After dropping Luna off at her house, Valentina made her way back to the school entrance, her thoughts lingering on Edward's departure with his father.
She watched until their car disappeared from view, a mixture of curiosity and determination swirling within her.
As she stood there, a sleek black limousine caught her attention, parked just a few meters away. With a click, the door swung open, and a sharply dressed older man stepped out, his eyes concealed behind dark sunglasses.
"Miss, are you ready to go home?" he inquired, his voice polished and professional.
Valentina nodded in response and turned to face the limousine. The driver, whom she addressed as Andrew, opened the back doors, allowing her to enter.
"Andrew," she began as she settled into the plush interior, "I need you to find out everything you can about the boy who just left."
Andrew, adjusting his rearview mirror, met her gaze. Behind his sunglasses, his eyes glowed a fiery red, a testament to his otherworldly nature.
"Yes, Miss. I'll gather all available information by tonight," he assured her with a respectful nod.
Satisfied with his response, Valentina's expression shifted, and she delicately removed her blue contact lenses, tucking them away in a small box she carried.
With a glance in the rearview mirror, she met her own gaze, now marked by two crimson eyes with vertical slit pupils.
Andrew, noticing her red eyes, offered a word of caution. "Miss, it's best to keep your true nature concealed."
***
"Miss, it's best to keep your true nature concealed," Andrew cautioned, his voice tinged with concern.
I brushed off Andrew's advice, dismissing the need for secrecy when it was just the two of us.
Closing my eyes, frustration bubbled within me as I cursed Thomas under my breath. We had been instructed to maintain a low profile after moving to Pinecrest, to avoid drawing attention to ourselves and our true identities.
Yet, Thomas seemed to have other plans. Not only did he stir up trouble at school on his first day, but he also revealed some of his powers in the process.
"That stupid idiot," I muttered under my breath, shaking my head in exasperation.
"Is there something wrong, young miss?" Andrew inquired, sensing my distress.
"No, it's nothing," I replied, pushing aside my frustrations for the time being.
Thomas's reckless actions had inadvertently dragged me into his mess. The peculiar Edward had taken notice, and now I found myself under suspicion as well.
Damn it, Edward, I thought bitterly, unable to shake off my annoyance. I already had enough on my plate, and now this added complication.
As I reflected on the basketball match between Thomas and Edward, a sense of unease settled over me. Edward, with his keen observations and calculated maneuvers, had managed to provoke Thomas into revealing more of his abilities.
And now, because of Edward's suspicions, I too had come under scrutiny. Despite my efforts to keep my distance from Thomas, Edward had somehow connected the dots and suspected a connection between us.
Edward's astuteness was alarming. He was the only one who could keep pace with Thomas, even when Thomas held back significantly. It was clear that Edward was the only one who could do that..
'While being a human.'
A sense of foreboding settled over me as I considered the implications. Thomas would undoubtedly investigate Edward further, and I feared what truths he might uncover.
I silently prayed that it wouldn't come to that, but deep down, I knew that if Edward posed a threat to our safety, I would have no choice but to deal with him.
***
Sitting at my desk at home, thoughts of the midterms weighed on my mind. While they might not hold much significance in the long run, my parents expected decent results.
Therefore, I'll change my marking range from 60-75% to 70-85%. Which is really good but not enough to garner that much attention.
Turning to my computer, I examined the program I'd created. It was designed to grant access to a computer with the user's permission, ensuring it wasn't a virus or any other malicious malware.
Carefully donning black gloves, I unpacked a brand new USB device to transfer the application files. I was meticulous, not wanting to leave any fingerprints on the USB drive.
After copying the files over, I closed my eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.
I awoke to find myself in an unfamiliar, dimly lit environment cluttered with debris and damaged equipment. Panic surged within me as I tried to make sense of my surroundings, but everything was shrouded in darkness.
Attempting to flee, I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder, pulling me into one of the shadowy corners. I tried searching for the source of the grip, I found nothing but darkness.
The darkness seemed to speak, its voice echoing ominously. "There are things hidden in this world, concealed in the shadows... Where no one ventures."
Those words, the voice, they were familiar to me. I heard the exact same thing hundreds of times, I was yet to understand what it meant.
Unable to utter a word, I listened intently as the voice continued. "You'll encounter those who wear human skin, those who live among us."
Suddenly, I found myself face to face with piercing purple eyes, their familiarity sending a chill down my spine. As they drew nearer, an icy pressure gripped my neck, making it difficult to breathe.
A familiar voice echoed from behind, cautioning me against trusting these unseen entities. But when I turned to look, there was only darkness.
Once again, I found myself staring into the purple eyes, their intensity growing with each passing moment. I struggled to move or even blink, paralyzed as they closed in on me.
As the pressure on my neck intensified, rendering me breathless, a yell pierced the darkness. "Don't ever let them near you!"
With a jolt, I snapped awake, back at my desk, drenched in sweat and gasping for air.