A week later, Lena convinced herself she had imagined the encounter - until the night she was attacked. She was walking home again when the air around her grew unnaturally still. The streetlights flickered. A whisper, low and raspy, echoed through the air: "You are not supposed to be here." She turned, but no one was there, Then, suddenly cold fingers wrapped around her wrist, yanking her backward. She gasped, struggling, but her attacker was impossibly strong.
A blur of motion. A rush of wind. Then - The stranger from the alley appeared out of nowhere, moving faster than humanly possible. He wrenched her attacker away, slamming him into a nearby wall. The assailant snarled, revealing sharp, elongated fangs.
Lena's breathe caught in her throat. Fangs. Not human. The stranger held a silver dagger, pressing it to the creatures throat. ''Tell your master she is off-limits.'' the stranger instructed. The attacker hissed, his eyes glowing red before he melted into the shadows and disappeared.
Lena staggered back, gripping a lamppost for support. ''W-what was that?'' The stranger turned to her, his expression grim. ''Not here. You need to come with me. Now.'' he said, as he quickly made his way to her. He took her hand and for a moment, the world became quiet again. No noise. No wind blowing. Just quiet.
She stared at him, his eyes, full of mystery and untold stories that she would love to ask about. In that moment, he looked handsome and not quite as old as she initially thought when they first met. He broke their gaze and proceeded to pull her in the direction he was going. ''Where are we going?'' she asked. He didn't answer immediately and just kept on walking, after a while she wasn't being pulled anymore and she was willingly walking with him to wherever they were going. ''I sure hope this was a good idea to follow him.'' she thought, as handsome as he was, she was still weary of him. Lena sat across from the stranger in an old, abandoned church on the edge of town. He had finally introduced himself as Cassian, but that was the only piece of information he seemed willing to share.
"What was that thing?'' she asked, still shaken.
''A rogue,'' Cassian said. ''A vampire with no allegiance.''
She let out a short, disbelieving laugh. ''A vampire? Yeah, right.''
Cassian's eyes darkened. ''You saw it with your own eyes. Don't pretend otherwise.''
Lena looked down at her trembling hands. She had seen it. The glowing eyes. The fangs. The impossible speed. But vampires weren't real. They couldn't be. ''Why was it after me?'' she asked.
Cassian hesitated, then said, "Because of who you are.''
Lena's pulse quickened. ''Who am I?''
Cassian exhaled sharply, as if debating whether or not to tell her.
Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out something small and familiar-her locket.
''You already know,'' he said. ''You just don't remember.''
Lena's stomach dropped as she stared at the locket, dread pooling in her chest. Because, deep down, she knew he was right. The dreams, the nightmares, the sense of wrongness in her life - it all pointed to something she wasn't ready to face.
But the truth was coming for her, whether she wanted it or not.
''Cassian, I need more details! You can't just expect me to regain my memory by showing me a locket that is supposed to be mine!'' she said, a little too loudly, as her words echoed through the church.
''Quiet. You'll give us away.'' Cassian said with haste. ''Look, I know you're scared and confused. But, Lena, don't deny the fact that there is a world out there that you were once a part of.'' he said, looking desperate for a moment and, as if realizing it, returned to his stoic mannerism.
He cleared his throat and gave her a moment to compose herself.
Cassian took Lena deeper into the city, where the air grew heavier, the lights dimmer. They stopped in front of an underground entrance to what looked like an old cathedral.
Inside, candlelight flickered against stone walls, illuminating faces that seemed both human and inhuman.
''These are the ones who protect your kind,'' Cassian explained. ''And the ones who want you dead.''
Lena swallowed hard. ''My kind?''
Cassian hesitated before answering. ''You're not just any vampire, Lena. You're the lost princess of the fallen empire.''
Lena's world tilted. The truth was out. But accepted it would be another battle entirely.
Cassian explained the fall of the vampire monarchy-how her parents were betrayed, their kingdom torn apart by a faction that sought to erase their bloodline. She had been hidden away as a child, her memories sealed to protect her. But now, the enemies who had destroyed her family knew she was alive.
''They won't stop until you're dead,'' Cassian explained. ''Or until you reclaim what's yours.''
Lena felt suffocated by the weight of his words. She had spent weeks trying to piece together her past, but she never imagined it was one drenched in blood and war.
''Why me?'' she whispered. ''I don't even remember who I was.''
Cassian's expression softened. ''That doesn't matter. They do.''
That night, Lena's dreams shifted. They weren't just fragments anymore - they were clear, vivid memories returning. She saw her mother's face, the warmth in her golden eyes, the gentle touch of her hand as she whispered words in the ancient vampire tongue.
She woke with a start, her heart pounding. And then she felt it - the hunger. A deep insatiable thirst unlike anything she had ever known.
She staggered to the mirror, gasping at her reflection. Her eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
The truth was no longer just words spoken in candlelight. It was inside her.
She was awakening.
The moment Lena stepped outside, the world felt different. Every sound was sharper, every movement in the shadows felt alive. Hunger clawed at her insides, but she forced it down. Cassian was waiting.
''You need to learn control. Before they come for you.'' he said.
Lena clenched her fists. She wasn't ready to face the world as a vampire. But the world was already coming for her.
''Cassian, I am hungry. Can we grab something to eat before we head back?'' she asked.
Cassian gazed at her curiously. ''Yeah, what would you like?'' he asked
''Well, a cheese burger and fries would go down nicely. We haven't had a hot meal in days.'' she said with a grin on her face.
The world was very confusing and fragile at the moment, but comfort food was something Lena always turned to in times of uncertainty.
She can remember the days at the foster home when Mrs. Ashford made her signature Mac & Cheese. She wondered if they were okay.
''Hey, do you think we could see if my guardians are okay with me being gone.'' she asked as she looked at him.
''Lena, it's-it's too dangerous.'' he said in a grim voice.
The next morning, Lena noticed a stranger lingering near her foster home. She snuck out while Cassian was still asleep so he would be able to stop her for checking in on Mrs. Ashford. She really just wanted to make sure they were coping.
The stranger she was staring at was tall, dressed in a dark coat, with piercing blue eyes that seemed to miss nothing.
He knocked on the door of her foster home. But there was no answer, a few minutes later, he was on his way. Lena was in the bushes, watching, nearby.
As soon as she saw he left, she turned around to head back to Cassian. But as she turned a corner at the old post office, she bumped into the same stranger that was just at her foster home a few minutes ago.
''Hey, wait a minute.'' he said. ''You look familiar. Haven't we met before?''
''No, sir. I can't recall meeting you.'' Lena said, trying to avoid eye contact.
"Detective Ethan Graves,'' he introduced himself. ''Weren't you the girl with the memory loss in the hospital?''
Lena didn't answer.
''I was looking for you earlier at your foster home to ask you a few questions.'' he said. His tone becoming more serious. ''I'm investigating a string of disappearances in the area. A witness saw you near one of the locations.''
Lena's heart pounded. ''I don't know anything about that.''
Ethan studied her, his gaze unnervingly sharp. ''Maybe. But you seem to be at the center of something much bigger than you realize.''
At that moment, Cassian gazed around the corner of the building just enough for Lena to see him. Lena sensed that he was tense and wanted to step in, but she shook her head subtly. If Ethan knew anything about the supernatural world, he wasn't revealing it yet.
''I'm sorry I can't be of any more help, Mr. Graves. You have a good day.'' Lena said and turned to walk in the direction of where Cassian was hiding.
''Do you know him, Lena?'' Cassian finally asked as they arrived at their hideout.
''Not at all. I just know his name is Detective Ethan Graves.'' She said.
Wondering how he knew her and where to look for her.