The night was unnaturally quiet before the slaughter began.
Aiden stood at the edge of the battlefield, heart pounding, muscles coiled. He had sensed them long before they arrived—the vampires, lurking beyond the trees, their bloodlust a whisper on the wind. They thought they were the predators.
But they had underestimated him.
When they finally attacked, they struck fast. **Shadows surged forward, blades flashing in the moonlight.** Aiden met them head-on, a whirlwind of claws and fury.
His first strike shattered a vampire's ribs, sending him flying into another.
A second attacker came from behind—Aiden **whirled, severing their head with a single slash.**
Blood sprayed across the snow, steaming in the cold.
One by one, they fell.
It was a massacre. **Aiden was not fighting to survive. He was fighting to destroy.**
And then, silence.
The last vampire choked on his own blood before slumping to the ground. Aiden stood amidst the carnage, panting. **His hands were drenched in red.** But something felt... off.
The air shifted. A feeling **crawled up his spine**.
**Someone was watching.**
His gaze snapped up—and **there she was.**
At the edge of the battlefield, standing perfectly still, the girl **peered at him through the fog.** Her white dress **billowed gently**, untouched by the carnage. The moonlight made her skin glow, but Aiden's eyes weren't drawn to that.
They were drawn to **her eyes.**
Deep. Knowing. **Ancient.**
His breath hitched. And suddenly, **he wasn't on the battlefield anymore.**
## 3. The First Vision
Aiden's body locked up as **visions flooded his mind.**
- **A boy and a girl, laughing under the sun.**
- **A hand brushing against another, a secret promise never spoken.**
- Then—**blood. So much blood.**
- **The girl in white, dying in his arms.**
- **His hands gripping a sword buried in her stomach.**
Aiden **staggered back, gasping.**
The images clashed with reality—he was here, now, but **his soul felt pulled apart.**
**Who is she? Why do I know her?**
His heart pounded against his ribs. **Something was between them.** Something old. **Something cursed.**
And yet… **he couldn't look away.**
His feet moved before his mind caught up. **He took a step toward her.** Then another.
The girl **didn't move.** She only watched.
He **wanted to ask.**
He **wanted to demand.**
But his lips wouldn't form the words.
Then—his vision **blurred again.** His knees buckled.
The world tilted, and before he could stop it—**darkness swallowed him whole.**
Aiden found himself **in a dimly lit room.**
His breath was ragged. **Not from exhaustion—but from fear.
Someone was beside him.A woman. **The same girl.
Only now… they were older. Adults
She clutched his hand tightly, whispering, They're coming
Footsteps thundered outside the room.
Aiden's pulse raced. He had to protect her
But from who? From what?
The door burst open
Then he woke up
She's Gone
Aiden gasped as he sat up. **The battlefield. The blood. The snow.
But the girl? Gone
He scrambled to his feet, eyes darting frantically
Had she even been real? Had he imagined all of it?
But no the lingering ache in his chest told him she had been there.
And she had left him **with more questions than ever.
Aiden's breaths came in sharp bursts as he scanned the battlefield, his gaze darting from one shadow to another. She had been here—he was sure of it. Yet now, she was gone, as if the wind had carried her away.
He trudged through the snow, checking every nook and cranny, looking behind fallen trees, even among the corpses. Nothing. Not a single trace of her. It was as if she had never been there at all.
Frustration burned in his chest as he clenched his fists. **Who was she? Why did she keep appearing before him?**
Unable to find her, he turned back and made his way home. The moment he stepped inside, he sank onto the wooden chair, elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped together as he stared at the floor. His mind raced, replaying everything that had happened.
Then, something else crept into his thoughts—a strange sensation, a whisper of the past.
The battle he had just fought… it felt **familiar**.
Like he had fought these exact enemies before. Like he had already seen their movements, already countered their attacks, already won this fight in another time. The feeling gnawed at him, but he shoved it aside. Right now, it didn't matter.
Only one thing mattered.
**Finding her.**
His jaw tightened, his grip on his own hands turning his knuckles white. He didn't care what it took—he was going to get answers. She was the key to the truth, the only thread connecting him to these strange visions.
And if she wouldn't come to him, he would go to her.
