The Van Helsing Conjecture – Excerpt No. 314

“So, this tower of yours is located in Pompeii?” Julia asked.

This was an instance of seeing not always equating to believing. Julia may be faced with all the signs as to where they were, but her mind needed time to digest the impossibility of it. Doesn’t help that the answers are more nuanced.

“For this moment in time,” Clara answered as they neared the city.

They were walking at a brisk pace, in part due to the eeriness of it. There was no warmth to the sun, nor any wind, and total absence of animal life. These elements could leave someone unnerved, especially if they happened to be a predator with their senses heightened accordingly.

a cinematic, high-contrast photograph of two brunettes, one wearing fitted blue jeans and a lightweight, pastel-colored blouse with a relaxed collar, her dark hair cascading down her back, walking alongside another brunette with an ethereal, porcelain-like complexion, grey eyes that seem almost silver in the right light, and majestic, large black feathered wings sprouting from her back, which are slightly ruffled as if she's about to take flight, as they stroll through the ancient, sun-drenched streets of a Roman city, with worn stone pavement, ornate fountains, and crumbling architecture, bathed in a warm, golden light that accentuates the textures and adds a sense of nostalgia and timelessness to the scene.

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.