Chapter 9: A War in the Shadows
The world felt like it had shifted beneath Elena's feet.
Her breath was still uneven from Lucian's attack, her hands trembling as she clutched her aching throat. Damien had saved her—but not before she had looked into the eyes of a predator. A vampire who knew exactly what she was.
Or rather, what she would become.
She swallowed hard. "Damien… what did he mean? Why am I the reason for a war?"
Damien exhaled, running a hand through his tousled black hair. His hoodie was ripped from the fight, his silver eyes dark with frustration.
"Elena… it's complicated."
"No," she said, stepping closer. "I don't care how complicated it is. I need the truth."
His jaw clenched.
She could see it—the battle raging inside him.
Finally, he sighed.
"There's an old prophecy," he admitted. "One that dates back centuries."
Elena's pulse quickened.
"A prophecy?"
Damien nodded. "It speaks of a girl with blood unlike any other. A girl whose existence would tip the balance between vampires and humans. The one who could either destroy us… or save us."
Elena's stomach twisted. "And you think… that's me?"
Damien's gaze darkened. "Lucian thinks so. And if he's right…" He hesitated. "Then you're in more danger than you could possibly imagine."
Elena felt her heart pounding in her chest.
She wasn't special. She was just a high school student—an ordinary girl trying to survive her final year.
And yet…
Why did this feel right?
Like some part of her had always known she wasn't normal?
She swallowed. "What does this prophecy say? What happens to the girl?"
Damien hesitated again.
Then—
"She either becomes the queen of the vampires…" His silver eyes locked onto hers.
"Or she dies."
Elena's breath hitched.
Natalie, who had been silent until now, let out a shaky breath. "Okay. Nope. We're not doing this. No vampire queens, no dying, no prophecies. Elena is not some magical chosen one, she's just Elena."
Elena almost laughed at the way Natalie said it.
But deep down, she knew it wasn't that simple.
Damien studied her for a long moment. "We need to leave."
Elena blinked. "What?"
Damien's jaw tightened. "Lucian was just a scout. He wasn't here to kill you—he was here to see if the rumors were true. Now that he's confirmed it, he'll send others."
Elena's stomach twisted. "Others?"
"Stronger vampires," Damien said. "Ones who won't hesitate to take you by force."
A cold chill ran down her spine.
Natalie crossed her arms. "And what do you suggest? We just skip town?"
Damien's gaze didn't waver. "If we have to."
Elena swallowed hard. "And if I refuse?"
His silver eyes met hers.
"Then you won't live to see graduation."
Silence stretched between them.
Elena wanted to say this was insane—that she couldn't just pick up and leave her life behind. But after what she had seen tonight?
She wasn't sure she had a choice.
A war was coming.
And somehow, she was at the center of it.
---
The Hidden Truth
"Elena."
She turned, her heart still racing from the weight of Damien's words.
Natalie was gripping her wrist, her face pale. "We can't just run. There has to be another way."
Damien's jaw tightened. "There isn't. The vampires who are coming—they won't stop. And they won't care who they hurt to get to Elena."
Elena swallowed. "But… why me? What makes my blood so special?"
Damien hesitated.
And that hesitation sent alarm bells ringing in her head.
"You know, don't you?" she whispered.
Damien's silver eyes flickered with something unreadable.
"It's not just your blood," he admitted. "It's who you are."
A shiver ran down Elena's spine.
"What does that mean?"
Damien exhaled. "You're not just human, Elena. You're something more."
Elena felt her breath catch.
She had always felt… different.
Her mother had once told her that when she was born, the doctors were shocked by her vitals. Her heartbeat was too strong, her recovery from sickness too fast. She had never broken a bone, never gotten seriously ill.
At the time, she had thought it was just luck.
But what if it wasn't?
What if it was something else?
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"What am I?"
Damien's expression hardened. "I don't know."
Elena's stomach churned. "But you suspect something."
A muscle in his jaw twitched. "I have theories."
Natalie groaned. "Oh my god, just tell her, Damien!"
Damien exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair. "Your blood isn't normal, Elena. It's not just rare—it's something that vampires have been searching for for centuries. And the last time someone like you was born…"
His silver eyes darkened.
"They started a war over her."
Elena's heartbeat pounded in her ears.
"They… what?"
Damien's voice was low. "The last girl with blood like yours—she was hunted by every vampire clan in existence. Some wanted to worship her. Some wanted to kill her. Others wanted to claim her power for themselves."
Elena felt the world spin.
"So what happened to her?" she whispered.
Damien hesitated. Then—
"She died."
Elena's breath hitched.
He continued, voice quiet. "They killed her before she could choose a side. And after that… everything changed. The vampire world went to war. Thousands died."
Her hands trembled.
And now… history was repeating itself.
Natalie grabbed Elena's shoulder. "Then we have to stop it from happening again."
Damien's silver eyes locked onto Elena's.
"That's why I need you to trust me," he said. "I can protect you—but only if you let me."
Elena swallowed hard.
Trust him?
After everything she had seen?
But deep down, she knew—
She didn't have a choice.
She could either run.
Or she could fight.
And for the first time in her life…
She wasn't sure which one to choose.
---
Elsewhere…
Lucian Vale stepped into a dark chamber, the scent of old blood and stone surrounding him.
Shadows flickered across the walls as he approached the throne in the center of the room.
Seated upon it was a woman—her eyes glowing crimson, her presence enough to make even him feel uneasy.
"My Queen," Lucian murmured, bowing his head. "It's her."
The woman's lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile.
"At last."
Her voice was silk and death.
"Bring her to me."
Lucian smirked.
"With pleasure."
---