Velvet ruin

*Velvet Ruin* The rain never stopped in Ravenmoor City. It poured across black rooftops, slid down broken church windows, and drowned the streets in silver reflections. People rushed through the storm with their heads down, pretending not to notice the disappearances that had become normal. One person vanished every month. No bodies. No answers. Only whispers. And somewhere in the center of the city, hidden behind expensive suits and emotionless eyes, lived a monster no one suspected. His name was Lucien Vale. At nineteen years old, Lucien looked untouchable. Pale skin. Dark silver hair. Sharp eyes colder than winter itself. Students at Blackthorn Academy called him “the prince of silence” because he never smiled, never spoke unless necessary, and always disappeared before sunset parties began. Girls admired him. Teachers respected him. But nobody truly knew him. Because Lucien carried a secret older than the city itself. He was a vampire. Not the kind from movies with capes and coffins. His kind lived among humans silently, feeding carefully, hiding perfectly. One mistake could expose everything. And Lucien had survived for over two hundred years without being discovered. Until her. — “Lucien.” The soft voice interrupted his thoughts during literature class. He slowly lifted his gaze. A girl stood beside his desk holding a notebook against her chest. Long black hair fell over her shoulders, and her amber eyes held an unusual calmness—as if she wasn’t intimidated by him like everyone else. “I think you took my book by mistake,” she said quietly. Lucien stared at her. Then at the notebook in his hand. She was right. Without a word, he handed it back. Most people would’ve left immediately after that cold interaction. But she smiled slightly. “I’m Selene.” Silence. “You don’t talk much, do you?” Still silence. A few students nearby laughed nervously, waiting for Lucien to ignore her like always. Instead, he spoke. “Lucien.” Her smile widened like she’d just won something important. “Nice to meet you.” And for the first time in years, Lucien felt something unfamiliar. Curiosity. — Days passed strangely after that. Selene kept appearing beside him. At lunch. In the library. On rainy walks home. Unlike others, she never tried too hard. She spoke naturally, like his silence didn’t bother her. “You always wear black,” she said one afternoon. Lucien looked up from his book. “And?” “And it makes you look like you’re attending your own funeral.” A dangerous answer. Yet somehow, he laughed quietly. Selene froze in shock. “You can laugh?” Lucien immediately stopped smiling. She burst out laughing herself. The sound echoed warmly through the empty library, and something inside Lucien’s ancient heart tightened painfully. He had spent decades avoiding attachment. Humans died too quickly. Loving them was torture. But Selene made him forget every rule he created for survival. And that terrified him. — Three weeks later, another student disappeared. The entire academy buzzed with fear. Police arrived. Curfews spread across the city. But Lucien knew the truth before anyone else. The scent of blood in the air was unmistakable. A rogue vampire was hunting in Ravenmoor. Which meant danger. Not for him. For Selene. That night, Lucien followed the scent through dark alleyways until it led him beneath the abandoned cathedral near the river. The underground tunnels smelled of death. Bodies hung from chains. Blood covered the walls. And standing in the center was a tall man with crimson eyes. Cassian. Lucien’s expression darkened instantly. “You’re reckless,” Lucien said coldly. Cassian smirked. “Still pretending to be human, I see.” “You’re exposing us.” “And you’re hiding from what you are.” Cassian stepped closer, smiling sharply enough to reveal fangs. “You’ve grown weak, Lucien.” “I’m controlled.” “No,” Cassian whispered. “You’re lonely.” Silence filled the tunnels. Then Cassian tilted his head slightly. “I smelled her on you.” Lucien’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “The human girl.” The temperature seemed to drop instantly. “Stay away from her,” Lucien warned. Cassian laughed softly. “That serious?” In one second, Lucien slammed him against the wall hard enough to crack stone. His red eyes glowed violently. “Touch her,” Lucien growled, “and I’ll kill you.” For the first time, Cassian looked genuinely surprised. Then amused. “Oh,” he whispered. “You love her.” Lucien released him immediately. Because the worst part was… Cassian was right. — The next morning, Selene found Lucien standing outside the academy gates in the rain. “You look exhausted,” she said. “I need you to stay away from me.” Her smile faded. “What?” “You heard me.” Lucien avoided her eyes. “This city is dangerous.” “So?” “So I’m dangerous.” She stared at him