❝ 𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 ❞ ʲᵃˢᵖᵉʳ ʰᵃˡᵉ ( EN )

☇ 𝟎𝟐

Theodora wandered through the rooms of the house, searching for her best friend, Eleanor. The party was in full swing, but something felt off. She hadn't seen Eleanor in quite some time, and worry was starting to creep in. She checked every corner, scanning the familiar faces of her classmates, but to no avail. Eleanor had vanished, and with her, the lightness that the evening had once brought had disappeared.

The weight of guilt suddenly felt heavier on her shoulders. Her parents, so trusting, probably believed she was quietly studying in her room. Instead, she had snuck out, lying for the first time so blatantly. Theodora felt her stomach knot, and without thinking too much, she grabbed her jacket and decided to leave the party. She had to go home. They trusted her, and she had betrayed that trust.

She cast one last glance at the crowd of dancers and partygoers before slipping out through the back door. The cool night air hit her immediately, reminding her of how warm she had been inside the crowded house. She pulled her jacket tighter around her and started walking. However, instead of taking the main road, the fear of running into someone she knew, or worse, an adult, made her seek another way out.

Her steps instinctively led her toward the forest, a familiar escape. She had always loved this place, its secret paths, the tranquility of the trees around her. Tonight, the forest seemed like the best way to get home unnoticed. But as soon as she stepped under the canopy of branches, she realized her mistake. The darkness was far denser than she had anticipated. The trees, twisted by the shadows cast by the faint moonlight, enveloped her.

She sighed, cursing herself for making such a rash decision. "It's not far, I can find my way," she murmured to reassure herself. Yet, as she ventured deeper into the woods, she began to lose her bearings.

Twilight was slowly descending upon the forest. The cool night air was already creeping through the paths, making Theodora shiver as she tried to warm herself by pulling up the collar of her jacket. She had always enjoyed walking here at this hour, when the sounds of civilization faded away, leaving only the whispers of nature. But that evening, something about the atmosphere felt strange. A dull tension had settled in, a heavy silence that even the rustling leaves couldn't break. The Forks forest was never silent. Even at this hour, one could normally hear the songs of nocturnal birds, the rustling of leaves in the wind, or sometimes the distant cry of an owl. But now, there was nothing. Just a stifling silence. At first, this detail had escaped Theodora's notice, but as she walked a bit further into the woods, it suddenly struck her ears. She stopped, perplexed, her heart beating faster. Why such calm? Where had the familiar sounds of the forest gone?

A wave of unease washed over her, but she brushed it off, forcing herself to keep moving. After all, she had walked here dozens of times. Nothing she knew had changed, except for this faint impression that something was happening beyond her grasp. A murmur of the wind, perhaps, or simply exhaustion after a long day. But as she continued, her instincts screamed at her to turn back.

She clenched her fists, trying to steady her breathing. It was ridiculous. It was just a forest. Nothing dangerous lurked in the woods of Forks. She furrowed her brow, suppressing a shiver running down her spine. Then, she heard it. That distinct sound. A crack, just a few meters away, as if someone, or something, had just stepped on a branch. Her heart began to beat faster. It was probably just a deer or another wild animal, she told herself. But a part of her couldn't help but remain on edge.

Theodora froze. Her heart raced immediately. The wind gently lifted the branches, but that wasn't what had alerted her. What she had heard was heavier, closer, like a rough breath mixed with a quick movement. She took a deep breath, her feet glued to the ground by instinctive fear. She tried to rationalize. It was just an animal, probably a deer or a fox. After all, the forest was their domain far more than hers.

She slightly turned her head and squinted to better see through the growing darkness. There, between the trees, she saw a fleeting silhouette. Someone or something was moving with terrifying speed.

She stood still, holding her breath, and watched the scene. What she saw froze her in place.

A large humanoid figure, too large to be a man, too fast to be anything natural, had descended upon a deer grazing peacefully nearby. Its movements were barely perceptible, so quick and precise. In an instant, the deer was pinned to the ground, its legs briefly thrashing before falling completely still. The animal had no chance. It was a surreal sight. Theodora pinched her arm slightly, hoping the nightmarish scene would dissolve like a bad dream. But she was fully awake. This isn't possible... she thought, blinking as if to convince herself she wasn't seeing what she thought she was.

She tried to calm her racing heart, but it was impossible. What she had just seen defied all reason, all explanation. A human? No, it couldn't be a man. Not with such speed, such violence.

Theodora caught a glimpse of a face-or at least what seemed like a face-but what immediately drew her attention was the glint of the eyes, a golden glow almost incandescent. The creature, for that's how she was beginning to perceive it, bent over the neck of the deer with supernatural agility. Before she could truly comprehend what she was witnessing, a distinct sound filled the air-a sucking noise. She wanted to look away, but the scene both terrified and fascinated her. She saw the blood flowing, red and vivid under the faint twilight. A sudden wave of nausea rose in her throat. She brought a trembling hand to her mouth, refusing to believe what she was seeing. No... No, this isn't possible...

Her thoughts swirled, desperately searching for a logical explanation. This wasn't human. It couldn't be. Yet the creature had a human form. But no human could move like that, and certainly no human could drink the blood of an animal in such a way. Perhaps an hallucination? Yes, that must be it. She was tired, her imagination was playing tricks on her. Maybe she had misseen. Yes, that had to be it. But her mind refused to cooperate. What she was witnessing was far too real to be a mere illusion. The smell of fresh blood, the golden gleam of the creature's eyes, the faint rustling of its clothes in the wind... it was all terribly tangible.

She backed away slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible. Her breathing was growing more erratic, and she could feel her heart pounding in her temples. Her thoughts spun wildly. Vampire. The word surfaced in her mind, but she immediately rejected it. Vampires don't exist. It was absurd, a legend. It was... impossible.

But as she continued to watch the scene, she realized that what she considered impossible was unfolding before her eyes. The creature lifted its head slightly, its face still smeared with blood. Its expression was unreadable, but Theodora could feel the power radiating from this thing. Its fingers tightened on the skin of the animal, the muscles of its arm flexing with inhuman strength.

She wanted to scream, but no sound came from her throat. She was rooted to the spot, paralyzed by fear. Her legs refused to move. She needed to run, but her body wouldn't obey. She felt her heart hammering against her ribs with desperate intensity.

And then, everything stopped. The creature raised its head, this time in her direction. Their eyes met.