As night fell over Victorian London, Klein quickened his pace. The streets were emptying out as respectable folk headed home, but this was when the less respectable came out to play.
His wand vibrated slightly in his pocket as if alerting him to unseen dangers. His heart pounding, Klein ducked into a narrow alleyway to avoid a gang of ruffians swaggering down the street.
But the alley was a dead end. As Klein turned to leave, a pale man in a top hat blocked the exit, eyes glinting red in the dim light.
"Well, well, what have we here?" the man hissed, baring pointed teeth. "A little lost lamb wandering at night?"
Heart pounding, Klein gripped his wand tightly in his pocket, ready to defend himself with magic if necessary. He had no idea what he was capable of, but he had to try.
The man strode closer, reaching into his coat. "I haven't fed in days. You'll do nicely to satisfy my hunger."
"Stay back!" Klein warned, pulling out his wand. He didn't know any spells but hoped he could bluff his way out.
The man just laughed, eyes glowing brighter. "Do you really think you can defeat me, little wizard?"
Shadows flickered and stirred around them. Klein sensed other creatures emerging, hungry for blood. He was outmatched and outnumbered under the cover of night. The light continues to shine, but mystery lurks in every shadow.
Klein gripped his wand, panic rising in his chest. He was trapped with nowhere to run and no way to defend himself against this vampire and his cronies.
The pale man lunged straight at Klein, fangs bared and ready to bite. Thinking fast, Klein waved his wand and shouted, "Protego!"
A magical shield blossomed around him just as the vampire crashed against it. The creature hissed in anger, pounding against the shield with pale fists.
"You'll never hold me off forever," the vampire growled. "Your magic will fade, and when it does, I'll feast on your bones!"
Klein didn't know how long he could maintain the shield. He had to find a way out of this alley and escape, though he had no idea where to run. The vampire's red eyes gleamed with hunger and malice, staring straight at Klein as he battered against the magical barrier.
Just then, a loud bang resounded from the alley entrance. A gruff voice shouted, "Be gone from here, foul creatures!"
The vampire shrieked in anger and pain, smoke rising from his body. He and his cronies vanished in a swirl of shadow, retreating from the wand of the mysterious stranger.
Klein breathed a sigh of relief as the shield around him faded away. But who was this stranger who had come to his aid? He emerged from the shadows, a tall older man in a bowler cap clutching a worn wand.
"There are dark forces lurking in this city, my boy," the man said grimly. "You'll need to learn fast if you want to survive."
Klein's heart pounded as he gazed up at the stranger. His new life in this world was turning out to be far more dangerous than he had imagined. But it seemed he had found a guide to help him along the way. The light continues to shine, but one must be ever-vigilant against the darkness...
To be continued!