𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒

Ep 6. Unanswered Questions

The rest of the day at school passed in a blur. Every The following Monday at school, I was still thinking about what had happened in the woods. The memory of seeing him disappear into the trees haunted me, and I hadn't told Mia about it yet. She'd probably say I was crazy for following him in the first place.

I sat in class, staring blankly at the board, not absorbing anything the teacher was saying. My mind kept drifting back to the way he spoke that night—so controlled, so cryptic. He always seemed on edge, like he was afraid of something. Or maybe he was afraid of me getting too close.

"Are you even listening?" Mia whispered, leaning toward me from the desk next to mine. Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"What?" I asked, blinking at her.

She smirked. "You're totally zoning out again. I said I'm coming over after school. We need to talk about this mystery guy. You didn't see him again, did you?"

I hesitated. "Not really..." I muttered, not ready to tell her about the woods yet.

Mia rolled her eyes. "Please. You've been acting weird for days. I'm telling you—he's got some deep, dark secret, and you need to get to the bottom of it."

I sighed. Mia had a way of making everything sound like a fun adventure, but I wasn't sure if I was ready for what I might find if I kept digging. Still, I couldn't stop myself from wanting to know more. There was something about him that I couldn't let go.

After School: The Library

Later that afternoon, Mia and I sat in my room, flipping through some old books she had dragged from the local library. She was determined to figure out what was so strange about Lucian (though she still didn't know his name either). I had reluctantly agreed to help her, mostly because I couldn't stop thinking about it myself.

Mia shoved a thick volume toward me. "I grabbed this one because it talks about old legends and supernatural stuff. You know, just in case he's, like, a werewolf or something."

I laughed despite myself. "A werewolf? Come on, Mia."

"Hey, I'm just saying. He's got that whole 'creature of the night' vibe going for him. What else could explain why he only shows up at weird hours and avoids people?" she teased, flipping through the pages.

I stared down at the book, a strange feeling settling over me. Mia was joking, but a part of me couldn't help but wonder if she wasn't too far off. Something about him did feel otherworldly—like he wasn't just a normal guy hiding a secret. It felt... deeper than that.

A Sudden Encounter

Just as Mia was about to make another wild guess, I heard a soft knock on my bedroom door. My mom poked her head in.

"Honey, someone's at the door for you," she said, glancing curiously at Mia and the pile of books between us.

I frowned, glancing at Mia. "Who could it be?" I muttered, standing up. Mia shrugged, looking just as confused.

I made my way downstairs, my heart skipping a beat as I opened the front door.

It was him.

He stood there on my porch, the same unreadable expression on his face. His eyes flickered briefly over me, and I felt that same strange pull in my chest—like I couldn't look away even if I wanted to.

"What are you doing here?" I blurted out, my voice harsher than I'd meant. It wasn't that I wasn't glad to see him—I just wasn't expecting it. And I wasn't ready for whatever was about to happen.

"I need to talk to you," he said quietly, his voice as controlled as ever.

I glanced over my shoulder, wondering if Mia was going to come running down the stairs to investigate, but she stayed upstairs.

I stepped outside, pulling the door shut behind me. "What's going on?" I asked, folding my arms against the sudden chill in the air.

He looked at me, his gaze intense. "I told you before. It's not safe for you to keep getting involved in this."

"Involved in what?" I shot back, frustrated. "You keep telling me to stay away, but you keep showing up. What's going on, and why won't you just tell me?"

He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair, clearly struggling with something. For the first time, I saw a flicker of hesitation in him, like he was debating whether or not to finally tell me the truth. But just as quickly as it came, the moment passed.

"It's not your problem," he said firmly. "You just need to stay out of it."

I clenched my fists, feeling anger bubble up inside me. "You don't get to decide that. I keep seeing you, getting caught up in whatever's happening, and you won't even tell me why. You're the one who keeps showing up. So stop acting like I'm the one who needs to walk away."

He looked at me for a long moment, his expression hardening. "I don't want to hurt you," he said quietly, his voice almost a whisper.

The way he said it sent a chill down my spine. It wasn't just that he didn't want to hurt me. It was like he was afraid he might.

Before I could respond, he turned to leave, his figure blending into the fading daylight.

I stood there on the porch, my heart racing, frustration and confusion swirling inside me. What was he trying to protect me from? Or worse, what was he trying to protect himself from?

Back Inside: Questions with No Answers

I went back inside, shutting the door behind me. Mia was already halfway down the stairs, a curious look on her face.

"Who was that?" she asked, but then she froze, seeing the expression on my face. "Wait—was that him? The guy from before?"

I nodded slowly, still trying to process what had just happened.

Mia's eyes lit up. "And? What did he say?"

"Nothing," I muttered, frustration lacing my words. "He keeps telling me I need to stay away, but he won't tell me why."

Mia frowned, leaning against the banister. "That's weird. If he really wanted you to stay away, wouldn't he just... I don't know, leave you alone? Why show up here?"

"I don't know," I said, shaking my head. "He said he didn't want to hurt me, but the way he said it... it's like he's afraid."

Mia was quiet for a moment, clearly thinking it over. "Well, whatever it is, we're going to figure it out. No one shows up at someone's house all mysterious like that and then just expects us to back off."

I forced a smile, appreciating Mia's determination, but deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was getting more dangerous than either of us realized.

Later That Night: A New Realization

That night, as I lay in bed, I couldn't sleep. His words kept repeating in my head: I don't want to hurt you.

What did he mean by that? What was he so afraid of?

I glanced at the stack of books Mia had left behind, one of them still open to a page about old legends and supernatural myths. My eyes skimmed the words, but one line stood out:

"Creatures of the night, often feared for their uncontrollable thirst, are bound by laws older than time itself."

A chill ran through me.

I didn't know what he was hiding, but I knew one thing: it wasn't human.

To be continued...

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From here on out... I will reveal a bit by bit more and more about ALL the secrets 🤫

Halloween is coming up~ spooky...