✦ EIRA'S POV ✦
The darkness was thickening around me.
As I walked down the nearly deserted college corridor, an uneasy feeling settled deeper and deeper into my chest.
The building should have felt familiar. Safe. Yet tonight it felt different, as though something unseen was lurking just beyond my sight.
I tightened my grip around my bag and quickened my pace.
The corridor stretched endlessly ahead, swallowed by shadows.
The fluorescent lights above buzzed weakly, casting pale reflections across the polished floor. Every sound seemed unnaturally loud—the tap of my shoes, the rustle of my clothes, the pounding of my own heart.
Then I heard it.
Footsteps.
Not mine.
A cold shiver crawled down my spine.
Someone was behind me.
Slowly, I turned around.
Nothing.
The hallway stood empty.
Silent.
Abandoned.
My breathing quickened.
For several seconds, I simply stared into the darkness, trying to convince myself that I was imagining things.
Then the lights above flickered.
Once.
Twice.
And suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed everything.
My breath caught in my throat.
At the far end of the corridor stood a figure.
Motionless.
Watching.
His face was hidden beneath shadows, making it impossible to distinguish any features, yet something about his presence made the air feel heavier. Colder.
Dangerous.
"Hey! Who are you?"
My voice echoed through the corridor.
No answer came.
The figure remained completely still.
Then, before my eyes—
He disappeared.
As though the darkness itself had swallowed him whole.
My stomach twisted.
No.
I was imagining things.
I had to be.
With trembling fingers, I pulled out my phone and switched on the flashlight. The small beam illuminated only a few feet ahead of me, but it was enough.
It had to be enough.
I hurried toward the exit.
The moment the college gates came into view, relief washed through me. I was almost out.
Then suddenly—
That feeling returned.
Stronger.
Much stronger.
Like someone was standing directly behind me.
Watching.
Waiting.
My pulse exploded.
I turned.
Tessy was running toward me.
Her face was pale.
Terrified.
"Eira, move!"
Her scream tore through the night.
Move?
Before I could understand what she meant, something slammed into the side of my head.
Pain exploded through my skull.
Blinding.
Violent.
The world tilted.
The ground rushed upward.
And darkness swallowed me whole.
✦ TESSY'S POV ✦
Blood.
There was so much blood.
It spread across the pavement beneath Eira's head like a cruel crimson river.
Too much.
Far too much.
My hands shook uncontrollably as I dropped beside her.
"Eira!"
No response.
Her eyes remained closed.
The ambulance sirens wailed somewhere in the distance. People shouted around us. Someone was crying.
Everything blurred together.
All I could see was her.
Lying there.
Motionless.
Hours later, the hospital corridor felt like a prison.
Every second stretched into eternity.
Every tick of the clock felt like torture.
I had never felt so helpless in my entire life.
Finally, the doctor emerged from the ICU.
I jumped to my feet.
"Doctor, what happened to her? Will she be okay?"
My voice trembled.
The doctor removed his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes.
For a moment, he didn't answer.
And somehow that terrified me more than anything.
"Ma'am, her condition is critical. We are doing everything we can to stabilize her."
My knees nearly gave out.
"We've stopped the bleeding, but her brain activity is... concerning."
The corridor seemed to spin.
"If she doesn't wake up by morning," he continued softly, "she may slip into a coma."
No.
No.
No.
The words felt unreal.
Like a nightmare.
"Eira..."
The name broke inside my chest.
"Tessy, you need to hold yourself together."
Mom's voice sounded distant.
Weak.
Meaningless.
I stared at the ICU doors.
Praying.
Begging.
Hoping.
For the first time in my life, I felt completely powerless.
✦ ADRAIN'S POV ✦
Tessy's sobs echoed through the corridor.
Raw.
Broken.
Hopeless.
I walked past her unnoticed, my face hidden beneath a hospital mask.
The moment I pushed open the ICU door, the world seemed to stop.
There she was.
Eira.
Lying motionless beneath white sheets.
Machines surrounded her.
Cold lights illuminated her pale face.
Too pale.
Far too pale.
For one horrible second, she looked dead.
Something inside me shattered.
A pain unlike anything I had ever experienced tore through my chest.
Slowly, I walked toward her bed.
Almost afraid.
As though getting closer would somehow make this nightmare real.
My fingers brushed against her cheek.
Cold.
The sensation struck harder than any weapon ever could.
For centuries I had watched kingdoms collapse and empires burn.
I had seen wars consume entire bloodlines.
I had witnessed countless deaths.
None of it had ever touched me.
Yet seeing her like this—
Silent.
Fragile.
Broken—
Was enough to bring me to my knees.
I pressed my hand against her head and closed my eyes.
Searching.
The moment I felt her life force, dread consumed me.
It was fading.
Weak.
Fragile.
A tiny flame struggling against an endless darkness.
"No..."
The word barely escaped my lips.
"No, you can't leave me."
My jaw tightened.
My entire body trembled.
"I won't let you."
For the first time in centuries, I felt fear.
Real fear.
Not for myself.
For her.
I lowered my forehead against hers.
"I won't let anything happen to you."
Then I disappeared.
The forest blurred around me.
Trees shattered as I passed.
Ancient trunks splintered beneath my claws.
The wind screamed through the darkness.
Pain.
Fear.
Rage.
Everything inside me erupted.
"I WILL SAVE YOU!"
