Vampire's Destined Bride

III.

WHISPERS OF FATE

The following morning should have felt normal. Instead, I woke with the lingering sensation that someone had been watching me throughout the night. Golden sunlight streamed through the curtains of my bedroom, illuminating the elegant furnishings that had surrounded me for most of my life. The room was warm, peaceful, and familiar.Yet none of it eased the unease sitting heavily in my chest.

I stared at the canopy above my bed for several moments before finally sitting up. The dream had returned, again.

It always returned. For years, I had dismissed it as nothing more than a recurring nightmare. A strange side effect of reincarnation.

But after hearing that voice while awake yesterday, I could no longer convince myself it meant nothing.

The silver-eyed man had appeared once more. Standing beneath a crimson moon.

Watching me.

Waiting for me.

And for the first time, he had smiled.

A small shiver ran down my spine. I pressed a hand against my chest.

Why did it feel so real?

Why did his face seem so familiar?

And most importantly— Why did a part of me miss him?

The thought startled me. Miss him? I didn't even know who he was.

A knock sounded at the door.

"My lady?"

"Come in."

Clara entered carrying a breakfast tray with the usual meal.

The maid took one look at my face and sighed.

"You barely slept."

I narrowed my eyes. "Good morning to you too."

"I'll take that as confirmation."

I groaned and buried my face in my hands. Sometimes I wondered if Clara possessed magical abilities of her own.

She always knew when something was bothering me.

"Was it the dream again?" she asked.

I froze. Slowly lowering my hands, I looked at her.

"You remember that?"

"Of course I do. You've been talking about the mysterious silver-eyed man for years."

That was true, the dreams had started when I was thirteen. At first, they appeared only occasionally, once every few months, then once every few weeks. Now, they come almost every night.

"I don't think it's just a dream anymore."

The teasing expression vanished from Clara's face. "What do you mean?"

I hesitated.

Part of me felt ridiculous saying it aloud, the other part desperately needed someone to hear it. So I told her.

About the cold breeze.

About the strange presence.

About the voice.

And the words it whispered.

"I found you."

By the time I finished speaking, Clara looked concerned, very concerned.

"That's unsettling."

"Thank you. I feel much better now."

She rolled her eyes. "Maybe you should speak to Lady Luna."

The suggestion immediately caught my attention.

Luna, of course. If anyone could make sense of this situation, it would be her. Luna Evernight possessed many incredible things for herself.

A witch.

A scholar.

A troublemaker.

My closest friend.

And unfortunately for her, the only person I trusted enough to discuss reincarnation.

"That's actually a good idea."

Clara looked pleased. "I have those occasionally."

"Don't get used to it." The maid gasped dramatically.

I laughed at myself. The tension eased slightly, only slightly. Because no matter how much I tried to distract myself, the unease remained. Something had changed. I could feel it and deep down, I knew it was connected to the masquerade invitation.

Connected to the dreams, to the silver-eyed man. I just didn't know how.

By late morning, I had obtained Father's permission to leave the estate. Not that obtaining permission was particularly difficult.

Father rarely denied my requests. Though he did insist on assigning two guards to accompany me. Apparently receiving a royal invitation had made him more protective than usual.

I couldn't blame him. The journey to Luna's cottage took nearly an hour. The northern forests surrounding the Ashford estate were beautiful during this time of year. Sunlight filtered through the trees, birds sang overhead, wildflowers lined the pathways. Everything looked peaceful, normal. Yet the closer I got to Luna's home, the more nervous I became.

Because if Luna confirmed my suspicions... Then I wasn't sure what I would do.

Eventually, a familiar cottage appeared between the trees.A small stone house covered in ivy, herb gardens surrounded the property, wind chimes hung from the porch roof. It looked exactly as I remembered. Before I could knock, the front door suddenly swung open.

Luna stared at me.

I stared back.

Then she immediately shut the door.

I blinked. "... Rude."

The door reopened. "You're early."

"You literally see the future."

"That's not how prophecy works."

"Sounds like a skill issue." Luna narrowed her eyes.

I grinned.

Some things never changed. The interior of the cottage was wonderfully chaotic. Books covered nearly every available surface, candles flickered throughout the room. It somehow managed to be both comforting and alarming.

Luna motioned toward a chair.

"Sit."

I obeyed. Mostly because I wanted answers. Tea appeared moments later.

I took a sip before explaining everything.

The dreams.

The voice.

The cold breeze.

The royal invitation.

Every detail.

For once, Luna didn't interrupt. She simply listened. And the longer she listened, the more serious she became. By the time I finished, she looked genuinely troubled. The sight immediately made my stomach sink.

"Luna?"

The witch remained silent.

"Luna."

Nothing.

"Luna Evernight."

She blinked.

"Oh. Sorry."

I stared at her. "You disappeared."

"I was thinking."

"That's usually my job." A faint smile appeared before quickly fading.

Her expression darkened again. Not a good sign.

"What is it?" I asked quietly.

She looked directly into my eyes.

"I had another vision."

My stomach dropped. Luna's visions rarely brought good news.

"What did you see?"

For several moments, she said nothing. The silence stretched, uncomfortable and heavy.

Finally, she spoke.

"A castle."

The words immediately sent a chill through me.

"A black castle."

My fingers tightened around my teacup. The same castle from my dreams. The same castle that had haunted me for years.

"And?"

"There was blood."

Of course there was. There was always blood in prophecies.

"Anything else?"

Luna hesitated. I suddenly wasn't sure I wanted the answer.

Then she spoke.

"The Vampire King."

The room felt colder. Not physically, emotionally. As though the mention of his title alone carried weight.

"What about him?"

The witch swallowed. A surprisingly nervous gesture.

"He was looking at you."

My heart skipped a beat.

"What?"

"He wasn't looking at the castle." She shook her head.

"He wasn't looking at the blood." Her voice dropped lower.

"He was looking at you." The words settled heavily between us.

Neither of us spoke. Outside, a breeze stirred the wind chimes hanging from the porch. Their soft melody filled the silence.

I stared down at my tea, trying to make sense of everything, trying to find a logical explanation. Unfortunately, logic had abandoned this situation several revelations ago.

"Do you know what it means?" I finally asked.

Luna looked away.

"No."

That answer somehow frightened me more. Because Luna almost always knew something. Yet this time— nothing.

Only uncertainty.

Only concern.

After several moments, she spoke again.

"Be careful at the masquerade."

I frowned.

"That's oddly specific."

"The vision became clearer after the invitation arrived."

My pulse quickened.

"What did you see?"

Luna's expression grew distant.

"As if something had been sleeping."

Chill crawled down my spine.

"And now it's awake."

Neither of us spoke after that. Because, for the first time since arriving in this world, I felt as though fate was no longer something distant. No longer some abstract force guiding events from afar. It was moving. Slowly. Inevitably. And somehow, every path seemed to lead toward a man with silver eyes, a man I had never met, a man who appeared in my dreams. A man who, according to a voice only I could hear...

..... Had finally found me.