In the Depths of Night
Under the faint moonlight, a heavy silence blanketed the deserted streets. The castle stood tall atop the mountain, shrouded in an unyielding fog, as if guarding ancient secrets. Inside, it was eerily quiet, too quiet. Even the heartbeat of the victim seemed to whisper amidst the deadly silence. Little did Rose know, this would be the last day she would feel her heart's rhythm.
"I feel the hunger again... a hunger that can't be tamed. Blood is more than just sustenance; it's a curse. With every drop, I remember the days when I was human. But now, I’m just a shadow drifting between the living and the dead."
Then I heard it — a scream piercing through the night’s stillness. I ran toward the source, but when I arrived, there was nothing but a bloodstain and a cold corpse with open eyes, and a clear mark on the neck... He’s here again.
I will never forget what happened that night.
Flashback
March 2012
It was a day like any other, filled with the monotonous routine that never changed. I woke up early to the blaring sound of my alarm, reminding me I was about to miss the bus. Glancing at the clock, I stretched lazily before jumping out of bed, throwing on my school uniform — a white shirt and a pair of jeans. My hair was tied back in a messy ponytail.
The road to school was crowded as usual, unfamiliar faces passing by as I weaved through the busy streets. My classmates were already discussing the latest news, some complaining about teachers, others gossiping about personal matters I didn’t care for. Meanwhile, I was lost in my own thoughts, always wondering why I felt like something was missing in this ordinary life.
During class, while the teacher droned on about another tedious physics lesson, my mind wandered elsewhere. I often felt this unexplained emptiness, as if I was present but not entirely there. My friends noticed my absent-mindedness, but I just smiled and drifted away again.
When the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, I felt a wave of relief. Leaving school meant temporary freedom. But today felt different. As I prepared to leave, there was something strange in the air, a feeling of being on the edge of something unknown, something I couldn't pinpoint but sensed approaching. The sky seemed darker than usual, and the air was colder, despite it being early spring.
I got on the bus as usual and took my seat, trying to focus on my friends' conversation around me. But that strange feeling inside me kept growing. My thoughts were unusually chaotic, and my eyes darted between the faces on the bus. I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me.
Later, I found myself walking down the narrow alley leading to my friend’s house. The dim streetlights barely cut through the evening’s darkness. My steps quickened slightly; there was something strange in the air. Everything was too quiet, so quiet I could hear my own breathing echoing in my ears.
Then, suddenly, I stopped. Something drew my attention to the dark corner of the street. I stood there for a moment, trying to understand what was happening. When I looked up, I saw him. He was standing there, as if he had emerged from the shadows themselves.
He was tall and lean, and his eyes... they glowed with a deep crimson hue, like embers burning in the heart of the night. At first, I couldn’t fully make out his features, but something about the way he stood, as if observing me, sent a wave of fear through me.
We locked eyes for what felt like an eternity, time seemingly frozen between us. My chest tightened under the immense pressure of that moment, and there was something unsettling in the air — something unnatural. His gaze wasn’t just curious; it was sharp, intense, more like a silent challenge. It wasn’t a fleeting glance but one that seemed to dig deep, as though he could see through me, into my very thoughts and soul.
I stopped breathing for a moment. Was this just an overwhelming feeling, or was it something more? I couldn’t explain the tension thick in the air between us. It felt like we were testing something profound, something I wasn’t prepared for. A wave of heat surged through my body, but I couldn’t look away. His eyes pierced through me, trapping me in a place I couldn’t escape.I didn’t utter a word, yet I felt something else unfold—an invisible interaction between us, something I couldn’t name yet. I was about to turn away, but my feet refused to move, as if a force stronger than me was holding me in place.
Finally, he spoke in a voice so quiet, yet his words filled the space:
"You... are different."
With those words, the darkness around him seemed to fade, leaving only his piercing gaze haunting me, even after he walked away.
I returned home, my steps heavy, a strange sensation coursing through every part of my body. I couldn’t shake off those sharp eyes, their intensity still echoing in my mind as if they had etched themselves into my soul, screaming silently. Everything on the street had seemed ordinary at first, but now, in the quiet of my room, the image clung to me mercilessly.
I closed the door slowly behind me, tossing my bag onto the floor without a care. The house was eerily silent, the kind of silence that feels oppressive. Yet, my heart pounded violently in my chest, making it hard to breathe. I sat on the edge of my bed, pressing my hand to my forehead, trying to calm myself, but the image he imprinted in my mind wouldn’t fade.
That man... he was different.
