xMy Vampire Kingx.

Chapter-1 | Stupid Bets and Haunted Tunnels

APRIL

The wind bit at my face as I pushed deeper into the forest, each gust colder than the last, like the trees were whispering go back with every creak. My flashlight beam jittered in my sweaty grip, catching glimpses of twisted branches and shadows that moved when they shouldn’t.

And yet, here I was. Walking alone at night. Toward a cemetery. On purpose.

Why?

Oh, right. Because I had stupid friends. And I lost a stupid bet.

Barcelona vs. Madrid. The eternal rivalry. And I—foolishly loyal, tragically hopeful—chose Barça. Madrid won. Which meant I, as the lone Barça supporter in our little group, had to pay the price.

Their dare? Go to the cursed, probably-haunted, serial-killer-infested tunnel near the graveyard. Snap a pic inside. Come back. Easy, right?

Wrong. So, so wrong.

This wasn’t just any tunnel. Oh no. The tunnel had a reputation—abandoned, haunted, the stuff of small-town legend. Everyone knew about the “f*******n Tunnel,” but nobody actually went near it.

Except me. Apparently.

I was sure the tunnel probably had its own ghostly theme song.

Simple. Suicidal. Straightforward.

Because my delightful friends had threatened to expose my very real, very secret crush on a certain boy with killer hair and an even better jawline. I was not about to let that happen. I already had one foot out the high school door—I didn’t need drama following me across the finish line.

So now I was here. In the middle of a forest that looked like it came with its own horror movie soundtrack. Great.

As I muttered curses under my breath, my foot snagged on a root, and I went flying.

“s**t—!” I landed hard, pain blooming in my tailbone. I lay there for a second, staring up at the barely-there stars through the branches.

“This is it,” I groaned, “this is how I die. Alone. Dirty. And tragically underdressed for the afterlife.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket, making me jump.

“Are you there yet?” May’s voice chirped from the speaker. Way too cheerful for someone who had sentenced me to death.

“Oh yeah, it’s a real party,” I muttered, brushing dirt from my jeans as I stood. “I’m chilling with a bunch of vampires and sipping blood martinis. Living my best life.”

“Ha-ha. Just take the damn picture, drama queen.” Says another stupid friend. Worse decision ever to befriend them.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be back in an hour. Maybe.” I started walking again, voice dropping into a dry mutter. “If I’m not eaten by some cursed Victorian poltergeist or dragged into the underworld…”

“If you die, I swear I’ll kill you.”

“Touching. Really.”

I hung up with a sigh and kept moving. I forced myself to hum—anything to push back the eerie silence closing in around me. The flashlight lit only a few steps ahead. Everything else was just... dark. Heavy.

The tunnel came into view like it had been waiting for me. Wide. Stone. Silent.

I stopped short.

My stomach twisted. My instincts screamed no. Turn back. This place wasn’t just abandoned—it felt aware.

I forced a shaky breath and took a step forward. “Alright, April. Just go in, take one little picture, and get out. No big deal. You’ve done worse. Like wear that lace choker in ninth grade. This’ll be fine.”

The heavy door was cold against my palm. I gave it a tug. Nothing.

Again. Still nothing.

“Okay,” I whispered, glancing around. “If it’s locked, I’m not technically breaking the rules, right?”

Nothing. I grinned. “Well, guess I can’t go in. Oops. Time to go ho—”

CREEEEAAAK.

The door slowly opened with a groan that sounded far too human.

I hadn’t even touched it that time.

My spine straightened. My heart climbed into my throat.

“Nope,” I said out loud, staring at the dark entrance. “Absolutely not. You don’t just open on your own like some cursed Scooby-Doo portal.”

But the sensible part of me—the part that didn’t want her crush broadcasted to the school—kicked in.

Get it together, April. You’re a strong, brave, sarcastic queen. One picture. Just do it.

After the brief pep talk, I stepped through the threshold, and immediately felt the air change.

