The cold air of Ashwood wrapped around the streets like a living thing.
Eva pushed open the door of the Ashwood Bar, and the three girls stepped outside into the fog.
The warm noise of the bar disappeared behind them.
Now there was only silence.
Nora looked around the empty street.
"He was just here."
Zoe crossed her arms tightly.
"We missed him by seconds."
Eva stared down the long road ahead of them. The streetlights glowed faintly through the mist, turning everything pale and ghostlike.
"No," Eva said quietly.
"He's still here."
Nora looked at her.
"You think he's nearby?"
Eva nodded.
"He left too quickly."
Zoe sighed.
"Great. So now we're chasing a ghost."
But Eva had already started walking.
"Come on."
Walking Through Ashwood
The three girls walked deeper into the quiet streets.
Their footsteps echoed softly on the pavement.
Ashwood felt different at night.
The buildings looked taller.
The shadows looked darker.
Every corner felt like it was hiding something.
Nora rubbed her arms.
"This town gives me a weird feeling."
Zoe tried to laugh.
"That's because someone in this town might be a killer."
Eva said nothing.
Her mind was focused on one name.
Julien Kane.
They turned onto another street.
Then another.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
The fog grew thicker, swallowing the empty roads.
Finally Nora stopped walking.
"Eva… we've been walking for almost half an hour."
Zoe nodded.
"He's gone."
Eva looked down the long street in front of them.
Then she saw something.
A figure.
Someone was walking slowly toward them from the opposite direction.
Tall.
Dark coat.
Hands in his pockets.
His face was mostly hidden by the dim streetlight behind him.
Nora noticed him too.
"Someone's coming."
Zoe whispered,
"Relax. It's probably just some random guy."
But Eva didn't look away.
Something about the way the man walked felt calm.
Too calm.
Like he wasn't surprised to see them at all.
The Stranger
The man stopped a few steps away from them.
For a moment none of them spoke.
The fog drifted between them like a silent curtain.
The stranger's face became clearer under the streetlight.
Sharp features.
Dark hair.
Eyes that seemed unusually calm.
Zoe cleared her throat.
"Hey… sorry to bother you."
The man looked at them quietly.
"Yes?"
His voice was calm. Almost gentle.
Eva stepped forward slightly.
"We're looking for someone."
The stranger tilted his head.
"Who?"
Nora answered this time.
"Julien Kane."
For a brief moment the man said nothing.
Then something changed in his expression.
Not fear.
Not surprise.
Just a small, mysterious smile.
A smirk.
Zoe noticed it immediately.
"You know him?"
The stranger looked at Zoe for a moment.
Then he slowly extended his hand toward her.
"Nice to meet you."
Zoe hesitated… but shook his hand anyway.
The moment their hands touched, Zoe looked up into his eyes.
And something clicked.
Something about his calm expression.
Something about that smirk.
Zoe's eyes widened suddenly.
Her voice broke the silence.
Loud.
Clear.
"Wait—"
Eva and Nora turned to her.
Zoe was staring directly at the stranger.
Her grip on his hand tightened slightly.
And then she said it.
"He's Julien Kane."
The words hung in the cold air.
The man slowly released her hand.
The small smirk was still on his face.
Nora stepped back slightly in shock.
Eva's eyes narrowed.
The stranger finally spoke again.
"Yes."
His voice was calm.
"My name is Julien Kane."
The fog moved slowly around them.
And for the first time since arriving in Ashwood…
The girls were finally standing face to face with the man they believed had killed Lana
The truth in the dark
The fog around Ashwood had grown thicker.
Streetlights glowed faintly above the empty road, casting long shadows across the pavement. The air was cold, and the town felt strangely silent.
Eva, Nora, and Zoe stood facing the man they had been searching for.
Julien Kane.
For a moment none of them moved.
Zoe's voice was the first to break the silence.
"You're Julien Kane."
Julien didn't deny it.
He simply nodded once.
Eva stepped forward, anger flashing across her face.
"You knew Lana."
Julien's eyes lowered slightly at the sound of her name.
"Yes."
Nora crossed her arms.
"She's dead."
"I know."
Zoe's voice sharpened.
"And you disappeared the same night she died."
Julien looked at them calmly.
"I didn't disappear."
"Then where were you?" Eva demanded.
Julien didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced down the empty street as if checking whether anyone else was nearby.
Then he looked back at them.
"You shouldn't be standing here."
Eva laughed bitterly.
"Oh really?"
"Why?"
"Because you might kill us too?"
Nora nodded coldly.
"That's what killers usually do."
Julien's expression hardened slightly.
"I didn't kill Lana."
Zoe scoffed.
"Right."
Julien took one slow step closer.
His voice lowered.
"I loved her."
The words stopped them for a moment.
Eva stared at him.
"You expect us to believe that?"
Julien looked directly into her eyes.
"She came to me that night because she was afraid."
Nora frowned.
"Afraid of what?"
Julien's voice dropped even lower.
"Something far more dangerous than me."
The wind moved through the street, carrying the fog between them.
Eva folded her arms.
"So what's this supposed to be?"
"A scary story?"
Julien shook his head slowly.
"No."
He pointed down the dark road.
"Come to my house."
Zoe laughed immediately.
"Are you serious?"
"You think we're just going to walk into a killer's house?"
Nora added sharply,
"Nice try."
Julien sighed quietly.
"You're not listening."
Eva stepped closer to him.
"Oh we're listening."
"And everything still points to you."
Julien looked at each of them carefully.
"If I wanted to kill you…"
He gestured at the empty street around them.
"…I wouldn't need a house."
The silence that followed was uncomfortable.
Then Julien continued.
"I didn't kill Lana."
"But I know what did."
Eva's eyes narrowed.
"Then talk."
Julien shook his head.
"Not here."
"Come to my house."
"I'll tell you everything."
Zoe whispered to Eva,
"This is a terrible idea."
Nora nodded.
"Worst idea ever."
Eva looked back at Julien.
Her voice was sharp.
"Who the hell are you?"
For the first time, Julien smiled faintly.
Not a friendly smile.
A tired one.
Then he answered quietly.
"I'm twenty-four years old."
Eva rolled her eyes.
"Congratulations."
Julien continued calmly.
"Since 1871."
The words hit the air like thunder.
For a moment the girls simply stared at him.
Zoe blinked.
"What?"
Nora frowned.
"That's not funny."
But Eva's expression suddenly hardened.
Anger flashed across her face.
"So what are you trying to say?"
Julien met her gaze.
His voice was calm.
"I'm saying I've been twenty-four years old…"
"…for over a hundred and fifty years."
Eva took a step toward him.
"Stop playing games."
Julien didn't move.
"Then ask the real question."
Eva's jaw tightened.
"Fine."
"What are you?"
For a moment the wind was the only sound in the street.
Then Julien answered.
"I'm a vampire."
Silence fell around them.
Zoe stared at him in disbelief.
Nora shook her head.
"No."
"That's impossible."
But Eva didn't look surprised.
Her anger burned even brighter.
"Great."
"A vampire."
"So now you expect us to trust you?"
Julien looked away briefly, toward the dark skyline of Ashwood.
His voice became quieter.
"You don't have to trust me."
"Just listen."
Eva crossed her arms.
"Start talking."
Julien took a slow breath.
"My story begins in the year 1871."
The fog drifted around them again as his voice lowered.
"That was the night I died…"
"…and the night I became something else."
The girls stood silently as Julien Kane began to tell the story of a life that had lasted more than a century.
And a past that was darker than any of them could imagine.