It was Wednesday night, and the campus was wrapped in a low fog rising from the damp grass. Kara and Natalie were crossing the central courtyard, laughing about something dumb, when Kara suddenly stopped.
"That's her," Kara whispered, gripping her friend's arm.
Alice stood near the old stone fountain, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder. The red coat seemed to soak up the weak glow of the lampposts, setting her apart like a beacon in the dark.
"The famous Garden Girl?" Natalie raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin on her face. "Well, we're not just gonna stare. Let's go."
"What? No — Nat, wait!" Kara tried to protest, but Natalie was already dragging her toward the vampire.
Alice noticed them before they even reached her. Her body tensed, just slightly, but she didn't run. She turned slowly, her dark eyes locking onto Kara's with an intensity that made every prepared word die in Kara's throat.
"Hey, Alice," Kara said, trying to catch her breath and pull herself together. "I, uh… wanted to introduce you to someone. This is Natalie. My best friend."
Natalie held out her hand with a friendly smile, though her eyes were clearly taking in every detail of the pale girl in front of her.
"So you're the mysterious Alice. Kara talks about you a lot. Says you've got impeccable taste in depressing books."
Kara turned bright red. "Natalie!"
Alice glanced at Natalie's outstretched hand for a second, hesitant, then shook it briefly. Her touch was ice-cold.
"Nice to meet you," Alice said, her voice polite but distant. "And I wouldn't say depressing. I'd say… realistic."
"Fair enough." Natalie pulled her hand back, casually rubbing it against her jeans to warm it up. "We were heading to grab some coffee to survive a study night. Wanna come? Kara's paying."
Alice gave a tiny half-smile — barely there, but enough to soften her sharp features. "Thanks for the invite. But I don't really drink… coffee. And I've got a few things to take care of before the library closes."
"Ah, too bad." Natalie shrugged. "Next time, then."
Alice nodded, her gaze drifting back to Kara. For a moment, the rest of the world seemed to disappear. "Take care. The north stairway is slippery from the rain."
"Got it, mom," Natalie joked.
Alice didn't react. She just gave Kara one last unreadable look and walked away, vanishing into the fog with that silent step that never quite seemed to touch the ground.
"Okay…" Natalie said once Alice was gone. "She's gorgeous, cold, and weird. I totally get why you're into her."
"I am not into her," Kara shot back, rolling her eyes — though her heart strongly disagreed. "Come on, before the coffee closes."
They headed the opposite way, toward the stone steps leading down to the lower level of campus. Wet autumn leaves covered the stairs like a treacherous carpet.
Kara was distracted, Alice's eyes still burned into her thoughts, when her foot slipped.
Everything happened at once.
Her boot slid on a slick layer of leaves. She lost her balance, arms flailing for something to grab and finding nothing but air.
"Kara!" Natalie screamed from above.
The world spun. Kara saw the gray sky, then the stone steps rushing up toward her face. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the pain, for the crack of bone.
But the impact never came.
Instead, there was a violent rush of displaced air, like a gust of wind tearing past her in a split second. And then — solid ground.
Strong arms wrapped around her, stopping her fall with impossible strength. The scent of rain, old flowers, and metal flooded her senses.
Kara opened her eyes, breathless.
She wasn't on the ground.
She was in Alice's arms.
The vampire held her halfway down the stairs, one hand at her back, the other under her legs, her face just inches away.
Silence fell completely. Kara could hear her own blood roaring in her ears. Natalie stood frozen at the top of the stairs, mouth hanging open.
"You—" Kara whispered, her voice shaking. She glanced up toward where Alice had been minutes earlier, then back to where they stood now. "How? You were heading to the library. That's on the other side of the courtyard."
Alice gently set her down, a tenderness that clashed sharply with the raw strength she'd just shown. She wasn't out of breath. Not even flushed. Only her eyes were different —brighter. Dilated.
"I heard the scream," Alice said, releasing Kara slowly, like she was afraid she might shatter.
"But… it was so fast," Kara insisted, looking at her own hands, then back at Alice. "I didn't even touch the ground. Nobody moves that fast. It was like you just… teleported."
Alice looked away, tugging at the sleeve of her red coat, trying to hide the faint tremble in her hands. "It just felt that way. Fear messes with your sense of time. I was closer than you think. Adrenaline kicked in."
"Adrenaline?" Kara stepped closer, invading Alice's space. She wasn't scared. She was in awe. "Alice, you caught me like I weighed nothing."
Alice took a step back, her cool mask snapping back into place, though her eyes betrayed genuine concern. "What matters is that you're not hurt. I warned you about the stairs."
"You did…" Kara smiled — disbelieving, enchanted. "You saved me."
"I did what anyone would've done." Alice turned sharply. "I need to go."
"Wait!" Kara called, but Alice was already moving.
"Be careful, Kara," Alice said over her shoulder, her voice carrying a warning that sounded more like a desperate plea. "Next time, I might not be around."
And once again, she vanished into the darkness, too fast, leaving behind only the electric memory of her touch.
Natalie rushed down the stairs, grabbing Kara's arm. "Oh my God! Are you okay? What the hell just happened? I blinked and she was there!"
Kara stared into the darkness where the red coat had disappeared. Her heart still hadn't slowed. Logic screamed that it was impossible. Reason told her to be afraid.
But all Kara felt was a powerful, overwhelming pull.
"I don't know, Nat…" Kara said softly, touching her waist where Alice's arms had held her. "But she's definitely not normal."
"Normal?" Natalie whispered. "Kara, that was straight-up superhero stuff. Or…" She hesitated, glancing around.
"Or something else," Kara finished, determination lighting her eyes.
She wasn't scared.
She was fascinated.
And in that moment, she knew she wouldn't rest until she unraveled the mystery living behind Alice's sad, ancient eyes.