The forest was dark. And when I say dark, I mean it was pitch-black, suffocatingly so. The kind of darkness that swallows everything whole. I couldn't see the stars or even the faintest trace of the moon, their light blocked by the dense canopy of leaves above. The trees stood like silent sentinels, their branches weaving together in an impenetrable curtain.
I didn't bother walking on the ground. My bare feet would have been shredded by the forest floor. I'd left in such a hurry that I'd completely forgotten my shoes. Hell, I'd even forgotten to change out of my nightwear—a loose shirt and thin pajama bottoms that did little to guard against the chill. So, I floated, hovering just above the mossy earth, scanning the shadows.
Where did Rosemary go?
I tried scenting the air, hoping to catch even the faintest trace of wet fur. But it had been too long since she'd turned. She must've bathed countless times by now, scrubbing away any clue I could follow.
I clenched my jaw, frustration bubbling under my skin.
"Where is she?" I muttered under my breath, drifting higher to perch on a thick branch. The view wasn't much better from up there—just endless darkness. "She couldn't have left, right?"
Dropping back down, I crouched low, inspecting the soil for tracks. Nothing. Somehow, she'd managed to cover her trail, as if she knew someone might come looking.
I lowered myself to the ground, silent and cautious, my eyes darting through the shadows. Maybe if I—
A sudden rush of air whipped past me, too fast to react. Before I could even turn, something slammed into me, knocking me flat on my back. The impact drove the breath from my lungs, and I stared up, dazed, at the canopy above. Rosemary loomed over me, her knee digging painfully into my stomach. Her golden eyes glinted in the darkness, sharp and predatory, and her claws were unsheathed, hovering dangerously close to my face.
"What are you doing here?" she growled, her voice low and threatening.
I flinched, instinctively trying to pull away, but her weight pinned me. She pressed her knee harder into my stomach, and I winced, biting back a groan of pain.
"I was following you," I managed, my voice strained. "I saw you running across the field… toward here. Are you trying to leave?"
Her eyes widened for a moment, the briefest flicker of surprise breaking through her hardened expression. Then came the growl—a deep, guttural sound that sent a chill down my spine. Her canines glinted as she snarled, slamming her fist into the ground beside my head. The force of the blow made the earth tremble beneath me.
"Mind your own business, vampire," she spat. Her voice was venomous, and the word "vampire" dripped with disdain. She stood abruptly, releasing me, and turned to walk away.
I stayed on the ground for a moment, taking in a shaky breath. My chest ached where her knee had been, but I forced myself to stand, brushing dirt from my clothes. Without hesitation, I followed her, my steps quick but careful.
"Are you really trying to leave?" I asked again, my voice softer this time. She didn't answer, her silence screaming louder than any words.
I quickened my pace, catching up to her and grabbing her wrist. She froze, then spun around with a snarl, her head whipping toward me.
"What is with you and minding my business?!" she snapped, her voice raw with anger. "Yes, I'm trying to leave! So leave me the fuck alone."
Her words hit like a slap, and for a moment, I hesitated. Normally, I would've backed off. Her tone, her fury—everything about her screamed at me to retreat. But I couldn't. Not this time.
I tightened my grip on her wrist, meeting her fierce gaze.
"Sorry, Rosemary," I said, my voice steady despite the tremor in my chest. "I don't think I can let you do that."
Her eyes widened, disbelief flickering across her face. "What… did you just say?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous, rising with each word.
I resisted the urge to flinch, holding my ground. I had to remind myself why I was here—why she couldn't leave. She was hurt, I knew that, and hurt people ran. But running wouldn't fix anything. It would only make things worse.
"You're still wearing that thing around your neck," I said, nodding toward the collar she wore. "If they find out you left—if they realize you're gone—what do you think they'll do to you?"
She yanked her hand away, scoffing bitterly. "Oh, so now you think you know better than me, huh? Just because you're Silas's friend?" Her words were sharp, cutting, and laced with mockery.
