Promise Me

"So, what's he like?"

Shalini and Steph stared expectantly at Keisha as they sat at their usual secluded booth at Café Munch, which had become their regular hangout spot. With their milkshakes and apple pies before them, the signature dish of the quaint café, they awaited the response of their friend, who sighed deeply before taking a sip of her beverage.

"He's alright, I guess."

The girls seemed disappointed at Keisha's response, their faces falling. Steph pouted at her ex-roommate, attempting to probe her for a more sensational answer.

"Come on, Keish! You're living with the most infamous hottie on campus and that's all you can say?"

"What more is there to say?" Keisha shrugged casually, rolling her eyes at her friends' nosy behaviour. "He's just a boy like any other."

Keisha knew what she was saying couldn't be further from the truth, but she couldn't exactly tell her friends what living with a delinquent vampire was like. Not only did she not want to endanger the lives of her friends by letting them in on the existence of mystical creatures, she didn't want to recount the horror the past week of being Luka's flat mate had been.

From the way he scowled each time they bumped into each other around the house, to the way he made her pay for every utility she used whether it was food, water or laundry, to the way he locked himself in his room whenever he had to be at home just to avoid her.

The vampire had made it very clear that he wasn't fond of her, and as much as Keisha didn't want to admit it, it stung.

Was she really that unappealing that he'd rather stay in his room all day than see her face?

"Luka Haydes is no ordinary boy and you know it," Shalini chimed in, disagreeing with her friend. "He's literally the god of this school."

Keisha scoffed. "God? Isn't that a bit of a stretch? He seems more like a devil to me."

"A sexy devil," Steph said with a wink, eliciting a giggle from Shalini as Keisha fake gagged.

"He isn't all that, you know," Keisha said, taking a bite from her pie which lay untouched in her plate. The pastry was well on its way to being cold, but that didn't stop the freshman from relishing its delicious taste.

"Easy for you to say. You get to wake up to such a hottie," Shalini teased, playfully swatting her friend. "I'd give an arm and a leg for Luka to glance in my general direction."

"Same," Steph concurred, sighing dreamily. "I'd give anything to have him inside me."

The girls scrunched their faces up in disgust at Steph's inappropriate remark, and a strange feeling settled in Keisha's stomach as her friends continued to shamelessly thirst after Luka. Why were they gushing over a boy they barely knew, who most certainly was unaware of their existence?

They didn't know him like she did, yet they were over the moon. She'd had to face this boy's wrath, deal with his explosive temperament and endure living with him for the past week.

If anyone had a right to feel any kind of way about Luka Haydes, it should be her.

Wanting to turn the conversation away from her hellish flat mate, Keisha spoke up. "Any plans for this weekend? It's a Friday so I was thinking we could do something fun."

"I'm free," said Shalini.

"I heard a bunch of seniors want to check out the camp site where the massacre happened tomorrow. You guys want to tag along?" Steph asked, casting a mischievous glance at her friends.

Keisha frowned. "I thought the forest is now a restricted area. Isn't that trespassing?"

"That's what makes it more fun!" Steph exclaimed excitedly. "We could go see for ourselves just what the authorities are hiding. Plus, I think it'll make for a perfect addition to my bucket list. Explore crime scene, check!"

"I don't know, guys. I'm not sure that's a good idea," Shalini shook her head as she spoke, uncertainty evident on her features. "What if we get caught?"

"We won't, I promise. Come on, this is literally the perfect adventure! Keish, back me up here."

"No can do, sis," Keisha shrugged. "I'm with Lin on this. People died in that forest, it's not a joke. Whatever is out there is dangerous so it's best if we don't go inviting trouble."

Keisha hoped her words would be enough to convince Steph, as she was one of the only people who knew the truth about just what lurked in the forest. The last thing she wanted was for any of her friends to get caught up in the world of supernatural creatures or even worse, get fatally hurt.

The memory of those ghouls still haunted her dreams, and she would never want anyone to experience what she did.

"Fine," Steph huffed, slumping in her seat. "Suit yourselves."

"Seriously, Steph, don't go into the forest. It's dangerous."

"Yeah, yeah, Keisha. I heard you the first time."

"This isn't a game, Steph. I'm not kidding," Keisha's tone was serious as she spoke, her brows furrowed as she focused on her older friend. "Promise me you won't go out there."

"This is stupi – "

"Promise me, Steph! You won't go into that forest."

