prologue
The Night the Darkness Began
The forest surrounding the town of Ravenwood was never truly silent.
Even in the darkest hours of the night, the wind whispered through the tall trees, and unseen creatures moved quietly through the shadows. Most people in the town believed the forest was simply old and mysterious.
But the truth was far darker.
Deep within the forest, hidden where moonlight barely touched the ground, a figure stood watching the distant town lights.
His eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
Adrian had been alive far longer than anyone in Ravenwood could imagine. For decades he had lived in the shadows, keeping his distance from humans, hiding the truth of what he really was.
A vampire.
The cold night air meant nothing to him. His body did not feel the chill.
But something else troubled him tonight.
Something unusual.
He could hear it.
A heartbeat.
Soft.
Steady.
Human.
Adrian frowned slightly.
Humans rarely wandered near this part of the forest at night. Yet the sound was clear to him, echoing like a drum in the silence.
He stepped forward slowly.
The leaves beneath his feet barely made a sound.
Soon he saw her, someone he knows very, even tried to avoid.
Elena.
she was walking along the narrow road at the edge of the forest. She looked nervous, glancing around as if she felt she was not alone.
Adrian remained hidden behind the trees, watching.
For a moment, something strange happened.
The Elena 's heartbeat suddenly grew louder in his ears.
Not because she was afraid.
But because something about her felt different.
Adrian clenched his fists.
“Impossible,” he whispered.
He had spent years controlling his instincts, refusing to harm humans.
Yet tonight, for the first time in a long time, the hunger inside him stirred.
He stepped back into the shadows immediately.
“No, I would not, not her , please just not her” he muttered.
He would not become that monster again.
Elena continued walking, unaware of the creature watching her from the darkness.
After a moment, Adrian disappeared into the forest.
But he could not stop thinking about the strange feeling that had awakened inside him.
Elena Carter arrive in Ravenwood with her mother and brother, she noticed the quiet boy at the back of the class.
Neither of them knew it yet.
But fate had already begun weaving their paths together.
And when those paths finally crossed…
Nothing in Ravenwood would ever be the same again