I took a step back, shaking my head in surprise.
"That's not what I mean—" My words are cut short by a startled yelp as she grabs the front of my shirt and pulls me close. Her teeth are bared, her eyes sharp with fury.
"I don't listen to vampires," she spits, her voice trembling with venom. "Especially after what they've done to my family." Her whisper is low, but it's laced with so much hate that I wince.
"That's… what I want to talk about," I manage, my voice faltering under the weight of her glare. Gently, I push her away and take a step back, trying to create some distance. "I—"
"Hah? What now?" she snaps, her voice dripping with disdain. "You really like sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, don't you?" Her glare sharpens, and she lets out a mocking laugh. "Don't you know? Curiosity kills the cat."
I bite my lip, forcing myself to stay calm. "I shouldn't be the one telling you this… but you and Silas need to talk. There are a lot of misunderstandings between you two." I pause, hesitating before adding, "And… Silas cares about you. A lot. As his friend, I care about the people he cares about too."
Rosemary falls silent, her eyes narrowing as she studies me.
"He told me," I continue, "about how he lied. About calling you a monster. He—he thought it was the only way to make you leave. He believed you were destined for something greater and wanted to protect you from staying with him."
Her expression shifts—shock flashing across her face before she quickly hides it.
"That—no," she stammers, shaking her head as her voice wavers. "No. You're lying. You're just trying to distract me." Her growl is weak, the anger in her tone forced and brittle.
"Believe me," I say earnestly. "Do you really think I'd lie about this? Silas cares about you. He said you were his first friend."
My heart pounds as I watch her wrestle with my words. I silently pray—pray to whatever gods might be listening—that she'll hear me out.
Finally, she quiets. Her gaze drops to the ground, and her hair falls forward, hiding her face.
Then I hear it—a soft sniffle.
"Silas has always been alone," she begins, her voice barely a whisper. "Vivienne never lets him leave the house. She always kept him inside, with only the maids for company. I—I was happy to be his only friend. There was something in me that wanted to protect him, to shield him. He… he was innocent, unlike me." Her voice trembles. "My family was killed. I had nothing left."
She takes a shaky breath before continuing, her words spilling out like a confession. "That's why I didn't want to leave. I didn't care if I was a werewolf and he wasn't. As long as I could stay by his side. To be… whatever he needed me to be. A friend. A sister. Anything."
Her voice catches, and she raises her head to meet my gaze. Tears glisten in her eyes, but she doesn't bother wiping them away this time.
"The first week I was there… I was terrified," she admits, her voice breaking. "I wanted to die. My family was gone, and I thought no one would ever love me again. But somehow… Silas was there."
Her lips tremble as she lets out a teary laugh. "He stayed outside my door every night. I didn't have the courage to speak, so I just sat there, listening to him talk. He'd tell me about his day, the names of the maids, his favorite colors… Silly, little things."
She wipes at her face with the back of her hand, her laugh fading into a sigh. "When he said I was a monster… I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't. Silas was like a flower—soft, kind, someone who'd never hurt anyone on purpose. So when he said those words, it hurt so much worse."
Her words hang in the air, heavy with pain and regret.
"You should talk to him," I say, my voice gentle. "You two need to communicate. You need to clear up these misunderstandings."
Rosemary looks at me, her expression unreadable. "You're… weird," she finally says, tilting her head. "Why are you trying so hard to fix things between us?"
Her question catches me off guard. My eyes widen as I fumble for an answer. I'm not usually the kind of person who goes out of their way to fix other people's problems. But I'd seen Silas—broken, guilt-ridden, convinced that Rosemary hated him.
I scratch the back of my head awkwardly. "I just… I don't want to see him like that," I admit.
Rosemary's eyes glint with something unreadable, and she lets out a soft, knowing "Oh."
