Chapter Three: Shadows at Dawn
Jinn gasped awake, lungs aching like they were filled with fire.
But he wasn't in the car anymore.
The rain, the screaming, the collapsed building—gone.
He lay flat on a stone surface, cool and rough beneath his skin. His shirt clung to him, soaked with sweat, not rain. The air smelled strange—like old parchment, iron, and something uncomfortably close to blood.
He sat up slowly, dizzy, blinking against the low, amber light that flickered from torches along the walls. He was underground. Or at least, somewhere that felt like it. The ceiling arched high above him, made of ancient brick, and strange symbols were carved along every surface—some glowing faintly blue, mirroring the color of his amulet.
His amulet—
Still around his neck. Still glowing.
"Finally," said a voice behind him. Smooth. Cold.
Jinn spun around too fast and stumbled, knees buckling.
A figure stepped out of the shadows—tall, dressed in a black coat that shifted like smoke with every movement. Pale skin. Piercing eyes the color of silver blades. And an expression so unreadable, it made Jinn's blood run cold.
"You're awake sooner than I expected," the man said, inspecting Jinn like a broken artifact. "That amulet did more than I thought."
"Who the hell are you?" Jinn rasped, heart thudding. "Where am I?"
The man tilted his head slightly. "You're beneath the city. In what used to be a temple. One of the last places untouched by the hunters."
Jinn stared, mind racing. "Hunters?"
The man took a step closer, and the torchlight caught something metallic beneath his coat—a blade, ancient and curved. "Vampire hunters," he said calmly. "You've seen what they're capable of. But they're not your biggest problem anymore."
"I don't even know what's happening!" Jinn snapped, backing away. "There was a crash, my dad—"
The man's gaze darkened. "Your father is missing. Possibly dead. And you, Jinn, just survived a building collapse without a scratch. The amulet activated on its own. Your body healed itself."
Jinn's breath caught. "What are you saying?"
The man stepped forward again, this time stopping only a few feet away.
"I'm saying your bloodline is not human."
Jinn stared. "You think I'm—what? A vampire?"
The man laughed once—dry and humorless. "Not quite. But you're close."
A slow silence filled the room. Only the torches crackled.
Then, from a nearby corridor, a new voice echoed—a woman's, sharp and clear.
"He needs to see it."
Jinn turned as Zelda stepped into view, her expression unreadable.
"You brought him here too soon," she said to the man. "He hasn't even begun to understand what he is."
"He doesn't have time," the man replied. "The portal's been opened. Something came through."
Zelda looked directly at Jinn. "And whatever it was—it was looking for you."
Jinn felt like the room tilted beneath him. "Why? Why me?"
Zelda and the man exchanged a look, silent and heavy with meaning.
Finally, she stepped forward and said quietly, "Because your blood isn't just powerful. It's the key. And you're not the only one left with it."
Jinn's stomach dropped.
Somewhere far above them, something rumbled—deep and unnatural. Dust fell from the ceiling. The torches flickered.
Jinn turned toward the sound, heart pounding. "What was that?"
Zelda's voice was steady. Cold.
"A friend of mine who will be assisting you in the upcoming future as of now your one of us and you'll be helping us out with missions and other tasks that need immediate attendance you better not slack off."