SNOW WHITE IS A VAMPIRE

CHAPTER 8

"Come in, Fiera."

I took a deep breath before stepping inside. The house seemed alive with shadows that shifted as I moved, each corner hiding whispers I couldn’t quite hear. The air was cool, carrying faint, unfamiliar scents that seemed as old as the house itself. My footsteps felt heavy, as if the floor resisted, questioning if I belonged.

The walls, dark and imposing, seemed to close in around me. Sunlight filtered through tall, arched windows, casting long shadows that danced along the walls. The light felt almost reluctant to touch every inch, as though some secrets were best left hidden.

Calyx’s expression softened as he looked at me, his earlier intensity replaced with a quiet concern. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the silence.

I frowned at his question, pausing before I replied, “Am I okay?” It wasn’t sarcasm; it was a real question, one I didn’t have an answer to. I took a slow, deep breath, trying to steady myself.

If I’d been a fan of vampire movies back in my old life, maybe I would have had some idea what to expect. But reality felt nothing like those movies. I knew a few things from what I’d seen, but nothing had prepared me for this, for the weight of this world I’d been thrown into. Now, as one of them, I couldn’t pretend my life could ever go back to what it was.

I had changed, but I was still searching for what that truly meant.

"This will be a long day for us, Fiera. Why don’t you come with me to the study, and then we’ll talk," Calyx said.

I sensed a seriousness in his tone, like he was preparing me for something important. His eyes held mine for a moment before he turned, gesturing for me to follow. I trailed after him through the dim corridors, each step sounding louder than it should.

When we arrived at the study, I was in awe of its size. It wasn’t just a study or an office—it was a library. Shelves of books reached all the way up to the high ceiling, towering above us. The sheer number of them was overwhelming, each one seemingly filled with stories, knowledge, or secrets.

The air in the room felt heavy, as if it carried the weight of all those pages. My curiosity surged, but I was also nervous, knowing we were here for a reason. Calyx looked at me, his expression softer now but still serious.

"Have a seat," he said, gesturing to a chair by a grand wooden desk. "There’s a lot you need to understand, and I’ll do my best to explain."

I sat down, feeling both anticipation and dread building up.

I took a deep breath to calm myself. This was the moment I'd been waiting for. Over the past seven months, since the day I changed, I'd been on my own, isolated and learning to control myself in the mountains. Without anyone to ask, my questions had piled up. Research was out of the question—I’d purposely cut myself off from everything to focus on self-discipline.

I wanted to know why vampires still existed, where they came from, how it all started. I'd read books about vampires, but those were just fiction; I craved the truth. But if I started with that question, we'd be here forever.

So instead, I decided to focus on what just happened.

“Zian said you started a blood contract with me. I have some idea of what that is, but my questions are… what, why, where, when, and how?”

Calyx raised an eyebrow, then chuckled, clearly amused. “I didn’t expect you to use the 5Ws to question me.”

I frowned. “There’s nothing funny about this.”

Calyx’s eyes softened slightly as he looked at me, the amusement lingering. “You’re right, sorry,” he said, his tone dropping to a more serious one. “It’s not a laughing matter. A blood contract… it’s a bond that ties us. It goes beyond just protection—it’s a pledge that links our fates, for better or worse.”

I absorbed his words, my mind racing to understand. “So you’re saying… this contract connects us in ways I might not even understand yet?”

Calyx held my gaze, unwavering. “Yes, but as Zian pointed out, the contract is incomplete. You haven’t accepted it yet, Fiera.”

I blinked, confused. “Incomplete? How could you start something this serious without telling me? When did this happen?”

Calyx sighed. “Remember when I let you feed on my blood? Vampires don’t just offer blood freely. Normally, if we wanted to give blood, we’d pour it for you. But allowing someone to bite us? That’s different—there’s consent.”

I felt my neck, where Zian had bitten. “Zian bit me here too. Does that mean we also share a bond?”

“No.” Calyx’s voice was firm. “Zian attacked you; it wasn’t offered willingly. I, on the other hand, allowed it. That’s the distinction.”

He watched, waiting for understanding to dawn. Slowly, I began to grasp the meaning behind his words.

“So, because you allowed it, it was like... an intentional offering?” I asked, trying to keep up.

“Exactly,” Calyx confirmed. “A blood contract starts with a willing act. But unless you fully accept it, the bond doesn’t complete.”

I swallowed, realizing the weight of his words. “If I did accept… would it become permanent?”

Calyx’s gaze softened. “Yes. You’d inherit parts of my abilities, my memories, and also the burdens that come with them. A blood contract is no small matter. It binds both lives deeply, in a way that’s nearly impossible to break.”

I pondered his words carefully. "So... would you gain some of my abilities too?" I asked, my mind racing with the implications.

Calyx tilted his head slightly, a hint of surprise crossing his face. “Yes, it would go both ways, though the effects aren’t always the same. If you had any unique abilities, I’d feel a trace of them—maybe even access them—but often in a limited form. A blood contract ties us, but it doesn't make us identical.”

The weight of this connection felt both powerful and daunting. "So, we’d both carry parts of each other?”

He nodded, a quiet seriousness in his gaze. "Exactly. It’s a bond that changes both sides, permanently.”

“Then do I need to do anything to make the blood contract complete?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

Calyx hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. “It’s not just about what you need to do. We have to talk through some important things first—what you need to accept, and what you might need to let go of. This isn’t a light decision, Fiera. It will change everything.”

I felt a mix of anticipation and anxiety at the thought of what lay ahead.

Calyx’s words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. I nodded, understanding that this was more than just a contract; it was a connection that could alter my life forever.

“What do I need to let go of?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Calyx looked thoughtful, as if weighing his next words carefully. “That’s something we need to explore together. It’s not just about accepting the bond; it’s about understanding what it means for you.”

A knot of excitement and fear tightened in my stomach as I realized that the choices I would make would shape my future.

“Okay,” I replied, ready for this journey, but a part of me was still hesitant.

As the gravity of our conversation settled in, I felt a flicker of anticipation for what lay ahead. What truths would we uncover? What sacrifices would I have to face?

I took a deep breath, knowing that the answers awaited me in our next discussion. The adventure was just beginning, and I could hardly wait.