The night had fallen into an unnatural silence. Too silent.
The school field was empty, except for Ashra and Rusof.
The hunters were gone.
The Night Feeder had disappeared into the forest.
But the fear it left behind still lingered in the cold air.
Ashra sat beside Rusof against the cracked school wall. His breathing had slowly steadied, but the wounds across his torso were still healing.
Dark blood stained his shirt.
Ashra kept staring at it.
"Does it still hurt?" she asked.
Rusof glanced down at the injury before looking back at her.
"Not as much."
Ashra frowned.
"You said vampires heal fast."
"We do."
"Then why isn't it healing quickly?" she asked him with sad eyes.
Rusof didn't answer immediately.
His eyes drifted toward the forest where the Night Feeder had vanished.
"Silver slows the healing."
Ashra's stomach tightened. The hunters' weapons.
"Because they used silver?"
"Yes."
She looked down at the ground.
Guilt pressed heavily on her chest.
"You got hurt because of me."
Rusof's voice sharpened slightly.
"No."
She met his eyes.
He held her gaze with a seriousness that made her heart skip.
"I got hurt protecting you. That's different."
Ashra didn't know why that made her heart beat faster.
She quickly looked away.
"Still..."
Rusof leaned his head back against the wall.
"You think too much." he interrupted, leaning back against the wall.
Ashra sighed quietly.
The wind rustled the trees.
After a few seconds, she spoke again.
"That creature said something strange."
Rusof's expression darkened slightly.
"Ignore it."
"But it said my blood was ancient."
Rusof remained silent.
Ashra noticed.
"You heard it too."
Rusof slowly looked at her again.
"Creatures like that say many things."
"You're lying."
Rusof raised an eyebrow.
"You're surprisingly bold for someone who was screaming ten minutes ago."
Ashra crossed her arms.
"Answer me."
Rusof stared at her for a long moment.
Then he sighed softly.
"I don't know what it meant."
Ashra narrowed her eyes.
"That sounded more honest."
Rusof almost smiled.
But the moment quickly faded.
Because suddenly—
He stiffened.
Ashra noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
Rusof's eyes slowly turned toward the forest again.
His senses had sharpened.
Listening.
Watching.
Ashra felt nervous again.
"Is it coming back?"
Rusof didn't answer.
Instead he slowly stood up, ignoring the pain still running through his body.
Ashra stood too.
"Rusof?"
His eyes were glowing faintly now.
"Something else is here."
Ashra's stomach dropped.
"Another monster?"
Rusof shook his head slightly.
"No."
Ashra heard footsteps.
Soft ones.
Coming from the tree line.
Then a figure slowly stepped into the moonlight.
A tall man wearing a long black coat.
Ashra frowned.
"Who is that?"
Rusof's expression hardened instantly.
"Trouble."
The man walked forward calmly as if he owned the place.
His pale face looked almost bored.
Then he stopped a few meters away from them.
His crimson eyes glowed faintly.
Ashra felt a chill run down her spine.
Another vampire.
The man looked directly at Rusof.
"You look terrible."
***
Meanwhile, through the swirling mist of the forest, the council's emissary emerged—Ignis.
Rusof's voice turned cold.
"What do you want?"
Ignis shrugged.
"Relax. I'm not here to give you trouble—only to deliver a message. Calm down."
Then he glanced at Ashra with curious interest.
"So this is the girl."
Ashra immediately stepped closer to Rusof.
"Who is he?"
Rusof answered without looking away from the man.
"Someone I hoped wouldn't find us."
The man chuckled softly.
"That's rude."
Rusof's tone sharpened.
"Answer me. What news you're here to deliver?"
Ignis tilted his head slightly.
"The council sent me."
Ashra blinked.
"Council?"
Rusof cursed under his breath while gritted his teeth.
"Already?"
The man smirked.
"You did cause quite a disturbance tonight."
His eyes flicked toward the forest.
"A Night Feeder appearing in a human town."
Then he looked back at Ashra again.
"And apparently becoming obsessed with a human girl."
Ashra shifted uncomfortably.
"Why does everyone keep talking about me like that?"
Ignis studied her carefully.
Then his expression changed slightly.
Confusion.
He stepped closer.
Rusof immediately moved in front of Ashra.
"Stop."
Ignis raised his hands casually.
"Relax."
Then he sniffed the air once.
His eyes widened in shock—the first sign of surprise since his arrival.
"That scent..."
Rusof's voice turned deadly.
"Don't."
But the man stepped closer again.
Ashra felt his gaze examining her like she was some strange object.
"Impossible."
Ashra felt extremely uncomfortable.
"Can someone explain what's happening?"
The vampire looked at Rusof.
"You didn't notice?"
Rusof said nothing.
The man laughed quietly.
"That's embarrassing."
Ashra looked between them.
"Notice what?"
The vampire leaned closer slightly, his eyes still locked on her.
"Your blood."
Ashra froze.
"What about it?"
The man's voice lowered.
"It shouldn't exist."
Rusof stepped forward aggressively.
"Enough."
But Ignis ignored him.
Instead he looked directly into Ashra's eyes.
"Something inside you is sleeping."
Ashra felt her chest tighten.
"I don't understand."
The man looked thoughtful now.
"Neither do I."
Then he looked at Rusof again.
"But I do know one thing."
Rusof's jaw tightened.
"Say it and I'll rip your throat out."
Ignis smirked.
"Touchy."
A warmth surged through Ashra's veins. Her heartbeat accelerated.
At first she thought it was fear.
But it felt different.
Stronger.
Her heartbeat started accelerating.
Ignis noticed instantly.
His eyes widened again.
"Wait..."
Ashra clutched her chest.
"Why does my heart feel weird?"
Rusof turned toward her immediately.
"Ashra?"
The warmth became a wave, bursting outward. The air trembled. The ground beneath them cracked slightly.
Ashra gasped.
"What was that?"
Rusof looked stunned.
The other vampire looked even more shocked.
He stared at Ashra like he had just seen a ghost.
Then he whispered slowly.
"That power..."
Rusof's voice turned sharp.
"Don't say it."
But Ignis couldn't stop staring.
"It's impossible."
Ashra looked confused and scared.
"What's impossible?"
The man slowly stepped back.
For the first time since arriving, fear flickered in his crimson eyes.
"That energy..."
He shook his head slowly.
"Only one being in vampire history ever possessed something like that."
Ashra felt the strange warmth slowly fading.
Her breathing returned to normal.
"What are you talking about?"
The vampire looked at Rusof again.
His voice quiet now.
"If the council finds out..."
Rusof glared at him.
"They won't."
The man hesitated.
Then he looked back at Ashra one last time.
Still shocked.
"Things just became very dangerous for you, girl."
Ashra felt even more confused now.
"Why?"
The vampire turned away.
"Because if what I think is true..."
He stopped walking.
Then he spoke one final sentence.
"The entire vampire world will come looking for you." And just like that, he vanished—leaving only a cold silence behind.
Ashra felt a chill run down her spine.
And Rusof knew something far worse.
The nightmare had only just begun.