❝ 𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 ❞ ʲᵃˢᵖᵉʳ ʰᵃˡᵉ ( EN )

☇ 𝟬𝟯

A cold shiver ran through Théodora. The creature's golden eyes fixed on her, piercing, as if they could see deep into her soul. What she saw in those golden eyes was anything but reassuring. It was a cold intensity, an insatiable hunger. She remained frozen, unable to move, unable even to breathe. He saw her. He knew she was there. And suddenly, she realized just how vulnerable she was.

A visceral fear rose within her, so powerful that she felt her legs tremble. Each breath became a struggle, her breath short, strangled by terror. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it might explode. Seconds stretched into an eternity, as if time itself had stopped to let her sink into the horror of this encounter. The creature seemed to hesitate, but Théodora only thought of her survival. Run, I need to run... But her legs refused to move. Her entire body was paralyzed, her muscles tensed with fear. She was trapped, helpless.

Then, slowly, the stranger straightened up. His movements, though quick, were fluid and almost graceful, as if he were dancing with the darkness around him. The frantic beating of Théodora's heart pounded in her ears, almost making her nauseous. Théodora felt a terrible pressure descending on her. He was moving in her direction, and with each step, she could see more and more of his features. The cold emanating from him chilled her to the bone. The shape of his face, the line of his jaw... something about him seemed strangely familiar.

When he was only a few meters away from her, a flash of understanding crossed her mind. Jasper. It was him, the boy she had briefly seen at the party, the one who was with Emmett. He was now standing in front of her. She had found him a bit strange at that moment, but now, he was much more than strange: he was terrifying. This creature before her had nothing to do with the mysterious and distant being she had glimpsed in the dim light of the evening. No, this one was different, almost monstrous. A cold, indescribable aura emanated from him.

"What are you doing here?" His voice, deep and hard, cut through the air, breaking the oppressive silence of the forest.

Théodora remained silent, unable to formulate a coherent response. Her mind whirled, trying to connect the events of the evening to what was unfolding before her eyes. Her throat tightened so much she thought she would never be able to speak.

"Answer me." The coldness in his voice made her jump. Jasper was nothing like the polite and distant man she had glimpsed earlier. He was icy, his eyes still fixed on her with an intensity that made her uncomfortable.

"I... I got lost." Panic pierced every word, her voice was barely a whisper. Her own voice seemed foreign to her, weak, trembling, completely dominated by fear. Everything inside her screamed that she needed to leave, but her legs were like rooted to the ground. She struggled to stay calm, but her body was trembling with fear.

Jasper squinted, as if assessing whether she was lying. He stared at her so intensely that she felt faint. He moved even closer, so close that she could feel the cold emanating from him. Théodora couldn't help but shudder. His proximity terrified her. She wanted to run, to scream, but it was impossible. "You shouldn't be here."

Her blood ran cold, trying to stay calm but already feeling the tears of terror welling up in her eyes. Her thoughts whirled endlessly, searching for an escape. She opened her mouth to respond, desperately searching for an answer, but no sound came out. How could she explain what she had seen? She couldn't even believe it herself. A man, or rather a creature, drinking the blood of an animal with such violence... It was impossible to describe without sounding crazy. Yet she knew what she had seen was real. She blinked, trying to convince herself she had imagined the whole scene. But the blood on the animal's fur, the broken branches around him, and the dull pain in her legs, now that the adrenaline was fading, were all proof to the contrary. And Jasper was the living proof, or rather... non-living.

"Listen, I won't say anything," she tried, her voice wavering. "I don't want any trouble, I..."

"This isn't about wanting trouble or not." he cut her off, staring at her with an intensity that pinned her in place. His words echoed in her mind like a thunderclap. "What you saw tonight..." He paused, his face hardening further. "You shouldn't have seen it. And now, I can't let you go."

Théodora thought her heart had just stopped. Her knees almost gave out under her. I won't make it home. Terror completely overwhelmed her, she fought the urge to scream, but fear choked her throat. "Wha... what?" Her breath came in gasps, her vision blurred under the effect of panic. She took a step back, but he quickly caught up, grabbing her arm with an icy firmness. Théodora understood in a split second that he wasn't joking. A wave of despair washed over her so powerful that she thought she would collapse to the ground.

"Come with me." he ordered without waiting for an answer.

"Where? No, I can't... my parents..." Her voice was trembling, almost pleading. Her parents... They trusted her, and she was about to disappear. She tried to pull her arm, but he held her firmly. Her entire body was shaking with fear.

Jasper leaned closer to her, his lips almost brushing her ear as he whispered in a lower, almost threatening voice. "I'm not kidding. If you want to stay alive, you follow me without asking questions."

These words struck Théodora like a sharp blade. A cry remained stuck in her throat. If you want to stay alive. She felt a wave of dizziness overcome her, silent tears rolled down her cheeks, and her legs threatened to give way. She wanted to faint, to run far away, but she was trapped. Terrified. Her breathing became ragged, uncontrollable, and for a moment, she thought she was going to collapse right there, lose herself in the darkness.

Jasper didn't give her a choice, dragging her with him through the forest. The darkness of the woods seemed to close in around her, and she was unable to tell where they were going. Each minute felt like an eternity, and the anxiety only grew. Every crack of a branch underfoot heightened the fear that gnawed at her. Every step was heavy, her terror like a weight preventing her from thinking clearly. She walked beside Jasper, her senses on high alert, unable to take her eyes off this terrifying being she had learned to fear in just a few hours. Jasper's voice still echoed in her head, like a condemnation. She wanted to scream, to disappear, but he held her, relentless.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they arrived in front of a large imposing house, nestled deep in the woods.

Théodora tried to calm the frantic beating of her heart, but it was in vain. She felt both terrified and trapped. She had no idea what awaited her behind those doors, but she knew one thing: her life would never be the same again.

Jasper stopped in front of the entrance, finally releasing her to look her straight in the eyes. "Enter. And above all, don't try to escape."

Théodora stared at him, feeling anger simmering inside her. How could I escape from here anyway? she thought bitterly. And as she crossed the threshold of the house, her stomach knotted with unbearable anxiety, she already hated this Jasper. His superior airs, his coldness... everything about him drove her crazy.

And yet, deep in her mind, one thought troubled her. It wasn't just fear she felt towards him. It was something more bewildering, something deeper. A mix of attraction and repulsion that left her confused.

She shook her head to dismiss this ridiculous idea. I don't like him. I will never like him, she repeated to herself, despite the whirlwind of conflicting emotions that overwhelmed her.