The night stretched endlessly beyond the manor walls, thick with fog and the distant howls of unseen creatures. Leila stood at the window of her room, her fingers curled into the heavy velvet curtains as she searched the darkness. She couldn't see Adrian, but she knew he was out there—hunting.
He had left her behind, but that didn't mean she was safe.
Her mind raced with everything that had happened. The rogue's attack, the fire, Adrian's warning. They know about you.
Who were they? And why did she feel like her world was about to crack wide open?
A gust of wind rattled the windowpane, making her shiver. The room felt too big, too empty without him. She should do as he said—stay in her room, lock the door.
But she couldn't.
Leila grabbed a coat and slipped out of her room, her footsteps soft against the polished wooden floors. The manor was eerily silent, the usual warmth replaced by an unsettling stillness. Even the fire in the downstairs hearth had died, leaving only cold embers behind.
She descended the grand staircase, heart hammering. Every instinct told her she shouldn't be out here, that Adrian would be furious if he knew. But she needed answers.
And she wasn't going to find them locked away in her room.
As she reached the main hall, the scent of burning lingered in the air, a reminder of the flames that had flared to life when Adrian lost control.
What are you hiding from me?
She stepped toward the study, the place where he spent so much of his time. If he wouldn't talk to her, maybe she could find something—anything—that might help her understand what was happening.
The door creaked slightly as she pushed it open. The room was dark, save for the faint glow of moonlight streaming through the tall windows. Shadows stretched across the bookshelves, the massive oak desk, the leather armchair Adrian often sat in.
Leila hesitated, then stepped inside.
Papers were scattered across the desk—old documents, letters sealed with wax, and books with spines so worn they looked as if they had been read a thousand times. She reached for one, carefully turning the brittle pages. The text was in a language she didn't recognize, the ink faded but still legible.
She traced the strange symbols with her fingers, frowning. This wasn't just some old book. It felt... important.
A sudden gust of wind slammed the window open.
Leila gasped, spinning around as cold air rushed into the room. The candles on the desk flickered violently, their flames stretching unnaturally high for a moment before settling.
And then—
A whisper.
Low, almost indistinguishable from the wind, but there.
She turned, her pulse pounding. The study was empty.
Or at least, it should have been.
Then she saw it—a shadow shifting in the corner of the room.
Her breath caught.
Something was here.
She took a slow step back, her heartbeat a wild drum against her ribs. The air thickened, charged with an unseen presence. The shadow elongated, twisting, moving as if it had a mind of its own. And then—
It spoke.
A voice, deep and ancient, like a thousand whispers layered upon each other.
"You should not be here."
Leila's entire body locked up.
The shadow surged forward.
She gasped and stumbled back, slamming into the desk. The book she had been holding fell to the floor, its pages fluttering wildly. The candle flames shot up, casting eerie, shifting light across the walls.
The shadow loomed closer.
"He cannot protect you forever."
A chill raced down her spine.
And then—just as suddenly as it had appeared—it vanished.
The room fell silent. The air stilled. The flames dimmed.
Leila pressed a trembling hand to her chest, trying to steady her breath. What was that?
Her eyes fell to the book on the floor, the pages open to a faded sketch—an ancient crest, surrounded by symbols similar to the ones she had traced before. But at the center of the drawing was something that made her blood run cold.
A name.
Adrian's name.
---
Meanwhile, deep in the woods…
Adrian moved like a shadow through the trees, his senses razor-sharp. The scent of blood still lingered in the air—his, the rogue's, and something else.
Something older.
The attack had been a warning, but it wasn't just about him. They had found out about Leila.
His jaw clenched. He had been careful, so careful, to keep her out of this. But it didn't matter now.
They knew.
The covenant would come for her.
A rustle in the underbrush snapped him back to the present. His eyes flickered red in the darkness as he turned his attention toward the sound.
He wasn't alone.
A figure emerged from the shadows—tall, cloaked, with an air of quiet menace. Adrian recognized him instantly.
"Raphael."
The man smirked. "You look tense, old friend."
Adrian's hands curled into fists. "Why are you here?"
Raphael took a slow step forward, his dark eyes gleaming. "You already know the answer to that."
Adrian said nothing.
Raphael tilted his head. "You broke the covenant, Adrian. Did you think there would be no consequences?"
Adrian's fangs lengthened, a low growl vibrating in his chest. "She's not part of this."
"She is now," Raphael countered. "The moment you let yourself care, you sealed her fate."
Adrian's vision burned red. He moved before he could stop himself, closing the distance in a blink—his hand at Raphael's throat, slamming him back against a tree.
Raphael didn't flinch. He only smiled, his voice barely above a whisper.
"You can't fight what you are."
Adrian's grip tightened—but then, a sharp pain flared in his chest.
He stumbled back, eyes widening as a searing burn spread through his veins. His breath hitched.
Silver.
Raphael smirked as he withdrew the small, ornate dagger he had driven just beneath Adrian's ribs.
"Don't worry," he murmured. "It won't kill you. But it will remind you."
Adrian dropped to one knee, his breath ragged, his vision swimming.
Raphael crouched in front of him, voice softer now. Almost… pitying.
"You can't protect her, Adrian. You never could."
Then—he was gone.
Leaving Adrian kneeling in the dirt, the weight of his choices crashing down around him.
---
Back at the manor…
Leila sat on the floor of the study, the ancient book still clutched in her trembling hands.
She had seen Adrian's name in its pages.
She had felt the presence in the room.
And now, more than ever, she knew one thing for certain.
She was no longer just an outsider in Adrian's world.
She was part of it.
Whether she wanted to be or not.