Echoes of a Broken Promise

The rain fell in relentless sheets, turning the cobblestone paths of Blackthorn College into slick ribbons of silver under the dim glow of the streetlamps. Lila pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders, her breath forming ghostly wisps in the chilled air. The campus was eerily quiet, save for the distant murmur of voices from the library—students cramming for midterms, oblivious to the storm brewing outside.

Or perhaps they simply didn't care.

She quickened her pace, her boots splashing through puddles as she neared the old clock tower. The promise had been clear: *Meet me at midnight. I'll explain everything.* But the note, slipped into her bag during Lit class, bore no signature. Only the faint scent of cedar and something metallic—blood?—lingered on the paper.

A shadow moved near the tower's base. Lila's pulse spiked. "Who's there?" she called, her voice swallowed by the wind.

The figure stepped forward, and the weak light caught the sharp angles of Adrian's face. His dark eyes were haunted, his usual smirk replaced by a grim line. "You came," he said, as if he hadn't expected her to.

Lila crossed her arms. "You're the one who left the note. What's going on? You've been avoiding me for weeks."

Adrian raked a hand through his rain-damp hair. "I had to. It's not safe for you to be around me right now."

"Not safe?" She scoffed. "What, did you finally decide to admit you're some kind of vampire? Because I've seen the way you flinch at sunlight, Adrian. I'm not stupid."

His jaw tightened. "It's worse than that."

A gust of wind howled between them, carrying the distant chime of the clock tower. Midnight. The air thickened, pressing against Lila's skin like a living thing. Adrian's gaze flickered past her, his body tensing. "They're here."

"Who's—"

The words died in her throat as three figures emerged from the mist. Their movements were too smooth, too deliberate, their eyes gleaming like polished onyx. The tallest one, a woman with silver-streaked hair, smiled. "Adrian. You've been keeping secrets."

Lila's stomach twisted. "What the hell is this?"

Adrian stepped in front of her, his voice low. "Run."

The woman laughed, a sound like shattering glass. "Oh, little rabbit, you won't get far."

Lila didn't wait. She turned and bolted, her heart hammering against her ribs. The campus blurred around her, the rain stinging her cheeks. Behind her, she heard the snarls, the scuffle of feet—Adrian holding them off.

She skidded around a corner, nearly colliding with a wrought-iron gate. The old cemetery. No one would look for her there.

The iron creaked as she pushed through, the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves filling her lungs. She stumbled between the headstones, her breath ragged. A hand clamped over her mouth.

"Quiet," Adrian hissed, pulling her behind a crumbling mausoleum. His chest heaved, a dark stain spreading across his shirt. Blood.

Lila's eyes widened. "You're hurt."

"It's nothing." His grip on her arm tightened. "Listen to me. Those are Hunters. They've been tracking me since I left the coven."

"Coven?" The word tasted bitter. "So you *are* a vampire."

"Not just any vampire." His gaze burned into hers. "I'm the heir to the Nocturne bloodline. And you—you're the only one who can break the curse on my family."

Lila recoiled. "Me? How?"

Adrian's fingers brushed her wrist, where a crescent-shaped birthmark rested. "This mark. It's the sign of the Moonlit Heart. My ancestors bound their power to your bloodline centuries ago. The Hunters want to destroy you before I can claim it."

The world tilted. Lila gripped the cold stone behind her to steady herself. "You're saying my family… my *life*… is tied to some ancient vampire curse?"

"Not just tied." His voice dropped to a whisper. "You're the key to ending it."

A twig snapped nearby. Adrian shoved her down as a dagger embedded itself in the mausoleum wall where her head had been. The silver-haired woman stepped into view, her smile razor-sharp. "Sentimental. How disappointing."

Adrian bared his fangs. "Stay back, Selene."

Selene tilted her head. "Or what? You'll kill your own kin?"

Lila's breath hitched. *Kin?*

Adrian's silence was answer enough.

Selene sighed. "Pathetic. The great Nocturne heir, brought low by a human girl." She lunged.

Adrian met her mid-air, their bodies colliding with a force that sent shockwaves through the ground. Lila scrambled back, her mind racing. She had to do something.

Her fingers closed around the dagger in the wall. The metal burned against her palm, but she gritted her teeth and yanked it free.

Adrian and Selene were a blur of motion, fangs and claws glinting in the moonlight. Lila hesitated—could she even hit the right target?

Then Selene pinned Adrian, her fingers closing around his throat. "Goodbye, brother."

Lila didn't think. She threw the dagger.

It struck Selene's shoulder, and she shrieked, recoiling. Adrian seized the moment, slamming her into a headstone. The crack of bone echoed through the cemetery.

Selene snarled, clutching her wound. "This isn't over."

In a swirl of shadows, she vanished.

Silence fell, broken only by Adrian's ragged breathing. He turned to Lila, his expression unreadable. "You saved my life."

Lila's hands trembled. "You lied to me. About everything."

"I had to." He reached for her, then stopped. "But I won't anymore. If you want to walk away, I won't stop you."

The rain eased, the clouds parting to reveal the moon—full and heavy, casting its glow over the graves. Lila stared at Adrian, at the blood on his clothes, the pain in his eyes.

She'd spent her whole life feeling like an outsider. Now she knew why.

"I'm not running," she said.

Adrian's breath caught. "Lila—"

"Tell me everything. No more secrets."

He nodded slowly. "Then we start tonight. The Hunters won't