It was a dark night, the kind where the air felt heavy and the silence was almost suffocating. The moonlight barely filtered through the curtains, casting faint shadows across the room. Celia lay in bed, drifting in and out of sleep. She was used to the quiet nights, but tonight, something felt different. There was an unsettling presence in the air—like someone was watching her.

Her eyes fluttered open, scanning the room. The feeling didn’t fade. It grew stronger. A blur of motion caught her attention in the corner of the room. The shadows seemed to shift, and before she could react, a figure stepped into the dim light.

Celia froze. Standing in front of her, looking as if she’d appeared out of thin air, was a woman. Her presence was chilling, a sense of power radiating from her. The woman’s eyes glowed with a dangerous intensity. Celia’s heart began to race.

“Who are you?” Celia asked, her voice shaky, but she tried to sound brave.

The woman didn’t answer. Instead, she took a slow, deliberate step toward Celia. Her lips curled into a sinister smile, a smile that didn’t reach her cold eyes.

Celia instinctively grabbed her pillow, clutching it tightly. Without thinking, she shoved the pillow over her face, hoping it would shield her from whatever danger this woman posed. But as soon as the pillow was in place, she felt a pressure—something was tightening around her chest, making it harder to breathe. Her lungs screamed for air, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to take a full breath.

Her vision began to blur, her heart pounding in her ears. She panicked, her hands pushing against the pillow, desperately trying to pull it off. Finally, with all her strength, she managed to throw it aside. Gasping for air, she sat up, her chest heaving.

The woman, still standing there with an eerie calm, watched her struggle. “It’s just a trailer, baby,” she said in a low, mocking voice. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Celia glared at the woman, trying to regain her composure. “What do you want from me?”

The woman stepped closer, her cold eyes locking onto Celia’s. “I need you to do something for me,” she said, her tone dripping with menace. “You’re going to keep an eye on Lucian and Elena. You’re going to tell me everything they do. Is Elena a vampire? Is she still human? And everything else you can find out.”

Celia raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips despite the fear bubbling in her chest. “Why would I do that?”

The woman’s eyes darkened, her smile fading. Without warning, she grabbed Celia’s arm, her grip like iron. The coldness of her touch sent a shiver down Celia’s spine.

“You will do it,” the woman said, her voice sharp and dangerous. “If you don’t, I’ll make sure you fall from the cliff.”

Celia’s heart skipped a beat. The threat was clear. She could see it in the woman’s eyes—she wasn’t bluffing.

Celia’s pride flared, but she knew she didn’t have much of a choice. This woman—whoever she was—wasn’t someone you crossed. Her mind raced, but there was only one thing she could say to avoid the threat of death.

“Fine,” Celia bit out, her voice laced with defiance despite the fear creeping in. “I’ll do it. But if you think I’m going to be your puppet, you’re wrong.”

The woman’s lips curled into a smile again, the kind that sent chills down Celia’s spine. “Good girl. Keep your eyes on them. I’ll be watching you.”

With that, the woman disappeared into the shadows, leaving Celia alone, trembling in the dark. She could still feel the coldness of her touch, like it was burned into her skin. As the room returned to its eerie silence, Celia let out a shaky breath. She had just made a deal with the devil. The night felt colder than before.

When Elena finally opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was the warmth of the soft bed she lay on. The room wasn’t hers. It was grand, with high ceilings, dark stone walls, and sunlight streaming through tall windows. She sat up slowly, her body feeling unusually light and rested.

Lucian was sitting on the edge of the bed, his face etched with worry. His sharp features softened for a moment when he saw her awake.

“You slept for twelve hours,” he said, his tone calm but his eyes searching her face for any signs of change.

“Twelve hours?” Elena rubbed her temples. “What happened? Why am I here?”

Lucian leaned forward, his hands clasped. “Do you remember anything from last night?”

Elena frowned, trying to piece together her fragmented memories. “I remember... Pearl. She attacked me. Drained me of blood.” Her hand instinctively went to her neck, but there was no wound. “Wait... how am I even alive?”

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out,” Lucian said. “You should have turned by now.”

Elena blinked at him. “Turned? You mean into a vampire?”

“Yes,” he said firmly. “After what happened, it’s impossible for you not to. But...” He paused, clearly conflicted.

“But what?” she pressed, her voice rising slightly.

“You’re not a vampire.”

The words hung in the air. Elena stared at him, her mind racing. “What do you mean I’m not? She bit me. Drank my blood. How am I still... human?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Lucian said, standing and pacing the room. “It’s a miracle. It’s happened only once before in all of history. Someone bitten, drained, with vampire blood in their system, but they didn’t turn. Instead, they... changed into something else.”

