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A wave of sadness washed over his countenance as he pondered on her absence. His face adopted a solemn expression as he delved into the memories that haunted him – a tragic sequence of events that led to the irrevocable loss of the first woman he had ever loved.

Cassandra had been cruelly torn away from him by his own father, the nefarious Malachi. As the rightful heir to the throne of Aarkans, Marcus had defied expectations by choosing to remain among the humans, devoting himself to their protection and forsaking the power-hungry desires of his father.

Even after driving a wooden stake through his heart and consigning him to the depths of the moors in his land, Marcus couldn\'t escape the constant ache in his chest, a relentless reminder of the profound sorrow that enveloped him at the absence of the one person he had envisioned a future with.

This is a journey that is sure to take away all these thoughts, I hope.

He released a deep sigh, determined to quell the agitation within his mind and focus solely on the path that lay ahead. Everything was unclear; his thought was a cluttered storeroom, brimming with memories of tragedy and desolation.

However, amidst the uncertainty, he held on to a steadfast belief that he would eventually find his path again, and when the moment of clarity came, it would be within his grasp.

***

Welcome to Ashtonville.

Marcus casually drove past the inconspicuous signpost that stood rather aimlessly at the right side of the narrow one-way street.

The neighborhood exuded an air of compactness, with each house seemingly designed for small families, lacking of any uniqueness and blending seamlessly with its neighboring counterparts.

It became evident that the area he had stumbled upon was far from the intended hustle and bustle of the city, which, as indicated on his map, lay approximately six miles away.

Nevertheless, it made for a considerable dwelling since it was much closer to the woods and the ensuing solace appealed to him.

His attention was drawn to the multitude of \'for sale\' signs prominently displayed on the porches of the neatly aligned houses that adorned the street he now drove. A question arose in his mind.

Are they evacuating?

Not that it mattered to him, but it was worth asking as it made no sense that in such a beautiful neighborhood, although gloom with lack of creativity, there would be no sign of lives bubbling in the streets.

His car was still moving, seemingly gliding through the desolate streets, he noted. But he paid no heed as he\'d come to notice that there was no one in the environment.

Just when he\'d settled on that thought, a sudden impact jolted him forward, propelling his body towards the steering wheel, triggering the deployment of the safety airbag from its central position.

"This damned thing never knows when to react," He grumbled to himself, hastily adjusting the persistent airbag that threatened to soil his mood. The collision had been minor, rendering the ignition unnecessary, unless the car was designed for toddlers.

In a state of slight exasperation, he opened the car door with a determined budge. With his head downcast, a habit he had grown accustomed to due to his nature, he made his way towards the front of his vehicle.

However, his attention was abruptly diverted by the sound of another car door slamming shut with a force that caught his ears.

Curiosity piqued, he instinctively raised his gaze to witness the source of the commotion. With a touch of amusement, he mused that the person\'s enthusiasm could potentially shatter the window glass.

But his amusement quickly transformed into astonishment as his eyes locked onto the figure advancing towards him.

It wasn\'t a man as he had expected, but rather a woman, gracefully trotting towards him with purpose. In that moment, if it were possible for a vampire to feel even colder than their already chilled nature, that was exactly how he felt.

The blood drained from his face as he stood transfixed, unable to tear his gaze away from what appeared to be a ghostly apparition before him.

But this is no ghost; this is – her, for real…

From her mannerism, he could sense the waves of fury emanating from her. It became evident that she was the one he had unintentionally collided with – her car, to be precise. However, that wasn\'t the sole reason for his utter disillusionment in the moment that so clearly demanded his attention.

Earth is full of wonders.

Those words echoed through his mind as he beheld the astonishing sight before him. Standing there, with an uncanny resemblance to his beloved Cassandra, was a woman who embodied all the unique features that once captured his heart.

Her luscious locks, a blend of dark brown and faded black, cascaded in waves over her shoulders, exuding a vibrancy that seemed to mirror her fiery spirit.

There was an undeniable liveliness to her presence, a spark ignited by the unforeseen event resulting from his brief lapse of focus. While her eyes bore a similar shade of mesmerizing marine blue, they held a different glimmer, hinting at the current storm of emotions swirling inside her.

In that moment, a surge of curiosity consumed him, urging him to imagine how this enigmatic woman would resemble his cherished memories of Cassandra.

He longed to witness a glimpse of his lost lover within the entirety of this strange woman before him, he was desperate to confirm her identity.

For a moment, he felt his consciousness detach from his physical being, as if he were astral projecting, granting him a fleeting taste of the ethereal.

Yet, he couldn\'t abandon the present. He had to be certain, to ensure that this wasn\'t the woman he had tragically lost to his merciless father.