Colder. Denser. Like the tunnel itself was holding its breath.

Each step echoed softly as I moved down the narrow stone path. Moss clung to the walls. Something dripped from somewhere unseen. I hugged my arms around myself, trying to keep the fear from showing on my face—even though I was alone.

Hopefully alone.

Up ahead, I found a spiral staircase. I climbed quickly—mostly to outrun my own imagination—and emerged into a wide, open space bathed in weak moonlight.

It was... oddly beautiful, in a creepy way.

Cracks in the ceiling let in pale light that touched dust-covered stones and crooked ivy curling through the walls. Webs stretched across forgotten corners. It looked like the world had just stopped here. Like time had taken a breath and never exhaled.

My heartbeat slowed, just a little.

Three more tunnels stood ahead, each with its own door. Old. Worn. Waiting.

I tried the first door.

Locked.

Okay. Fine. Maybe that was the "nope" tunnel.

I moved to the second. Same story. The handle didn’t budge. The third? Also sealed shut like the universe was giving me a big

flashing GET OUT sign.

I stared at the doors, heart hammering. What the hell is this place? It looked abandoned, but now I wasn't so sure. It felt… watched.

Trying to ignore the prickling at the back of my neck, I fumbled my phone out of my coat and snapped a quick picture of the open chamber, “Alright. Say cheese, creepy ancient tunnel.”

But then—

I paused.

A sound.

A breath?

Someone else was here.

Lowering my hands, my eyes darted toward the passageway to my left.

The air was colder now. Heavier. Like it knew what was about to happen.

And for the first time tonight... I wasn’t sure if this was still just a dare.

Task complete. Dare fulfilled. Time to run.

I turned on my heel, ready to bolt—

And froze.

Hands.

Cold fingers gripped my shoulders from behind—firm, unshaking.

Before I could scream, a hand clamped over my mouth.

I thrashed instinctively, kicking backward, twisting like a cat in a bag. Panic surged through me like lightning.

“Don’t scream,” a low voice rumbled against my ear. Deep. Calm. Male. “I’m going to let go now, but you need to stay quiet.”

I nodded frantically. Not because I trusted him—hell no—but because I needed my mouth free to scream creatively if necessary.

He released me, and I spun around, stumbling back into the moonlight—right into the gaze of a man with shockingly pale skin and eyes the color of an electric storm. His expression was unreadable.

Serial killer. Obviously.

I moved to run, but he grabbed my forearm with inhuman speed, stopping me cold.

“Let me go!” I shrieked, louder than I meant to.

“What did I just say about screaming?” he growled, tightening his grip slightly.

“Stay the hell away from me, you creep!” I spat, yanking at my arm. He didn’t budge.

His hold wasn’t painful, just… unbreakable.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said softly, his voice suddenly gentler.

“Oh, really? Is this how you don’t hurt someone?” I snapped, trying again to jerk free. “Let go, or so help me—”

“Yeah?” he said, tilting his head with a slow smirk. “And what exactly are you going to do?”

“I’ll knee you so hard you’ll be tasting regret for the next decade,” I snapped.

His eyes lit with amusement. “Now that I’d like to see.”

Challenge accepted.

I raised my knee like a champ—only for him to catch it mid-air with reflexes that made me question reality. He yanked me forward, closing the space between us in a blink.

Suddenly, I was chest-to-chest with him. Inches from his stupidly symmetrical face.

And—ugh—okay, yes, it was a very nice face.

My brain paused the panic for just a second so I could notice things like his sculpted cheekbones, the sharp cut of his jawline, and lips that looked dangerously kissable in the dim light. Focus, April. He’s probably about to wear your face like a Halloween mask.

Still, it didn’t stop me from staring.

He blinked once, then slowly stepped back, releasing me. “Let’s stop playing games. I just want to talk.”

“Sure,” I said flatly. “Let’s have a friendly little chat with the stranger who just tackled me in a haunted tunnel.”

