Mina lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as the first light of dawn crept through the heavy curtains of her dorm room. She hadn't slept at all. The events of the previous night, the shadowy figure, the glowing eyes, the prophecy she had uncovered, had twisted her thoughts into a tangled knot of fear and confusion.
She replayed the scene over and over in her mind: the way those glowing eyes had seemed to bore into her, as though the creature had been waiting for her, watching her. And then there was Viktor. His cryptic warning, his strange control over the secrets of the academy… she knew now that she was in far deeper than she'd ever wanted to be.
A soft knock at the door broke through her thoughts. Mina blinked, pulling herself out of bed and wrapping her robe tightly around her before opening the door.
Eliza stood there, looking bright-eyed and full of energy as usual, though her smile faltered when she saw the dark circles under Mina's eyes.
"Mina! Are you okay? You look like you didn't sleep at all," Eliza said, her voice filled with concern.
Mina forced a smile, but she knew it didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah… just a rough night."
Eliza stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "Do you want to talk about it?"
For a moment, Mina considered telling Eliza everything, the shadowy figure, the creature that had been watching her, the strange books she'd found in the library. But she stopped herself. How could she explain it? And even if she could, would Eliza believe her?
"No, it's okay," Mina finally said, shaking her head. "I think I just need to… figure some things out on my own."
Eliza studied her for a long moment, then nodded, her usual smile returning. "Well, if you need me, you know where to find me."
As Eliza left the room, Mina felt a surge of guilt. She wanted to confide in her friend, but something about all of this felt too dangerous to share. And if Viktor's warnings were anything to go by, involving Eliza could put her in harm's way.
Mina sat back down on her bed, staring at the floor. She had to do something. She couldn't keep pretending like everything was normal, not with the strange things happening all around her. But where could she start?
Her mind drifted back to the library, to the ancient books that had hinted at the academy's dark history and the prophecy that seemed to tie everything together. If she wanted answers, she had to dig deeper.
Mina had spent the entire day in a fog, going through the motions of her classes without really absorbing anything. Her mind was elsewhere, constantly pulling her back to the previous night's encounter and the questions it raised. But the worst part wasn't the confusion or the fear, it was the feeling that someone, or something, was watching her. Every time she turned a corner or entered a room, she couldn't shake the sensation of eyes following her.
Now, back in her dorm room, she paced nervously, glancing out the window every few minutes, half-expecting the shadowy figure to reappear. The night was clear, the moon casting an eerie glow across the academy grounds, but everything was still. Quiet. Almost too quiet.
Mina took a deep breath and tried to steady her nerves. She couldn't sit here doing nothing. If she wanted to know what was going on, she had to investigate. She had to find out more about the creature and the prophecy. The library had been her best lead so far, but there was only so much she could gather from dusty old books. She needed to go outside, to where she had seen the creature.
Grabbing her coat, she stepped out of her room, closing the door quietly behind her. The hallways of the dormitory were empty, the other students either asleep or absorbed in their studies. Her footsteps echoed softly against the stone floors as she made her way outside, her heart pounding in her chest.
The night air was cold, biting at her skin as she stepped out into the open. The academy grounds stretched out before her, dark and foreboding, the towering trees casting long shadows across the grass. Mina hesitated for a moment, scanning the area where she had seen the creature the night before. Everything seemed still, normal even, but she knew better than to trust appearances here.
She moved cautiously toward the tree line, her heart racing with every step. As she neared the spot where the figure had stood, she crouched down, examining the ground for any sign that it had been there. Footprints, claw marks, anything. But the grass was undisturbed, as if nothing had ever been there at all.
Mina frowned, her stomach sinking. Had she imagined it? Had the fear and exhaustion from the night before played tricks on her mind?
But just as she was about to turn back, she heard a sound. A low growl, faint but unmistakable, drifting on the breeze. Her blood turned to ice.
She spun around, her heart hammering in her chest. There, at the edge of the trees, stood the same shadowy figure, its glowing eyes fixed on her.
Mina's breath caught in her throat. She wanted to run, but her legs refused to move, frozen in place by a mixture of terror and disbelief. The creature took a step forward, its form shifting in the shadows, and for the first time, she could make out its outline, tall, with long limbs and a hulking presence that seemed too large to be human.