Tomorrow, he would march straight into the vampires' palace. He would capture her, no matter what it took.
He had too many questions. And she was going to answer every single one of them.
Midnight Raid
Aiden lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep refused to come. His mind was a battlefield of its own, haunted by visions of the girl, of battles fought before—ones he couldn't remember yet felt in his bones.
No matter how many times he shut his eyes, her face would not leave him. Her bloodstained white dress. The way she looked at him. The silent, piercing gaze that seemed to call him without a single word.
By the time the clock struck 1:00 AM, Aiden had had enough.
With quiet resolve, he stood up, grabbed his weapons, and vanished into the night.
The vampire palace was heavily guarded. Shadows moved in the torchlight, creatures of the night patrolling their master's domain. Aiden didn't care. His body moved on instinct, cutting through the first set of guards like they were made of paper. The clash of steel echoed in the air, blood splattered the stone walls, and bodies dropped one after another.
A few guards managed to raise the alarm. One of them stumbled back, his eyes wide with horror, before dashing inside. He had no doubt gone to wake Lord Varian.
Let him come. It didn't matter.
Aiden struck down another vampire, stepping over the fallen as he stormed deeper into the palace. He had only one goal—find her.
His sharp eyes caught one of the remaining guards trembling in a corner. In a flash, Aiden was upon him, his clawed hand wrapping around the vampire's throat and lifting him off the ground. The vampire gasped, clawing at Aiden's grip, but he couldn't break free.
"Where is she?" Aiden growled, his voice like a beast's snarl.
The vampire struggled, shaking as Aiden pressed a blade to his throat. Gasping, he finally pointed toward a door at the far end of the corridor.
Aiden wasted no time. He threw the vampire aside and kicked the door open.
There she was.
Lying on her bed, her face peaceful, completely unaware of the chaos unfolding outside.
Just as he stepped toward her, a voice came from behind.
"What do you want from my daughter?"
Aiden turned to see Lord Varian standing in the doorway, his crimson eyes burning with fury
Before Varian could take another step, Aiden moved.
With monstrous strength, he grabbed Varian and hurled him across the hallway as if he were nothing more than an insect. Varian crashed into a chamber, and before he could recover, Aiden slammed the door shut with a wave of power, sealing it.
No one was getting him out of there.
The cries of a woman rang through the air—her mother. She was sobbing, pleading for Aiden to stop, but he didn't even glance at her.
The remaining vampires who lacked the strength to face him had already hidden themselves, too afraid to fight.
Without another word, Aiden lifted the girl onto his back. She was still deep in sleep, completely unaware that she had just been taken from the safety of her home.
He carried her through the palace, stepping over bodies and past trembling vampires who dared not stop him.
By the time they disappeared into the night, Lord Varian remained trapped, roaring in fury as no one could break the enchanted door. His food was slid beneath the door, his waste collected in the same room. He could not leave, could not fight back.
And Aiden… Aiden had taken his daughter.
The moment her eyes fluttered open, confusion washed over her face. She sat up abruptly, scanning the unfamiliar room. Her heart pounded as she realized she was somewhere she didn't recognize.
"Where am I?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
She jumped off the bed and ran to the door, pressing her hands against it before pounding her fists against the wooden surface. "Let me out!" she yelled, slamming the door again and again.
Aiden, who had been sitting in the other room, heard the knocking. He exhaled deeply, rubbing his temples. She's awake.
Without a word, he got up and walked to the kitchen. If she was awake, she would need food. He moved with practiced ease, preparing a simple breakfast—warm bread, eggs, and tea. The scent filled the air as he placed everything on a tray.
Taking a breath, he walked toward the locked room. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, carrying the tray toward her.
She was standing by the door, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.
Aiden set the tray down on a small table near the bed. "Eat."
She didn't move at first, just watching him with those silent, knowing eyes.
He clenched his fists. "Why are you always appearing before me?" His voice was low, steady, but there was an edge to it—a demand for answers.
She said nothing.
Aiden took a step closer, his eyes searching hers. "Why do I see things whenever I look at you?" His voice grew rougher. "Why do I dream about you?"
Still, she remained silent.
Aiden's patience was running thin. He had fought through an entire army of vampires, locked their leader away, and risked everything to bring her here. He needed answers.
