The state highway cut through the darkness like a scar across the wet asphalt. Dense fog limited visibility to just a few meters ahead, but the driver of the old pickup didn't slow down. An old rock song played on the radio, competing with the rumble of the engine, until the headlights illuminated something that made him slam on the brakes.
A woman.
She stood on the shoulder of the road, thumb extended, indifferent to the biting cold of the night. She wore no coat and carried no bags. Only a light silk dress clung to her body, leaving her bare shoulders exposed to the drizzle. Her blonde hair fell in perfect waves, shimmering almost like silver under the headlights.
The man rolled down the window, a leering smile forming as his eyes traced her body.
"Lost, sweetheart?" he asked. "A pretty girl like you shouldn't be alone out here."
The woman stepped closer to the window. Her walk was hypnotic, a gentle sway of the hips. She leaned in, resting her arms on the car door, and smiled — a devastating smile.
"My car broke down back there…" Her voice was pure melody, sweet and languid. "Could you help me?"
"Sure. Hop in. I'll take you wherever you want."
She didn't get in right away. Instead, she reached out and touched the man's face. Her skin was cold, but the touch made his blood burn.
"You're very kind…" she whispered, leaning closer.
Enchanted, the man closed his eyes, expecting a grateful kiss. He felt her lips brush against his, soft, inviting. But then the kiss changed.
It became hungry. Violent.
He opened his eyes, confused, and what he saw made him scream — a scream that died in his throat before it could escape. The woman's eyes, once pale blue, were now glowing red slits. Her smile widened, revealing long, razor-sharp fangs.
"Thank you for dinner," Rose said.
With a brutal movement, she sank her fangs into his jugular. Blood gushed hot and fast, filling her mouth with the metallic taste of life. The man struggled for a few seconds, but her strength was absolute. She drained him right there, bent over the window, moaning in pleasure as his life became her strength.
When she finished, his lifeless body slumped over the steering wheel. Rose pulled back, licking a thin line of blood from her chin with the tip of her tongue, savoring the last drop. Her red eyes gleamed with the satisfaction of a sated predator.
She glanced at the road sign ahead: Prinston — 10 Miles.
"Alice…" she whispered to the night, her voice dripping with amusement and malice. "I'm coming."
(…)
Seven days.
It had been an entire week since Alice had disappeared after the revelation at the gate. Seven days without the red silhouette in the garden, without the intense gaze in the library, without the silent presence that had somehow become the center of Kara's universe.
The campus felt grayer. Classes were meaningless. Kara drifted through her days like a sleepwalker. She searched for Alice in the hallways, discreetly asked at the administration office (where they only said the student was "unwell"), and waited for hours on the garden bench until the cold numbed her fingers.
Nothing.
Natalie tried to cheer her up, but even she could tell Kara was different now. There was an urgency in her, a restlessness that couldn't be cured with coffee or casual conversation.
When the sun began to set on the seventh day, staining the sky purple and orange, Kara made a decision. Passive waiting was destroying her. If Alice wouldn't come to her, she would go to Alice — or at least to the last place where she felt she truly knew her.
She put on her coat, ignored the mental warnings of danger, and headed toward the trail that led into the woods.
The walk to the clearing was oppressive. The trees seemed to close in around her, and the forest's silence was broken only by the sound of her footsteps crushing dry leaves. The air was colder there, heavy with a metallic scent that made the hairs on the back of Kara's neck stand on end.
When she reached the open space, the moon illuminated the center of the clearing like an empty stage.
Alice wasn't there.
Kara stopped in the middle, turning in place, searching for any sign of her. Frustration rose in her throat.
"Alice?!" she called, her voice breaking the silence and echoing between the trunks. "I know you're nearby… or at least that you can hear me!"
"She hears everything, dear. But she doesn't always like to answer."
The voice wasn't Alice's. It was higher, more sing-song, and it came from behind her.
Kara spun around, her heart slamming against her chest.
