RAVENSHADE CHRONICLES: BOOK ONE

"You’ll forget we ever met. You’ll forget the love we shared. You’ll move on with your life, happy." Lucien stared into Emily’s eyes as he compelled her. His voice was calm, but his heart was breaking. His hands were shaking, his throat tight, and his eyes full of tears. He loved her,so much but this was the only way. He had promised his family long ago,Never fall for a human. It was a family rule. She blinked slowly, her eyes dulling under the compulsion. Then she turned and walked away, not remembering a thing. But something inside her still felt off like a part of her was missing. Lucien stood there, watching her go. Every step she took felt like a knife in his chest. She disappeared into the house, and he whispered, "Forgive me, Emily." His mind pulled him back to when it all started. ''Mom,love this city,promise we won't have to move '' Emily said,holding her mother's hand. She was wearing a bright yellow hoodie, curly brown hair pulled up into a bun, a camera around her neck, and that curious sparkle in her eyes. She looked like she wanted to explore everything. She was beautiful. Innocent. Alive. He remembered how she held her mom’s hand as they walked through the town square. Her mom… there was something strange about that woman. Emily was moving around snapping photos of the old fountain, the town’s gothic buildings. Lucius had been watching her too, from the rooftop of the old bookstore across the street. His senses were sharper than most. And from the moment she stepped into Raven, he knew she wasn’t just passing through. Meeting her wasn’t random. It was planned.He followed her around and He had overheard her talking to a Friend,Grace,over the phone. ''Yes Grace,I love this city so much,I miss you though,I'll be visiting the local bookshop tomorrow.i'll send you pictures.'' So, he made sure to be there the next day. The bell above the bookstore door jingled, and in she walked,hood down, camera slung across her shoulder. She looked around, wide-eyed, touching books like they were treasures. Lucius stood by the fantasy section, pretending to read. When she walked past, he "accidentally" stepped back and bumped into her. “Oh, my God, I’m sorry!” she said, steadying her camera. Lucius turned slowly, pretending to be annoyed. “Maybe try looking where you're going?” She blinked. “Excuse me?” He smirked, then softened. “I’m kidding. You just surprised me.” “You have a weird way of joking,” she muttered, brushing past him. Lucius watched her with amusement. She had fire. He liked that. ''i'm sorry,I thought the joke was funny,I'm Lucien,'' Lucien Introduced himself, Emily tried to hold her smile but she couldn't and before you knew it,they were both laughing. ''Can I get your number?'' Emily asked and Lucien didn't hesitate, And from that day,they talked every blessed day. Three weeks had past and there love continued to grow,not Lucien knew it was never going to work,he got a call that his family wasn't going to stay in Wason for a year,they were returning.He had to make the most of it. One evening,Emily and Luicen were having a walk.They were just enjoying the cold breeze of the night,when Luicen broke the silence. "Emily, love, I need to tell you something," he had said that night, looking directly into her eyes. "Promise you won’t scream." "Okay?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "I’m a vampire." She stared at him for a second… and then laughed. "You’re joking, right?" "I’m not," Lucien said, stepping forward. "Wait, hold on. Are you saying vampires are real?" she asked, her face lighting up with curiosity instead of fear. "Wow. Does that mean you're, like… a thousand years old?" "Not that old," he chuckled. "I’m six hundred and seventy. But I do know someone who’s over a thousand." Emily’s eyes widened. "That’s insane.You look eighteen, I’m talking to a guy who’s lived longer than my whole family tree combined. And yet, I’m not scared." Lucien’s heart warmed at her words. "Please don’t be. I would never hurt you." "You won’t. I know you won’t," she said softly. "I’ve only been in Raven for a month, but you’ve made it feel like home." She paused, then added, "I love that you’re not hiding anything from me. Being a vampire sounds cool. You get to live forever." Lucien gave a small smile. "It’s not all… what did you call it? Cool." They both laughed, the sound light and full of something unspoken. Later that week, he took her to his house for the first time. "Wow, your house is huge. And it’s like… rich rich," she said, walking through the living room. Lucien smirked. "It helps when your family’s been investing for centuries." She reached for the fridge. "Can I get a drink?" Before he could answer, she opened it and froze. Inside were bags of blood labeled from the local community hospital. Lucien quickly stepped in. "We don’t feed directly from humans. It’s a family rule. We survive on stored blood only." Emily slowly closed the fridge and turned to him. "That’s… honestly impressive." "I can show you the rest of the house if you want. My room?" "Lead the way, Dracula," she teased, making him smile. Once in his room, she asked, "So when you compel someone, they forget stuff?" "Yeah. But it’s more than that. We can also make people do things." "Are you compelling me now?" He looked at her seriously. "No. I love you. I would never do that to you." She stepped closer, and their lips met for the first time. The kiss was soft at first, but full of built-up emotion. ''I love you so much Emily,'' The memory faded, and Lucien was back in the present. He watched from the shadows as Emily entered her house. "Emily! Come back here!" her mom called out from the porch. "Where have you been, you little brat?" Emily looked confused. "I don’t even know, Mom…" "Come here. You got me worried," her mom said, pulling her in for a hug. But her face showed concern. She was thinking about what her daughter just said because something wasn’t right. Lucien turned away, his heart heavy. Back in his room, he sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the same spot she had once stood in. He remembered the laughter, the way she touched his face, the way she said "I love you" without needing to say it out loud. He remembered everything. And now, she remembered nothing. He whispered one last time, "Forgive me, Emily."