Crimson Dreams
623 Words
The first thing Evangeline noticed was the headache.
A sharp, throbbing pain pulsed behind her eyes as consciousness slowly returned. Rain still tapped softly against the windows, and pale morning light spilled across her bedroom walls.
She blinked in confusion.
How did I get home?
Evangeline sat up slowly, pressing a hand against her forehead. Her coat was draped neatly over the chair beside her bed, still damp from the rain. Her shoes rested near the door as though someone had carefully placed them there.
A chill crept down her spine.
She remembered leaving the bookstore. The empty streets. The scream.
Then—
Nothing.
Only fragments remained. Crimson eyes. Cold fingers. A voice in the darkness.
Her breathing quickened.
“No…” she whispered to herself. “It was just a nightmare.”
But deep down, she knew it wasn’t.
Evangeline forced herself out of bed and walked toward the bathroom mirror. Dark circles lingered beneath her eyes, evidence of restless sleep. Yet something else caught her attention.
A faint bruise marked her wrist.
Exactly where the stranger had grabbed her.
Her stomach tightened instantly.
Before she could think further, her phone vibrated loudly on the counter.
**Sophia Calling**
Evangeline exhaled in relief before answering.
“Please tell me you’re awake,” Sophia said immediately. “You disappeared last night.”
“I’m fine,” Evangeline replied, though her voice sounded weaker than usual.
“You don’t sound fine.”
Sophia had been her closest friend since university began—outspoken, fearless, and impossible to ignore. Unlike Evangeline, she thrived in chaos.
“I just didn’t sleep well,” Evangeline said.
There was a pause.
“Evie… did something happen?”
Evangeline hesitated.
Images flashed through her mind again. Blood on wet pavement. Crimson eyes glowing in the dark.
Her throat tightened.
“No,” she lied softly. “I’m okay.”
Sophia sighed dramatically. “Fine. But you’re still coming tonight.”
“Coming where?”
“The Velvet Veil nightclub? Don’t tell me you forgot.”
Evangeline groaned quietly.
Weeks ago, Sophia had insisted they attend the grand reopening of the city’s most exclusive nightclub. Evangeline had agreed only to stop her from asking repeatedly.
“I really don’t feel like going.”
“Too bad,” Sophia replied instantly. “You need one normal night without hiding inside that bookstore.”
Before Evangeline could protest again, the call ended.
She stared at the screen for a long moment.
Normal.
The word suddenly felt meaningless.
Later that evening, the city came alive beneath glowing lights and restless music. Luxury cars lined the streets outside The Velvet Veil while crowds gathered beneath enormous crimson signs.
Evangeline instantly regretted coming.
“This place is insane,” she muttered while following Sophia through the entrance.
Crystal chandeliers illuminated the massive nightclub, casting golden light across polished black floors. Music vibrated through the walls like a heartbeat. Beautiful strangers filled every corner of the room.
Sophia grinned. “See? Much better than your depressing apartment.”
Evangeline forced a faint smile.
But the moment she stepped farther inside, a sudden coldness swept through her body.
Her instincts screamed at her to leave.
Someone was watching her.
Slowly, she lifted her eyes toward the upper balcony overlooking the dance floor.
And there he was.
The man from the alley.
Lucien.
Even surrounded by crowds, he stood apart from everyone else like darkness wrapped in human form. Dressed in black, one hand resting against the railing, his crimson eyes locked onto hers with terrifying intensity.
Evangeline’s breath stopped.
Memories exploded violently back into her mind.
Blood. Fangs. Shadows.
Monster.
For the briefest moment, surprise flickered across Lucien’s face.
As though he realized something impossible.
She remembered him.
- Writer