Just when she thought it would lunge at her, a familiar voice broke through the silence.
"Mina, get away from there!"
Mina whipped around to see Viktor running toward her, his expression tense and filled with urgency. He reached her just as the creature began to growl louder, its glowing eyes narrowing.
Viktor positioned himself between Mina and the creature, his posture calm but commanding. "Go back," he said softly, his voice firm but laced with a strange authority.
The creature hesitated, its growl faltering. For a moment, it seemed like it might attack, but then, with a final snarl, it slunk back into the shadows, disappearing into the night.
Mina stood there, her heart pounding in her ears, barely able to process what had just happened. Viktor turned to her, his expression unreadable, but there was a hint of frustration in his eyes.
"I told you to stay out of the shadows," he said quietly.
Mina swallowed, her throat dry. "What was that thing?"
Viktor glanced back toward the trees, his jaw tight. "Something you shouldn't have to deal with. But you're making this harder than it needs to be."
Mina shook her head, her fear giving way to anger. "I don't understand any of this. What's going on here, Viktor? Why is there a creature watching me? Why can you control it? I need answers."
Viktor's gaze softened, but he didn't seem surprised by her outburst. "You're not ready for the truth. But you need to stop digging, Mina. It's dangerous."
Mina clenched her fists, frustration bubbling up inside her. "Dangerous? I'm already in danger, aren't I? I saw that thing, Viktor. It was real. And I know there's more going on here than you're telling me."
Viktor sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. For the first time, he looked… tired. "You're right," he admitted. "There's more going on than you know. But the less you know, the safer you'll be."
Mina shook her head, determination hardening her voice. "I don't care about safe. I want to know the truth."
Viktor looked at her for a long moment, as if weighing his options. Finally, he nodded, though there was a sadness in his eyes.
"Fine," he said softly. "I'll tell you what I can. But after this, you have to stay away from the shadows."
Mina nodded, her pulse racing. She wasn't sure she was ready for the truth, but after everything she had seen, she knew there was no turning back.
Viktor's Truth
Viktor led Mina to a small clearing just beyond the academy grounds, away from prying eyes and ears. The moonlight bathed the area in a soft, ethereal glow, casting long shadows from the surrounding trees. Despite the open air, the tension between them was thick, both of them knowing that whatever Viktor was about to say would change everything.
Mina watched him closely as he stopped in the center of the clearing, crossing his arms and staring out into the distance. There was a weight in his expression she hadn't seen before, something that made her stomach twist with dread.
"I'm not going to lie to you," Viktor began, his voice low and steady. "But I'm not going to tell you everything, either. Some things… you're better off not knowing yet."
Mina frowned, her frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "Why does everyone keep saying that? I don't care if it's dangerous. I deserve to know what's going on."
Viktor sighed, glancing at her with a mix of sympathy and caution. "You don't understand, Mina. The more you know, the more you'll be drawn into this. And once you're in, there's no going back."
Mina crossed her arms, her determination unwavering. "I'm already in. Whatever that thing was, it's not going to stop coming for me, is it?"
Viktor hesitated, then nodded. "No, it's not. That creature, and others like it, are drawn to you. To your presence here at Blackwell."
Mina's heart skipped a beat. "Why? What do they want from me?"
Viktor was silent for a moment, as if weighing his next words carefully. When he spoke again, his voice was grim. "You're connected to something bigger, Mina. Something that's been in motion long before you ever came to this academy. The creatures you've seen, they're part of the old world, the one that Blackwell was built to protect against."
He paused, watching her reaction. Mina felt a chill run down her spine. "The old world?" she echoed. "What do you mean?"
Viktor turned away, his eyes scanning the darkened woods as though expecting something to emerge at any moment. "The academy was founded centuries ago to protect the balance between humans and creatures, monsters, some would call them. Vampires, werewolves, demons, and things far worse than you can imagine. There was a war, The Shadow Wars. Afterward, a fragile peace was established, but it came at a cost."
Mina's mind raced, remembering the cryptic passages she had read in the library about the Shadow Wars and the role Blackwell Academy played. "So, Blackwell is some kind of… sanctuary?"