"So that's it," she murmurs, her voice barely audible. "I see. I'm glad Silas has you."
For a moment, the tension between us eases. The air shifts, carrying a cold breeze that rustles the leaves around us. Rosemary tilts her head back, letting out a sigh as she looks up at the sky.
"I can't believe this," she mutters. "Some random weirdo shows up just to meddle in our lives."
"Hey!" I protest, shooting her an indignant glare.
"So… Are we going back or what? It's late." I sigh, exasperated. "This place gives me the creeps."
"You're a vampire," she points out dryly. "Aren't you supposed to be awake at this hour?"
I roll my eyes, unamused. "I'm just saying it's late. Let's go."
Rosemary snorts, rolling her eyes in return. "Whatever," she mutters, but there's no venom in her voice this time.
Somehow, she's acting so calm and composed now, as if she hadn't been crying her eyes out over me just a while ago. Tsk, this girl.
We walked side by side in silence, the faint sound of our steps blending into the stillness of the night. Everything seemed quiet—too quiet—until I caught the faint sound of murmurs ahead. At first, it was barely audible, but then the whispers grew louder, forming distinct voices rising from somewhere in front of us.
We both stopped in our tracks. I glanced at Rosemary, who had already turned to me, her brows furrowed in suspicion.
"Do you hear that?" she asked, her voice low.
I nodded, keeping my voice just as quiet. Together, we crept forward cautiously. The bushes around us seemed to close in, their leaves brushing against us as we leaned over to peer into the shadows.
But there was nothing—no one.
Straightening up, we exchanged a glance. Rosemary's expression mirrored my own confusion.
"What was that? I swear I heard something," she muttered, sniffing the air like it would somehow help her figure things out. She let out a small, frustrated noise.
"I heard it too," I replied. "So, it wasn't just you. Do you think it's some students sneaking out of their rooms?"
Rosemary made a face, crossing her arms. "How would I know? And why would I care?" she shot back, her words laced with her usual sharpness.
I sighed, already tired of her attitude. "At least pretend to care. But fine, let's just leave it alone. I'd rather not know what they're up to anyway."
Just as I finished speaking, a sudden snap of a branch behind us made my heart jump. Both of us whipped around, our eyes locking onto the source of the noise.
A girl stood there, wearing the academy's uniform. For a moment, Rosemary looked ready to fight, her stance tense—but then recognition flickered in her eyes, and she relaxed slightly. It was just another student.
"Hey! What are you doing out here?" Rosemary barked, her tone sharp. "You know there's a curfew, right?"
I nudged her, groaning. "Can you calm down? Yelling at her isn't going to help."
The student fidgeted under Rosemary's gaze, letting out a nervous laugh. "I-I'm sorry… I was just trying to get some fresh air. But… are you two students here?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.
Rosemary froze, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. She seemed completely lost on how to respond.
"Uh, yes," I said quickly, cutting in to spare her any more awkwardness. "But you really should head back to the academy now. Don't worry—we won't tell anyone you were out here, as long as you go back in."
The girl's face lit up with relief. "Ah, really? Thank you so much!" She gave an enthusiastic bow before stepping closer to us, falling in line.
Rosemary groaned under her breath as the girl joined us. "Who even takes a walk this late at night? Seriously."
The student chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. "A-Ah… It's just that I've been feeling so overwhelmed lately. I can't even sleep because I keep worrying about all the assignments we have to do," she admitted, her voice soft as she looked down.
I shot Rosemary a pointed look, silently warning her not to say anything harsh. She winced, pinching the bridge of her nose like this whole situation was giving her a migraine.
"U-Uh… yeah. I get it. That's… understandable," Rosemary said, her voice stiff and robotic. I sighed quietly. She really isn't good at dealing with this kind of stuff, is she?
"Hey, what's your name?" I asked with a smile, trying to ease the tension.
The girl perked up, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Oh! Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Mori." She gave us another polite bow. "It's nice to meet you both."