“Something else?” Elena’s voice was barely above a whisper.

Lucian turned to face her, his expression grim. “Last night, your body was completely drained of blood. When I found you, you were... gone.” He paused, swallowing hard. “But now, your body is healthy, full of blood. It doesn’t make sense.”

Elena touched her chest, feeling her steady heartbeat. “I don’t feel different.”

Lucian stepped closer, his gaze intense. “We need to be sure.”

“What do you mean?”

“I need to test you. To see if there’s even a trace of vampirism in you.”

Elena hesitated but eventually nodded. “Fine. Do whatever you have to.”

Lucian started with basic tests. He offered her a glass of water infused with vervain—a substance deadly to vampires. She drank it easily, feeling nothing. He brought a piece of garlic close to her, and again, no reaction. Finally, he took a blade and nicked her finger, watching closely. Her blood flowed red and warm, and her wound healed at a human pace.

“You’re not a vampire,” Lucian concluded, his voice filled with disbelief.

Elena let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “Then... what am I?”

“I don’t know,” Lucian admitted, his frustration evident. “But this isn’t normal. Something happened to you last night, Elena. Something we don’t understand.”

Elena stood, her legs feeling steady beneath her. “What about Aunt Remenise? Is she safe?”

“She’s at home. Pearl’s gone,” Lucian said. “For now.”

Elena nodded, relieved but still shaken. “I need to get to school. I can’t sit here and... think about this. I’ll go crazy.”

Lucian watched her for a moment before nodding. “Fine. But be careful. Don’t trust anyone—not even me.”

Elena gave him a weak smile. “You’re the only one who’s ever saved me. I’ll trust you until you give me a reason not to.”

Lucian’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

As Elena left for school, the questions buzzed in both their minds. How could she survive something like that? What had she turned into, if not a vampire?

Lucian stood by the window, watching her leave, his thoughts swirling. Whatever Elena had become, it was rare. And it was powerful.

POV Elena

The school hallways buzzed with the usual chatter as I walked toward my locker. Everything felt normal—at least on the surface. But deep down, a strange unease lingered.

I spotted Celia near the cafeteria, leaning casually against the wall, scrolling through her phone. Her carefree posture was familiar, but something about her felt… off. I couldn’t explain it, but the way she avoided my gaze when I waved at her sent a chill down my spine.

“Hey, Celia,” I called as I approached her. “You okay?”

She looked up, her usual bright smile missing. “Oh, yeah. Fine,” she said quickly, almost too quickly.

I frowned, studying her closely. “Are you sure? You’ve been acting weird all morning.”

“No, I’m good,” she replied, brushing her hair over her shoulder and glancing around. I noticed her eyes flicker toward a shadowy corner of the hallway, and for a brief moment, I thought I saw someone—something—watching us.

“Celia,” I said firmly, “if something’s wrong, you can tell me.”

She laughed, but it was forced. “Elena, you’re so paranoid sometimes. Let’s talk about you instead.”

I tilted my head, confused. “What about me?”

Celia leaned in, lowering her voice. “So... did you turn? Into, you know, a vampire?”

My blood ran cold. I took a step back, staring at her. “What? How—how do you even know about that?”

Her expression shifted, almost as if she regretted asking. “I just… heard rumors. Lucian talk, Elena.”

I didn’t buy it. Something wasn’t right, and the way she looked at me, like I was some kind of science experiment, made my skin crawl.

“Celia, are you serious right now?” I asked, crossing my arms. “What’s going on with you? This isn’t like you.”

She shrugged, her eyes darting around again. “It’s nothing. Forget I said anything.”

I couldn’t forget, though. The pit in my stomach grew as I watched her walk away, leaving me standing there, more confused than ever.

The rest of the day, I tried to focus on my classes, but Celia’s behavior gnawed at me. She was avoiding me, that much was clear. And when I saw her laughing and talking with Ash during lunch, something inside me cracked.

Celia had been my closest friend, the one person I thought I could trust. But now, she was shutting me out, leaving me in the dark.

As I sat alone in the cafeteria, picking at my food, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone—or something—was watching me. My eyes darted around the room, searching for a familiar face, but all I saw were strangers.

By the time the final bell rang, I felt drained. I walked to my bike, the cool afternoon air doing little to clear my head. Whatever was going on with Celia, I had a sinking feeling it wasn’t just about her.

And as much as it hurt, I knew one thing for sure—I couldn’t trust her anymore. I made my way towards castle. Inside lucian, only he can hear me and talk me like friend. I told him everything he said we can call it compelled but pearl had gone so? Who will did it?"