CHAPTER NINE: THE MEMORY
1788 Words
Evelyn couldn’t stop shaking.
Not because of the cold.
Not because of the broken windows.
Not even because of the strange symbol still burning faintly on the classroom floor.
It was the memory.
That single, terrifying fragment that had appeared inside her mind without warning.
The forest.
The flames.
Someone screaming.
And that voice.
Run, Evelyn.
She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her hands.
They looked normal.
Human.
But after everything Kael had told her, she wasn’t sure what normal meant anymore.
A soft knock came at the door.
She didn’t answer.
The door opened anyway.
Kael stepped inside.
He closed it quietly behind him.
For several seconds, he simply watched her.
“You haven’t slept.”
Evelyn didn’t look up.
“I can’t.”
Kael moved closer.
“Is it happening again?”
“The memory?”
He nodded.
She swallowed.
“No.”
A pause.
“That’s what scares me.”
Kael sat beside her.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t know if it was a memory.”
His eyes narrowed.
“What else could it be?”
“A warning.”
Kael studied her.
“Tell me exactly what you saw.”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
“The forest was burning.”
Her voice trembled.
“There were trees everywhere, but everything was dark. There was blood on the ground.”
Kael’s expression became serious.
“Whose blood?”
“I don’t know.”
She opened her eyes.
“Someone was running.”
“Who?”
“I couldn’t see their face.”
“What happened next?”
Evelyn hesitated.
“They screamed my name.”
Kael went still.
“My name.”
“And then?”
“A voice told me to run.”
“Whose voice?”
“I don’t know.”
Kael stared at the floor.
For the first time, Evelyn saw genuine uncertainty in his expression.
“You know something.”
He looked at her.
“What?”
“You do.”
He remained silent.
“Kael.”
“I don’t know enough.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“I know.”
She stood.
“You keep saying that.”
Kael followed her with his eyes.
“Because it’s the truth.”
“You’re a vampire prince. You’ve lived in this world your entire life. You know things about this academy that I don’t even understand.”
“Evelyn—”
“And every time something strange happens to me, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Kael stood.
“Because I’m afraid.”
The words stopped her.
He took a slow breath.
“I’ve seen old records.”
“What records?”
“Stories about bloodlines that disappeared centuries ago.”
Her heart began beating faster.
“And?”
“They describe someone with unusual blood.”
“Someone like me?”
“Possibly.”
“What’s the name?”
Kael looked away.
“There isn’t one.”
“Why?”
“Because the records were destroyed.”
Evelyn stared at him.
“Convenient.”
“I didn’t destroy them.”
“I know.”
She sighed.
“I just wish someone would tell me what is happening to me.”
Kael stepped closer.
“I wish I could.”
Their eyes met.
The anger in Evelyn’s expression softened.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Kael gently reached for her hand.
She let him.
His fingers closed around hers.
“I won’t stop looking,” he said.
“For what?”
“The truth.”
Evelyn looked down at their joined hands.
“And if the truth is dangerous?”
“Then we’ll face it.”
“Together?”
Kael’s eyes lifted to hers.
“Together.”
The word settled between them.
Warm.
Certain.
Almost comforting.
Until a loud knock interrupted them.
Kael immediately released her hand.
Dorian entered.
“I hate interrupting emotional moments.”
Evelyn frowned.
“Then stop doing it.”
“I would love to.”
Dorian held up a small piece of parchment.
“But you need to see this.”
Kael took it.
His expression changed almost instantly.
“What is it?”
Evelyn asked.
Dorian answered.
“A record from the old archives.”
Kael unfolded the parchment.
Evelyn stepped closer.
“What does it say?”
Dorian looked at her.
“It mentions the symbol.”
Her heart dropped.
“The one from the classroom?”
Dorian nodded.
“Exactly.”
Kael read silently.
Then his eyes stopped.
“What?”
Evelyn demanded.
Kael didn’t answer.
She took the parchment from his hand.
The writing was old and faded.
But one sentence remained clear.
When the blood of the forgotten returns, the balance between the living and the dead will break.
Evelyn’s breath caught.
“What does that mean?”
Dorian looked at Kael.
“That depends on what she is.”
Evelyn’s eyes hardened.
“I’m standing right here.”
Dorian sighed.
“Right. Sorry.”
Kael folded the parchment.
“We need to find the original record.”
“Where?” Evelyn asked.
“The restricted archives.”
Dorian’s expression immediately became uneasy.
“No.”
Kael looked at him.
“No?”
“The restricted archives are sealed.”
“I know.”
“They’re sealed for a reason.”
Kael’s eyes darkened.
“So is Evelyn’s past.”
Dorian stared at him.
Then sighed.
“I knew you were going to say that.”
⸻
That night, the three of them stood outside the oldest section of the academy.
