Ben had always prided himself on being sharp. He saw things others didn't. He noticed the way Jaytee and Adel moved through the halls like shadows, the way their eyes held secrets, the way their presence felt... unnatural. That's why he started talking. Whispering to others. Planting seeds of doubt. Even trying to frame them as being in a relationship.
Now, as he walked through the back corridors of the school, he wondered if he had pushed too far.
His head felt heavy, his thoughts became sluggish. He blinked, trying to focus. He couldn't remember why he had come all that way. The last thing he recalled was hearing Adel's voice, soft and sweet, calling his name "Ben". And now, here he was. Alone.
The light above cast shadows along the walls. The air smelled stale and damp. He swallowed hard. "Ben." The voice was behind him.
He turned around, surprised to see Adel standing there, leaning casually against the wall. Her green eyes gleamed in the dim light, she had an almost amused smile on her lips.
Ben exhaled, forcing a smile "I'm not quite sure how I got here but still, didn't take you for the type to call secret meetings. What do you want?"
Adel tilted her head. "Oh, Ben. You always think you're in control, don't you?"
At first, he wasn't sure of the situation he was in, his stomach twisted. There was something in her tone, something wrong and different.
Ben shook his head. "You know, for someone trying to keep a low profile, you're doing a terrible job. People are starting to notice things, Adel."
She stepped forward, slowly. Her movements were smooth, almost... unnatural.
"People like you?" she she said angrily. Ben took a step back as he watched Adel smile "Relax."
Ben's vision blurred for a moment. The hallway seemed to shift around him. His head swam, and his knees buckled slightly. "What... what the hell…" he burst out in fear.
Adel's smile widened. "You talk too much, Ben."
And then, there was darkness.
Matteo sat on the edge of his bed, his fingers pressed against his temples. His head throbbed. His veins burned. His whole body felt like it was on fire.
The blood Selena had given him lingered on his tongue, rich and intoxicating, and tasted different. It had silenced the hunger... but only for a while. Now, it was worse.
He clenched his jaw, trying to suppress the growing thirst from his insides. "Get it together," he murmured to himself.
Earlier, he could hear the whispers in the hallway, they caught his attention. He could hear what students around said from a distance. He could always hear them.
"Did you hear what Ben said?"
"They're hiding something."
"I told you, there's something wrong with them."
Jaytee's fingers curled into a fist. Rumors. Ben was filling the air again with rumors of him. His name and that of his mother Adel.
A sharp knock on his door made him snap out of his thoughts. He turned to see Ayda standing there, watching him with an unreadable expression.
"What do you want?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
Ayda smirked. "You don't look so good, Matteo."
He narrowed his eyes. "I don't have time for your games."
"Oh, but you should," she said, stepping inside. "You're unraveling, and you don't even realize it."
Matteo gritted his teeth. "Leave."
Ayda leaned closer, her voice soft. "Or what? You'll lose control?" She smiled. "Selene's blood isn't normal, is it?"
His entire body went rigid. How did she know?
Ayda chuckled. "Thought so." She turned toward the door, her voice dripping with amusement. "I am not here to batter words as I happen not to be your mother who loves you, you have twenty-four hours to meet me in this location," She said dropping a card on the table "If you truly love your precious Nora, I bet she owes you her life now, see you soon, Matteo," She said immediately disappearing, he couldn't believe what he had just heard, he tries to stop her, at least to get to know what she meant but she was fast and he was weak, the hunger weakened him. Matteo felt his pulse hammering in his ears. He had to save Nora.
Selene leaned against a sleek black car parked in the shadows, arms crossed. She wasn't alone.
Ayda approached, her heels clicking against the pavement. She stopped a few feet away, her eyes were gleaming.
"Did he drink it?" Ayda asked, trying to be sure of what she had witnessed earlier.
Selene smirked. "Oh, he drank it."
Ayda exhaled in satisfaction. "Good. That'll keep him desperate. Weak and he'll be easy to break."
Selene twirled a small vial between her fingers. "And my payment?"
Ayda pulled out an envelope and tossed it toward her. "As promised."
Selene caught it effortlessly, flipping it open and scanning the contents.
She grinned. "Pleasure doing business with you."
Ayda stepped closer. "Remember, this isn't just about Matteo, it's for the safety of the dynasty"
Selene chuckled, slipping the envelope into her coat.
Ben's head throbbed as consciousness returned. His body felt heavy.
He groaned, blinking against the blinding light above him.
He wasn't in the school anymore. He could see stone walls. A single hanging bulb. The air smelled metallic, like rust.
He jerked upright. His wrists were free. His ankles too. But the room... the room felt wrong.
And then, he saw Adel. She sat on a chair a few feet away, her green eyes glowing unnaturally in the dim light. Ben's throat went dry.
"What... where…" He tried to speak, but his voice was hoarse.
Adel stood up, her gaze never leaving his. "Welcome back." Ben's pulse raced. "What the hell is this?"
Adel sighed, almost disappointed. "I thought you'd be smarter than this, Ben."
He pushed himself to his feet, backing toward the wall. "Stay away from me."
Adel smirked. "Oh, Ben. You don't get it, do you?"
Something was wrong. Her presence. The way she felt.
She took a slow step forward. "I let you see things. Let you notice. Let you talk. But you took it too far, always meddling in my business"
Ben's fingers clenched. "You… you're not human, are you?"
Adel's lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. "Now you're catching on."
Ben's breath came fast. "What do you want?"
Adel tilted her head. "Oh, Ben. This isn't about what I want."
She stepped closer, her movements were very smooth. Ben pressed himself against the wall, he was scared.
Adel leaned in, whispering against his ear. "This is about how you'll be of help to me…. At least as a punishment for your talking habits"
His stomach twisted. "Punishment"
Adel's voice was soft. "I can't hold it any longer."
Before he could react, her hand shot out, gripping his throat.
He was suffocating, gripping his both hands on that of Adel. Pleading for her mercy, staring at her wicked smile.