I saw his eyes—red, cold, as if they didn’t belong to this world. They were filled with darkness and a sorrow so profound it was unbearable. That gaze wasn’t fleeting. It was... strange. Very strange. Was he watching me? Or was he sensing something within me? I couldn’t answer that question. His words, “You are different,” kept echoing. What did he mean by that? What did he see in me? Was he referring to my unsettled mind, my sense of something missing in my life, or something entirely different?
I closed my eyes, but the image remained vivid. His shadow lingered in my thoughts, blurring the line between reality and imagination. Then, I felt something stir within me—a growing sensation, as if there was an invisible connection between us. I wanted to understand it, but part of me was terrified of knowing more.
How could a single glance leave me in this state? Why did I feel as if I had stepped into another world, one I wasn’t meant to enter? And what was that strange pull I felt toward him? I couldn’t find the answers I was searching for.
I glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing night had fallen, and I couldn’t stay in this silence any longer. My mind was clouded, my heart unsettled, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to forget that moment. That encounter was just the beginning—of something unpredictable.
---
The night crept in through the dark windows, and the unease still weighed heavily on my soul. That meeting, which seemed ordinary at first, had now become a puzzle I couldn’t decipher. Most importantly, I felt something inside me had shifted, and my life would never be the same.
Suddenly, I sensed something—or rather, something strange in the air. The atmosphere changed, as if a cold breeze had slipped through the closed windows. I looked at the door, finding it shut tight. Was it the wind? Yet, I couldn’t explain the heavy feeling in my chest.
Then, I heard footsteps—light, almost imperceptible. But they weren’t normal footsteps. They were unnervingly silent, as if they didn’t belong to a human. My heartbeat quickened, my mind screaming at me to go, check!
But I was paralyzed, unable to move. Still, my gaze drifted toward the corner near my window. In that moment, I saw something—no, someone. He was standing there, in the shadows, his features barely visible, but his red eyes glowed like flames in the dark. I stared at him, and suddenly, everything went silent, as if the world had stopped in that moment.
I didn’t hear the door open, nor his steps entering my room, yet he was there—standing in front of me, as though he had materialized from thin air. A part of my mind screamed, What is happening? but I was trapped in that moment, unable to escape.
He looked at me without saying a word, his eyes locked onto mine. His gaze was sharp, yet veiled in mystery. I couldn’t decipher what lay behind those eyes, and yet, there was something irresistibly captivating—something that stole my breath away.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Then, in the same silence, he moved toward the bed, as if the air around him shifted with his presence, as if everything in the room bent to his will. His heartbeat was calm, but a shock coursed through my body, and a strange feeling inside me refused to accept it.
"You don’t understand what’s happening, do you?" he whispered, his voice so soft yet cutting deep into my core.
I couldn’t respond, couldn’t move, but every fiber of my being screamed at me to say something—something about this man who had somehow become a part of my world in ways I didn’t yet comprehend. I sat on the bed, trying to steady my breath, but my heart pounded fiercely, as if on the verge of collapse. He stood in the dark corner, his glowing red eyes piercing through the shadows. The room was filled with an oppressive silence, and I was frozen, trapped in a moment I didn’t know how I had entered.
"Why are you here?" I whispered, my voice trembling, broken, as if I feared the answer.
He didn’t reply immediately. He simply stared at me with those sharp eyes, his face revealing a story of ancient secrets. He stepped forward, and a heavy weight pressed against my chest.
"I knew you’d ask that question," he said softly, his voice laced with mystery. He moved closer until he was near the bed. "But the answer isn’t what you think."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, attempting to show a strength I didn’t feel. "Who are you? And why does everything feel so... wrong when you’re near me?"
His words caught in his throat for a moment before he responded with a faint smirk, his voice calm yet arrogant: "You think you know the truth, but you understand nothing yet. You’re not like the others. Your awareness, your sensitivity to what’s around you... that’s why I’m here."
"You... what do you mean?" I was gasping, fear gripping me as my mind struggled to piece together the torn threads.
"Do you dare to tell the truth?"
He smiled coldly, his eyes sharper than ever.
"You’ve always known there’s something different about you, something that sets you apart. Maybe you’ve felt it all your life. But I’m here because you only have a fragment of the picture." He stepped closer, the distance between us now almost nonexistent.
"I’m part of that picture, and I’m here to show you what you can’t see."
My throat felt dry, but I forced myself to respond, despite the fear gripping me:
"What do you want from me?"
"I want you to understand," he whispered, stepping closer, his eyes glowing intensely. "I want to see what you'll do with this thing you possess. Because, in the end, you'll be part of this world."
