Knock! Knock!
"Zamora! Your screaming woke the neighbor's baby! What on earth are you doing in there?!"
The banging on her door, paired with Aunt Merry's familiar yelling, yanked Zamora out of her nightmare. Morning light spilled through the curtains. Sweat soaked her sheets—clean ones she had just replaced last night.
"That dream again…" she muttered, raking her fingers through her tangled hair in frustration. "Why do I keep having that same nightmare?"
She groaned, staggering to the window. "Can't anyone let me enjoy one peaceful day off?" she mumbled, pushing the curtain aside to let the sunlight bathe her face. A wave of gratitude washed over her—she was still here, alive, after the terrifying images of her sleep.
From beneath her pillow, her phone vibrated.
Alena—with a heart emoji next to the name.
"Hello?"
"Where are you? You've already left, right?" Alena's raspy voice crackled through the speaker.
Zamora frowned. "Left? Left where?"
"You were going to search for roses today, weren't you?"
Her breath caught in her throat.
The biology assignment. She had completely forgotten.
"I'll call you back!" she blurted, hanging up before Alena could respond. In a flash, she dashed into the bathroom.
Moments later, she found Aunt Merry chatting with a neighbor by the side of the house.
"I'll just be a minute, Auntie. I need to collect a rose for my biology grade. I promise I'll be back by evening."
Aunt Merry gave her the glare of doom before sighing, "Fine. But don't you dare come home late!"
Zamora ran. Fast. She couldn't risk being left behind.
By the time she reached the school, her classmates were gathering at the forest's edge. She joined them, slipping quietly to the back of the group. Truthfully, she didn't want to be here—rumors about this forest had always unnerved her. But this assignment was too important. Her scholarship depended on it.
"I'll look over there," she told the group when they split up to search.
Crunch. Snap.
Branches broke beneath her feet as she ventured deeper into the forest, scanning every shadowy patch for the roses she needed. A chill prickled her skin. Her nightmares had felt too real lately. The crunching twigs echoed eerily, sounding all too familiar.
No birdsong, no buzzing insects—only silence now. It was unsettling.
"Mr. Hans, you'd better give me an A for this," she muttered, shoving aside tall grass.
And then she saw it.
A meticulously maintained garden bloomed in the middle of the forest, bursting with vibrant roses. Her eyes lit up as she rushed toward it.
"I finally found you!"
But the gate was locked with a heavy iron padlock.
"Hello?" she called out, peering through the bars. No answer. She shook the gate, creating loud clanking sounds, but nothing stirred.
She sighed, slumping against the gate and sliding down until she sat in the dirt.
This day sucks.
And then—
Clang!
The padlock clattered to the ground.
Zamora jumped to her feet, heart pounding. The gate… had unlocked itself.
Was it… a ghost?
Tentatively, she reached out and touched the padlock. Solid. Real.
"Does this mean I can go in?"
With caution, she pushed open the golden gate and stepped inside. The garden's air felt different—heavier, darker. Something wasn't right.
Suddenly, bats flew past her, and a crow landed nearby, its beady eyes watching. She felt like an intruder, an unwanted guest.
Still, she reached out and plucked a rose.
That's when it happened.
A black blur shot toward her, grabbing her wrist with an iron grip.
"What are you doing with my roses?!" a deep voice snarled.
"I-I'm sorry!" she stammered, offering the rose back. "I didn't know—"
She froze, staring at him. Handsome. Otherworldly. He looked human… but no human moved that fast.
He must be some kind of demon.
He smirked, revealing sharp fangs.
Zamora's breath hitched.
"I hate humans who barge into my garden," he growled.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, eyes brimming with tears.
Just as he leaned in, fangs bared—
Another voice interrupted.
"Touch her, and I'll tear that mouth off."
A second man appeared, cloaked in black. His presence radiated authority.
The first Incubus scowled. "Control your pet. She's irritating."
And just like that, he vanished.
Zamora barely had time to process what happened before pain flared at her neck and everything went black.
---
When she awoke, the room was dim and unfamiliar. Other girls huddled at the far end, their faces pale.
"You're awake. Thank goodness," a girl whispered nearby.
"Where am I?" Zamora asked, panicking.
"Shh. Keep your voice down," the girl warned, pressing a finger to her lips. "They'll get angry."
"Who will?" Zamora whispered back.
"Do you know what an Incubus is?"
Zamora felt her stomach drop.
"I've heard of them. But what are they really?"
"They're demons. They use human women to birth monstrous offspring… then drain them of blood when they're no longer useful."
Tears welled in Zamora's eyes.
"I don't want to be here. I need to get out. How do I escape?"
"If there were a way, I'd be gone already. I've been here four months… maybe more. Time moves differently in their world."
Zamora's body trembled.
"How did you end up here?" the girl asked gently.
"I was looking for roses. For school. I met two men… black cloaks… fangs…"
The girl gasped. "Incubi," she whispered.
Before Zamora could ask more, the door creaked open.
A towering man entered.
The girls shrank back, pressed against the walls. Zamora clutched her knees, trembling.
His cruel eyes swept across the room.
Please not me. Please not me.
But he grabbed Zamora.
"No—Let me go!" she cried as he dragged her out.
He tossed her into a grand chamber. Gilded chairs lined the walls, occupied by impossibly beautiful creatures—Incubi. Their angelic faces stared down at her with chilling interest.
Among them stood Succubi—women equally divine, but dressed seductively, eyes sharp and hungry.
One Incubus stood from his throne and approached. His glowing blue eyes locked with hers.
"Do you remember me?" he asked softly.
Zamora couldn't speak. Of course she did. He had haunted her dreams for weeks.
"You tried to steal my roses," another Incubus sneered, appearing beside her. "Is she the one, brother?"
Brother?
The first man clenched his jaw. "She's mine. Stay out of this."
"She smells delicious," the second replied, licking his lips.
Zamora had had enough. She ran.
Through the grand doors, down endless corridors, until—light!
The castle's front doors.
She didn't care about the roses anymore. She just needed to escape.
But before she could make it far, a black shadow landed ahead of her. He stood tall, blocking her path.
Zamora staggered, clutching her neck. Pain surged through her.
He stepped closer, expression unreadable. With a cold hand, he touched her neck.
"Argh!" she cried, the pain intensifying.
He pinned her to a tree.
Her legs gave out.
Darkness swallowed her vision again—but just before she passed out, she heard him whisper: