Chapter Eight:
As I looked at my plate with disgust, I decided this time to finish the food quickly. I devoured it fast, but not with the same savagery that had taken over me yesterday. I tried as much as possible to appear normal, to act like any student sitting in the cafeteria with her friend.
But even so, the feeling of thirst began to return once again.
I had just drunk the blood juice in one go a moment ago, and yet I felt an intense dryness in my throat, as if something inside me was demanding more. I lifted my head slightly and looked at Maya, only to find her staring at me in clear shock.
She said in a trembling voice: "Iris… your eyes are red."
I stopped moving.
I said, confused: "What?"
She leaned closer to me and whispered quickly: "Iris, please… calm down. Don't act savagely like yesterday."
Seeing her so afraid made me regain my awareness quickly. I closed my eyes for a moment, then took a deep breath.
I said calmly: "I'm sorry, Maya… I promise I won't do anything."
After a few moments, the tension seemed to fade from her face. She sighed in relief, as if she had been waiting to hear those words. And at that exact moment, I felt that someone was watching me. I slowly raised my head and looked around… then my eyes met Kevin's.
He was sitting at a distant table with his friends, looking directly at me. He gave a slight smile, then winked at me, and after that, he slowly ran his tongue over his lips.
I froze for a moment.
I felt extremely embarrassed, so I quickly looked away from him and went back to talking with Maya as if nothing had happened.
I said to her: "Maya… do you know a student with white hair who covers his head?"
Maya laughed a little and said: "And how would I know him, Iris? There are many of them in the academy."
I didn't argue with her. Even I felt that my question had been unclear. After we finished eating, we left the restaurant with the rest of the students. We were heading toward the wide plaza in the center of the academy.
The plaza was quiet and beautiful. The magical lights hanging in the air made the place bright even though it was night. The tall trees swayed with the gentle breeze, and some students were walking calmly and talking among themselves. Some young men were training lightly in combat, while others were sitting on the stone benches.
Maya suddenly said: "Iris, are you going to your family this weekend?"
I stopped for a moment. I didn't know what to answer. In truth… I don't even know whether the girl I am living as has a family here or not.
I said after hesitation: "Actually… I don't know. Maybe not. I prefer staying here."
Maya smiled and came a little closer to me and said: "Really? Then why don't we go out to the city? We can hang out a bit together."
I felt even more confused. I didn't know anything about this city, nor about the places students go to.
I said apologetically: "Maybe another time."
She didn't seem too bothered and simply shrugged.
After a while, we parted ways, and each of us headed to their dorm.
When I returned to the apartment, I arrived before Kevin. The place was quiet in his absence. I changed my clothes and sat on the bed scrolling through the phone. The device was simple but worked normally.
I opened the contacts list. There was Maya's name, which I had saved earlier. But there were two other numbers.
The first was labeled: Father.
The second: Servant Master Ghali.
I wondered to myself… should I call him? Does he know anything about his daughter? Or would that reveal that I am not her?
I kept staring at the screen for a few moments, then turned it off.
At that moment I heard the sound of the apartment door opening. I stood up slowly and approached the door to see if Kevin had returned, but what I saw made me freeze. Kevin was standing at the entrance… with Sophia in his arms.
His arms were around her, and she was very close to him. For a moment, I felt like I had stepped into a scene that didn't belong to me. Then our eyes suddenly met.
Sophia looked at me with clear coldness and said: "So… are you his roommate?"
Her voice was so cold that it made me shiver slightly.
I nodded and said: "Yes."
Then she said calmly: "Come and take Kevin."
In the next moment, she pushed his body toward me.
I quickly caught him before he could fall, but his weight was extremely heavy. I nearly lost my balance because of it. Sophia, however, turned around and left the apartment immediately, slamming the door behind her. I stood for a moment trying to process what was happening, then I started dragging Kevin toward his room. He was almost unconscious.
I barely managed to reach the bed, but while I was trying to place him on it, something unexpected happened. He suddenly opened his eyes… and pushed me hard. I fell onto the bed, and before I could move, he had already climbed on top of me.
I screamed: "Hey! What are you doing?!"
I tried to push him away, but when I looked into his eyes, they were intensely red… and his fangs had become longer. His gaze was terrifying.
He said in a low voice: "I… am thirsty."
I screamed while trying to push him away: "Get away from me!"
But his grip was strong. He held my hands tightly, then leaned toward my neck and sank his fangs into my skin. I screamed loudly. The pain was sharp and sudden.
I started crying as I felt every drop of blood leaving my body, and at that moment I remembered the boy I had bitten yesterday.
I whispered in a broken voice: "If this is my punishment… I'm sorry. I didn't know it would hurt this much."
My body began to weaken gradually. I felt my hands turn cold, and their color started shifting toward blue. Just when I thought I was about to die… something unexpected happened. Suddenly Kevin collapsed unconscious on top of me. I remained frozen for a few moments. I didn't understand whether I had survived or was still dreaming.
I pushed his body away with difficulty and stood up, but my legs couldn't support my weight, so I fell to the ground and started crawling toward the door while tears streamed from my eyes. At that moment, Kevin suddenly grabbed me.
He lifted me easily into his arms.
I screamed in desperation: "Please… don't kill me."
He laughed a little and said: "I'm not trying to kill you."
I said weakly: "Then why did you drink my blood?"
He said calmly: "I was extremely thirsty… and I couldn't resist. Also… I don't know why, but your blood is special."
Then he leaned toward my neck and kissed the place of the wound.
Suddenly I felt warmth spreading through my body. The pain gradually disappeared, as if the wound was healing.
I was shocked and said: "What is this?"
He replied: "This is one of my healing abilities."
Then he set me down on the ground.
He said: "Sorry."
But before I could move, he hugged me from behind and whispered near my ear: "From now on… you will be my food."
I froze for a moment, then punched him hard in the stomach and pulled away from him.
I said angrily: "No! That's impossible! It will never happen!"
He began approaching me while I kept stepping back until my back hit the wall. He placed his hand on the wall beside me, then lifted my chin with his other hand and said calmly: "I'm serious."
Then he added: "You will be mine."
I felt anger and fear at the same time. I pushed his hand away and quickly ran out of the room. I rushed to my room and locked the door tightly behind me.
I bent down on the floor, trembling, and kept repeating: "No… no… please take me back."
I suddenly stood up and ran to the mirror.
I screamed: "Carla! Carla!"
I called her name many times, begging her to appear… but the mirror remained silent.