THE UMBRA

The crisp wind of autumn's noon sky sweeps through the city of Cluj-Napoca. As people begin to settle in for the night, the trees tremble in fear of the approaching cold, shedding their last leaves as they perish away. A gradient of pinks and oranges becomes engulfed by a deep blue as it eats away the day, making space for the night stars to twinkle in existence. 

The city becomes still as it settles into a quiet night—absent of noise besides the quiet whistles of people sleeping. In this small world in Romania, the space becomes abandoned, undisturbed by any signs of life. Despite its calm nature, Transylvania holds a dark secret that comes to life as the night eats away the day. 

Creatures that lurk in the night plague the lore of Romania, with its deep history of the unknown and the mystical. These creatures of immense power feed off the living, draining the blood of their victims—vampires. Needing no introduction, the lore of the vampire is deeply rooted in the culture of Romania, still suspended between truth and myth. Vampires sulk in the unknown as they prowl near the edges of reality, each with their cryptic agenda. 

On the outskirts of Cluj-Napoca sits a small cabin with light protruding from the glass window. A soft rustle escapes the cabins structure, as the wind from the forest hits the side of the building. Hoia-Baciu; one of Romania's largest and most eerie forests, stretches deep into the unknown. Legend tells of cryptids living in the forest, stories shared amongst humans who dare not to venture so deep into the forest, especially at night. As the night gets colder, the forest releases its thick fog and rolls towards the cabin. 

Outside, the looming fog covers the ground with white mist, surrounding the cabin. Inside, the cabin is filled with the rustling of pages, the scratching of pencils, and the creaking of the floor, all breathing life into the room. A pale hand shuffles through the pages of a book, desperately searching for a specific passage. Reaching the end of the book, the hand, filled with frustration, tosses it across the room, slamming it against the wall. The impatient hand reaches for another book and shuffles through the pages again, determined to find what's plaguing its mind. 

The figure, frustrated once again, tosses the book and reaches for another. Repeating the action, the tall man growls with frustration as he throws another book aside. Walking over to a bookshelf against the wall he scans the titles of each book. His eyes trail along the line of organized spines, his eyebrows pinching—focused. Before another wave of frustration overtakes his impatient nature, the man locks onto a book sitting at the end of the row—Monstrul ce suge sângele—The Blood Sucking Monster. Swiftly, he slides it out of its shelf and walks over to a coffee table in the living room. Lose pages and opened books cover the surface of the table, he sits on the couch and begins to flip through the pages of the book. 

As a vampire, Ian's unsettling appearance was enhanced by his glowing red eyes and superhuman abilities. His eyes moved effortlessly across each page, scanning with unwavering persistence in the dim light of the room. His slender fingers moved quickly and deliberately through the pages, his search driven by persistence. Still young in his vampire life, Ian had become obsessed with his newfound power. Eager to unravel the mysteries of the vampiric world, he stumbled upon an intriguing figure. While researching vampiric history in Romania, Ian became inspired by the legend of an ancient, intelligent, and powerful vampire—Sângeroiu Grozavul, a figure well-respected and feared among his kind. Grozavul ignited Ian's hunger for knowledge, consumed with learning everything about this legendary vampire. 

As Ian delved deeper into his research, tracking down ancient texts and stories about Grozavul, he uncovered startling truths. He learned that Grozavul was still alive, buried deep in the Hoia-Baciu Forest. According to legend, the mighty Sângeroiu Grozavul had confined himself to a wooden coffin, hidden underground. His loyal familiars had placed him there, beneath a stone cross, by his command. But Grozavul's mind was troubled. Despite his immense power and knowledge, he began to question his existence and purpose. Plagued by inner turmoil, the once-great conqueror found himself in a deep existential conflict, losing his will to continue his endless existence. The all-knowing Grozavul struggled to understand how to proceed with his undying life and Ian sought to ignite his passion once more!