My roar shook the forest.
Animals fled.
Even the darkness seemed to recoil.
Dropping to my knees, I carved an ancient symbol into the earth with blood-covered fingers.
Ενεργειακός τροχός.
The Wheel of Energy.
The forbidden ritual.
The ritual that would either save her—
Or destroy me.
Candles burst into blue flames.
The wind howled violently.
Ancient power awakened.
And so did the pain.
✦ ELISA'S POV ✦
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
Ever since Eira entered his life, Adrain had changed.
I hurried toward his room and knocked.
No answer.
Fear immediately tightened around my chest.
I pushed the door open.
Empty.
The room was abandoned.
The sofa had been shoved aside as though someone had left in a hurry.
"Adrain..."
I whispered.
Then I ran.
Mike sat beside the fireplace.
The moment he saw my face, he stood.
"Mike, Adrain... he's not at home."
His eyes closed.
Searching.
Seconds later they flew open.
Filled with fury.
"He's performing the Ενεργειακός τροχός."
The words drained all color from my face.
"No..."
"To save that girl."
"The Ενεργειακός τροχός?"
My voice shook.
"It transfers power from one being to another," Mike said.
His fists clenched.
"But if used on a human..."
Fear gripped me.
"...it freezes the vampire from the inside."
My breath stopped.
"A cold death."
"Forever."
Tears instantly filled my eyes.
"What? No—please, Mike, save him!"
"We have to stop him."
Then we ran.
✦ ADRAIN'S POV ✦
Pain.
Nothing existed except pain.
I sat inside the circle.
My sleeves rolled to my forearms.
My eyes closed.
Ancient words flowed from my lips.
The chant of ἐνέργεια.
Power gathered around me.
The air vibrated.
Blue light erupted from the symbol.
Then agony exploded through my body.
Every bone.
Every nerve.
Every drop of blood.
It felt as though ice and fire were tearing me apart simultaneously.
A scream ripped from my throat.
A glowing sphere formed before me.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a strand of Eira's hair.
My fingers trembled.
Not from pain.
From fear.
The moment the strand touched the sphere, the connection formed.
Instantly.
I felt her.
Weak.
Fading.
Slipping deeper into darkness.
Alone.
"No..."
More power poured from me.
The pain became unbearable.
My skin split.
Blood streamed down my arms.
Still I continued.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Until my body could no longer endure it.
I collapsed onto the ground.
Barely breathing.
"Eira..."
Blood spilled from my lips.
"You'll be fine."
The cold had begun.
I felt it spreading through my veins.
Freezing me from the inside.
Turning my blood into ice.
Turning my body into a tomb.
But I didn't care.
Not if she lived.
Not if she opened her eyes again.
"I won't let anything happen to you..."
My vision darkened.
The last thing I heard was Mike screaming my name.
Then everything disappeared.
✦ MIKE'S POV ✦
I reached the clearing just as Adrain collapsed.
"ADRAIN!"
Elisa's sobs echoed through the forest.
"Mike, do something!"
I dropped beside him and pressed my hand against his chest.
My blood ran cold.
He was freezing.
The ritual had already begun consuming him.
His heartbeat was slowing.
His skin felt colder than death itself.
"We have to take him to Michael."
There was no time.
I lifted Adrain into my arms and ran.
Hours later, the ancient meeting hall stood silent.
Every elder had gathered.
Watching.
Waiting.
Praying.
Michael stepped forward.
Without a word, he tore open his shirt.
A blade flashed.
Blood flowed.
The Triskelion appeared across his chest.
The others formed a circle around him.
Their chanting shook the hall.
Ancient power flooded the room.
Michael cut his wrist.
Dark blood dripped onto Adrain's lips.
The ritual continued.
Minutes felt like centuries.
The entire room seemed to hold its breath.
Finally, Michael stepped back.
His face was pale.
Exhausted.
"I have saved his body from freezing."
Relief swept through the room.
Elisa collapsed into tears.
Then came the second sentence.
"But the damage within..."
His eyes lowered to Adrain.
"...the loss of power will take time to heal."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Painful.
Then Michael turned and left.
✦ TESSY'S POV ✦
Three hours.
Three endless hours.
I sat outside Eira's room.
Praying.
Begging.
Crying.
Refusing to leave.
Then suddenly a nurse rushed past me toward the doctor.
My heart stopped.
I followed immediately.
"Doctor—what happened?"
He ignored me and hurried inside.
Seconds later he emerged.
His face looked strange.
Shocked.
Almost frightened.
"What happened?"
I asked again.
My voice trembling.
The doctor stared at me.
Then whispered—
"She's awake."
The world stopped.
Tears instantly filled my eyes.
"Thank you."
I grabbed his hand.
Unable to stop crying.
He nodded absently.
Still stunned.
"Everything is okay now, right?"
The doctor looked back toward her room.
Disbelief filled his face.
"Yes."
A pause.
"But it's impossible."
"What?"
"All her internal injuries have healed."
My breath caught.
"What?"
"Even her brain activity is completely normal."
The doctor shook his head.
Unable to understand.
Unable to explain.
"It's a miracle."
And somewhere far away, in another room, a vampire lay unconscious.
The doctors would call it a miracle.
The elders would call it forbidden magic.
But the truth was far simpler.
A girl had opened her eyes because a monster had willingly sacrificed himself to keep them from closing forever.