CRIMSOM HEARTS

Rain poured endlessly over Raven Hollow City. Not the gentle kind that calmed people to sleep. This rain felt cursed. Heavy drops slammed against rooftops, flooded empty alleyways, and blurred the glowing streetlights into streaks of gold and crimson. Thunder rolled above the city like an angry warning from the heavens themselves. Most people had already disappeared indoors. But Elena Hart stood alone beneath the bus stop shelter, hugging her black coat tightly around herself as cold wind whipped through the street. Her emerald eyes scanned the empty road anxiously. The last bus should have arrived twenty minutes ago. “Perfect,” she muttered bitterly. “Absolutely perfect.” Tonight had already been horrible. First, the power outage at Raven Academy forced students to leave late. Then the storm began. And now she was stranded halfway across the city with barely enough money for food, let alone a taxi. She sighed and checked her phone. No signal. Of course. Lightning flashed violently across the sky, illuminating the massive gothic towers of Raven Academy far behind her. For a brief second, the old building looked less like a school and more like a castle ripped from a nightmare. Elena hated the way that place made her feel sometimes. Watched. Like invisible eyes followed her through the hallways. A sudden chill crawled down her spine. She froze. Someone was staring at her. Slowly, Elena turned toward the opposite side of the street. Nothing. Only darkness. Rain hammered against the pavement. Thunder cracked again. Then— A figure appeared beneath the flickering streetlamp. Tall. Motionless. A man dressed entirely in black. Her breath caught. He stood unnaturally still, his face partially hidden beneath the storm shadows, but his pale skin almost glowed under the dim light. And his eyes— Red. Not brown. Not amber. Red. Elena’s heart skipped painfully. The man tilted his head slightly as though studying her. Then he smiled. A slow, dangerous smile. Fear slammed into her chest. Every instinct screamed at her to run. Now. She stepped backward immediately. The stranger took one step forward. Elena turned and hurried down the sidewalk, trying not to panic. Her boots splashed through puddles as rain soaked her dark hair within seconds. Don’t look back. Don’t look back. Her breathing quickened. The sound of footsteps echoed behind her. Calm. Steady. Following. “Oh God…” She walked faster. The footsteps did too. Lightning flashed again. This time she glanced back— The man was closer. Much closer. Impossible closer. A terrified gasp escaped her lips. How— Before she could think further, another figure suddenly dropped from above, landing directly between them with supernatural speed. The ground cracked beneath the impact. Elena stumbled backward in shock. The newcomer straightened slowly. Male. Tall. Black hair dripping with rainwater. His expensive dark coat fluttered violently in the storm wind. Then he spoke without turning around. “She’s under Valemont protection.” His voice was calm. Cold. Deadly. The red-eyed stranger laughed softly. “Well,” the man across the street replied, “that’s unfortunate.” Lightning illuminated both their faces. Elena felt her stomach drop. Their eyes glowed inhumanly in the darkness. Vampires. The word struck her mind instantly, absurd and terrifying. No. That couldn’t be real. Vampires weren’t real. They were stories. Movies. Nightmares people invented for entertainment. Yet the air itself suddenly felt heavy with something ancient and monstrous. The stranger across the street smiled wider, revealing the sharp edge of a fang. Elena nearly screamed. “I don’t want trouble tonight, Lucien,” the stranger said lazily. The man protecting her finally turned slightly. And Elena forgot how to breathe. He looked young—perhaps nineteen or twenty—but his face held a dangerous elegance that felt centuries old. Dark wet hair framed pale skin so flawless it looked carved from marble. But his eyes frightened her most. Crimson red. Emotionless. Beautiful. Deadly. “You’re trespassing,” Lucien said quietly. The other vampire shrugged. “The girl smells unusual.” Elena’s blood ran cold. Girl. Not woman. Not person. Girl. Like prey. Lucien’s expression darkened. “She belongs to no one,” he said. “Yet.” The stranger’s smile widened again before he disappeared. Not ran. Disappeared. One second he stood there. The next, the street was empty. Elena stared in horror. The storm suddenly felt far too quiet. Lucien remained motionless for several seconds before turning toward her fully. The moment his gaze locked onto hers, something strange happened. Pain shot violently through Elena’s neck. She cried out softly, grabbing the side of her throat. Lucien’s eyes widened slightly. For the first time, emotion crossed his face. Shock. He moved toward her instantly. Elena stumbled backward. “Stay away from me!” He stopped immediately. Rain dripped silently between them. “You should not be outside tonight,” he said calmly. “What are you?” she whispered. His expression became unreadable again. “That question is dangerous.” Elena’s pulse thundered in her ears. None of this made sense. This had to be some kind of hallucination. Or dream. Or prank. But the fear she felt was too real. Lucien studied her intensely, his gaze lowering briefly toward the hand clutching her neck. “You can feel it already,” he murmured quietly. “Feel what?” He didn’t answer. Thunder exploded overhead. Elena flinched violently. Then, unexpectedly, Lucien removed his coat and stepped closer. She prepared to run. Instead, he gently draped the coat over her shoulders. Warmth surrounded her instantly. “You’re freezing,” he said. His voice had softened slightly. That somehow frightened her more. “Why are you helping me?” Elena asked shakily. Lucien stared at her for a long moment. “You don’t know who you are yet.” Before she could respond— A piercing scream echoed somewhere nearby. Both of them froze. Another scream followed. Human. Desperate. Lucien cursed softly beneath his breath. Then his eyes flashed toward the alley across the street. “Elena,” he said sharply. Hearing her name from his lips sent another chill through her body. “Go home immediately.” “What’s happening?” He ignored the question. “Lock every door and window. Do not invite anyone inside your home tonight.” The seriousness in his tone terrified her. “What about those people screaming?” Lucien’s expression darkened. “You don’t want the answer.” Then he vanished. Again—not running. Vanishing. A gust of wind exploded around her as he disappeared into the storm. Elena stood frozen beneath the rain. Her mind screamed at her to leave. Now. Yet her legs refused to move. Another scream echoed through the alley. Without thinking, Elena ran toward it. Stupid. Dangerous. But she couldn’t ignore it. Rain blinded her as she rushed through the narrow alleyway between buildings. The smell hit her first. Blood. So much blood. Her stomach twisted violently. A body lay crumpled against the brick wall. A man. Motionless. Blood pooled beneath him, mixing with rainwater. Elena covered her mouth in horror. Then she heard growling. Low. Animalistic. She turned slowly. Something crouched at the opposite end of the alley. Not human. Its limbs looked twisted unnaturally. Its glowing eyes locked onto hers hungrily as blood dripped from its mouth. Elena couldn’t breathe. The creature smiled. Rows of sharp teeth gleamed beneath the lightning. Then it lunged. Elena screamed. A blur of black suddenly crashed into the monster midair. The impact shattered a nearby dumpster. The creature roared furiously. Lucien. He moved too fast for human eyes to follow. One second he stood several feet away. The next, his hand was wrapped around the monster’s throat. The creature slashed at him viciously with claw-like nails. Lucien didn’t even flinch. His crimson eyes glowed brighter in the darkness. “You dare hunt in my city?” he hissed. The creature snarled. Then Lucien ripped its head clean from its body. Elena nearly fainted. The body collapsed lifelessly onto the wet pavement. Silence followed. Only rain remained. Lucien slowly turned toward her. Blood stained his hands. His face remained terrifyingly calm. “Elena,” he said quietly, “look at me carefully.” She trembled violently. “You should be afraid of me.” Lightning illuminated the alley again. And for the first time in her life— Elena Hart realized monsters were real.