Chapter 6: A Monster’s Truth

Elena's breath came in sharp, uneven gasps.

Her back hit the wall as Damien took a slow step toward her.

His silver eyes gleamed in the dim hallway, his hoodie stained with blood—not his own. The body of the dead vampire lay motionless behind him, a pool of dark crimson spreading across the floor.

This wasn't a nightmare.

This was real.

And the boy she had been drawn to… wasn't human.

"Elena," Damien said softly, his voice almost gentle.

Like he was trying not to scare her.

Too late.

She was already terrified.

"What—" Her throat tightened. "What the hell are you?"

For a moment, he didn't answer.

Then—

"The same as him," Damien murmured, glancing at the dead vampire. "But different."

Elena shook her head, her pulse hammering. "That's not— That's not possible."

"I told you," Damien said, stepping closer. "There are things in this world you don't understand."

Elena's hands clenched into fists. "You killed him."

"He would've killed you first," Damien said darkly. "You shouldn't have been here."

Elena swallowed hard. "And what about you?"

Damien's jaw tightened.

"I'm not your enemy."

"That's not an answer," she snapped.

He sighed, running a bloody hand through his tousled black hair.

"Elena," he said quietly. "You need to forget what you saw tonight."

She let out a short, breathless laugh. Forget? Was he insane?

"You just murdered a vampire in front of me," she hissed. "How am I supposed to forget that?"

Silence stretched between them.

Then—

A flicker of something unreadable passed through Damien's gaze.

"Elena," he said, his voice lower this time, almost… sad.

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

She didn't care.

Because one thing was painfully clear now.

Damien Nightshade wasn't just hiding a secret.

He was the secret.

And she was never going to let him push her away.

The Fear She Couldn't Shake

Elena barely remembered how she made it home.

Her feet felt numb as she stumbled into her bedroom, locking the door behind her.

Her hands were shaking.

Her mind was spinning.

Everything—everything—she had believed about the world had been shattered in one night.

Vampires were real.

Damien Nightshade was one of them.

And he had killed one right in front of her.

She sat on the edge of her bed, burying her face in her hands.

What was she supposed to do? Call the police? Tell them a vampire fight broke out in Blackwood Academy's hallways? They'd think she was insane.

Her phone buzzed.

She flinched before grabbing it.

A text from Natalie.

Natalie: Are you safe?

Elena: I think so.

Natalie: Did he hurt you?

Elena: No. But he… he killed something, Nat.

Natalie: I know.

Elena: You knew about him?

Natalie: Not everything. But I've heard rumors. I tried to warn you.

Elena: I need to know the truth, Nat. I need to know what he is.

A long pause.

Then—

Natalie: Meet me tomorrow. I'll tell you everything.

Elena exhaled shakily.

She wasn't crazy.

Natalie knew something.

And tomorrow… she was going to find out what.

The Boy Who Watched From the Shadows

Damien sat on the rooftop of an abandoned building, staring down at the glowing lights of the city below.

His hoodie was still damp with blood.

He hadn't even tried to clean it off.

Because deep down, he knew it didn't matter.

No matter how many times he washed the blood away, it always came back.

A vampire who killed his own kind.

A hunter disguised as a monster.

"Elena knows," he murmured to himself.

The words tasted bitter on his tongue.

He had spent years—centuries—keeping humans away, making sure they never saw the truth.

But Elena Sinclair had walked straight into his darkness.

And the worst part?

Somewhere deep inside, he didn't want her to leave.

The wind howled around him, carrying the scent of blood.

Somewhere in the city, more vampires lurked.

Watching. Waiting.

They knew what he had done tonight.

And they would come for him.

But worse than that…

They would come for her.