(Flashback continues)
The cold halls of House Castielle grew colder. The once bright torches along the stone corridors burned lower each night. The flames seemed afraid to shine too much, as if they also sensed the fear growing in the air. The servants no longer smiled. They no longer greeted Selene when she passed. Their eyes looked away. Their hands trembled when they poured tea or opened doors.
Even her brothers, Lucien and Mathias, wore tense faces and hurried steps. They no longer joked with each other. They no longer argued over books or sword lessons. Something had changed. Something deep and silent had wrapped itself around the heart of their home.
War was no longer a rumor. It had begun.
Selene sat by the high window of her tower room. The view from her window stretched over the tops of the ancient forest. The sky was dark and heavy with storm clouds. The wind moved through the trees like waves across a sea of ash. Below, in the courtyard, she heard the barking of guards. Their voices were sharp and urgent. She heard the clash of metal, boots against stone, and the thudding of heavy wooden gates.
She pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders. She had not seen her father in many days. His seat at the long dining table remained empty, even during the evening hours when he used to give lessons on history and old vampire law. The silence around his absence felt heavy.
Lucien came to her room in his place. He brought books, warm blankets, and sometimes soup that he carried himself. He rarely spoke. He sat near the door with his sword across his knees. His eyes watched the walls as if expecting something to burst through them.
Mathias tried harder to keep her calm. He told jokes, brought her sweets from the kitchens, and once even danced across the room with her stuffed wolf, Growler, perched on his head. Selene had laughed, but only for a moment. The joy vanished too quickly. It was thin, like smoke that disappeared into the air.
One gray morning, Selene sat on the rug near the fire and asked quietly, "What is happening outside?"
Lucien looked at her. His face was unreadable. Then he looked away. "The noble houses are turning on each other."
"Why?" she asked.
He was quiet.
Mathias, who was sitting on the window ledge, spoke instead. "Some say it is about power. Others believe it is about a prophecy."
Selene blinked. "What prophecy?"
Mathias sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Some believe a child born under a blood moon will bring the end of the vampire clans. They say this child carries sunlight in their blood."
Selene felt her breath catch in her throat. She touched the small sun-shaped pendant she wore around her neck. Her fingers trembled slightly.
Lucien stood and paced near the fire. "We don't believe in that nonsense. But others do. They are afraid. And fear makes people dangerous."
Selene turned her gaze to the window again. The clouds outside seemed even darker than before. Her heart beat faster. Something inside her began to worry in a way she had never felt before. It was not just fear. It was the feeling that something was closing in.
The days that followed were tense. Messengers arrived on fast horses and left just as quickly. Strange noble guests came wearing armor instead of fine robes. Their faces were lined with worry. Their voices were loud and angry. Selene was kept upstairs, away from the meetings and the shouting. But the stone walls could not hide everything.
One night, she heard her name.
"The girl is dangerous."
"She's just a child!"
"She glows like dawn."
"Her blood could destroy us all!"
Selene curled under her covers. Her eyes stared at the ceiling through the dark. She did not sleep that night.
The next morning, her father returned.
Lord Castielle's cloak was torn and covered in dust. His hair looked more white than silver now. His eyes were tired and filled with something Selene had never seen before—sorrow.
He entered the room and spoke only one sentence. "Come with me."
She followed him without asking questions. Lucien and Mathias walked behind them. No one spoke. Guards moved aside to let them pass. Servants bowed without words. The castle felt like it was holding its breath.
They passed through halls Selene had never walked before. They went through a hidden door behind the great library, down long stone steps that twisted deep into the earth. The walls were covered with carvings. Some were shapes of the sun, others were symbols she did not understand. Soft blue stones lit the path.
At the end of the tunnel stood a large door made of silver and obsidian. It shimmered with quiet light. Her father opened it, and they stepped inside.
The chamber was warm. Not like the warmth of fire, but something different. The air smelled like sunlight after rain. The walls were gold and white crystal. A glowing circle was carved into the floor, and in the middle of it stood a raised platform.
On the platform was a glass coffin. It looked like a cradle for a queen.
Selene froze. "What is this place?"
Her father looked at her with pain in his eyes. "A place of safety."
Mathias stepped forward and took her hand. "They're coming for you, Selene. The other houses. The High Council. All of them."
Lucien nodded. "If they find you, they will try to use you. Or destroy you."
Selene's eyes widened. "But I didn't do anything wrong."
Lord Castielle knelt before her. His strong hands held hers. "You are not a mistake, Selene. You are a blessing. But blessings are often misunderstood."
Tears filled her eyes. "You're going to leave me here, aren't you?"
He nodded slowly. "To protect you. This place is hidden and guarded by solar runes. Only you can survive inside."
Mathias placed a bundle in her arms. Her pendant. Her sunroom blanket. A small poetry book she loved. "Take these. Something to remember us by."
Selene's hands trembled. Her chest felt tight.
"Please don't make me," she whispered.
Lucien stepped close and held her shoulders. "We will come back for you. When it is safe. You are our sister. We love you."
Her father kissed her forehead. "One day, the world will need you."
Lucien led her to the glass coffin. The runes began to glow brighter. The warmth grew stronger. Selene stepped up onto the platform. The glass felt warm. It did not feel like a coffin. It felt like a sunrise.
She looked back. Her family stood in a line. Her father. Her brothers. Their faces were filled with sorrow and love.
Mathias gave a small smile. "You'll sleep like Snow White."
She laughed through her tears.
Lucien helped her lie down. The lid of the coffin closed slowly. The light grew soft. Her body relaxed.
Lord Castielle placed his hand on the glass. "Forgive me."
Selene closed her eyes. And the world began to fade.