Chapter 1: The Boy with Golden Blood
Victor Reed always knew he was different.
Not in the superhero sense—no laser eyes, no telepathy. Just the constant presence of needles, hospital beds, and the ever-cautious look in his mother's eyes whenever he scraped his knee or caught a fever.
He had RH-null blood, the rarest blood type on Earth. Fewer than fifty people alive shared it. His doctors called it "golden blood" because it could save almost anyone—universal donor. But for Victor, it was a curse. Every cut was a risk. Every blood test required a special team. He was a walking, breathing anomaly.
At 21, Victor had learned to live carefully. No sports. No fights. No chaos. He worked in a quiet bookstore in the old part of town, surrounded by dusty tomes and the faint scent of coffee from the café next door. It was a quiet life, and that's how he liked it.
Until the day she walked in.
She wasn't like the usual customers. Tall. Pale as moonlight. Eyes the color of spilled wine, sharp and ancient. She didn't browse. She watched. Her gaze pinned Victor like a butterfly under glass.
"Can I help you?" he asked, voice steady despite the chill that ran down his spine.
"I believe you already have," she said, her voice silk wrapped around steel. She smiled, and for the briefest moment, Victor could swear he saw fangs. "Your scent led me here."
Before he could respond, the bell above the door jingled again. Another woman entered—wild-eyed, with dark skin and golden irises that flickered like candlelight. Her presence felt like a storm.
Then a third. Regal, elegant, and unnaturally tall. Her eyes shimmered like molten gold, and when she spoke, the air around her seemed to vibrate.
"Found him first, vampire?" she asked, her voice like distant thunder. "Too bad. Dragons claim what's powerful. Especially when it's one of our own."
Victor took a step back. "W-What is this? Who are you people?"
The pale woman tilted her head. "You don't know yet, do you?"
"He will," said the storm-eyed girl with a grin. "Soon."
And then everything went dark.