Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Bloodlines and Betrayals

Karina didn’t know how much time had passed. Hours? Days? It felt like the world had slowed to a crawl, like everything had been suspended in an endless haze. Her body was heavy, her mind clouded, and the strange coldness that lingered in her veins kept her numb—numb to the pain, numb to the fear, numb to the terror that still gripped her heart.

The vampire who had drained her blood—who had marked her—was gone, leaving her alone in the cold, stone room. The silence pressed in on her, thick and suffocating. She could still feel the weight of his presence, as if his hands were still on her skin, lingering in the space between them. Her heart raced, but each beat felt distant, like it belonged to someone else.

*Get it together, Karina. Focus.*

She strained against the leather straps that bound her to the chaise lounge, but they held fast. Her arms were sore, her wrists raw from the pressure. The room felt impossibly large, but there was no escape. No windows, no doors she could reach. Only the strange carvings on the walls, their meaning lost to her.

A low sound echoed from the far corner of the room—a soft, almost imperceptible hiss. Karina’s body tensed in response, her instincts on high alert. She forced herself to sit up, grimacing as the movement made her head spin. 

*No time to be weak. You need to escape.*

Her breath hitched in her chest as a figure stepped out of the shadows—tall, broad, with a presence so commanding it seemed to suck the air from the room. The vampire. The one who had drained her blood. He stood just beyond her reach, his eyes glowing faintly in the low light, like twin pools of liquid gold.

He didn’t speak at first, just watched her with an intensity that made her skin crawl. Karina’s pulse quickened, and she tried to shrink back, but the straps held her in place. His gaze never wavered, and for a moment, it felt like the whole world had narrowed to just him and her.

"You're stronger than I thought," he said, his voice soft, almost amused. "Most humans would have passed out by now. But you—you're still aware, still fighting."

Karina’s throat felt dry, her tongue heavy. She wanted to speak, to demand answers, but her voice failed her. How could she even begin to understand what was happening? Why had he done this to her? Why had he—*fed* on her like that?

"You're asking yourself why, aren't you?" he continued, his eyes flickering with amusement. "Why you were chosen. Why you're here. But those answers are... more complicated than you think."

Karina’s heart skipped. “What do you want from me?” she managed to rasp, her voice raw from the effort.

He stepped closer, his movements deliberate, as though savoring her fear. His gaze dropped to her neck, and she instinctively recoiled, the memory of his fangs sinking into her skin still fresh in her mind.

“I already took what I needed,” he said, his lips curving into a smile. “But there's more to you than just blood. Much more.”

Karina’s mind raced, struggling to grasp the meaning of his words. “What are you talking about?” she demanded, her voice steadier now despite the tremor in her chest. “What do you mean, more?”

He tilted his head slightly, as if considering her question. "You think you're just a regular girl, don't you?" He chuckled darkly. "That your life ended when your parents disappeared, that you were just some orphan scraping by. But you're wrong, Karina. You're more than that. You're part of a bloodline—a very important one."

Her heart stuttered in her chest. *Bloodline?* What was he talking about?

"Your parents," he continued, as if reading her thoughts, "they weren’t just some random casualties of debt collectors. They were part of something much larger. And now, you’re tied to it too. Whether you like it or not."

Karina’s mind reeled. *No… that can’t be true. They never told me anything. They never said anything about… about this.*

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice cracked. “Why didn’t they tell me?”

The vampire's eyes darkened, and for a brief moment, there was something almost… pitying in his gaze. “They couldn’t, Karina. The truth was too dangerous. You were too young to understand. But now… now you're the key to everything. You’re the one who will ensure the rise of the Third Prince.”

“The Third Prince?” she repeated, her throat tightening. “What does that even mean?”

He stepped closer, kneeling down in front of her so that they were eye to eye. His gaze was intense, piercing. She could feel the weight of his words like a heavy hand pressing down on her chest.

“The Third Prince of Zorana. The heir to the throne,” he said slowly, enunciating each word carefully. “The last of a line that has ruled for centuries. The prince whose birth will mark the beginning of a new reign—one that will change everything.”

Karina’s mind whirled. “You mean… you’re talking about a *kingdom*? You want me to help some prince take the throne?”

He laughed softly, as if her confusion was somehow charming. “You’re not just *helping* him, Karina. You are his vessel. The *baptism* of the Third Prince is tied to you. You are the one who will make it possible. Your blood is more than just nourishment. It’s power. It's the last step needed to awaken him.”

She stared at him, unable to fully comprehend what he was saying. *Awaken him? Make him rise? What are they doing?*

“You see,” he continued, his voice now colder, more authoritative, “the prince has been in waiting for a long time. His existence has been hidden, buried beneath layers of secrecy and blood magic. He will bring about the return of the old order, the one that has ruled the world for centuries. And you, Karina, are the key to unlocking that power.”

“Why me?” she whispered, barely able to form the words. “Why… why did you choose me?”

The vampire didn’t answer immediately. His expression seemed to soften for the first time, though the darkness in his eyes never fully disappeared. 

“You were always meant to be part of this,” he said softly. “It’s in your blood. And now, it’s too late for you to escape.”

His words hung in the air like an anchor, dragging her down into the depths of a nightmare she didn’t understand. Her mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of her life that had been ripped apart so carelessly. Her parents. Their sudden disappearance. The strange debts. The whispers she had overheard in the shadows of her childhood.

It was all part of this—part of a world she had never been prepared for. A world of blood and power, of ancient lineages and dark magic. A world that had been hidden from her, and yet, had been inside her all along.

“You still don’t understand, do you?” The vampire’s voice was soft, but there was an edge of finality to it now. “You don’t need to. All you need to do is accept your fate, Karina. The Third Prince of Zorana needs you. And once he rises, there will be no turning back.”

Karina’s heart sank as the weight of his words settled over her. *There is no way out.* 

But as she looked up at him—into those cold, golden eyes—something shifted within her. A spark of defiance, of will. She wasn’t going to let them control her. She wasn’t going to let her life be used as a pawn in this twisted game.

She didn’t know how she would escape, or what she had to do, but one thing was clear: she would fight. She had to. For herself, for the truth, for her parents’ memory. She would find a way to break free from whatever this nightmare was, no matter the cost.