' Veil Of Secrets '.

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Aria and Emily walked side by side through the school hallway, their conversation low but intense. For weeks, they had been piecing together strange events—unexplained disappearances, bizarre sightings, whispers of creatures that lurked beyond human understanding. The deeper they dug, the more unsettling the puzzle became.

One name kept surfacing in their research: Valois. It was never written outright, always mentioned in hushed folklore, buried between the lines of ancient myths. A family that once held unimaginable power—until they vanished without a trace.

Before Aria could say more, a voice cut through the air.

"Ah, girls."

They turned sharply.

Mrs. Smith stood mere inches away, her presence heavy like an unseen weight pressing against their chests. Her dark eyes shimmered with something unreadable, a knowing smile ghosting her lips.

"I’ve been watching you," she said, her voice unnervingly smooth. "I know what you’ve been researching."

Aria’s heart pounded. How? They had been careful, keeping their findings private. Emily tensed beside her.

Mrs. Smith’s lips curled slightly. "You can’t hide secrets from me. I have my ways." She motioned with a single finger. "Come."

Neither of them moved.

Her smile vanished. "Now."

A strange force tugged at Aria’s gut, compelling her forward. Emily followed, hesitance laced in every step.

Once inside her office, Mrs. Smith leaned back in her chair, fingers steepled.

"You’ve been searching for answers," she murmured. "Let me give you one." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Vampires exist."

Aria stiffened.

"And Xavier," Mrs. Smith continued, "is one of them."

Emily inhaled sharply. "Xavier? But he—he’s just—"

"A Valois," Mrs. Smith finished.

The name struck Aria like a thunderclap.

"You know the name, don’t you?" Mrs. Smith studied her closely. "I imagine your research led you to... fragments. Legends. But nothing concrete. Because the truth of the Valois is not something ordinary people are meant to know."

Aria’s throat went dry. She had come across the name only in whispers—stories of a family once feared, then lost to history. No records. No survivors. Nothing.

"But they weren’t lost," Mrs. Smith said softly. "They survived. And Xavier is proof of that."

Aria swallowed. "Why tell us this?"

Mrs. Smith exhaled, standing slowly. "Because you are more connected to this world than you realize. You have abilities—powers that will shape the future."

Silence hung between them like a fragile thread.

Aria’s pulse pounded. "What kind of abilities?"

Mrs. Smith’s gaze sharpened. "You, Aria, are an Erebus—descendant of an ancient bloodline of vampire hunters. You can sense supernatural beings, detect their presence, and wield magic meant to destroy them. You have the hereditary power of ' The Sight'."

Aria’s breath hitched.

"And me?" Emily whispered.

Mrs. Smith’s lips twitched. "Elemental magic. Fire, wind, water—all bend to your will. And if I'm not mistaking, you should be related to the Gene's of scarlet witch's that went extinct years ago."

A heavy stillness filled the room. Aria’s mind raced. Could this power have been inside them all along?

Mrs. Smith’s expression darkened. "You are part of an ancient prophecy. Others will stop at nothing to control you."

A shiver crept up Aria’s spine.

Mrs. Smith leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "Trust no one. Not even yourselves."

And with that, she vanished into the shadows.

---

As Aria and Emily stepped back into the hallway, the world felt different—sharper, more fragile. They weren’t just students anymore. They were something else.

A hushed commotion near the lockers pulled them from their thoughts. A small crowd had gathered, whispering.

Curious, Aria pushed through, Emily close behind.

At the center stood Xavier.

He was still, eyes locked on something in his hands. His posture was rigid, unreadable—but there was an energy in the air, a crackling tension that made Aria uneasy.

Then, as if sensing her presence, his gaze lifted.

For a fleeting second, Aria felt like she was being pulled into something vast and inescapable. His stare was knowing. Intense.

Emily exhaled sharply. "What’s going on?"

No one answered.

The air around Xavier seemed to waver. A piece of paper hovered just above his palm, suspended as if caught in an invisible force. Slowly, deliberately, he let it drop.

Aria’s stomach turned to ice.

It wasn’t just a note.

It was a warning.

They know who you are.

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