A strange sensation coursed through my veins—a mix of dread and the urge to run—but he was too close, and it felt like escape was impossible. That moment was etched into my mind, every word he spoke weighing heavier on my heart.
"No..." I finally whispered, my eyes widening in shock, but I couldn’t move. "You... you’re a vampire."
"Yes." He said it simply, then added, "But I’m not the one everyone fears."
I couldn’t tear myself away from his gaze, even knowing that every second in his presence deepened my sense of being lost. I searched for words that could grant me strength, but his enigmatic speech only plunged me further into unanswered questions.
"Why me?" I asked at last, my voice frail, though inside I was screaming. "Why did you choose me? What do you want from me?"
He smiled enigmatically and stepped a little closer. His presence filled the room, making the air feel heavier.
"I didn’t choose you. You caught my attention," he said calmly, though there was something strange in his tone that pulled me toward him. "I wasn’t searching for you, but you were always there, even in places you couldn’t see."
He was alluding to something incomprehensible, something far beyond our encounter.
"How can you see everything? Why do you make me feel like I’m blind?" I asked, trying to grasp the power behind his gaze.
He rubbed his fingers gently, as if contemplating how to explain. "Because you’re not what you think you are," he said softly, yet his words carried profound meaning. "You’re one of the few who possesses something most can’t perceive."
"And what do I have?" My voice trembled, but I was determined to understand, to know.
"The things you believe are mere illusions, your visions that seem unexplainable—they’re more than just dreams." His words were deliberate, seeping into my mind and soul. "You have the ability to see the shadows between worlds. That’s what draws me to you."
My eyes widened in astonishment, but I wanted more answers. "Are you saying I see things that aren’t visible to the naked eye?"
"Yes." He stepped closer, and an indescribable energy swept through me. "But this vision isn’t a gift or a blessing. It’s a burden—one you’ll only understand when you realize that what your eyes perceive is just a veil for what lies hidden."
I was gasping, struggling to process his words. "If you know everything about me, why won’t you tell me what this secret is? Why leave me in the dark?"
"Because you’re not ready yet." His voice was low, as if a heavy secret kept him from saying more. "I’ll tell you, but you must be prepared, because once you know, there’s no going back."
His words fell like snow—cold, still, yet filling the space between us. "And you... are you ready for the truth? Because I know your heart resists it, but deep down, it knows this is your destiny."
My eyes met his, and everything around me seemed to slow. Every word he spoke clung to me, casting shadows over my entire existence. The moment stretched endlessly, a strange mix of dread and an uncontrollable curiosity growing within me.
"What if I don’t want this destiny?" I whispered, knowing deep down that such a desire might be impossible.
He seemed to have anticipated the question, offering a faint, dark smile. "You’re not the one who decides, no matter what you believe."
My thoughts raced, spiraling in a sea of questions I couldn't answer. How could I be part of this? Every word he uttered fueled the fear in my heart, birthing more questions than ever before. I was desperate to understand, yet I felt the truth was far beyond my grasp.
"You don’t understand, do you?" he murmured, his calm voice laced with a subtle warning. "This is bigger than you think."
But as I stared into his eyes, I felt my control slipping. I was drowning, the truth rushing toward me faster than I could bear.
"I want to run. I want to forget." The words tumbled from my lips, a subconscious plea against the reality unraveling before me.
Suddenly, all sound ceased. The room froze, as if time itself had stopped. A strange sensation invaded my mind, thoughts dissolving one by one, leaving me suspended in nothingness.
"There’s no need to be afraid," he whispered softly, yet with a firmness that pressed against my consciousness. He stepped closer, and before I could part my lips, something foreign coursed through my mind.
His hand hovered near my forehead, his eyes locked onto mine, scrutinizing every detail of my face. I felt something cold surge into my mind, pulling my thoughts away like an invisible force. I wanted to scream, to resist, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t even open my eyes.
"You don’t need to remember," he whispered gently, his words carrying me into another world. "Everything will be fine. Just... relax."
A tremendous pressure built in my head, and everything blurred into oblivion. Everything I knew began to dissolve, every fear in my heart fading into a distant, foggy memory.
For a moment, I no longer remembered why I had been afraid or what had transpired between us. The place was so quiet, and the light filled the room as if everything had returned to normal.
"You'll be fine," he said calmly, stepping back, leaving me in this foggy state. "But remember... this isn’t the right time for you to understand everything."
His eyes shimmered in the dark, but in that moment, I couldn’t recall why I had been thinking about any of this. Everything was now hazy, and my heart, which had been pounding so fast, began to return to its calm, as if all the thoughts troubling my mind had been erased.
