Undead (Alisa Rose #1)[COMPLETED]

-Eight-

The moon hung high in the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the school campus. Shadows danced around me as I crept out of the house, excitement mixing with a healthy dose of anxiety. My heart raced as I made my way toward the school; I was determined to get some answers about the dead body.

I took a deep breath, remembering Jace's warning. Stay close to home, Alisa. Don't do anything reckless. If only he knew that "reckless" was my middle name. With a slight grin, I adjusted my backpack and headed toward the familiar path behind the school, where the old trees provided ample cover.

As I stealthily navigated the path, trying to avoid creaky floorboards and any nosy neighbors, I suddenly bumped into something solid.

"Alisa!"

I turned sharply, and there stood Jace, arms crossed and an unmistakable scowl on his face. "What are you doing out here?"

"Uh, you know, just taking a moonlit stroll," I replied, trying to sound casual, though the nervous twitch in my voice betrayed me.

"Don't play coy with me. You shouldn't be out here alone at night, especially not after what happened." He leaned in closer, the frustration in his eyes evident. "This is exactly what I was worried about."

I rolled my eyes, trying to deflect the serious vibe. "Oh please, like I'm just going to sit around twiddling my thumbs while there's a mystery to solve! You can't tell me you wouldn't be doing the same thing."

"You're right; I wouldn't be doing this alone!" he snapped, clearly exasperated. "What if something happens to you? You have to think!"

As I opened my mouth to retort, something flickered in the dark behind him. My heart dropped as I squinted into the shadows.

"Jace—look!" I whispered urgently, nodding toward the figure.

Jace turned, and his expression shifted from anger to alertness in a heartbeat. There, lurking near the entrance of the school, was a security guard, flashlight in hand, scanning the area.

"Great," Jace muttered under his breath. "Now we really need to be quiet. We can't get caught out here."

"Tell that to the security guard," I murmured, my eyes narrowing as the guard's flashlight beam swung in our direction.

"Hide!" Jace hissed, grabbing my arm and pulling me behind a nearby tree. We huddled together, barely breathing, as the guard approached, muttering to himself about kids sneaking around at night.

"You have got to be kidding me," I whispered. "Is this how we get busted?"

"Shh!" Jace shot back, his eyes darting to the guard as he slowly made his way past us, oblivious to our presence.

Once the guard was safely out of earshot, Jace turned to me, his frustration resurfacing. "You really need to stop doing this, Alisa. It's reckless."

I shrugged, trying to hide my smile at the absurdity of the situation. "Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were worried about me."

His expression softened slightly, but he quickly masked it with annoyance. "This isn't a game. We're dealing with real dangers here. I don't want to lose you."

I felt a warmth spread through me at his concern, but I couldn't let him see that. "I can take care of myself, Jace. Besides, it's not like I'm the only one out here sneaking around. You're with me."

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as if trying to stave off a headache. "Just promise me you'll be careful. If we're going to figure out what's going on, we need to do it smartly, not impulsively."

"Fine, fine," I relented, giving him a smirk. "But let's keep looking. There's got to be something out here."

"Let's just stick to the shadows and keep our voices down," Jace instructed, his tone shifting to that of a cautious strategist.

With a reluctant nod, he led the way deeper into the shadows. As we moved, my mind raced with thoughts of the dead body. What if the Tikbalanugo were still around? What if they were watching us?

We crept along the edge of the campus, where the trees stood like silent sentinels. I felt the cool breeze brush against my skin, heightening my senses. The air was thick with tension, and every rustle of leaves made me jump.

"What's the plan?" I asked in a hushed tone, trying to suppress the thrill of being out here, even if it was reckless.

"We check the spots where we heard the rumors about the body. There are places the police might've missed," Jace replied, his voice steady and low.

I nodded, though my stomach knotted at the thought of what we might find. "You know, I can't believe I'm actually sneaking around a school at night with a vampire. This is like some twisted version of a horror movie."

"Yeah, well, in horror movies, the people who make bad choices usually end up as the first victims," he said dryly, glancing at me. "Let's not be those people."

I couldn't help but laugh a little at that. "You really know how to inspire confidence, don't you?"

"Just keeping it real," he replied, a slight grin breaking through his serious demeanor.

As we reached the back of the school, the darkness loomed larger, swallowing us whole. Suddenly, a shadow darted across the path ahead. I froze, and Jace immediately tensed beside me.

"What was that?" I whispered, my heart racing.

"Stay close," he said, his voice low and commanding.

We stepped cautiously forward, our eyes scanning the area. Then, out of nowhere, a flickering light caught our attention, and we turned just in time to see the security guard reappear, flashlight beam sweeping across the ground.

"Great, just what we need," Jace muttered, his eyes narrowed.

"Do we go back?" I asked, feeling the adrenaline surge through my veins.

"No. We're already here. Just keep your head down and stay behind me."

"Why do I feel like I'm following a superhero?" I joked, though my heart was still pounding.

"Because you are," he replied, a hint of a smile on his lips as he guided me around a corner.

We ducked behind a row of bushes as the guard passed, the sound of his footsteps echoing in the night. As soon as he was out of sight, Jace pulled me back into the shadows.

"Okay, let's keep moving," he said, his tone serious again.

Just then, I noticed a flicker of something metallic on the ground—a small, discarded item that glinted in the moonlight. I bent down to pick it up, and as I did, I caught a glimpse of it: a silver ring, intricately designed with an emblem I didn't recognize.

"What did you find?" Jace asked, peering over my shoulder.

"I don't know, but it looks important." I held it up, the moonlight illuminating its details.

"That's definitely not something you want to lose," Jace said, taking the ring from me and examining it closely. "We should keep this safe."

"Right," I nodded, feeling a mixture of excitement and dread. "It could be a clue."