He smiled, unnervingly calm. “I’m Edward. And you are…?”

“My name is ‘Why-The-Hell-Should-I-Tell-You’,” I muttered.

“April,” I said out loud a second later, because apparently my mouth didn’t check with my brain first.

“April,” he repeated with a small smile. “Pretty name for a pretty girl.”

I tugged at my arm again. “Cool. Now how about you let go and explain what the hell you're doing here?”

“Alright. We can talk. Let’s sit.”

“I’m good standing. What do you want?” I demanded, heart still racing.

He ignored that. Of course he did.

Instead, he gave me a long, searching look. “What brought you here?”

“Oh, I don’t know, a stupid bet and peer pressure,” I said, crossing my arms. “What brought you here, stalker?”

He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “I was just passing by, and—”

“Passing by?” I cut him off. “What, through the dirt tunnel wall? I didn’t see you come in. Were you hiding in here? Waiting? That’s

some serious Ted Bundy behavior.”

He hesitated, jaw tightening. “Okay, listen. What I’m about to tell you… it’s going to sound insane. Just—don’t run. Please. I won’t

hurt you.”

I rolled my eyes so hard I might’ve sprained something. “Great. The lunatic has rules.”

He inhaled slowly. “I’m a vampire.”

Silence.

A beat passed. Then another.

And then—oh god, I couldn’t stop it—I burst out laughing.

I laughed so hard I had to grip my knees, tears pricking the corners of my eyes.

“You? A vampire? You mean like Twilight and fangs and sparkly angst? That kind of vampire?”

He frowned. “I don’t sparkle.”

I wheezed. “This is… priceless. Wow. You really went all in on the serial killer backstory, huh?”

“I’m serious,” he snapped, a flash of frustration in his eyes. “This isn’t a joke.”

I finally stood up straight, wiping my eyes. “Alright, Edward Cullen 2.0. Show me your fangs. Or fly. Or I don’t know, drink some O-

negative in front of me.”

He stared at me. Not offended. Just... calm. Like he’d expected me to react this way.

And for some reason, that unnerved me more than the vampire claim itself.

I crossed my arms tighter. “You better not be messing with me, dude. Because this place is already giving me full-on horror movie

vibes, and you’re about five seconds from getting pepper-sprayed with hair spray and glitter.”

He didn’t move. Just watched me with those grey eyes, like he was waiting for something.

I swallowed hard.

Maybe it wasn’t a joke.

He leaned in suddenly, his face close—too close—and I stiffened like a statue about to c***k. His eyes, once a cool stormy grey,

flickered into something sharper. Brighter. A gleaming grey-gold that almost seemed… unreal. And then—

Oh hell no.

He opened his mouth, and I saw them.

Two sharp, glistening fangs slid down like they were on command.

My breath hitched. These were fangs. Sharp, curved, and real.

My body went full statue mode. Spine stiff. Limbs locked. Mouth open in a silent scream that never left my throat.

What the actual hell?

He wasn’t bluffing.

He wasn’t some weirdo LARPer with dental cosplay and bad timing.

He was… real.

A vampire. An honest-to-God, fanged, possibly-blood-sucking vampire.

“You believe me now?” he asked quietly, watching me like I was some kind of science experiment about to explode.

I stepped back automatically, my back pressing against the cool wall of the tunnel. My mouth opened but no words came out. It was

just a mix of “what” and “how” and “am I about to die?”

I blinked, “I—how is that even…” I shook my head, trying to form a complete sentence. “Vampires don’t exist. They’re myths. Urban

legends. Like Halloween decorations and bad movie clichés.”

Edward raised a brow. “And yet, here I am.”

I swallowed hard, heart slamming against my ribs. “You’re really not going to kill me?”

“If I was,” he said smoothly, “you’d already be dead.”

Comforting. Really.