I nodded, glancing at Rosemary, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. Mori must've noticed too, because she fell quiet after that, leaving only the sound of our footsteps echoing in the night.
The silence was starting to feel oppressive, so I decided to break it. "What year are you in?"
"I'm a second year!" Mori replied, her voice brightening a little.
"Oh, that must be tough," I said, even though I didn't really know much about the academy's classes or how hard they were.
Mori nodded earnestly. "It is. There are so many days I feel like giving up. But lately… some professors have been giving us assignments and then disappearing to do… something. I wonder what they're up to," she said, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
Rosemary's voice cut through the uneasy silence, her tone heavy with certainty. "It must be because of those vampire attacks that have been happening lately. I heard there was one recently, but they covered it up by calling it an accident."
Her words hung in the air, sharp and cold, though I barely noticed how Mori had gone quiet behind us. My attention was fixed on Rosemary.
"Vampire attacks?" I asked, disbelief coloring my voice. "I thought it was just a normal accident."
Rosemary let out a sharp sigh, her frustration bleeding into her expression. "And you believe them? Do you really think they'd send multiple high-class mages to deal with some... normal incident? Fuck no! That was a vampire attack. And I'll bet my life on it—those little shits are planning something." Her hands clenched into fists, her knuckles white. Her snarl made the hair on my neck rise.
It was then I noticed something—or rather, someone—was missing. Mori.
I stopped in my tracks, and Rosemary, despite her irritation, followed suit. "Hey, what gives? We're almost there," she said, her voice impatient. But I wasn't looking at her anymore. My gaze had turned to Mori, standing several paces behind us. She wasn't moving.
Her eyes were vacant, a strange emptiness in her expression as she stared at the two of us. When she finally spoke, her voice was low and cold, completely unlike her usual self. "It's strange, isn't it? That you know so much."
A chill ran down my spine. My lips pressed into a thin line as a strange tingling sensation spread through my body. What was this feeling? Beside me, Rosemary's body tensed, her instincts kicking in. Her claws extended, sharp and deadly, and her canines gleamed as her lips pulled back into a snarl. Her eyes glowed faintly, a feral warning.
"You two…" Mori said, her voice sharper now, every word cutting like glass. "You aren't students."
And just like that, she vanished.
Rosemary's snarl turned into an inhuman growl, her arm shooting out to push me back. "Where did she go?!" she barked, her voice a mix of panic and fury.
"I—I don't know!" I stammered, my own fear rising as I looked around frantically. "We have to get out of here—"
But before I could finish, the back of my neck tingled, a sharp, instinctive warning. She was behind us. I spun around just in time to see Mori materialize out of thin air. Her once-vacant eyes were now slitted and glowing crimson, and her mouth was slightly open, revealing elongated, razor-sharp fangs.
She was a vampire.
Her arm was raised, her nails long and deadly, poised to strike. Her target: Rosemary.
"Look out!" I screamed, grabbing Rosemary and throwing us both to the ground. We rolled in the dirt, narrowly avoiding Mori's attack.
"Fuck!" Rosemary hissed, her voice trembling as she realized how close she'd come to death. "I didn't see that."
Mori disappeared again.
Both of us were gasping for breath, our bodies tense and ready for the next attack. But before I could even think about moving, a sharp, unbearable pain shot through my left arm.
It was unlike anything I'd ever felt—searing, bone-deep agony. A strangled yelp escaped my throat as I clutched at the source of the pain.
"What's wrong?!" Rosemary's head snapped toward me, her eyes wide with alarm.
Instinctively, I grabbed at my arm, trying to make sense of the pain. But when I looked down, my breath caught in my throat. There was nothing there.
My arm was gone.
"Sebastian…" Rosemary's voice was barely a whisper, horror etched across her face.
I followed her gaze, and there it was—my severed arm, lying a few feet away on the dirt, blood pooling beneath it.