The Van Helsing Conjecture – Excerpt No. 317

24 July 2025

They were alone on the road, but the first sign of habitation soon reached her ears. There was music hanging in the air, and by the sounds of it, it was live.

There was a distinctly feminine voice singing in Latin accompanied by an instrument reminiscent of a fiddle. The melody was faint at first but grew in prominence with every step.

“That’s… music?” Julia asked.

“Sounds like,”

“That’s not—(normal, is it?)”

“No, it’s not.”

a cinematic, high-contrast photograph of a confident brunette woman with rich, chestnut-brown hair, expressive brown eyes, and subtle, rosy cheeks, wearing a fitted, black leather jacket, a crisp, white light shirt, and distressed, dark blue jeans, walking down a picturesque, cobblestone street in a pristine, ancient Roman city, with aged, honey-colored buildings, ornate fountains, and vibrant greenery, accompanied by a mysterious, brunette companion with striking, grey eyes, porcelain-like skin, and raven-black hair, adorned in a fitted, black lace corset, a flowing, pleated skirt, and magnificent, large, glossy black feathered wings, with intricate, lace-like details, against a backdrop of a warm, golden sunset.

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.