a mix of amusement and tiredness. "We could've just stayed in Wolverhampton. We had perfectly good kebab shops and fog there."
They both snorted silently in the dark.
But just before sleep took them, Henry's expression shifted. He stared at the top of the tent, brows furrowed.
"Still," he whispered, "what if the woman was right?"
And outside, far beyond the dying firelight, something in the woods moved.
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April 4th, 2022 – Entrance of Caelum's Maw, 11:09 A.M.
"Alright, alright… the lighting sucks, but we're doing this anyway!"
Joshua Brick Sanders stood just outside the mouth of the cave with his phone stretched out in one hand, the other adjusting his baseball cap. Behind him, the towering stone opening yawned like a maw—fitting its name—with jagged edges that looked almost sharpened by time itself.
"This is Josh Sanders, your guide into the unknown, coming at you live from what might be the creepiest hole in the earth since conspiracy theories about Area 51. We're heading into what locals call Caelum's Maw—a place some say has ancient Roman treasure, haunted spirits, or worse. Let's find out."
"Bro," Henry interrupted, his voice tight, "you know there's no signal, right? You're not live. You're just filming."
Joshua shrugged. "Same difference."
With Tom holding a headlamp and Lilly behind him nervously clutching her backpack, the group stepped inside.
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Ten Minutes Later – Deeper into the Cave
The narrow mouth quickly opened into a massive interior, the kind that swallowed light instead of reflecting it. The air felt... wrong. Too still. Too quiet.
The deeper they went, the more Henry felt it—that sense of trespass, like they had stepped into a domain not meant for mortals.
And then they saw them.
"Uh, guys…" Tom whispered, pointing his flashlight upward.
Bats.
Not the usual kind. These were massive—easily 15 inches tall, their leathery wings furled like crumpled cloaks as they hung in hibernation from the ceiling. Their eyes, even closed, gleamed faintly red in the dim light, and their ears twitched unnervingly at every crunch of a boot or whisper of breath.
Tom muttered, "Why the hell did we think this was a good idea?"
Lilly stepped closer to Henry, eyes wide. "They don't look like normal bats. I've studied biology, I've seen cave bats. These… these things look alien."
Henry nodded slowly. "You're not wrong." He couldn't shake the chill crawling up his spine. Something about the creatures seemed... sentient. As if they were dreaming—and aware of being watched in those dreams.
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Further In – Where Technology Fails
Joshua had been filming the entire way, whispering his commentary for his vlog.
But as they ventured further down a sloping stone passage, lit only by headlamps and flickering lanterns, he suddenly stopped. "Okay, guys. This is weird."
"What now?" Tom asked, half-expecting a joke.
"My camera," Joshua said, staring at the screen. "It's recording... but nothing's showing. Just this faint red light. Like glowing veins... like mana, man. I swear it's coming from that direction."
He pointed ahead. A passage split off to the right, wider than the rest.
Henry stepped ahead cautiously, heart thudding. The temperature dropped sharply, and even the air felt heavier—denser with something invisible.
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At the End of the Passage
The room they entered was vast, and utterly still.
At its center stood a stone coffin—but not a crude one. This was crafted. Etched with symmetrical carvings, its surface was embroidered with trails of gold and silver that glinted in the dim red haze leaking from cracks in the ceiling above.
There were ancient letters along the top—almost Roman, but distorted, like a language that had grown far older than Latin itself. But one phrase stood out, somehow decipherable to them all, as if whispered directly into their minds:
"The Princess Sleeps Here."
Lilly whispered, "Is this… real?"
Tom stepped back slowly. "If this is a prank, it's on a whole other level."
But Henry didn't speak. His eyes were locked on the coffin. Something was pulling at him—like a memory he'd never lived.
And the bats above them? They began to stir.
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April 4th, 2022 – Deep Inside Caelum's Maw, 12:27 P.M.
The chamber was quiet—deathly so. Only the low hum of Joshua's portable camera and the occasional soft drip of moisture echoed around the cold stone walls. All four stood frozen in front of the grand sarcophagus, its gilded engravings gleaming under the faint red glow that still pulsed like veins in the cave walls.
Lilly, her hands slightly trembling, pulled a small, round device from her backpack and flipped open her phone. "Thank God we brought the portable Wi-Fi node," she muttered, quickly connecting it. "I'm uploading a few photos of the writing... Maybe we can get a translation before someone does something stupid."
Joshua, who had just been lining up a dramatic cinematic shot of the coffin, snorted. "Hey, stupid is how we find views, babe."
Lilly didn't even respond. The moment her translation app kicked in, she froze. Her brows knitted. Her eyes widened.
Henry noticed it first. "Lilly?" he asked cautiously. "What does it say?"
She turned to them, her voice barely above a whisper.
> "Behold... the one who awakens the Princess shall become her permanent spouse. And may the Princess forever remain with him... until that man eventually dies."
A stunned silence followed. Joshua blinked. "...Wait, what?"
Tom was the first to voice what they were all thinking. "What kind of sick cult romance nonsense is this?"
Even Henry, ever the calm one, looked rattled. "Princess? As in… someone is actually inside that thing? Alive?"
Lilly took a step back from the coffin, her face pale. "I don't think it's metaphorical. And if this is true—this entire place is a tomb and a contract."
Joshua looked at the camera in his hands. "Okay, this is actually gold. The ultimate vampire bride story. Forget Vlogging—this is Netflix pilot material."
Lilly grabbed his wrist. "Don't. You're not opening that coffin. We don't know what's inside. What if it's cursed? What if she's not dead? What if this whole place is just a trap?"
Joshua shrugged. "But what if it's just… I don't know… a centuries-old hoax?"