A woman stepped out of the shadows of the trees. She was breathtaking and terrifying at the same time. Platinum-blonde hair gleamed under the moonlight, an elegant dress that felt out of place in the forest, and a smile — a smile that never reached her eyes.
"You're not Alice," Kara said, instinctively stepping back.
"No." The stranger took a step forward, moving with feline grace. "But I see you know her well. My name is Rose. It's a pleasure to finally meet her weakness. And you must be Kara."
"How do you know my name?" Kara asked, struggling to keep her voice steady as her legs trembled.
"Alice talks about you." Rose tilted her head, studying Kara as if she were a cut of meat behind glass. "Or rather, she thinks about you so loudly it's impossible to ignore."
Rose inhaled deeply, closing her eyes for a moment.
"And I can understand why. You have such a delicious scent. Sweet. Vibrant."
The way she said it sent an icy chill down Kara's spine. It wasn't a compliment. It was hunger.
Rose moved closer, slowly, like a cat playing with a mouse that had nowhere left to run.
"No need to be afraid," Rose said, her smile never fading. "I don't bite… unless you ask nicely. Or unless I'm bored."
Kara saw the glint in Rose's eyes change. Pale blue was swallowed by blood-red. Fangs slid down, gleaming white in the darkness.
Kara tried to retreat, but her back hit a tree. She was trapped.
Rose came so close that Kara could feel her cold breath against her neck. The vampire ran a finger, its nail sharp as a razor — along Kara's jugular.
"So fragile…" Rose whispered. "It would be so easy. Just a little sip…"
Rose opened her mouth, ready to strike.
But before her fangs touched skin, a black-and-red blur tore through the clearing with the force of a freight train.
The impact was brutal. Alice slammed into Rose, throwing her away from Kara. The two rolled across the ground, stopping several meters apart. Rose recovered quickly, landing on her feet with a laugh, while Alice positioned herself between her sister and Kara, crouched defensively, snarling.
"Oh, little sister…" Rose said, smoothing her disheveled hair as if nothing had happened. "Right on time. Always playing the tragic hero."
Kara stared at Alice's back. She was trembling with rage.
"Sister?" Kara whispered, stunned.
Alice didn't look back. Her eyes were locked on Rose, glowing red with fury.
"Leave, Rose. Now."
"As you wish." Rose shrugged, bored by the interruption. She cast one last look at Kara, slowly blinking. "It was a pleasure, Kara. I'm sure we'll see each other again. Dinner was interrupted, but the night is long."
And with a speed that defied physics, Rose vanished between the trees, leaving only her laughter echoing in the wind.
Silence returned to the clearing, but it was heavy, charged with adrenaline. Alice slowly relaxed her stance, but she didn't turn around immediately.
"She… she was going to kill me?" Kara asked, her voice barely holding together.
Alice closed her eyes for a moment, as if in physical pain. Finally, she turned to Kara. The fury in her eyes faded, replaced by deep fear.
"She's my sister. But she's not like me. She has no limits."
Alice took a step toward Kara, then stopped, hesitant.
"I warned you this world isn't safe. I told you to stay away. Why did you come?"
Kara looked at the girl in front of her. She saw the monster who had just driven away another monster. She saw the blood in her eyes. But more than anything, she saw the loneliness and the terror of losing her.
Kara didn't care about logic. She didn't care about fear.
She closed the distance between them and wrapped Alice in a tight, desperate embrace, burying her face in the red coat.
"I thought I'd never see you again," Kara said, exhaling against the cold fabric, feeling Alice's rigid body slowly relax.
Alice hesitated for a second, surprised by the reaction. She had expected screams. Flight. Instead, she received warmth. Reluctant, but overcome by her own longing, Alice returned the embrace, holding Kara as if she were the only anchor left in the world.
"It's good to see you again, you stubborn girl," Alice replied, her voice thick, resting her chin atop Kara's head. "I'm sorry. I never should have left you alone."
For Kara, feeling Alice's immortal heart against her own, the desire to stay by her side only grew stronger. The mystery had become danger — but now danger had a face she loved.