Armaan Khanna stood at the entrance of the empty stairwell like a man who had just discovered reality was far worse than rumours.
His expensive confidence had collapsed.
His perfect revenge speech had died somewhere between me kissing two vampire heiresses and drinking their blood in a hidden corner of the college.
Honestly, I almost felt bad for him.
Almost.
Seraphina stood to my left.
Calm.
Elegant.
Dangerous.
Selene stood to my right.
Cold.
Silver-haired.
Equally dangerous.
And I—
stood between both of them like the centre of a storm.
Armaan stared at us.
Then at me.
Then, at the marks still faintly glowing near my neck.
His voice came out weaker than usual.
"What… the hell are you?"
I adjusted my collar slowly.
"A very bad invitation for your evening."
His jaw tightened.
"You think this is a joke?"
I stepped toward him.
One step.
That was enough.
He stepped back.
Good.
Fear was healthy.
"No," I said quietly.
"I think tonight is the first honest thing that has ever happened to you."
His friends weren't here.
His money wasn't helping.
His family name felt smaller in places like this.
He hated that.
I could see it.
Armaan forced a smile.
"My father will crush you."
There it was.
The rich boy's prayer.
My father will fix it.
I gave a faint smile.
"Then tonight, I look forward to disappointing him too."
I walked past him.
Seraphina followed.
Then Selene.
Neither of them looked at him.
Because predators did not explain themselves to prey.
Behind us, Armaan stood in silence.
But I could feel it.
Humiliation.
Rage.
Fear.
Perfect.
Tonight would be entertaining.
Back home, the house was quieter.
Too quiet.
Which usually meant my sisters were planning something.
I opened the door carefully.
Mother was in the kitchen.
Father was reading.
Ananya was working on her laptop.
Kavya was smiling.
That was the most dangerous part.
She looked up.
"Oh, there he is."
No.
That tone never led to peace.
Riya appeared from nowhere.
Excited.
Suspicious.
Also dangerous.
Ananya adjusted her glasses.
"Sit."
Again.
Not a request.
I sighed.
Family interrogation round two.
Wonderful.
I sat.
Kavya placed something on the table.
A black suit.
Expensive.
Far too expensive.
I stared at it.
"What is this?"
She smiled proudly.
"Your survival outfit."
Riya nodded seriously.
"For your mysterious rich people party."
Mother added from the kitchen,
"You are not going to look like a criminal."
I looked at Father.
He turned a page in the newspaper.
Traitor.
Ananya crossed her arms.
"You are attending an elite private gathering with a beautiful woman who arrived at our house this morning."
She pointed at the suit.
"You are wearing that."
Reasonable.
Annoying.
But reasonable.
I picked it up.
"This feels like a trap."
Kavya smiled.
"It is."
At least honesty lived in this house.
Then Father finally spoke.
Without lowering the newspaper.
"Take the silver dagger."
I paused.
The room did too.
Mother frowned.
"What silver dagger?"
Father calmly turned the page.
"Nothing."
Interesting strategy.
Terrible execution.
Mother narrowed her eyes.
"Rajveer."
He lowered the newspaper slowly.
And smiled at a man choosing survival.
"We will discuss it later."
Smart.
Very smart.
I almost respected it.
Night arrived dressed in gold and arrogance.
The hotel stood in the centre of the city like a palace pretending to be modern.
Luxury cars.
Private guards.
Glass walls hiding old money and older blood.
The kind of place where people smiled while measuring how much of your soul they could buy.
Perfect.
I stepped out wearing the black suit.
Clean.
Sharp.
Simple.
The silver dagger was hidden beneath the jacket.
Old habits.
Always carry something sharp.
At the entrance stood Seraphina.
Black dress.
Crimson eyes.
Elegant enough to make the entire building look underdressed.
Beside her—
Selene.
Silver gown.
Moonlight in human form.
Apparently, fate had decided I would never attend anything peacefully again.
Seraphina looked me over.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
"Acceptable."
High praise.
Selene nodded once.
"You clean up well."
I smirked.
"I try to impress my vampire wives."
Seraphina's expression did not change.
But the corner of her lips moved slightly.
Victory.
Small.
But real.
A black luxury car pulled up behind us.
The driver stepped out and opened the rear door.
No words.
Just respect.
Or fear.
Probably both.
Selene looked at me.
"Once you enter tonight…"
Her voice was calm.
"Everyone will know."
Seraphina added softly,
"There will be no going back."
I looked at the hotel.
At the lights.
At the people inside waiting to test, judge, buy, or destroy me.
It felt strangely familiar.
Different world.
Same predators.
I smiled.
"I never liked going back."
Then I offered both hands.
One to Seraphina.
One to Selene.
They looked at me for a moment.
Then took them.
Fire in one hand.
Moonlight in the other.
Perfect.
Together, we walked toward the entrance.
The guards opened the doors.
Inside—
music.
Crystal chandeliers.
Expensive lies.
And at the far end of the grand hall—
a raised platform.
Not a stage.
A throne disguised as one.
Waiting.
Watching.
As if the room itself knew a king had entered.
A man in an expensive suit approached us.
Older.
Sharp eyes.
Cold smile.
Armaan's father.
Mr Khanna.
He looked at me once.
And immediately understood I was not what he expected.
Good.
He extended his hand.
"Welcome."
I shook it.
His grip was firm.
Testing.
Mine was firmer.
His smile changed.
Interesting.
He said quietly,
"So you are the boy causing trouble."
I smiled faintly.
"And you must be the man financing it."
For one second—
silence.
Then he laughed.
Not warmly.
But honestly.
Good.
At least one Khanna in this family had potential.
He stepped aside.
"Tonight, powerful people wish to meet you."
His eyes sharpened.
"Try not to disappoint them."
I looked past him.
Toward the throne-like platform.
Toward the watching nobles.
Toward the predators dressed as aristocrats.
My blood responded.
Ancient.
Hungry.
Ready.
I smiled.
"I never disappoint."
And somewhere above us—
hidden in the highest private balcony—
someone far stronger than everyone else in the room…
opened their crimson eyes.
And began to watch.