Emma's mind reeled, grappling with the unfathomable reality that had been unveiled before her. The concept of vampires, immortality, and centuries of existence seemed like fragments of a fantastical tale something out of a myth or an old, dusty novel she'd once dismissed as pure fiction. Yet here she was, seated across from a man who claimed to have lived through the rise and fall of empires, and her heart thundered against her ribs like a caged thing.
"So you're telling me that you've been a vampire and you've lived for centuries?" she blurted out, her voice cracking slightly, laced with incredulity and disbelief. She wanted to laugh, to shake her head and walk away, but her body remained frozen, caught between instinct and curiosity.