Cora carefully slipped the strange bar of soap back into its wrapper, her fingers brushing against the gritty texture of its surface one last time. Something about it felt... off. Too smooth in places and oddly coarse in others. She couldn't shake the sense that there was more hidden in it than fragrant oils and mother's love. The shimmer she noticed earlier—tiny silver flecks embedded in the soap—glinted under the dim light like moonlight trapped in wax.
Amelia helped her neatly fold and pack the last of her clothes, the two girls working in comfortable silence, though Cora's thoughts weren't so quiet. They ran wild—restless, chaotic—tugging her toward the book Damien had given her, the one she had barely dared to open.
When they were done, Cora pulled the mysterious volume from beneath her pillow. Its cover, thick and weathered, looked more like dried kelp than leather. A deep teal hue clung to it, almost iridescent under the flickering yellow light of her bedside lamp. She settled onto the mattress, her fingers trailing over the raised letters embossed on the surface. It smelled faintly of salt and something ancient... something forgotten.
She opened the first few pages. Lines upon lines described the sea and its endless horizons. The words were poetic, almost romanticized, but none of it felt useful.
Cora squinted, flipping through the heavy pages. "How am I supposed to decode this?" she muttered, frustration bubbling beneath her breath.
Her thumb brushed her lower lip, and without fully thinking, she bit down—just enough to draw blood. A tiny bead welled up. Acting on instinct, she let it drip onto the open page.
Ten seconds passed. Nothing.
She frowned. "Just show me what's really written in you," she whispered, voice low, almost reverent.
The moment the words left her mouth, the blood began to shimmer. It sank into the parchment like ink spilled in water—absorbed, accepted. The page pulsed, and the ink bled into strange patterns, rearranging itself before her eyes.
Cora's breath caught in her throat.
The letters shifted, reshaping into a language she had never seen before—but somehow, inexplicably, she could read it. Like it had been waiting for her all along.
"If you're reading this book, then it means you've survived the land long enough to learn our secrets..."
Her eyes widened.
"Our kind were children of the sea, born of tides and stormlight. For centuries, we swam beneath the surface, healing the wounded, restoring what the land had poisoned. But those who walked on earth—greedy and ungrateful—sought more. They demanded minerals from the depths, treasures never meant for their kind."
Her fingers gripped the edge of the page as she continued.
"The creatures of the night saw an opportunity. They fed on our blood, hunted our flesh. Our scales became currency. Our bones, sacred relics. And those who captured us were promised riches beyond measure."
Cora's stomach twisted. She had known the stories—tales passed down like nightmares. But reading this… it wasn't just history. It was a warning.
"I heard all this. Still, I ventured to the land, hoping the old stories were just myths."
The words blurred for a moment, her heartbeat thudding too loudly in her ears.
She was about to flip to the next page when she paused.
"Cora?" Amelia's voice broke the trance, pulling her back to the present. "What book are you reading like that?"
Cora blinked, snapping the book shut. "A random one… about the sea," she replied quickly, glancing at Amelia , her fiery red hair was pulled into a messy bun, her curious eyes narrowed slightly.
Amelia dropped onto the chair near Cora's desk, her legs crossed neatly beneath her. "You know, I've been thinking about what you told me… about the vampires," she said, her voice a whisper. "The creatures of the night living among us."
Cora nodded slowly. She knew Amelia would bring it up later after thinking about it.
Amelia continued, "Why would the Dean allow something like that? I mean—doesn't it sound far-fetched? I've been watching people, studying the students. None of them seem… inhuman."
Cora closed the book slowly, running her fingers along its spine. "That's the point," she said softly. "They've adapted. Learned how to hide in plain sight. The Dean... she might not just be allowing them—she could be one of them."
Amelia's brows drew together, her expression tightening. Goosebumps rose along her arms, visible even beneath her loose sweater.
"You really believe that?" she asked, voice barely above a breath.
"I do," Cora said, her voice steady now. "This school is shrouded in more secrets than we could possibly guess. And what happened to all those students missing… that wasn't just some animal attack. Something darker is lurking here."
As the weight of her words settled between them, the bedroom door opened.
Sienna sauntered in, her designer heels clacking lightly on the floor. Her makeup was flawless, phone still in her hand mid-livestream. "Ugh, I swear if one more peasant comments on my outfit, I'm deleting this app," she muttered, not even glancing at them at first.
Trailing behind her was none other than Roseline—her scanning the room like it's beneath her , her silence more commanding than any royal decree.
The energy in the room shifted.
"Hmph! ," Sienna hissed,before walking to her side of the room. She tossed her handbag onto her bed without care. "What's with the funeral faces as if you've seen a ghost ?"
Amelia shot a look at Cora. "You know exactly what's going on, why would you bring in someone else without telling us " she said coolly.
Sienna rolled her then eye. Roseline's eyes landed on Cora looking at how her mask clugn to her face and why Damien was so into her . Her eyes then dropped to the book on Cora's lap.
"Still in that mask---, don't you ever take it off even in private?" Roseline asked her eyes narrowing on her mask .
"No I don't "Cora replied and Roseline chuckled before turning to Sienna" I just remembered I have something else to do" she paused turning to Cora before saying"Goodnight Cora".
After she walked out she stood there for a while before muttering, "It looks like I'll have to take matters into my own hands "she mumbled as her eyes turned crimson red and she disappeared behind the shadows.