Man at War – Excerpt No. 300

7 July 2026

This is why she knew for certain that she and Evelyn were, for the most part, the only guests. Occasionally there were transient guests, but they were rarely here for more than one night. The Grand was still officially under construction, which meant people were only here when necessary. Brought in for specific tasks and and hightail it out of here the next day.

She supposed that would change when the myriad of clubs, restaurants, and amenities were opened. When that happened, vampires and their prey would be able to drown in the excess.

A dramatic black-and-white vintage-style photograph with torn paper edges, depicting a surreal and unsettling scene inside a lavish early 20th-century dining hall or restaurant. Well-dressed men and women in formal 1920s–1930s attire sit at elegantly set tables with glassware and chandeliers overhead, casually dining and conversing alongside grotesque monsters — including large, fanged werewolf-like creatures, shaggy beasts, and ghostly pale figures — all mingling together as if it were perfectly normal.

Disclaimer: This novel is an work in progress and readers may encounter grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Please view this a draft and not a published work.