The man at the door studied Emily for a beat too long, his gaze trailing from her jeans to her fitted blouse. She shifted uneasily beneath his stare.
Finally, he stepped aside without a word. Emily walked in, but the chill running down her spine didn't leave.
The mansion was stunning. Its dark-wood architecture, vintage chandeliers, and hand-carved banisters made it feel like a place pulled from the 1800s. Portraits lined the walls...faded but regal. One caught her eye: a family painting, done in the style of old nobility. Two boys stood at the center.
Something about their faces stirred something in her. They looked familiar, though she couldn't explain why.
As she stared, the old man's voice broke the silence behind her.
"Sir Ethan has arrived."
Emily turned.
There he was.
Ethan descended the stairs slowly, dressed in black slacks and a white button-down shirt, half-unbuttoned to reveal the chiseled line of his chest. His black hair was perfectly tousled, his movements effortless.
Emily couldn't help but stare.
"You really don't value your health, do you?" he teased with a faint smirk.
She blushed. He remembered the last time she had stared and called her out on it, again.
"Let's go," he said, his tone shifting as he turned to the butler. "Ross, try not to terrify my guests."
"As you wish, sir," the butler replied stiffly and disappeared down the hallway.
Ethan took Emily's hand gently and led her upstairs into a wide study filled with rows upon rows of books. The air smelled of old paper, ink, and something faintly... citrus.
Emily sat down on a deep leather chair opposite his.
"What are you?" she asked, skipping any more pleasantries.
"Did you meet Ryder?" Ethan countered.
Her brows furrowed. "Yes. And somehow, he erased my mom and Riley's memories of him. How?"
Her voice dropped. "Are you... a superhero or something?"
Ethan let out a soft chuckle and flicked her lightly on the forehead.
"I'm a vampire, dummy. Superheroes wear tights and save cities. We wear black and survive centuries."
Emily stared at him. Her breath caught in her throat.
"A vampire...?" she echoed. "That's... real?"
"I wanted to tell you," he said, suddenly serious, "but I need to protect you. From others like me and especially from my brother."
"You're going to take my memory too, aren't you?" she whispered.
"Yes, little lamp," he admitted quietly.
Emily stood abruptly. "No. I won't tell anyone. I swear. Don't take this from me."
Ethan stared at her, torn.
"This world isn't meant for you, Emily. I should never have let you get this close."
"You didn't let me," she said fiercely. "I ran into your car. I asked for this. I kept thinking about you. And even if your brother is some vampire freak...I want to remember."
His eyes flickered with something unreadable.
Without a word, he opened a drawer in his desk and took out a necklace...a delicate silver chain with an antique pendant, carved in a language she didn't recognize.
He walked over and fastened it around her neck.
"This will protect you. If you're ever in danger, just tap the pendant. I'll come, no matter where you are."
Emily's lips parted, but before she could respond, the world blinked.
She was in her room.
Her bed. Her clothes still on.
She sat up abruptly and touched the necklace.
It was real. He hadn't taken her memory.
She smiled faintly, filled with a strange warmth.
⸻
"Emily," Riley said as she walked into the room, holding a comb in her hand. "Going somewhere?"
"No," Emily replied casually, unbuttoning her blouse.
Riley tilted her head. "That necklace is kind of dull... but I like it."
"Thanks." Emily hesitated. "Ril... do you believe in vampires?"
There was silence.
Then Riley burst into laughter. "Vampires? Please. They're just pale, moody guys in bad movies."
Emily didn't argue. She just smiled faintly.
⸻
That night, Emily sat at her desk, peering at her computer with a magnifying glass perched on her nose.
Vampire myths. Vampire history. Sunlight, garlic, stakes, bloodlust. She read everything. But none of it matched Ethan. He walked in daylight. He looked nothing like the pale monsters described in these outdated texts.
"Emily?" Riley's sleepy voice called from the bed.
Emily shut the laptop quickly and removed the glass lens.
"Just doing some homework. Going to bed now," she said, sliding under the sheets.
Riley raised an eyebrow, but didn't push.
⸻
"Emily, where are you off to this early?" her mom called the next morning.
"Going out," Emily replied quickly, already halfway to the door.
A few moments later, Riley appeared in the kitchen.
"Jane," she called, frowning. "Is Emily okay?"
"She's probably busy. You girls..." Jane...Emily's mother...sighed, shaking her head.
⸻
Emily stood in front of Ethan's mansion again, breathing deeply before ringing the bell.
This time, the door was opened by a tall man with ginger hair, dull black eyes, and a pair of glasses resting at the tip of his nose.
"I'm Henry. You must be Emily," he said with a calm smile.
Emily nodded politely. He stepped aside, and she entered once again into the cold, mysterious mansion.
"Let me get you some refreshments," Henry offered.
Before she could ask where Ethan was, a familiar voice echoed from behind her.
"Looking for my brother?"
She turned...and there he was.
Ryder.
His dark eyes glittered with mischief, and a slow, smug smile curved his lips.
"Ryder," Henry greeted respectfully.
"Be a dear and fetch my future sister-in-law something non-bloody," Ryder said with emphasis, flashing his fangs.
Emily folded her arms, unimpressed. "Don't call me that."
"Why not? You're already here, visiting his home so early," he smirked. "Wouldn't be surprised if he gave you a drawer soon."
Emily narrowed her eyes.
Ryder walked closer, eyes trailing her again in that irritatingly observant way. "You don't like me, do you?"
"No. I don't like men who show up uninvited and manipulate people's minds."
Ryder chuckled. "And yet, you came here... willingly. For answers?"
Emily didn't flinch.
"Yes," she said. "I want to know what I've stepped into. I want the truth."
His smirk widened.
"Well, little child," he whispered mockingly, "welcome to the dark."