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A big black bat flew over the woods, a heavy wind propelling it forward. The sound of its flapping wings filled the air, mingling with the chirping of other birds resting in the trees below.
Before long, the woods gave way to a sprawling landscape, replacing the woods. Far ahead and hundreds of feet beneath it, the bat focused its gaze on a tall, ancient castle, standing proud and indomitable. With a determined urgency, the bat flapped its wings even faster, diving headfirst towards the castle.
Seconds later, it landed hastily in a courtyard at the back of the castle, a few yards away from the imposing structure. The moonlight cast eerie shadows on the cobblestone ground. The bat's body began to ripple and contort, its form shifting and expanding.
In the blink of an eye, where the bat had once been, there now stood a man. His features were sharp, and he towered over the courtyard with a commanding presence. The moonlight glinted off his pale skin, and his eyes glowed with a hungry intensity, betraying the vampiric nature of his true self.
And with that, the transformation was complete - the man stood, his gaze fixed upon the castle, as he adjusted his cloak before walking towards the castle — his purpose clear and his thirst for the night's hunt undeniable.
***
Lothanna placed both hands on Cara's shoulders, his emotionless gaze directed into her eyes. "Stay here for a while, and don't you dare try to run because I'll catch you before you know it — and I'm sure you would never be ready for the repercussions of your actions..."
Cara's feet went cold at his warning. She swallowed the invisible lump in her throat and only nodded her head as she watched him leave afterward, disappearing into the woods. She breathed out, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
If there was something she would always fail to understand, it was this mysterious man and his ability to change emotions within seconds. One minute he was warm and the next, he was as cold as ice.
A couple of minutes had passed and Lothanna was nowhere in sight, a feeling of restlessness settling within Cara. She was scared of her surroundings as the silence was deafening — not even the chirping of birds could be heard. Their coachman was preoccupied with tending to the horses, unaware of Cara's growing unease.
Suddenly, she heard a snarling noise behind her, which made her freeze on the spot, causing her heart to jump into her throat. Slowly, yet filled with fear, she turned to face the direction the sound had come from.
Hidden among the dark part of the woods were two pairs of red and fury-filled eyes, glaring deadly at her. Whatever it was, Cara knew it wasn't something that was ready to make friends or talk things out with her.
Instinctively, she took to her heels and ran as fast as her legs could carry her, dragging her wedding dress with her. Almost immediately, she heard the rustling of leaves behind her — she needed no one to tell her what it was.
Desperate to save herself from the creature, Cara did not notice the rock before her as she stumbled into it, falling to the leaf-covered ground. She yelped out in pain, but there wasn't enough time left to grieve as she tried to stand up. The throbbing pain in her left leg prevented her from getting up.
The snarling sound was already nearer than she had thought. As Cara looked back at the creature chasing after her, the last thing she saw was the creature leaping into the air, a few feet away from her — in no time, it would pounce on her.
Cara sucked her breath in as she closed her eyes tightly, shaken with fear. She anxiously waited for the creature to descend upon her, but the snarling was replaced with a painful groan instead. She didn't feel any weight on her.
"What's happening...?" Cara muttered under her breath, tempted to open her eyes, but she couldn't muster enough courage. Her heart was still beating fast against her ribcage; everything happened too quickly.
She wondered if she was just hallucinating and maybe the creature was just a figment of her imagination. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and her gaze met Lothanna's. The look in his eyes was deadly and scarier than she had ever seen.
"I told you to stay still, didn't I?" Despite the intensity in his eyes, his voice was laced with worry as he fixed his gaze on her, scolding her. "You should have stayed back in the carriage instead, Cara."
As her name slipped off his lips, Cara's lips stretched out in a warm smile—she loved the way he called her name, and it melted her heart, tempting her to hear it again.
Lothanna scoffed at her reaction. "What's funny?" He asked, still maintaining his cold look. "You almost got killed, and you find it amusing enough to smile, really?"
Cara wasn't bored anymore. Somehow, seeing him worry about her was enough to melt her worries away that she almost forgot how she had almost died moments ago.
The smile on her face vanished when she noticed the blood on both of his hands, his nails longer than usual. She wiped her eyes several times to be sure she wasn't seeing things—and Lothanna got the message.
"What...?" He called out coldly, his tone drawn out. "Are you scared of me now, eh, little woman?"
Cara wasn't listening; she shook her head repeatedly—not wanting to accept the reality before her. Her eyes trailed the blood dripping onto the dried leaves, and her mouth opened wide instantly.
On the ground, lay a lifeless wolf with its chest ripped open and covered in a pool of its own blood. The man before her was no ordinary human but something darker and more mysterious.
Cara was petrified. "W—what... are you?" She asked, her voice shaky. "Why are your fingers like that? What happened to that animal?"
"Is that the appreciation I deserve?" Lothanna asked instead, moving closer to her, the icy look in his eyes having melted as if it had never been there.
But Cara instinctively dragged herself back, fear evident on her face. "Stay away...!" She muttered fearfully, her voice cracking. "Stay away from me, you beastly creature...!"