Unveiling secrets

A chill slithered down Cora's spine as she scanned the dimly lit room, her pulse hammering against her ribs. Something was off. The air carried a faint scent—something musky and metallic, like old blood seeping into wooden floorboards. Someone had been here.

But who? And why?

Her fingers curled into fists as she leaned against the door, listening, waiting—half-expecting a shadow to detach itself from the darkness. But there was nothing. Just an eerie silence that stretched too long.

"This place keeps getting weirder by the day. I think we need a break from here," Amelia muttered from behind, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

Cora turned to see her friend sprawled across the bed, her auburn red curls fanning out like a halo against the pillow. There was a tired edge to her voice, but the dark circles under her eyes spoke louder. She was barely holding on.

Cora hesitated, biting her lip.

Amelia deserved to know the truth. The world wasn't as safe as she thought it was. And if she didn't understand what lurked beneath the illusion of normalcy, she would walk straight into the jaws of a predator.

"Amelia…" Cora's voice softened.

Amelia sat up, blinking at her, the light from the bedside lamp casting half her face in shadow. Even though the sky was bright outside.

Cora took a slow breath, steadying herself. "There's something I need to tell you."

Amelia arched a brow, smirking. "I'm all ears, baby."

A humorless chuckle escaped Cora. "Have you ever heard of creatures other than humans?"

Amelia frowned, tilting her head. "I mean… I've read myths about them. Why?"

"Because they're real, Amelia."

A pause. Then a laugh.

"That was one scary joke, Cora," Amelia muttered, slumping back onto the bed.

But Cora wasn't laughing.

"I'm serious. We're living amongst vampires at Oscar's. This school was designed for them—to help them blend in with humans."

Silence fell between them. Then Amelia sat up so fast it was almost comical, her wide brown eyes locking onto Cora's.

"Oh my God… you're serious," she breathed. "How do you even know this?"

Cora swallowed. "Because I've met one."

Amelia visibly paled. "W-what?"

"That's why you need to be careful," Cora murmured, her grip tightening around the sheets. "Don't trust anyone. Don't go out alone. Not everyone here is human."

Amelia's lips parted, but whatever words she wanted to say died before they could form. Her hand suddenly shot up to her forehead, groaning in pain.

"Ugh… my head."

Cora hurried to fetch her some painkillers from her drugs . Amelia took them wordlessly before exhaustion dragged her back into unconsciousness.

Cora sat beside her, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest.

Had she done the right thing? Or had she just made things worse?

Her gaze darkened.

It didn't matter. Now that Amelia knew, she had no choice but to survive.

At the Dean's Office

Graves strode into the lavish office, the scent of polished mahogany and lavender perfume filling his nostrils. The dean sat behind her desk, pristine as always, her dark red lips pursed in irritation.

"What's with the sudden visit, Graves?" she asked, barely sparing him a glance as she scrolled through her iPad.

"There's a student I need information on."

Her fingers stilled.

"And who might that be?"

"Cora Mercedes."

The dean tapped the name into her system, and a file popped up.

She frowned.

A masked face stared back at her.

She scrolled further. Every single image in Cora's records—every ID, every document—showed her face hidden.

How did this escape her notice?

She turned the screen toward Graves. "Is this the girl?"

He leaned in, his sharp gaze scrutinizing the image before nodding.

"Yeah. She was wearing that mask when she bumped into me. I thought it was some weird fashion statement, but now…" His jaw tightened. "Now I see that everything about her is off."

The dean's lips pursed.

"Strange. How did she even get admitted without a single photo of her real face?"

She turned the screen back to herself, her manicured nails drumming against the desk.

"Look into her," she ordered. "Find out who she is, where she's from, and why she's hiding."

Graves smirked. "Consider it done."

Later That Evening

Amelia was eerily silent after waking up. She didn't ask about their earlier conversation, and Cora didn't bring it up. It was as if she was trying to pretend the truth didn't exist.

Cora's phone dinged.

She frowned, checking the message.

A single text from an unknown number.

"Meet me at the library."

Her pulse spiked.

Damien.

"How the hell did he get my number?" she muttered.

"I'm going to the library," she told Amelia. "I'll be back soon."

Amelia gave a lazy nod but then added, "If you're not back in thirty minutes, I'm coming to find you."

Cora smiled faintly.

At least Amelia still had enough energy to be overprotective.

She slipped out of the room, weaving through the dimly lit corridors, avoiding the curious glances of other students.

The moment she stepped into the library, goosebumps prickled her skin.

Something about this place unsettled her.

Then a low, velvety voice brushed against her ears.

"You're here, little bird."

Cora turned sharply.

Damien leaned against a bookshelf, arms folded, his piercing gaze locked onto her like a cat watching a mouse. He looked… amused.

"Follow me," he ordered, as if he had no doubt she would obey.

Annoyance flickered in her chest, but she followed him anyway.

He led her to a secluded aisle, where a tall bookshelf stood against the wall. Without hesitation, he pressed a hand against it, and the entire shelf slid aside with an eerie silence.

A hidden passage.

"Are you going to stand there gawking, or do you plan on moving those pretty little feet of yours?" Damien drawled, smirking.

Cora shot him a glare but stepped inside.

The space was dimly lit by lanterns which was weird since lights could be used , the scent of old parchment thick in the air.

Her gaze flickered back to Damien."We'll be leaving the island tonight"

"Where are we going?" she asked.

His smirk widened. "Somewhere fun."

"Damien."

"Tsk, tsk. So impatient," he mused, brushing a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. His touch lingered, deliberate.

Her breath hitched.

"Tonight, little bird, we're going to find out exactly what you are."

Cora swallowed hard.

Something in his tone told her that after tonight, nothing would ever be the same again.