The raven-haired sophomore sighed, running her fingers through her short hair. After a few agonizing moments, she spoke up. "I promise."

Heaving a relieved breath, Keisha smiled at her. "Good. Now let's pick a less dangerous thing to do this weekend. How do y'all feel about bowling?"

-

The hot afternoon sun beamed down on the campus as students and staff hurried about their various activities, Keisha among them. She was on her way back from the library after returning some books she had borrowed.

As she walked through the busy campus streets, Keisha couldn't shake off the feeling that she was being followed. Glancing over her shoulder, she observed the throngs of students walking around her, but she couldn't find anything or anyone that seemed out of place.

Dismissing her feelings as hallucination, Keisha carried on, making her way toward the bus stop in hopes of catching the next bus out of the school. She was done with all her classes for the day and wanted nothing more than to head home and take a nap.

As she trekked on her way, a sudden feeling of lightheadedness came over her, and she stopped in her tracks, clutching her head. The dizzy spell persisted, and Keisha stumbled over to a nearby lamp post to lean against it.

What was going on?

Suddenly, a soft voice whispered in her ear, and every hair on Keisha's body stood in fright. "Come to the forest."

Whipping her head around, Keisha found that there was nobody within talking distance near her, much less close enough to whisper. Spooked, Keisha clutched the Klypeus around her neck, hoping that the magical necklace would dispel whatever was lurking around her.

However, her action amplified the sound from a gentle whisper to a clear, audible voice. "Come to the forest, Keisha. I'll be waiting where we first met."

Recognizing the voice, Keisha gasped. "Mr. Archer? Is that you?"

"Yes. Now hurry along. We mustn't let darkness fall."

Confused and amazed, Keisha didn't care that she looked like a crazy person talking to herself as students walked by her, giving her puzzled stares. "How are you doing this? How can I hear you?"

"The Klypeus I gave you allows us to communicate. If you need to reach me just touch it and speak."

Keisha gasped in awe, blown away by the magical abilities of her enchanted jewelry. "What else can it do?"

"A lot. I'll tell you when you get here. Hurry."

Just like that, his voice was gone, leaving an astonished Keisha standing with her mouth agape in the middle of the street. Caressing the cold metal of the Klypeus, she couldn't help but admire the magical necklace.

What kind of sorcery was this?

Not wanting to think too much about it, Keisha quickly made her way to the bus stop, a new destination on her mind.

Half an hour and a long walk later, Keisha arrived at the oak tree where she'd first met the archer, sweaty and out of breath. There was nobody else around, and she wondered if she'd come to the right place. However, the sight of a piece of rope tied around one of the tree's branches confirmed that indeed she was at the correct location.

It seemed like an eternity ago when she'd been tied to the huge oak's branches, yet at the same time, it felt like it was just yesterday. She still remembered so vividly all that happened here, and now standing across from where she could've died, Keisha felt déjà vu.

It was here where her relationship with a temperamental vampire began, and where she'd seen the eyes of death. It was here she'd met an unexpected savior, and it was here so many others had closed their eyes in eternal sleep.

It was at this very place, underneath this very oak tree, where her life changed. Though she wasn't sure if it was for the better.

The sound of leaves rustling caused Keisha to break out of her reverie, and she looked up to see her nameless savior, a smile spreading across her features as she acknowledged him.

"Mr. Archer!"

He was clad in his usual attire of a hood and mask, his bow and quiver of arrows slung behind his back. With the bright ambience around them, Keisha could really take in his appearance with a clear mind for the first time. His mask was made out of some kind of hard material, and it covered the entirety of his face. His hood was made of a dyed leather, dark navy blue in colour, and it was attached to a leather coat of the same colour. Dark pants sat below the coat, paired with black combat boots.

Despite how good the archer looked, Keisha couldn't help but wonder if he felt hot in his ensemble.

"Hello, Keisha," he said, his voice sounding distorted as it usually did through his mask. "I see you brought a friend with you. Come on out, Luka."

Confused, Keisha turned to see what the archer was talking about and true to his words, there stood a fuming Luka, glaring daggers at both of them. Alarmed, Keisha gasped in horror, her eyes wide as she realized she'd been caught.

"Luka, wait let me explai – "

The words didn't get to leave Keisha's lips as Luka's eyes turned into a familiar shade of gold, his fangs peeking out of his taut lips. Before she could react, the vampire lunged at the archer.