Destiny has left its mark (Vampire Romance) +

21 ~ Against the current

He wears a black hoodie, faded blue jeans, and a blue-grey t-shirt with holes. His old white and black sneakers give him a worn look. I can't shake the feeling that I should know him. Who is he? Why is he hiding under that hoodie?

"I'm Darryn Newton, your twin brother."

"You've got the wrong person," I reply, not believing him, and walk past him.

"Wait."

I pause, not out of curiosity but because students are approaching, and I don't want to attract attention. They glance at the enigmatic young man who seems cool. Yeah, cool.

"Do you have this?" he asks, holding up a replica of the necklace Lisa gave me, which my mother left behind. 

"Where did you get that?" I narrow my eyes at him.

"A nurse named Lisa gave it to me before she disappeared. I came here looking for her but found you instead." He pulls down his hoodie to reveal a striking resemblance—I see my own features in a male version of me. Am I in the twilight zone? "She sent me a photo of you." He shows me his phone, and I recognize the moment it was taken: I was out searching for a large suitcase the day before arriving at Lincoln Academy.

"How do I know you're not lying?" I've often been mistaken for someone else, and he could be using magic to trick me. "I have a class to get to." I step away from the stranger claiming to be Darryn Newton, uncertain of his authenticity.

Before long, I bump into someone, and the familiar scent brings back memories of waking up in his arms that morning.

"I wondered where you disappeared to," Elijah says, gently pushing me against the wall.

"Let go of me," I protest, meeting his smile with a glare.

"You look adorable when you wake up," he teases.

I feel a flush of shyness. "I have to get to class." I avert my gaze from him to his jacket.

Elijah leans in, his breath warming my neck, sending goosebumps down my spine.

I push him away, and he obliges. "Stay away from me," I warn before walking off.

I hurry into the classroom and take a seat beside Penelope.

Darryn walks into the classroom and takes a seat, looking around as he settles in. Mr. Green stands up and announces to everyone, "Everyone, we have a new student joining us today. This is Darryn Newton, and I should mention that he is also my stepson. And just to clarify, no, he didn't break any laws."

I overhear Penelope whispering to her friend, "I heard about him before. I'm honestly surprised that he's Mr. Green's stepson. I wonder why they have different last names if they're family."

Darryn glances briefly in my direction before finding a spot to sit. I try to sound uninterested in the gossip swirling around the room. "What do you know about him?" I ask Penelope, curious despite my efforts to appear aloof.

"Well, he's incredibly gifted," she replies, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "They say he's part of a yin yang twin and has been searching for his yin. You know, yin yang twins are two opposite but interconnected forces that balance each other out."

I whisper to myself, "A yin is the dark force."

"Exactly! And he's the light force," she responds, her gaze fixed intently on him. "It's obvious, isn't it?" 

I follow her gaze and notice a soft light surrounding him. Okay, that's seriously cool. I turn my attention back to Mr. Green, who seems completely unaware that Darryn thinks I'm his twin.

"... and that's why we should never practice dark magic," Mr. Green continues, putting down a book he was reading while I wasn't paying attention. "Today, we'll try something different. I want everyone to line up at the back of the room."

Once we're all in line, Mr. Green turns to Darryn and instructs him, "Do your thing."

Just then, Elijah enters the room and stands next to Mr. Green. Why is he here?

Everyone greets him warmly, except for me. I can't help it; I've always felt like a reject among them, and I don't see him as my King. He murdered Charlotte, after all, and that still weighs heavily on my heart.

"Continue," Elijah says to Darryn, who steps in front of the first student in line.

What's he going to do?

Darryn holds his palm in front of the immortal's head without actually touching it, mumbling a few incoherent words under his breath. He moves on to the next student, then the next, until he finally stands directly in front of me. At that moment, I feel a surge of magic trying to enter my body. Before I fully realize what is happening, my entire body begins to vibrate, and I sense my own magic intertwining with his. Penelope's words, "... yin yang... interconnected forces..." echo in my mind, making me feel uneasy. Suddenly, I blurt out, "No," and just like that, the magic stops. Something feels very wrong.

Elijah steps forward, his expression serious. "This will not go any further," he declares firmly.

"King—" Darryn starts to say, but Elijah cuts him off sharply.

"Enough." He grabs my hand, pulling me closer to him. "You haven't been given permission to be here, Darryn."

Mr. Green interjects, trying to maintain control of the situation. "King Elijah, you understand the complexity and importance of this. We need to consider the implications." He retrieves a book from his desk and opens it, showing us the pages. "With a yin yang, we can regain strength. You know about the threat that is out there, looming over us. With Darryn and Daniella, we can eliminate it together." He briefly shows a picture from the book, and I squint at the image. Gargoyles? What do they have to do with any of this? "The four-hundred-year-old spell that keeps the gargoyles asleep is weakening more and more each day. We must act before it's too late, or we will face them again."

The other students murmur quietly among themselves, and I can't make out what they're saying, but their expressions reveal a mix of concern and intrigue.

"As a guardian, I command you to find another yin yang," Elijah states with authority, his voice echoing in the room.

"King Elijah, I don't understand," Mr. Green replies, looking genuinely confused.

"Daniella is my reborn mate and your Queen. Do you still dare to awaken darkness through her?" Elijah's declaration sends gasps rippling through the room, the tension palpable. To prove his point, Elijah reaches up and removes my fake glasses, exposing my true identity to everyone. Mr. Green pales visibly, his face draining of colour as he processes what just happened. 

I glare at Elijah, feeling disappointed that he made such a bold announcement in front of everyone. He moves toward the door, still holding my hand tightly, forcing me to leave with him against my will. I catch the surprise on Penelope's face just before we step out of the room, her eyes wide with shock at the unfolding events.