Lila's breath came in short bursts as she stood alone in the alley, the echoes of Lucian's words lingering in the stillness. "You're not ready for this war, Lila." The weight of his voice pressed against her chest, suffocating, but also compelling in a way she couldn't quite explain.
She wiped the rain from her face, but the cold feeling that had settled within her refused to leave. It wasn't just fear; it was a deep, unsettling realization. Lucian had been right about one thing—this wasn't just another hunt. And she wasn't just another hunter.
The city seemed to hum around her, unaware of the life-altering revelation that had just taken place in the shadows. Lila steadied her breathing, her dagger still clenched in her hand as if it might offer her some semblance of control. She had to finish what she'd come here to do. She wasn't going to let anything, or anyone, deter her from her mission.
Lucian's words, however, kept replaying in her mind.
"You're a part of it."
No. She refused to believe it. She had a duty to her family, to the legacy of her ancestors. Vampires were monsters. And no matter how different Lucian seemed, he was still one of them.
With her heart heavy with doubt and confusion, she turned and made her way through the rain-soaked streets, determined to finish what she had started.
The next day, Lila was summoned to her father's study, the familiar scent of old books and parchment filling the air as she stepped inside. The large oak desk at the center of the room was cluttered with ancient texts and maps, but her father, tall and stern, stood in front of the window, his back to her.
"Sit down, Lila," he said without turning.
She hesitated before taking a seat across from him, her fingers instinctively tapping against the hilt of her dagger. It was still strapped to her waist, a constant reminder of the mission she couldn't escape.
"What happened last night?" her father asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
Lila's jaw tightened. She wasn't ready to tell him the truth—about Lucian, about the strange feeling that had settled deep in her bones. She had to lie. She had no choice.
"I found the vampire," she said flatly, forcing her voice to remain steady. "But I wasn't able to kill him. I... I lost him in the city."
Her father's eyes narrowed, and Lila felt a pang of guilt. He didn't believe her, not fully, but he said nothing.
"You know what you're up against, Lila," he said after a long pause. "The vampire you're after is dangerous—one of the oldest and most powerful. If you fail again, it won't be just your life at risk."
Lila stiffened. She didn't need to hear the reminder. She had been raised with the weight of her family's legacy pressing down on her every day. The Hawkes had been vampire hunters for generations. They were feared, respected, and relentless. But the more she thought about Lucian, the more she began to doubt the simplicity of her family's teachings.
"You'll need to try again," her father continued, his tone hardening. "The prophecy is clear. A vampire will rise, and it will be our family's task to stop it. No one is to be trusted, not even those who claim they are on our side."
Lila's mind raced. The prophecy. She had heard the name before, but never fully understood it. Her father had always been vague, speaking of it as if it were something she should know but never asking questions about. What if Lucian was tied to the prophecy? What if his words, his strange insistence that she was "part of it," weren't just threats?
"What if the prophecy is wrong?" Lila couldn't stop herself from asking.
Her father's expression hardened, his eyes darkening with a mixture of anger and fear. "The prophecy is never wrong, Lila. Don't question it. The vampires are deceitful, and they will stop at nothing to manipulate you."
Lila nodded, her throat tight. The doubt swirling in her chest was growing, but she couldn't show it—not here, not now. She had to trust her father. She had to trust everything she had been taught.
As she left the study, her mind was in turmoil. Lucian's words echoed in her mind, impossible to ignore. Was he lying? Was he manipulating her, or was something else at play?
That night, Lila couldn't sleep. The weight of her father's words hung over her, but it was Lucian's presence in her mind that kept her tossing and turning. She couldn't shake the image of his dark eyes, the quiet intensity that seemed to see straight through her. He had been right about one thing—she wasn't ready for this war.
But that wasn't something she could change. She had no choice but to continue. If the prophecy was true, then she would fulfill it. Her family's honor depended on it.
With a sudden, sharp resolve, she rose from her bed and made her way to the weapons room. She needed to be prepared. For what, she wasn't entirely sure.
But when she reached the armory, something caught her eye—an old, weathered map she hadn't noticed before. It was hidden beneath a stack of scrolls. She pulled it out, her fingers brushing against the frayed edges. It depicted the city, but there were strange markings along the edges, symbols she didn't recognize.
The mark of a serpent.
Lila's heart skipped a beat. The serpent was a symbol she knew well—it had been carved into the family's weapons for generations. But this map was different. This wasn't a map of the city she knew. It was something older, something buried in the depths of history.
And then, she saw it—a place marked with the same symbol, nestled deep within the forest outside the city.
The serpent's mark.
It was then that she understood.
Lucian wasn't just a vampire. He was tied to something much older—something her family had tried to erase from history.
And she was about to uncover it.