Chapter 6
The next morning, the grand house felt less like a medical suite and more like a gilded cage. Jinn had spent a restless night, his mind a whirlwind of fragmented memories and impossible revelations. His father, a hidden past, a magical amulet, time manipulation, vampires, and a family of powerful strangers. It was all too much, yet strangely, a sliver of excitement began to cut through the grief and confusion.
He found his amulet tucked under his pillow, just as he'd left it. Its cool, smooth surface felt oddly comforting in his palm. He slipped it around his neck, letting it rest against his chest, a constant reminder of the bizarre truth of his new reality.
A gentle knock brought him back to the present. "Jinn? Are you awake?" It was Elara's voice.
"Yeah, I'm up," he called out, sitting up in bed.
Elara entered, a soft smile on her face. "Good morning. I hope you slept well, given everything." She held out a neatly folded set of clothes—casual wear that looked far more comfortable than the hospital gown. "Breakfast is ready when you are. And… Lyra wants to speak with you."
Jinn felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He remembered Lyra's anger, her tears, and her swift exit. He knew her reaction stemmed from grief for her uncle, his father, but it didn't make the prospect of facing her any less daunting. "Okay," he mumbled, taking the clothes.
After a quick, somewhat awkward breakfast with Elara and Kael—who remained quietly observant but friendly—Jinn found himself walking down a corridor Elara had directed him to. He pushed open a heavy wooden door that led into what appeared to be a vast, indoor training arena. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of ozone.
Lyra stood in the center of the expansive space, facing away from him. She was clad in sleek, form-fitting training gear, her midnight hair pulled back in a high ponytail. Around her, several metal dummies were battered and dented, some even twisted into impossible shapes. As he watched, she raised her hand, and a gust of wind, impossibly strong for an enclosed space, erupted from her palm, sending one of the standing dummies skidding across the polished floor.
She was strong. Much stronger than he could have imagined.
"You wanted to see me?" Jinn asked, his voice echoing slightly in the large room.
Lyra visibly stiffened, then slowly turned. Her emerald eyes, usually so vibrant, were shadowed, and her expression was carefully guarded. She didn't look angry, but a deep sadness lingered beneath the surface, giving her a distant, almost cold demeanor.
"Yes," she said, her voice flat, devoid of the earlier sharp emotion. "My mother explained everything. About my uncle… and you." She paused, her gaze sweeping over him, taking in his still-pale face and the lingering signs of injury. "It's… a lot to take in."
Jinn nodded slowly. "Yeah. For me too." He hesitated, unsure how to bridge the chasm between them. "I'm… I'm sorry about your uncle. My dad."
Lyra flinched at the word "dad," a flicker of pain crossing her face. "He chose to leave," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He chose to go to Earth and forget about us. Forget about who he was." She clenched her fists, her knuckles white. "Now he's gone, and you're here. The living proof of his choices."
Her words stung, laced with a bitterness Jinn hadn't expected. "I didn't ask for any of this," he retorted, a defensive edge creeping into his voice. "I didn't even know any of this was real until two days ago. My dad… he never told me anything."
Lyra's gaze sharpened, her emerald eyes fixing on him with an intensity that made him feel like she was looking straight into his soul. "That's the problem, isn't it? He shielded you. Kept you ignorant. While we, his family, lived with the truth of his absence, fighting the threats he turned his back on." She took a step closer, her voice growing colder. "You're untrained. Unaware. You don't know the first thing about what it means to be part of this bloodline, about the responsibilities that come with it."
Jinn felt a surge of frustration. He understood her pain, but her words felt like an unfair attack. "So what am I supposed to do? Go back to a life that doesn't exist anymore? To a home that's gone? To a world where I thought vampires were just stories?" He gestured vaguely to the training arena. "If this is what my bloodline is, then tell me. Teach me. I'm not going to run from it."
Lyra studied him, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes. Perhaps surprise, perhaps a hint of respect for his unexpected defiance. The anger in her posture seemed to soften, replaced by a weary resignation. "It's not that simple, Jinn. This isn't a game. Our powers… they demand discipline. And sacrifice." She looked around the vast, empty training space. "You have a lot to learn. More than you can imagine."
She turned away, walking towards the center of the arena again. "My mother says your power might be tied to time. That's an incredibly rare and dangerous ability. Untamed, it could cause… unforeseen consequences." She glanced back at him, her expression hardening once more. "Just because you carry our blood doesn't mean you're ready for it. You're still just a kid from Earth, running on luck."
Jinn watched her, a mix of defiance and a strange sense of longing. He could feel the raw grief and resentment radiating off her, but also a fierce pride in her heritage. He knew this wasn't going to be easy. He was an outsider in a family he never knew he had, carrying a power he didn't understand. But as he clutched the amulet beneath his shirt, a flicker of determination ignited within him. He wasn't going to let her dismiss him. He would learn. He would understand.
He would prove her wrong.