Tom spoke up sharply. "Even if it is a hoax, do we need to open it? This place is beyond weird already. The bats. The mana. The writing. That warning from the Native couple."
Henry added, his voice serious, "If what Lilly read is true… whoever opens this may be signing more than a death wish."
The group fell quiet again. The gold and silver around the coffin glinted faintly, as if listening.
None of them noticed the thin red crack forming along the base of the lid.
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April 4th, 2022 – Caelum's Maw, Inner Chamber
A deep silence hung in the air—unmoving, thick, suffocating. The faint red glow seeping from the fissures in the walls gave everything an unnatural hue. The golden and silver coffin remained still... but not untouched.
Across the lid ran jagged, glowing cracks—thin at first, but now slowly spreading like the web of a spider unraveling. The air grew colder with every minute, as if the temperature itself feared what was coming.
Tom took a cautious step back. "Okay," he said, voice half-joking, half-terrified, "if we open that thing… are we absolutely sure those fifteen-inch vampire bats won't wake up and go full Batman Returns on us?"
No one laughed.
Lilly clenched her fists. "We need to leave. Now." She looked at each of them, her voice trembling with restrained panic. "We don't know what's inside that coffin. What if it's cursed? What if something ancient gets released? Those cracks are getting worse. We don't know what kind of chain reaction could start if this thing breaks open!"
Joshua hesitated for once, his grip tightening on the handle of his camera. He glanced at Henry, who stood closer to the coffin than anyone else, unmoving, his gaze locked on the golden lid.
"I'm staying," Henry said suddenly, his voice low but calm. "I'm going to open it. Whatever's inside... I need to see it."
Tom stepped forward, confusion in his voice. "What? Bro, why? Why are you so determined to open a coffin with a cursed warning engraved on it? We were just supposed to film stuff and go home!"
Joshua's voice was sharper. "Seriously, man. You heard the inscription. You open that, you're not just risking your neck—you're signing up to marry a corpse princess or something. Why are you acting like this is personal?"
Henry didn't respond right away. His hand reached out, brushing the edge of the cracked stone surface as if pulled by invisible threads. His eyes had darkened slightly, glassy… distant.
Lilly's face drained of color. "Wait... oh no."
Everyone turned to her.
"I should've seen it earlier," she whispered. "That inscription—it didn't just warn. It called. I thought it was just words. But what if the Princess inside… what if she's not completely asleep?"
Joshua's eyes widened. "You mean like... she's already awake?"
Lilly nodded slowly. "She's reaching out. She must have hypnotized Henry—drawn him in mentally before the cracks even started. He's not thinking clearly. She's already got hold of him."
Henry, still silent, rested both palms on the coffin lid. "I have to do this."
The glowing cracks pulsed once, like veins filled with molten blood. The stone creaked.
The Princess was almost free.
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April 4th, 2022 – Caelum's Maw, Inner Sanctum
"Henry!"
Tom's voice rang out across the chamber like a gunshot, desperate and cracking. He sprinted toward his brother, heart pounding like a war drum.
Henry's hands were now pressed firmly against the sides of the cracking coffin, his eyes unfocused, glazed in a hypnotic daze—as though reality itself had no claim on him anymore.
Tom grabbed his shoulder and shook him. "Snap out of it! You're not thinking straight! It's that thing—she's doing something to you! Come back, please!"
For one agonizing second, it seemed like Henry might blink, might come back to himself…
But instead, Henry turned suddenly—unnaturally—and shoved his younger brother away with frightening strength.
"Tom, stay back."
Tom flew backwards across the chamber and landed hard near the entrance where they had originally come from. He cried out in pain, gasping, one hand clutched against his ribs.
"Tom!" Lilly screamed, rushing toward him.
Joshua didn't hesitate. He slammed the lens cap on his camera, stuffed it in his bag, and ran to Tom's side.
"No time!" Joshua said urgently. "He's gone full-on possessed or enchanted or whatever the hell this is. We can't help him right now. We need to get out!"
Tom shook his head furiously, tears running down his cheeks as he tried to crawl back toward the chamber. "No! No, I'm not leaving him! I'm not leaving my brother!"
"Tom—"
"What am I supposed to tell Dad if you die here, Henry?!" Tom cried, his voice a raw mix of terror and heartbreak. "He trusted me to bring you home! I promised!"
But the ancient stone beneath them began to rumble now. The red cracks on the coffin pulsed—faster, deeper.
Henry didn't move. He remained in front of the sarcophagus, expression unreadable, as if awaiting judgment from something older than time.
Lilly turned away. "We have to go. NOW."
Joshua lifted Tom to his feet and threw the younger man's arm around his shoulder. Together, the three stumbled out of the chamber, running through the dark corridors of Caelum's Maw, retracing their steps by instinct and luck.
Behind them, the distant crack of stone splitting echoed like thunder.
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Ten Minutes Later – Outside the Cave
The sunlight was almost blinding after hours inside the eerie cave. The three emerged breathless, bruised, and broken.
Only to find themselves surrounded.
At least a dozen U.S. military personnel, dressed in dark tactical gear and bearing high-caliber rifles, stood in a semi-circle near the tree line. Helicopters hovered in the far distance, and black SUVs were parked across the grass.
One soldier stepped forward, lifting his visor to reveal a stern face.
"You kids alright?"
Joshua, still panting, narrowed his eyes. "What the hell is the military doing here?"
The soldier didn't answer.
Instead, two other agents approached with tablets in hand and biometric scanners.
"Where's the fourth one?" the soldier asked calmly.
Lilly, barely able to breathe, whispered: "Still inside."
Tom fell to his knees.
"Henry…"
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[ End of Chapter-1]