Once all the thoughts vanished as if they had dissolved into nothingness, the place remained eerily still. I couldn’t remember anything clearly about the moments that passed, only a strange sense of emptiness filling my chest. The room’s light touched the walls coldly, as if time had resumed its normal course, yet something deep inside told me that something had changed.
I was breathing heavily, and my heart was still racing. I looked around, trying to make sense of what had happened, but the room was empty. There was no trace of him. I didn’t hear his voice, and I couldn’t feel his presence.
"What... what happened?" I whispered to myself, trying to regain my balance. But everything was foggy. Even the air around me seemed devoid of life.
I cautiously stepped down from the bed, my eyes scanning the room, which appeared larger in his absence. But there was something strange about the place. Something unusual. I felt an invisible presence surrounding me, as though I couldn’t escape from something I couldn’t see.
I slowly walked toward the window, my eyes searching for anything odd outside. Night had fully fallen, and the streets were empty. No movement, no sound... as if the entire world had stopped around me. I felt the weight of the silence.
But despite all this, something inside me told me that I was not alone. His absence was haunting me. Everything I felt seemed to be in my mind, deep within me, as though I could still hear his breath even if he wasn’t in the room.
I approached the door slowly, and then my heart stopped for a moment when I noticed that the window was slightly open. I looked down, but there was no trace of him. It was as if he had vanished suddenly, like a storm that blows through and disappears without leaving a mark.
"Was all of this just a dream?" I wondered as I walked toward the window, but I couldn’t find an answer. There was something unexplainable in the air, and my mind refused to believe what had happened.
I tried to regain my focus, but a mysterious, unsettling feeling crept into my heart. Had he returned to his place? Was it all just an illusion? But deep down, I knew something was no longer as it was.
And suddenly, as if he were truly watching me, I felt something strange slip into the room’s atmosphere. His last look, before he completely vanished, haunted me. "You won’t be alone for long," his words echoed in my ears as if he were still here, somewhere near.
But when I looked again at the room, I found no one. He had disappeared, leaving behind only the emptiness he left.
---
3:00 AM
The clock had passed three in the morning, and the city was drowned in a deep silence, broken only by the sound of the wind whipping the trees outside. I stood by my window, sipping a glass of wine slowly, trying to escape my thoughts, the thoughts of the girl who now made me think of everything strange and incomprehensible. Rose—just her name alone sparked something within me, chasing me every moment.
"You’re thinking about her again," a voice came from behind me, calm as if part of the darkness itself. I didn’t turn, I knew it all too well. It was Damon, I couldn’t see him, but I could feel him here, in the space, in the air I breathed.
"She’s more than just a girl," I replied in a low voice, my gaze still fixed on the dark sky, the quiet growing around me, as if everything had frozen in that moment. "There’s something about her... something that makes me see the world differently. Something I can’t explain."
"You always think there’s something special about everyone you meet," Damon retorted sarcastically, but I could feel the sadness behind his words. "What if she’s just an ordinary girl? What if she’s just a passing human who doesn’t deserve all this exaggeration?"
I smiled bitterly and raised my glass again. "She’s not just an ordinary girl. I know that, even if I can’t pinpoint what it is that connects me to her."
Damon was silent for a moment, then his voice came out more serious, as if reconsidering my words. "You know playing with fire can be dangerous, right? This girl doesn’t have the power to protect herself from this dark world."
I took another sip of wine, thinking about his words, but the truth was, I wasn’t ready to let go of her. "But she has something special. Something only you’ll see if you’re close enough."
"Rose," Damon said softly, as if the name was unfamiliar to him. "Their names are always strange, but she doesn’t belong to this world."
I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about his words. Was Rose really part of this world? The thought haunted me, but I refused to admit it. I needed to see myself with her, to understand what drew me to her.
"You’re wrong," I whispered, feeling the sadness seep into my voice. "She’s different. More than you think."
And suddenly, I felt a heavy, invisible gaze emanating from every corner of the room, as though Damon was weighing every word I spoke carefully. "Always remember, Leon," Damon said in a deep voice, "Anyone who enters this world will find themselves lost in it, no matter their intentions. Rose will soon be part of this darkness, there’s no escape."
I drank the last of my glass, then placed it on the table beside me. I could feel something strange in the air, his words about Rose wrapping around me, as if those words had become a part of me now. Was I dragging her into this darkness? I wondered, but I knew the answer didn’t matter in this moment. Her name was in my mind, and I couldn’t escape the truth that her life would change forever once she became a part of my world.
To be continued...