Chapter Four: Into the Night
When Elena opened her eyes, she was no longer in the crumbling Virelli estate. Instead, the world around her had shifted — the cold stone walls replaced by tall, ancient trees whose branches wove a thick canopy above, blotting out the moonlight.
Lucien stood beside her, his pale face almost luminous under the faint glow of distant stars. The forest was silent, save for the rustling leaves and their own steady breaths.
"Where are we?" Elena asked, her voice hoarse.
"A refuge," Lucien replied. "An ancient sanctuary, protected by old magic. Few can find it, and fewer still can cross its borders without my permission."
Elena looked down at her hands, still trembling. "What happens if those creatures come here?"
Lucien's eyes darkened. "They won't. This place is a sanctuary. But you are not safe for long. They will search everywhere. You have something they want."
Her mind raced, trying to grasp the truth of everything he'd told her. Her bloodline, her brother's transformation, the hunt. And the hunger she felt growing inside her — not hunger for food, but something deeper, more primal.
Lucien reached into his coat and pulled out a small vial filled with a dark, swirling liquid.
"Drink this," he said quietly. "It will slow the change. Give you time."
Elena hesitated, staring at the vial as if it held both salvation and doom. "Why should I trust you?"
"Because I am the only one who can keep you alive," Lucien said, stepping closer. "And because… I don't want to lose you too."
For the first time, Elena saw the weight behind his words — a man bound by his own curse, yet still fighting for a sliver of humanity.
She lifted the vial to her lips and drank.
The liquid burned cold and sweet like the night itself.
When she lowered the vial, Lucien's hand covered hers.
"We start now," he said.
Together, they disappeared deeper into the forest — two souls bound by blood, secrets, and a darkness that would not let go.