The hallway was barely lit.
Dust covered the walls.
Unlike the rest of the academy, this part felt abandoned.
Evelyn wrapped her arms around herself.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“No,” Dorian answered.
Kael glanced at him.
Dorian shrugged.
“I’m being honest.”
Kael reached toward the old door.
A strange symbol appeared beneath his palm.
The lock clicked.
Evelyn stared.
“You can open it?”
“Apparently.”
The door slowly swung inward.
A wave of cold air swept across them.
Inside were thousands of books.
Ancient books.
Some were chained to shelves.
Others had covers made from materials Evelyn couldn’t identify.
Dorian whispered,
“This place gives me nightmares.”
“You’re a vampire,” Evelyn whispered back.
“Exactly. That’s how bad it is.”
Kael walked deeper into the room.
Evelyn followed.
They searched for nearly an hour.
Nothing.
Then Evelyn stopped.
A book on the highest shelf had fallen slightly forward.
She reached for it.
The moment her fingers touched the cover—
the entire room went silent.
Every candle went out.
Evelyn gasped.
“Kael.”
He turned.
“Don’t move.”
Too late.
The book opened by itself.
Pages flipped rapidly.
Then stopped.
A drawing appeared.
A young girl stood beneath a full moon.
Long dark hair.
Pale skin.
And a strange mark around her neck.
Evelyn stared.
Her breathing stopped.
The girl in the drawing looked exactly like her.
“No…”
Kael stepped beside her.
Dorian came closer.
“What the hell?”
Evelyn touched the page.
A sharp pain shot through her head.
She screamed.
Kael caught her.
And suddenly—
the memory returned.
The forest.
The flames.
The blood.
But this time, she saw more.
A woman stood before her.
She was crying.
Holding Evelyn’s face between her hands.
“Listen to me.”
The woman’s voice trembled.
“You must never let them find out.”
“Who?”
“The vampires.”
The woman looked behind her.
“They’re coming.”
Evelyn heard footsteps.
Then another voice.
Deep.
Familiar.
“Take the girl.”
The woman turned.
Fear filled her eyes.
“No.”
A figure stepped from the darkness.
Evelyn couldn’t see his face.
But she knew his voice.
It was the same voice that had haunted her dreams.
“She’s not yours.”
The woman pulled Evelyn closer.
“She never belonged to you.”
The figure smiled.
“She belongs to the blood.”
The memory shattered.
Evelyn opened her eyes.
She was back in the archive.
Kael was holding her.
“Evelyn!”
She struggled to breathe.
“I saw her.”
“Who?”
“My mother.”
Kael froze.
Dorian stared.
“You remember your mother?”
Evelyn nodded slowly.
“She was protecting me.”
Kael’s face changed.
“What did she say?”
Evelyn looked at him.
“She said I could never let the vampires find out.”
Silence.
Kael slowly released her.
Something unreadable crossed his face.
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
Dorian picked up the book.
“There’s something else.”
He turned the page.
At the bottom was a name.
His face went pale.
“Kael…”
Kael looked down.
Evelyn followed his gaze.
The name was written in ancient lettering.
SELENE.
Kael’s expression changed completely.
“That’s impossible.”
“What?” Evelyn asked.
He didn’t answer.
Dorian did.
“Selene was the last known guardian of the Blood Veil.”
Evelyn frowned.
“What is the Blood Veil?”
Dorian looked at Kael.
Kael finally spoke.
“A legend.”
“What legend?”
“The legend says there was once a bloodline capable of controlling the boundary between vampires and humans.”
Evelyn’s heart raced.
“And?”
Kael looked directly at her.
“They were hunted until none remained.”
Evelyn looked back at the drawing.
The girl looked exactly like her.
“None remained,” she whispered.
Kael’s voice was quiet.
“That’s what we believed.”
A sudden sound came from outside.
Footsteps.
All three froze.
Someone was approaching.
Kael immediately moved in front of Evelyn.
The archive door opened.
Valeria stood there.
She looked at the three of them.
Then at the book.
Her expression changed.
“You shouldn’t have opened that.”
Evelyn stared at her.
“You know what this is.”
Valeria’s eyes moved toward Kael.
“You have no idea what you’ve just awakened.”
Kael’s voice became cold.
“Start talking.”
Valeria shook her head.
“Not here.”
“Then where?”
Her eyes settled on Evelyn.
“Because if Lucian finds out she remembers…”
She paused.
“He won’t try to kill her.”
Evelyn’s blood ran cold.
“What will he do?”
Valeria looked at her.
“He’ll try to make her remember everything.”
Then she walked away.
Kael stood frozen.
Evelyn looked at him.
“What does that mean?”
Kael didn’t answer.
Because somewhere deep inside him, he already knew.
And for the first time…
he was afraid of what Evelyn might become.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD