A Lost Redemption

Chapter 9 - Glimpse of Isobel's Past

The air in North Carolina was warmer than I remembered. It had been decades since I last stepped foot on Duke University's campus, but nothing about the place seemed to change. The old buildings stood as ancient sentinels, filled with the bright eyed scholars that wandered its halls. The rich history and academic legacy of the university now had an added layer of mystery for me.

Today, I was not here to reminisce or indulge in the nostalgia of my human years. No, today my focus was on one person and one person only.

Isobel.

I had been following her trail for what seemed like an eternity, but every clue, every lead, had evaporated before I could reach it. Mystic Falls had offered me nothing but dead ends, and now here I am, scouring DUke for any whispers of her existence.

My steps were brisk, purposeful. I moved from building to building, using my vampire speed when necessary to slip in and out unnoticed. Whenever I encountered students, I compelled them. Their wide confused eyes told me they remembered nothing of value.

"No. I don't know a Professor Isobel Flemming."

"Sorry, she hasn't been around here for a while." Frustration crept up the back of my neck, its cold tendrils wrapping tightly around my mind. 

Duke had been Isobel's home once, her sanctuary. If anyone knew where she was last seen, it would be here. But every time I asked, I was met with ignorance or vague references to her disappearance.

A few faculty members recalled seeing her in the days leading up to her vanishing act, but there was nothing concrete, no solid information I could latch onto. A couple of professors mentioned she had been acting strange before she left. Odd behavior, erratic at times, but nothing that warranted immediate concern.

"She was fascinated by the occult. We always though it was just academic curiosity, but she became...obsessed." one of the professors, a middle aged man with thinning hair, had said.

Obsessed.

That word had been used more than once to describe Isobel. My mind races as I walked across the green lawn toward yet another old building. Her fascination with the supernatural had not been a secret. She had immersed herself in the world of supernaturals long before her disappearance, but her motivations remained unclear. Had she been looking for answers about her ancestry? Or was it something more?

I pushed open the door to the library, stepping into the cool, quiet atmosphere. The scent of old paper filled my nostrils as I walked through the rows of shelves, hoping for something, anything, that might give me a clue. As I passed by the desk, I compelled the librarian to grant me access to any of Isobel's personal archives. After a brief moment of hesitation, she complied, leading me to a private room where old notebooks and research papers sat, gathering dust.

I flipped through them quickly, skimming anything that could point me in the right direction. Noted on vampire lore, mentions of Mystic Falls, named of vampires both real and fictional. But nothing connected the dots. Every page I turned felt like a dead end.

It was almost noon when I stepped back outside into the bright sunlight. The campus was more crowded now, students bustling between classes, laughing and chatting. I stood on the steps, contemplating my next move. There had to be something here, something I had missed.

Just as I turned to leave, I felt a familiar presence nearby. A vampire. I could sense it before I even saw her. My body tensed, and I scanned the crowd. And then I saw her, Amy.

Amy had once been a friend, a companion from a time long past. She hadn't changed a bit, her auburn hair still flowing freely in the wind, her eyes sparkling with the sharpness of someone far older than she appeared. She was dressed in modern clothing, casual jeans and a jacket that made her blend in with the human crowd. But to me, she stood out like a beacon.