Darkness. Not just the lack of light, but a heavy, smothering emptiness that wrapped around Justin's thoughts like soft, heavy curtains. He floated somewhere between waking and dying, fully aware but unable to move, feeling his body cool while something deep inside him changed.
Far away, he could hear voices speaking in a language that felt old—words that seemed to carry more than just meaning.
The sound had a pattern, like a prayer, and beneath it all, his own heartbeat was slowing... and slowing... and slowing.
"*Sanguis ad sanguinem, vita ad vitam, anima ad anima...
*"
The words didn't make sense to his mind, but something inside him knew them.
Blood to blood, life to life, soul to soul. A connection that went beyond what humans could understand, reaching back through centuries of vampire history to the very first of their kind.
Justin's body was still on a fancy stone table, though he couldn't remember how he got there.
The room around him was ancient, carved from living stone and decorated with symbols older than any human civilization. Hundreds of candles flickered on the walls, their flames moving as if caught in a wind he couldn't feel. The air felt thick with power, buzzing with energy that made the hairs on his skin rise.
Seraphina Dracul knelt beside the table.
Her usual clothes had been replaced by dark red robes covered in silver thread. The patterns on her dress seemed to shift in the candlelight, telling stories of old families and connections that stretched back to the beginning of vampire history. Her black hair fell around her shoulders, and her red eyes showed a mix of excitement, fear, and something that might have been love.
"Three thousand years," she said softly, her voice barely above the chanting.
"Three thousand years I've waited for you. "
Around the room, twelve other people stood in a circle.
They were the oldest in her family—vampire rulers whose ages were counted in thousands of years, whose powers could change the world if they chose. Each held a different object: a black knife older than Rome, a glass cup made from one big red gem, scrolls written in forgotten languages, and other things that glowed with ancient magic.
At the center of the circle stood Countess Isabella Bathory, her silver-blonde hair shining in the candlelight. Even though her title might suggest the opposite, she was actually much older than Seraphina, by several centuries, and she was the main witness to the ritual. Her sapphire eyes were focused on Justin's still body, filled with careful interest.
"Sister," Isabella said quietly, using the term that showed their connection as vampire nobles, not just by blood.
"Are you sure this is him? The signs might not be reliable. "
"I felt it the moment our skin touched," Seraphina answered, not taking her eyes away from Justin's face.
"The recognition was... intense. Like I had found the missing part of my soul after searching for centuries. "
To her left was Carmilla Tepes, the warrior queen.
Her auburn hair was braided with silver threads, following the traditional style of her family. Her golden eyes showed worry as she watched the events unfold. "The ritual hasn't been done in over two thousand years. The last time... "
"The last time failed because the human wasn't truly meant for it," Seraphina cut in.
"This is different. Can't you feel it? The way the air reacts to his presence? "
It was true.
Even unconscious, Justin's body seemed to take energy from the room itself. The candle flames bent toward him as if drawn to his warmth, and the old symbols on the walls glowed with a soft light that grew brighter whenever the ritual words were spoken.
The process had been going on for six hours and would continue for another six.
Vampire transformation was never easy, but this was much more complicated than turning a human. This was a blood bonding ritual, a marriage ceremony that would link Seraphina and Justin not just in this life, but for all time. Their souls would become connected in ways that made regular vampire bonds feel like ordinary friendships.
The risk was huge. Most humans couldn't make it through the process. Their bodies would fight against the vampire magic, and it would kill them so completely that even their souls would disappear. Only someone truly meant to be with a vampire—a person whose body and soul matched the vampire's magic—had any chance of surviving the change.
Isabella started the next part of the ritual, speaking with the strong voice of someone from a long line of powerful people.
"*By the power of the first blood, by the covenant of eternal night, we witness this bonding of souls. *"
She walked toward the altar holding an obsidian dagger.
The blade was so sharp that, if used by someone with enough power, it could cut through reality itself. With steady hands, she made a small cut on Seraphina's palm and then on Justin's. As their blood started to flow, she pressed their hands together.
