𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘺.

Twenty two.

Rowan and  Renetta made their way back to the academy with a clear, if uneasy, plan in mind: find Akira, subdue her, and take what they needed to begin unlocking her vampire powers. They would then have to travel all the way to Seoul, Korea, to retrieve the final item from Akira's mother's grave. The journey felt daunting, but they were determined.

Back on campus, they started searching, eventually spotting Kael and Lucian by the fountain. Rowan approached them with urgency.

"Have you seen Akira? We need to talk to her," she asked Kael, trying to keep her voice steady.

Lucian noticed the tension and immediately grew concerned. "What happened? Is she okay?"

Rowan forced a reassuring smile, though her mind was racing. "I just need to see her. It's... important."

Kael frowned, sensing something was off. "She's in her usual spot. But, Rowan... what's going on? Why do you seem so worried?"

Lucian raised an eyebrow, intrigued by what he'd overheard. "So Akira's in trouble?" he asked, his tone feigning innocence, though his curiosity was all too clear.

Rowan glared at him. "Were you eavesdropping, Lucian?"

He shrugged with a smirk. "Perks of being a vampire. Now, are you going to fill us in, or should I start guessing?"

"Now's not the time for this," Kael cut in, looking between them with a worried expression. "Rowan, what's going on with Akira?"

Rowan sighed, realizing there was no use keeping it quiet. "Akira's been... influenced. We think Amara put her under a spell. She's vulnerable and could be in real danger, especially with her powers locked away."

Lucian's smirk faded, replaced by a rare hint of seriousness. "So you're saying she's been cursed by Amara? And you're just going to confront her alone?"

Rowan crossed her arms, steeling herself. "Yes. And we don't have time to waste. Are you going to help us or stay out of the way?"

Lucian glanced at Kael, and for a brief moment, his face softened with genuine concern. "Fine. I'll help... but only because it's Akira."

Rowan looked at Lucian. "Why? You usually..never involve your self in things like this."

"I know I never help anyone when it comes to things like this but..she's not a human. It's clear she needs that part of her unlocked..she's a vampire like me..I knew there was something different I could sense it."

"Do you like her?" Kael asked.

"Okay you guys can spend your time talking about your interest for Akira later. Right now have to save her. We have to retrieve her blood her hair and something in her mothers grave which is all the way in Korea."

"Don't need to worry about the traveling part. I know a warlock he can get us there through teleportation."

The weight of their mission hung heavy in the air as Rowan, Renetta, Lucian, and Kael stood in the academy's courtyard, Akira's unconscious body between them. The plan was simple, though far from easy: they needed to retrieve Akira's blood, a strand of her hair, and then go after a hidden item beneath her mother's grave in Seoul. It sounded like a dangerous, almost impossible task, but they had no other choice. They had to break the spell on Akira, or risk losing her forever to the darkness that had claimed her mind.

Rowan glanced at the others, her mind racing. "We need to hurry," she muttered, her voice tense. "Once Akira wakes up, things won't be as easy. We need that item from her mother's grave, or everything we're doing won't matter."

Renetta nodded, a flicker of doubt in her eyes but determination on her face. "Do you really think this will work? I mean, unlocking her vampire side... it feels like we're playing with fire."