But she simply lowered her gaze to the tray, picked up the bread, and took a bite.
"Thanks for the food," she said quietly.
Then, without another word, she continued eating.
Aiden watched as she silently ate, frustration tightening his grip on the tray. She was acting like this was normal—like she hadn't just been kidnapped from the heart of the vampire stronghold.
He stepped closer, his voice low but demanding. "Why are you always appearing before me?"
She didn't flinch, didn't even look up.
Aiden's jaw clenched. "Why do I see things whenever I see you? Why do I dream about you?"
Finally, she set the spoon down, her fingers lingering over it as if weighing her words. Then, she met his gaze. Her eyes—deep, knowing, and unreadable—made his breath hitch.
"Because the moon does not forget the night," she said simply.
Aiden stiffened. "What does that mean?"
She picked up the spoon again, taking another bite as if the conversation didn't concern her.
"I'm not in the mood for riddles," he growled, stepping even closer. "Answer me."
She finally sighed, tilting her head. "Some things are remembered, even when they shouldn't be."
Aiden's fingers twitched. The weight in his chest grew heavier. His visions, his dreams, the overwhelming sense of déjà vu—was she saying they weren't just dreams?
He took a sharp breath. "Then tell me—who are you to me?"
She looked at him for a long moment. Then, with a ghost of a smile, she whispered, "You already know."
His heart pounded. The air between them felt thick, charged with something he didn't understand but couldn't ignore. He wanted to demand more, shake the truth out of her—but before he could, she looked away, returning to her food as if nothing had happened.
Aiden clenched his fists. She was hiding something. But now, he was more certain than ever.
He would find out the truth. No matter what it
The rhythmic clash of metal echoed through the night as Aiden swung his sword, the sharp whistle of each strike slicing through the air. His muscles burned from relentless training, but his mind was elsewhere—on the girl he had taken, on the way she refused to speak, on the mystery that bound them together in visions he could not understand.
Inside the house, Seraphina sat in the parlor, her fingers lightly grazing the wooden table as she stared at the flickering candlelight. The warmth of the fire did nothing to melt the ice in her chest. She had to leave. Now.
Aiden had not locked her in. He didn't need to. He likely thought she had nowhere to go, that she wouldn't dare attempt to run. But he was wrong.
Moving quietly, she stood, her bare feet making no sound against the wooden floor. The door was only a few steps away. Aiden was outside, absorbed in his training. If she was fast enough, she could vanish into the night before he even noticed.
Her heart pounded as she reached for the handle. A twist. A soft creak. Then—cold air against her skin as the door drifted open.
She stepped out.
A gust of wind rushed past her, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. The forest stretched ahead—dark, endless.
Run.
She sprinted.
The moment her foot hit the ground, Aiden felt it. A shift in the air, a sudden absence where she had been. He turned sharply, his breath stilling as he saw the empty parlor through the open door.
His pulse spiked.
In an instant, he was moving.
The forest was thick, but he tracked her easily, his senses sharp, honed by instinct. He heard her breath, quick and desperate, heard the light crunch of leaves beneath her hurried steps.
She was fast. But he was faster.
Within moments, he caught her wrist, yanking her back before she could vanish into the darkness.
She gasped, struggling against his hold. "Let me go!"
His grip tightened. "You think I'd let you just disappear?" His voice was low, edged with something dangerous.
She twisted, trying to free herself, but he was immovable. "Aiden," she said, her voice shaking now—not with fear, but with something deeper. "We can't be in the same place. Just let me go… for your safety. Or rather… for our safety."
Something in her tone sent ice through his veins.
"What are you talking about?" he demanded. "Every time I see you, I—"
He stopped himself. He wasn't sure how to explain it—the visions, the dreams, the feeling that she was someone he had lost before, someone he was never meant to have but couldn't let go of.
Seraphina's gaze softened for just a second. "It's not just a dream, Aiden," she whispered. "It's a warning."
He stared at her, his grip on her wrist loosening slightly. "A warning for what?"
She looked up at him then, her crimson eyes filled with something that almost looked like sorrow
"For what's coming."
Then, from the darkness of the forest, something stirred. A presence.
The moment between them shattered
And the night was no longer silent.