The bell rang, echoing across the school grounds, sharp and final. Among the stream of students, a girl stepped out, short dark brown hair tied back.
Lira Vayne adjusted the strap of her bag and glanced upward. As the sky had turned a moody gray, heavy clouds pressed low over the town.
Looks like it's gonna rain, she thought.
She then passed a newsstand, its screen flickering in urgent red:
"Double Homicide in East End — Locals Suspect Vampire Activity."
The air buzzed with tension, the kind that sat beneath the skin. People whispered along the sidewalks. Some blamed the rise in violent crime. Others - more quietly - murmured one word: vampires.
A chill prickled down her spine, but her phone buzzed before she could dwell on it.
We just finished our errands. See you soon and happy birthday, love!! *heart emoji*
Attached was a selfie of her parents, smiling warmly.
A small, relieved smile curved her lips. Despite the exhaustion clinging to her limbs from her last exam week, today felt… lighter. Like something good might finally come.
As she made her way down the familiar road toward home, her phone buzzed again.
Could you grab a carton of eggs? We forgot. Making your favorite omelet! *egg emoji* *cry emoji*
She chuckled, still humming under her breath as she veered toward the convenience store without hesitation. She replied, "Okay, I'm expecting one mini kelly's as my present this year," laughing as she typed. The smell of rain drifted in, and droplets began tapping gently against the sidewalk, first a whisper, then a sudden downpour. She darted inside a store just in time, water dripping from her sleeves. The fluorescent lights overhead flickered weakly as she made her way to the refrigerated aisle. Outside, the rain quickly lashed against the store's windows.
She paused for a moment, then unzipped her bag and pulled out a folded jacket. With a soft huff, she slipped it on, still damp from the earlier downpour, but warmer than nothing.
At the counter, as she placed the carton of eggs down, the cashier glanced at the downpour and said, "It's pretty heavy out there…."
"yeah…" she replied softly. She then took a seat in the bar seat area around the corner, pulling out her phone while watching the downpour through the foggy window. Her fingers moved quickly across the screen.
Mom, I'll wait till the rain dies down a lil bit, then I'll be home. <3
She then send another message.
Psst, pls dont finish the cake without me *cry emoji*
Five minutes passed and the rain showed no signs of slowing. With a quiet sigh, she stood up, wandered over to the freezer, and picked out a tub of strawberry ice cream. Returning to her seat, she peeled the lid open and took a spoonful.
Waa — brain freeze.
It was cold, but oddly soothing.
By the time the rain had faded into a light drizzle and she was already scraping the bottom of the tub. She tossed the empty container in the bin and stood up, her breath fogging lightly in the cool air. With a quick motion, she pulled the hood of her jacket over her head. "Thank youu," she smiled to the cashier before stepping outside.
Outside, it was cold, but the sky was no longer gloomy, now painted in a soft orange, like the sun had just begun stretching past the clouds, casting a warm glow over pavement that still shimmered from the rain. Just a few blocks from home, a soft mewl made her pause. She looked around. Beneath a bench near the storm drain, a small kitten was curled up — soaked and shivering.
"Oh, you poor thing…" Lira whispered, her heart aching.
She crouched beside it, carefully setting down the eggs. Gently, she scooped the kitten into her jacket and looked around. A few steps away, tucked beneath a low stone ledge, was a dry patch sheltered from the wind. She quickly carried the kitten over and knelt down with it, shielding it from the chill.
The kitten whimpered faintly, pressing against her, its tiny heartbeat fluttering like wings.
"There you go," she murmured, brushing its damp fur with gentle fingers. "I hope this is better..."
Then—clink.
A faint sound of metal rolling against the wet pavement.
A gold ring spun and came to a stop beside her foot. She straightened and looked up. A man stood just ahead, shielded beneath a black umbrella. His dark hair was slick with rain, and in one hand, he flicked open a lighter—click, click, a rhythmic sound in the quiet.
"Excuse me!" she called out, bending to pick up the ring. "You dropped this!"
He didn't stop. She jogged a few steps, careful with the eggs in her arms.
"Hey, this rolled out of your pocket, I think!"
The man finally turned.
His eyes were a piercing green, cold and unreadable. His features were sharply defined, sculpted by shadow and rain. And then… that faint distinct smell. Oak.
"You can keep it," he said, voice low and distant. " It's not mine." He turned to walk away without waiting for her reply.
Lira stared at the ring in her hand. Yellow gold. A single paved diamond. Inside, it was engraved:
Forever and Eternity.