"In a way," Viktor confirmed. "But it's more than that. It's a place where the two worlds coexist. The students you see around you? Not all of them are human. Some are like me."
Mina's breath hitched. She'd suspected that Viktor wasn't exactly normal, but hearing him confirm it made her heart pound in her chest. "What are you?"
Viktor met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "I'm a vampire, Mina."
For a moment, the words didn't register. A vampire? It sounded impossible, like something out of a fantasy novel. But standing here, under the moonlight, with the events of the past few days spinning in her mind, she realized it made sense. The way Viktor moved, the way he had controlled the creature, his pale skin and the strange power in his eyes, it all pointed to something inhuman.
"And the others?" Mina asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Luca, Asher, Darien," Viktor said, nodding. "We're all part of the Gentleman's Club. Each of us comes from different supernatural bloodlines. Werewolves, demons, incubi… Blackwell was supposed to be a place where we could live in peace, hidden from the human world."
Mina stared at him, her mind reeling. The Gentlemen weren't just a group of elite students, they were monsters. And they had been hiding in plain sight, masquerading as perfect, charming boys.
Viktor stepped closer, his tone serious. "The creature you saw was one of the Shadows. They're the remnants of the old war, and they've been growing restless lately. They can sense something changing, something that threatens the balance."
Mina swallowed hard, fear prickling at the edges of her mind. "What does this have to do with me?"
Viktor hesitated, his eyes darkening. "That's the part I can't fully explain yet. But what I do know is that there's a prophecy, one that speaks of a human girl who will either save or destroy the balance between the two worlds."
Mina's blood ran cold. She had read about the prophecy in the library, but she hadn't connected it to herself. "You think that's me?"
"I don't know," Viktor admitted. "But there are signs. Your arrival here… it wasn't by accident, Mina. The academy chose you for a reason."
Mina's knees felt weak. She stepped back, needing a moment to process everything. Her mind swirled with questions, but one stood out above the rest. "What do I do now?"
Viktor's expression softened, and for the first time, there was a hint of vulnerability in his voice. "You need to stay away from the Shadows, and you need to stay close to the club. We can protect you, but you have to trust me."
Mina hesitated. Trust him? She barely knew Viktor, and now he was telling her that she might be part of some ancient prophecy, caught in a war between humans and monsters. It was too much, too fast.
But what choice did she have?
Finally, she nodded, her voice trembling. "Okay… I'll trust you."
The walk back to the dormitory was quiet. Viktor stayed by Mina's side, his presence reassuring but also a constant reminder of the truth she had just learned. As they reached the door to her room, Viktor stopped, turning to face her.
"Get some rest," he said softly. "We'll figure this out together."
Mina nodded, too exhausted and overwhelmed to argue. She watched as Viktor disappeared down the hallway, his figure melding into the shadows. Once inside her room, she collapsed onto the bed, her mind still racing but her body too tired to keep up.
She lay there, staring at the ceiling, the weight of everything pressing down on her. Vampires, werewolves, demons… Shadows. It was all real, and somehow, she was at the center of it.
Her eyelids grew heavy, the events of the night finally catching up to her. But just before she drifted into an uneasy sleep, one final thought crossed her mind.
If the prophecy was real, then what would happen if she couldn't protect the balance?
Mina awoke in the middle of the night to a strange noise outside her window. At first, she thought it was a dream, her mind still foggy from sleep. But as the growl grew louder, more insistent, she knew it was real.
Her heart raced as she pulled herself out of bed, her body stiff with fear. She crept to the window, pulling the curtain aside just enough to see outside.
There, at the edge of the tree line, were the glowing eyes. Watching her. Waiting.
Mina's breath caught in her throat, her fingers trembling as she let the curtain fall back into place. She stumbled away from the window, her mind racing. The creature was still there, still watching her. No matter what Viktor had said, the Shadows weren't going to leave her alone.
Not until whatever was coming finally arrived.
Mina sat down on the edge of her bed, her heart pounding. She had thought she was just an ordinary girl, but now everything was different. She was caught in the middle of something ancient, something dangerous.
And the Shadows… they were waiting for her to make her next move.