I stared at him, still trying to process the absurdity of the night. This wasn’t how dares were supposed to go. I was supposed to snap a

dumb photo, maybe get fake-jumped by my friends, and go home mildly traumatized—not existentially rearranged.

He looked at me for a moment longer, then sighed. “I’ll explain everything. Just not tonight,” he continued, “There’s something I have to take care of. Emergency.”

Of course vampires have emergencies. Why not.

“I was just passing through when I caught the scent of something sweet—roses and honey. That’s what led me here,” he said, his voice softer now. “That’s why I stopped.”

“Right,” I muttered. “Because apparently I give off vampire-luring signals. Good to know.”

He gave me a look that was somewhere between curiosity and… warning.

“Come back tomorrow. Same time. Same place.” He tilted his head. “And don’t bother trying to disappear. If I want to find you, I

will.”

Oh, terrific.

I opened my mouth to say hell no, or you’re insane, or this is where I file a restraining order, but…

Instead: “Fine. No need to stalk me. I’ll come.”

Wow. My mouth really needed to start taking messages from my brain first.

His mouth twitched like he was holding back a smirk. “Noted.”

Then, with zero warning, he leaned in and—

Okay, no. Nope.

His face moved toward mine and I jerked back, heart hammering in my chest. And then he kissed me.

Well—not a kiss kiss. More like a barely-there press of lips against my cheek.

Still.

It was soft. Warm. Unexpected.

I closed my eyes for a split second in fear.

And when I opened them—he was gone.

Vanished.

Like a damn magic trick.

I stood there blinking at the empty space in disbelief, where he’d been, cheeks still tingling. No footsteps. No shadow. No trace. What

the hell was that? Who just kisses strangers and disappears into the night?

Apparently hot vampire guys do.

I turned and sprinted out of that tunnel like my life depended on it. Maybe it did. I didn’t stop running until I was out of the woods, across the street, and finally stumbling into the apartment building like a contestant in a horror movie who almost made it to the credits.

Thirty minutes later, I burst through the front door of my place like I’d survived the apocalypse. I made a beeline for the kitchen, chugged half a glass of water, and was halfway to convincing myself this was all a stress-induced hallucination when—

“April? That you?” May’s voice floated out from my room, laced with a hint of worry. Genuine or staged? Hard to tell.

Of course she was still here. Why wouldn’t she be?

I rolled my eyes and forced the most unbothered smile I could manage before walking in.

“Hey guys!” I chirped, voice bright and sugary enough to cause diabetes.

May and the rest of the so called ‘friends’ were sprawled on my bed like they owned the place.

“We were starting to think something happened,” May said, glancing at the others as if they’d been deeply concerned. She tugged at the hem of her shirt, guilt flickering across her face.

“Oh really?” I said, crossing my arms. “If you were so worried, why didn’t you come find me? Maybe call? Text? Send a search

party?”

Tyler scratched the back of his neck. “You, uh… had to do the dare alone, so we figured… you know. Boundaries.”

Boundaries, my a*s.

“Whatever,” I muttered, tossing my phone at him. “Here. Proof. I went. I survived.”

Tyler caught it, opened the gallery, and lit up like he’d just seen Santa Claus.

“Dude! You actually did it!” Dylan spoke, giving me a thumbs up.

May jumped up and down like an overexcited golden retriever. “April! You legend!”

Legend my a*s. If they knew what really happened, they'd be curled up in a ball crying for their moms.

“Cool, great, now get out,” I said, already pushing them toward the door.

“Wait, April—” Dylan started, but I slammed the door before he could finish whatever fake-concerned thing he was about to say.

Harsh? Maybe. Necessary? Absolutely.

But after the night I just had? I needed a break from everyone—including the people I called friends.

I sat on the edge of my bed, replaying the tunnel in my mind. The doors. The voice. Those eyes.

That word.

Vampire.

My hand trembled as I pulled the covers over me.

Whatever tonight was, it wasn’t over. And something told me tomorrow was going to be even weirder.

*********