Without thinking, she stepped closer and reached out. His hand — when she gently pressed the ring into it — was ice cold.
Not rain-cold. Not winter-cold. Unnatural.
"No… it's yours," she said quietly.
He said nothing. Just stared at her.
Not with confusion. Not with gratitude. Just… silence. Before he could respond, she turned and walked away.
She didn't look back. "What a weird man," she muttered to herself.
By the time she reached her doorstep, the sun had dipped low, casting a strong orange glow across the sky. Her chest fluttered with anticipation. She grinned to herself. She knocked three times, playfully.
"I'm gonna count—one… two… three!"
She pushed open the door.
No one jumped out.
No laughter. No candles.
Just… silence.
Frowning slightly, she stepped inside. The house was dim—the curtains all drawn, the air unnaturally still.
"Not funny." she scoffed, though her voice was thinner now, uncertain.
Then it hit her—a sharp, metallic scent in the air. Something was wrong. Her fingers found the light switch by the door.
Click.
The lights flickered on. And her world shattered. First she noticed water droplets on the floor—fresh, as if someone had just been there. Wet footprints.
Then Blood. Everywhere. Pooling by the entrance. Spattered across the walls. Soaked into the carpet.
From the distance, a crooked birthday banner hung limp above the dining room can be seen
-The banner read 'Happy 18th Birthday our sunshine'-
A half-frosted cake sat forgotten on the table. Three plates. One knife. Wrapped presents sat untouched in the corner. Her eyes locked on the scene—unable to move, unable to breathe.
Her eyes moves towards her father's body, the body lay crumpled on the floor, eyes wide open—forever frozen in horror.
Her mother— Her mother's head was mutilated beyond recognition.
Bullet holes riddled both bodies.
Then the smell hit her, full force: blood, gunpowder… and beneath it all — something achingly familiar. Faint traces of oak.
Her breath gets heavier.
As the scene starts sinking in. the eggs slipped from her hands, falling to the floor with a sharp crash. The shells cracked against the tile, and thick yolk slowly oozed out, spreading and mixing with the dark pool of blood. Her breath caught in her throat. Her legs trembled, struggling to hold her up.
Slowly, her knees gave way, and she sank down to the cold floor.The blood seeped into the fabric of her skirt, chilling her through. And then —
She screamed.
A sound so raw, it didn't even sound human. It tore through the silence.
Through the house.
Through her bones.
Through time itself.
This very scene carved itself into her soul.
And her vision eventually darkened.
Lira jolted awake, breath sharp, chest heaving. Her tank top clung to her back, damp with sweat. The dim ceiling of the training room loomed overhead. Her pulse roared in her ears. She sat up slowly, pushing a hand through her hair. Her movements were steady, controlled, shaped by habit, by time. There was a quiet strength in the way she carried herself now, subtle but unmistakable.
"Another nightmare?" a voice murmured beside her. Elias.
He crouched next to the couch, his light brown hair damp, shirt sticking to his frame. He held out a towel. She took it with trembling fingers and nodded. "Yeah… I must've dozed off." The images still clung to her, the blood, the cake, that scene.
Her hands gripped the couch, knuckles pale. "It's him…"
Elias didn't speak right away.
He just sat beside her — calm, steady. Like he always was.
"Calm down, Lira," he said softly, voice like a tether pulling her back from the edge.
She stared at the floor. "It's been 3 years," she whispered. "And I haven't done anything."
Elias reached out and tucked a damp strand of hair behind her ear, a quiet attempt to calm her. Her gaze lifted, locking with his.
"It's him, Elias," she repeated, her voice cracking with something between fear and certainty. His eyes held hers. Steady. Unmoving.
"Breathe with me," he said.
She inhaled — shaky. Then again, slower.
"Again…" he told her softly.
Then —
His finger poked her cheek.
"Don't say you haven't done anything," Elias said, his voice low, edged with frustration, but steady with care. "You've trained harder than anyone. You even passed the exam younger than anyone else ever has."
A nervous laugh slipped out of her. She didn't mean to, but it felt like a crack in the storm.
"Don't be so tense." His voice softened.
He smiled, the kind of easy smile that always made things feel lighter.
"Your ceremony's in three days." He leaned in slightly, just enough to bump her shoulder with his.
"After that, you're officially one of us… I'll be there to watch you."
Her cheeks flushed. She turned her face away before he could notice.
She had loved Elias for as long as they'd known each other. But to him, she was just a sister. Or… that's what she kept telling herself.
Because the truth was — even after all this time, loving him in silence felt far more safer than risking everything and watching him walk away.