Chapter 20

Leaving the headmistress’s office, I felt more frustrated than ever. Her cryptic response about my mother and Jason left me with more questions than answers. It was as if she enjoyed the mystery, her sharp smile giving nothing away. As I walked down the corridor, I clenched my fists, my mind a whirlwind of possibilities and fears. Where was she? Why wouldn’t anyone just give me the truth?

I barely noticed where I was going, my footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway. The stone walls seemed colder than usual, the dim light from the chandeliers above casting eerie shadows that moved like restless spirits. Lost in thought, I almost missed the commotion ahead.

Raised voices filtered through the otherwise silent hall, growing louder with each step. Turning a corner, I stopped dead in my tracks, the scene before me pulling me out of my head entirely.

A crowd of students had gathered in a loose circle around two upper-classmen standing in the middle of the hallway. Their postures were tense, their snarling faces promising violence. One was a tall vampire with platinum blond hair that shimmered like ice under the dim light. His pale skin almost glowed, and his eyes burned with an unnatural blue hue that seemed to pierce through the soul.

Facing him was a werewolf girl. She was smaller but just as intimidating. Her auburn hair cascaded wildly over her shoulders, and her glowing golden eyes locked onto the vampire with a predator’s intensity. Her fists were clenched, the veins along her forearms bulging as if her body was barely containing the beast within.

“You think you’re so superior, don’t you, leech?” she spat, her voice venomous.

The vampire smirked, his long fangs glinting. “Superior? I am superior, mutt. It’s not my fault your kind can’t control their tempers. Perhaps if you stopped drooling like a rabid dog, we could have a civil conversation.”

The werewolf growled, the sound low and guttural, sending a shiver down my spine. Her canines elongated, and her golden eyes brightened, glowing like twin suns.

“Why don’t I rip that smug grin off your face, bloodsucker?” she hissed, taking a threatening step forward.

“Try it,” the vampire challenged, his voice a chilling whisper. His pale skin seemed to grow even more translucent, his veins visible beneath the surface. His eyes flared brighter, and his lips parted, revealing fangs longer and sharper than I thought possible.

The crowd around them watched with rapt attention, their expressions a mix of fear and excitement. No one dared to interfere.

The Fight Begins

The vampire moved first. He vanished in a blur of motion, reappearing behind the werewolf in less than a second. His speed was unreal, almost impossible to track. Before he could strike, the werewolf spun around, her reflexes just as impressive. Her claws, now extended into razor-sharp weapons, slashed through the air.

The vampire ducked, moving with a fluid grace that made him seem more like a shadow than a man. He retaliated with a swift kick to her midsection, sending her skidding back several feet. She growled, the sound echoing in the corridor as her feet dug into the ground, claws leaving deep gouges in the stone floor.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” she snarled, her voice more animal than human.

She lunged at him, her movements a blur. Her claws swiped at his chest, and this time she connected. Blood sprayed across the floor, dark and thick. The vampire hissed, his face twisting in pain, but he didn’t falter. Instead, he grinned, the blue in his eyes glowing brighter as his blood dripped onto the ground.

“You’re not bad for a mutt,” he taunted, wiping the blood from his chest with a nonchalance that made my stomach turn. “But you forget—you’re not the only one who can fight dirty.”

With inhuman speed, he lashed out, his fingers curling into claws that rivaled hers. He grabbed her arm and twisted, forcing her to her knees. She howled in pain, but instead of yielding, she let her transformation take over. Her arm snapped back into place almost instantly, her muscles swelling, her face elongating slightly as her wolf broke free.

The werewolf girl surged forward, slamming her head into the vampire’s chest with the force of a battering ram. He flew backward, crashing into a wall with enough force to crack the stone. Dust and debris rained down as he stumbled to his feet, his expression no longer smug.

“You’ll regret that,” he hissed, his voice dripping with venom.

The Battle Intensifies

The vampire launched himself at her, and the corridor exploded into chaos. His claws raked across her chest, leaving deep gashes that quickly began to heal. She retaliated with a savage punch that sent him flying again, but he twisted mid-air, landing gracefully on his feet.

The werewolf didn’t give him a chance to recover. She was on him in an instant, slamming him to the ground with enough force to shatter the floor beneath them. Her claws dug into his shoulders, pinning him in place. Blood pooled beneath him, staining the stone a deep crimson.

But the vampire wasn’t done. His hand shot up, grabbing her by the throat. His grip tightened, and she gagged, her claws momentarily loosening. Taking advantage of her distraction, he flipped her over, pinning her beneath him.

“You’re strong,” he admitted, his voice low and dangerous. “But strength isn’t everything.”

Before he could strike, the werewolf let out a deafening roar. Her body shifted further, her face elongating into a partial muzzle, her teeth sharper, her claws deadlier. With a burst of raw power, she threw him off her, sending him crashing into the crowd of onlookers. Students scattered, some laughing nervously, others pale with fear.

The vampire rose to his feet, his face a mask of fury. His glowing eyes locked onto the werewolf, and in an instant, he was on her again. This time, their clash was a blur of motion—claws slashing, fangs biting, blood spraying across the hallway. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood and the growls and snarls of their battle.

The Aftermath

The fight ended as abruptly as it began. The werewolf girl delivered a final, devastating blow, her claws raking across the vampire’s chest, sending him sprawling to the ground. He didn’t get up.

The werewolf stood over him, panting, her body trembling with the effort of holding back her full transformation. Blood dripped from her claws, pooling at her feet.

“Still think you’re superior?” she spat, her voice low and guttural.

The vampire didn’t answer. His chest rose and fell shallowly, his once-glowing eyes dim.

A sharp voice cut through the tension. “Enough!”

The headmistress’s voice echoed through the corridor, her tone icy. She stepped forward, her presence commanding instant silence.

“What is the meaning of this?” she demanded, her piercing gaze shifting between the two combatants.

Neither answered.

“This school is a place of learning, not a battleground,” she said, her voice like steel. “You will both report to my office immediately. The rest of you—disperse.”

The crowd quickly obeyed, whispering among themselves as they retreated. I stayed frozen in place, my mind reeling from what I had just witnessed.

As the headmistress led the two fighters away, I couldn’t shake the image of their battle from my mind. Their raw power, their savagery—it was terrifying and mesmerizing all at once.

I glanced down at the bloodstained floor and swallowed hard. This was the world I had been thrown into—a world of monsters and violence. And somehow, I had to survive it.