The change happened right away and was very scary.
Power burst out of the room like a star exploding.
The candles flared up, almost touching the high ceiling. The symbols on the walls lit up so brightly that they could blind someone who wasn't used to such light. All the vampires in the circle fell back, their powerful senses overloaded by the intense energy coming from the altar.
Justin's body shook as his heart stopped and then started again, beating in a new, slower, stronger way.
His skin turned paler, yet it looked more perfect, as if all the little imperfections of being human were being removed. His hair turned completely black, and his face became sharper, more beautiful than anything they had seen before.
But the biggest change was in him.
Even though he was unconscious, his power spread out in waves, making the oldest vampires step back in surprise. This wasn't just the power of a new vampire—it was something deeper, like the universe was changing him for a reason none of them could fully understand.
Seraphina gasped as the blood between them started to shine with a silver glow.
Through their joined hands, she could feel his soul mixing with hers, creating a bond stronger than marriage, deeper than death. Every feeling he had ever known, every memory, every dream—everything he had ever cared about—flowed into her mind. And in return, her own experiences poured into his.
She watched his lonely mornings in his Manhattan penthouse, sensed his confusion about the strange pull he always had, and felt his hidden desire for something he couldn't explain. In return, he would finally know her—three thousand years of life, centuries of waiting, the growing certainty that she would never find her true partner. Until today.
"*The bond is forming,*" Carmilla said, keeping calm with her warrior instincts even as the powerful energy around them grew intense.
"*But his body is having a hard time with the change. His human side is stronger than most. *"
That was true.
Most humans who survived turning into a vampire had some supernatural background—maybe a witch ancestor or distant fairy blood. But Justin was completely human, which made his ability to accept vampire magic both surprising and risky.
As the transformation began, his body temperature dropped as his human metabolism stopped.
His breathing slowed and then stopped altogether as his lungs adjusted to their new function. But his heart kept beating, sending vampire energy through his blood and changing his DNA at the cell level.
The most dangerous part was next.
Isabella held up the ruby chalice, now filled with a mix of old wine and blood from the three vampire nobles present.
This was the final step—if Justin's new body accepted the offering, he would become a real vampire. If it didn't, he would die, and his soul would be lost forever.
"*By blood given freely, by bond made in eternity, we welcome you into the eternal night,*" Isabella said, gently opening Justin's mouth and letting a few drops of the mixture touch his tongue.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Justin stayed still, and the only sound in the room was the flickering of candles and the soft prayers of the vampires gathered there.
Then his eyes suddenly opened. They were no longer the warm gray of his human self. Now they shone with a bright inner light that changed between silver and red, showing both his new vampire side and his connection with Seraphina. But instead of waking up calmly and gracefully like everyone expected, Justin shot up from the altar in a wild, scared way.
"What—where am I?
" His voice sounded confused and scared, but it had a strange sound to it that made the stone walls of the room shake. He looked around quickly, taking in the lit candles, the people in robes, and the old symbols on the walls. "This isn't... this can't be real. "
The power coming from him was unlike anything the other vampires had ever seen, but it was wild and not under control.
With every fast breath he took, waves of energy spread out from him. He was clearly a new vampire—the smell of a recent change was still around him, like morning fog—but his presence felt old, like he had the weight of many years inside his new soul.
"Justin, my love, you're safe," Seraphina said gently, moving toward the altar with calm and careful steps.
"Please, try to stay calm. "
"Calm?
" He looked at her with those strange silver and red eyes, his face full of both knowing and confusion. "I remember you, but... God, what did you do to me? I can hear everything—your heartbeats, voices from far away, I can smell colors and see sounds, and nothing makes sense! "
He put his hands to his mouth, feeling the sharp points of his fangs with his tongue.
"No, no, no. This isn't possible. Vampires aren't real. None of this is real! "
Isabella stepped forward carefully, using her centuries of experience to read the signs of a dangerous new vampire waking up.
