Damien's Warning
403 Words
The candle in Aria’s hand trembled as she spun around, her breath caught in her throat.
Damien stood in the doorway, half-shadowed, his expression unreadable.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said quietly, but the warning in his tone chilled her to the bone.
“I needed answers,” Aria replied, clutching the book to her chest. “You won’t tell me anything. I had to find out on my own.”
Damien stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind him. “And what have you found?” he asked, his eyes scanning her — not with anger, but something darker… fear.
She hesitated. “The prophecy. The Flameborn.”
His jaw clenched.
“I saw the portrait,” she continued. “The woman with eyes like mine. Who was she, Damien? Why do you—why do they all look at me like I’m not human?”
He walked toward her slowly, each step heavy with purpose. “Because you’re not just human, Aria,” he said. “You never were.”
The words struck her like a blade. Her knees almost buckled. “What do you mean?”
“She was your ancestor,” he said at last. “The one in the painting. She was the last known Flameborn — a mortal bloodline touched by something ancient. Something powerful enough to challenge even the purest vampire.”
Aria’s lips parted, heart thundering in her ears. “So that’s why you chose me?”
“No,” Damien said, voice rough. “I didn’t choose you. You were drawn to me, as I was to you. It was fate. A bond written before we ever met.”
He stopped in front of her, his hand brushing her cheek. “But that bond is dangerous, Aria. If others find out what you are—what your blood is worth—they will come for you. They will tear you apart just to get a taste.”
Her throat tightened. “And you?”
“I’ve already tasted you,” he said, eyes darkening. “And now I can’t let you go.”
For a moment, silence wrapped around them like a shroud. Then he added, softly but firmly, “Stay out of the lower wings. If you value your life… do not search for more.”
But Aria knew.
She had already crossed the threshold.
And there was no going back.
- Writer