quietly. “You think pushing people away protects them?” “It does.” “No,” she whispered sadly. “It only protects you.” Those words struck harder than any weapon. Before Lucien could answer, Selene stepped closer. “You act like you carry the weight of the world alone. But maybe you don’t have to.” If only she knew the truth. If only she knew his hands had been stained with blood for centuries. Lucien clenched his fists. “You shouldn’t trust me.” Selene looked directly into his eyes. “Then give me a reason not to.” For one reckless moment, Lucien almost told her everything. But screams suddenly echoed from inside the academy. Students ran outside in panic. And Lucien smelled blood. Fresh blood. Cassian. — Chaos exploded through the hallways. A teacher lay unconscious near the staircase while students cried in fear. And standing at the center of the corridor… Was Cassian. Smiling. His crimson eyes scanned the crowd before landing directly on Selene. “There she is.” Lucien moved instantly, appearing between them with supernatural speed. The hallway gasped collectively. Nobody moved that fast. Cassian grinned wider. “Well,” he said loudly, “I suppose your secret is ruined now.” Before anyone could react, Cassian attacked. The fight shattered the hallway apart. Walls cracked. Windows exploded. Students screamed. Lucien slammed Cassian through a classroom door while trying desperately not to reveal too much. But Cassian didn’t care anymore. His fangs extended openly. Several students froze in horror. “Monster…” someone whispered. Lucien’s chest tightened. This was exactly what he feared. Exposure. Cassian threw him across the corridor violently. “You’re holding back!” Cassian laughed. “For humans?” Lucien rose slowly. His eyes glowed deep crimson now. The academy fell silent. And Selene stared at him with shock written across her face. No. Not shock. Recognition. Like she already suspected. Cassian lunged toward Selene suddenly. Lucien’s instincts exploded. In less than a second, he intercepted Cassian and drove his hand directly through his chest. Silence. Blood dripped across the floor. Cassian looked down weakly before laughing softly. “There he is…” Then his body collapsed lifelessly. The hallway stood frozen. Lucien slowly turned toward Selene. Students backed away from him in terror. Teachers stared speechlessly. But Selene didn’t move. Rain thundered outside as Lucien looked at her with centuries of exhaustion in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. Then he disappeared. Gone before anyone could stop him. — Three days passed. Lucien hid inside the abandoned mansion at the edge of Ravenmoor, preparing to leave forever. It was easier this way. Disappear. Start over somewhere else. Forget Selene before she became another painful memory. But late that night, the front door creaked open. Lucien immediately sensed her heartbeat. Selene. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said without turning around. “I had questions.” “You should hate me.” “Do you want me to?” Lucien finally faced her. Moonlight illuminated his pale features, his glowing eyes, the loneliness he could never hide anymore. “Yes.” Selene stepped closer instead. “You saved everyone.” “I killed someone.” “He was going to kill me.” Lucien’s voice cracked slightly. “You’re not afraid?” Selene stayed silent for a moment. “Maybe I should be.” That honesty hurt more than lies. “But,” she continued softly, “when I look at you… I don’t see a monster.” Lucien looked away immediately. “You don’t know what I’ve done.” “Then tell me.” “I can’t.” “Why?” “Because if you knew everything,” he whispered painfully, “you’d never look at me the same way again.” Selene slowly reached for his hand. Cold. Not human at all. Yet she held it anyway. “You’ve spent your whole life hiding,” she said quietly. “Doesn’t it get lonely?” Lucien stared at her. For over two hundred years, nobody had touched him without fear. Nobody had looked at him like this. Like he deserved kindness. And suddenly, for the first time in centuries… Lucien felt weak. Not physically. Emotionally. Because he realized something terrifying. He needed her. Selene smiled faintly. “You know,” she whispered, “velvet can feel soft…” Her fingers tightened around his hand gently. “…but it can still ruin you.” Lucien’s dead heart seemed to ache inside his chest. Maybe loving her would destroy him. Maybe staying would expose everything. Maybe humans and monsters were never meant to exist together. But as Selene stood beneath the silver moonlight holding his hand without fear… Lucien made the most dangerous decision of his immortal life. He chose not to run. And somewhere deep within the shadows of Ravenmoor City, unseen crimson eyes opened in the darkness. Watching them. Waiting. Because Cassian had not been working alone.