"His senses are overloading him. This is normal for the transformation, but his power level is making it even worse. "
"Everything is too bright, too loud, too much," Justin gasped, pressing his palms against his temples.
Pieces of memories that weren't his own flashed through his mind—Seraphina's memories, mixing with his own in a confusing flood. "I can remember things I never lived through, feel emotions that don't belong to me. What have you done to me? "
"I've given you eternity," Seraphina whispered, tears of blood sliding down her cheeks. "You are my destined mate, Justin. My soul knew yours the moment we touched. "
"Destined mate?
" He laughed bitterly, the sound strong enough to make the candle flames flicker. "This morning I was just a normal guy selling art to rich people. Now you're telling me I'm some kind of supernatural being tied to a woman I just met? This is crazy! "
He tried to stand but tripped, his new supernatural strength making him move too fast.
Carmilla stepped forward to help him, but he pulled away from her touch.
"Don't!
I can feel your emotions when you touch me. It's like my mind is being flooded with random thoughts. " He wrapped his arms around himself, looking lost and weak even though his transformed body was powerful. "I need real answers. Not this mystical destiny stuff. "
The vampires exchanged worried looks.
Most new vampires felt confused when they first woke up, but this level of confusion was dangerous. With his high power levels, an unstable new vampire could do a lot of damage.
"The bonding process shared our souls," Seraphina explained softly.
"My memories are mixing with yours until your mind can sort them out. And your vampire senses are taking in information your human brain wasn't made for. Both will settle with time. "
"Time?
" Justin's laugh sounded empty. "How long are we talking about? And what do I do until then? What am I even now? "
"You're my husband," Seraphina said simply.
"We were bonded in the old way during your transformation. In vampire law, we are married for life. "
"Married?
" His voice went up to a shout. "I'm married to someone I met this morning? Someone who probably drugged me and did some kind of blood ritual without asking? "
The accusation felt like a heavy weight in the room. Technically, he was right—the transformation happened while he was asleep, and he didn't have a chance to say no. But vampire rules were clear: destined mates were meant to be together, and waiting for humans to understand often meant losing that connection forever.
"You would have died," Isabella said, her voice cold.
"The magical reaction from meeting your destined mate without completing the bond would have killed you within hours. Seraphina saved your life. "
"By ending it!
" Justin shot back. "By turning me into something I never wanted to be! "
But even as he said those angry words, he could feel Seraphina's pain through their connection.
Her three thousand years of loneliness, her happiness at finally finding him, her fear that the ritual might fail and kill him. The feelings were too much, mixing with his own confusion and fear until he couldn't tell what he was feeling anymore.
"I need...
I need air. Space. Time to think. " He looked around the room, with its old stones and glowing candles. "Where are we? How do I get out of here? "
"These are the sacred rooms beneath my home," Seraphina said softly.
"But Justin, please, don't leave. Not yet. The world above is dangerous for a newly turned vampire, especially one with your power level. "
"My power level?
" He looked at his hands as if seeing them for the first time. "What's wrong with my power level? "
The gathered vampires fell silent.
How could they explain that his very existence was causing disturbances in the supernatural world? That his awakening might have been felt by every major paranormal group on the continent? That he was something completely new, something that could change the balance of power among all supernatural beings?
"Nothing is wrong," Carmilla said carefully.
"You're just... stronger than most new vampires. "
It was a huge understatement, but the truth would only make him more scared.
Justin slowly stood up, checking his new balance and strength. Every movement felt strange, as if he was using someone else's body. "I need real answers, Seraphina. Answers about what I am now, about the bond between us, and about what comes next. And I need them from someone I'm not magically married to. "
"You don't trust me," she said, her voice carrying centuries of pain.
"I don't know you," he replied, though even as he said it, their bond made him feel that it wasn't entirely true.
Through their connection, he was starting to understand her in ways that went beyond regular knowledge. "Give me time to think and figure out what I want. "
What he wanted.
