Morning arrived slowly.
The forest that had looked so threatening the night before now appeared almost peaceful. Sunlight filtered through the tall trees, warming the stone walls of the Vale estate.
Birds sang.
Wind brushed gently through the grass.
But the courtyard still carried the scars of the battle.
Cracked stone.
Scratches carved into the ground.
A shattered railing from where Marcus had been thrown across the balcony.
Elara stood in the middle of it all.
She hadn't slept.
Her eyes followed the thin fracture running through the stone where she had collapsed during the awakening.
Did I really do that?
Her hands slowly curled into fists.
For a moment, she wondered if the power would appear again.
Nothing happened.
Just normal hands.
Just normal skin.
"…Was last night even real?"
Behind her, Marcus leaned against one of the stone pillars with his arms folded.
"It was real."
Elara glanced over her shoulder.
Marcus looked exhausted.
Dark circles hung beneath his eyes, and his normally calm expression had hardened into something more serious.
"You've been quiet all morning," she said.
Marcus didn't answer right away.
Instead, his gaze drifted toward the sky.
The eclipse was gone.
The sun shined normally again.
But the feeling of that night hadn't left.
"Elara," Marcus said slowly, "do you remember the first time I told you about vampire clans?"
She let out a small breath.
"You mean the story where you said they ruled the world in secret centuries ago?"
Marcus nodded.
"You laughed."
Elara gave a faint smile.
"Well, yeah. It sounded insane."
Marcus's voice lowered.
"It wasn't a story."
Elara looked down at the cracked stone again.
"…I know that now."
Silence settled between them.
Then Elara suddenly spoke again.
"…Marcus."
"Yes."
"Why me?"
Marcus's jaw tightened.
"I wish I knew."
Elara stared at her hands again.
Last night the power had felt unstoppable.
Now it was gone.
Or maybe just sleeping.
Her thoughts drifted.
Energy harvesting.
Shadow shaping.
Awakening.
The vampire leader's words echoed in her mind.
You're going to become the center of the supernatural world.
Elara sighed.
"That sounds like the worst job description ever."
Marcus huffed quietly.
"You always did hate attention."
Elara walked slowly across the courtyard, stepping over cracked stone.
Her mind kept replaying the fight.
The moment the shadow blade appeared in her hand.
The look on the vampire's face when she cut him.
I didn't even know what I was doing.
She stopped walking.
"…Marcus."
"Yes."
"If those vampires wanted me so badly…"
She turned toward him.
"…why didn't they take me?"
Marcus's expression darkened.
"They weren't ready."
Elara frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"It means they expected you to be weaker."
Her stomach tightened.
"So they underestimated me?"
Marcus nodded slowly.
"Last night you surprised them."
Elara folded her arms.
"…Great."
She stared at the forest beyond the estate walls.
The trees swayed gently in the morning breeze.
But now she couldn't look at them the same way.
Somewhere out there were creatures watching.
Waiting.
Planning.
How many of them are there?
Her thoughts slipped out loud before she realized it.
"Marcus… how big is this world you've been hiding from me?"
Marcus didn't answer immediately.
Then he spoke quietly.
"Bigger than you think."
Elara exhaled slowly.
"…Of course it is."
She sat on the edge of the cracked fountain in the courtyard.
Her shoulders slumped slightly.
"I was supposed to be normal."
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
"You've never been normal."
Elara smirked faintly.
"Yeah, but I meant human normal."
Marcus looked at her carefully.
Then said something that made the air feel heavier.
"You still are human."
Elara blinked.
"Am I?"
Marcus hesitated.
"…For now."
Her heart sank slightly.
For now?
She leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees.
Her thoughts drifted again.
If I never stepped onto that balcony last night…
Would any of this have happened?
Her eyes slowly lifted toward the sky.
The memory of the eclipse burned clearly in her mind.
The black circle.
The red ring.
The moment everything inside her body exploded awake.
Her inner voice whispered quietly.
The eclipse didn't choose you by accident.
She frowned.
"…Why does it feel like my life just got hijacked?"
Marcus walked closer and sat across from her.
"Elara."
She looked up.
"You're not the only one thinking about last night."
"What do you mean?"
Marcus leaned back slightly.
"The vampire who led that group."
"The one I cut?"
"Yes."
Marcus's voice lowered.
"He wasn't just any vampire."
Elara groaned softly.
"…Please don't tell me he's some ancient overlord."
Marcus paused.
"…He's the heir to one of the oldest vampire clans in existence."
Elara blinked.
"…You're joking."
Marcus didn't smile.
Her head dropped into her hands.
"You have got to be kidding me."
Her thoughts spilled out again.
Great job, Elara.
First night with supernatural powers and you already stabbed vampire royalty.
She groaned again.
"I hate this timeline."
Marcus chuckled quietly.
"You handled yourself well."
She peeked through her fingers.
"…You mean when I accidentally invented a shadow sword?"
Marcus nodded.
Elara leaned back again, staring up at the sky.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then she whispered quietly.
"…Marcus."
"Yes."
"What if I can't control it next time?"
Marcus looked at her carefully.
"There will be a next time."
Her stomach sank.
"…I figured."
Marcus stood slowly.
"Elara."
She looked up.
"If you're going to survive what's coming…"
He extended his hand.
"…you need to learn how to fight."
Elara stared at his hand for a moment.
Then at the cracked courtyard around them.
The forest.
The sky.
The world that had suddenly become something completely different.
Her thoughts whispered quietly inside her head.
Yesterday I was normal.
Today I'm the center of a supernatural war.
She stood up.
"…Okay."
Marcus nodded.
"Training starts now."
Elara stretched her arms slightly.
Then smirked.
"…Do I at least get breakfast first?"
Marcus sighed.
"You're unbelievable."
But as they walked back toward the estate doors—
Elara couldn't shake the strange feeling in her chest.
The power inside her veins hadn't disappeared.
It was still there.
Waiting.
And somewhere far away in the forest—
Red eyes watched the estate from the shadows.
The heir of the vampire clan touched the thin scar on his cheek.
And smiled.
"Interesting," he whispered.
The hunt had only just begun.