As if desire mattered when cosmic forces were changing reality around him.
Isabella stepped forward carefully, her ancient instincts sensing the dangerous instability in the newly transformed vampire.
"We need to leave these chambers soon. The amount of power released during the ritual will draw attention from every supernatural group on the continent. But first, we need to help him stabilize. "
"Stabilize what?
" Justin demanded, hearing her words with his enhanced vampire senses. "What's wrong with me? Besides the obvious. "
"Nothing is wrong," Seraphina said quickly, though her worried expression suggested otherwise.
"Your transformation was… more intense than usual. You're experiencing sensory overload, which is normal for—"
"Stop lying to me!
" The words came out with such force that several candles were completely blown out. "I can feel your emotions through this bond. You're terrified, not just worried. What aren't you telling me? "
The vampires exchanged worried looks.
How could they explain that his power signature was unlike anything in vampire history? That his awakening might have triggered alerts in supernatural monitoring stations worldwide? That he might be the subject of ancient prophecies they didn't fully understand?
"The supernatural world is complicated," Carmilla said carefully.
"There are many groups, many politics. A new vampire with a lot of power will attract attention. "
"Significant power?
" Justin held up his hands, staring at them as if they didn't belong to him. "I feel like I'm about to fall apart. Every sound is like thunder, every scent is overwhelming, and I keep getting flashes of memories that aren't mine. How is any of this supposed to be powerful? "
"Control will come with time," Isabella assured him, though privately she wondered if normal control methods would work on someone with his incredible energy levels. The truth was much more complicated than they could explain to someone in his current state. The supernatural world was changing, and not in a good way. For years, tensions had been growing between different paranormal groups. Old agreements were breaking, fights over territory were getting worse, and the balance that kept their world hidden from humans was starting to crack.
Human governments, even though they denied it, had big programs to monitor the supernatural.
The Shadow Covenant, a secret group with cells in every major government, had been pushing for harsher policies against supernatural beings. Their words suggested they saw them as a danger to humanity.
At the same time, paranormal communities were splitting apart.
Old friendships were fading, leaders were becoming more powerful and greedy, and prophecies that once seemed like old stories were now happening in scary ways.
In the middle of all this, something new had just appeared—a vampire whose very existence was shaking the foundation of the supernatural world.
But Justin didn't need to know all that right now.
Not while he was still trying to deal with his own transformation.
"I need to get out of here," he said suddenly, looking around the old stone room with barely controlled fear.
"I need fresh air, open space. These walls feel like they're closing in. "
"The place is underground," Seraphina explained softly.
"We're in sacred rooms beneath my home. But Justin, please, you're not ready to face the outside world yet. The first few days after turning are very important—"
"The outside world?
" He laughed bitterly. "You mean the world I used to know? The one where I had a job, an apartment, and friends who won't understand why I suddenly have fangs and glowing eyes? "
The truth of his situation was finally hitting him.
His human life was over. His career, his relationships, everything he was—was all going to change or be left behind. The weight of the loss hit him like a real punch.
"We'll help you through this," Seraphina promised, though she could feel his pain through their bond, like a knife in her heart. "I know it's really hard right now, but—"
"Nothing," Justin said, his voice empty, worn out from emotion.
"You chose something for me that I can't change. And now I have to deal with the results for the rest of my life. "
The word "forever" stayed in the air between them, heavy with the truth of vampire life.
It meant an endless time ahead, filled with blood, darkness, and supernatural conflicts he didn't understand.
"What happens now?
" he asked finally, his anger turning into tired acceptance.
"Now," Seraphina said softly, "we find a way to keep you alive long enough to get used to who you are now.
"
Because in a world where ancient powers were waking up and old enemies were getting ready for war, a new vampire who had never been one before and had powerful abilities could either be a great ally or a big threat.
And since his change had caused big changes in the supernatural world, it wouldn't take long to find out which one he would be.