At first, she couldn't bring herself to speak, even as she fixed her brown eyes on him.
His height alone was daunting—tall enough to tower over her like a shadow—and although she couldn't see anything beneath the thick cloak he wore, not even a glimpse of his face, simply standing next to him was enough to tell her how dangerous he could be. Danger radiated from him like heat from a flame, sharp and instinctive. Especially to someone like her.
Worse still was the sudden rush of heat that washed over her skin the moment he spoke. It was deeper—something strange and primal, as though something beneath her very skin, buried and dormant, had stirred awake…impatient to be let out.
"I don't like being ignored," he spoke again, his tone low and rich with arrogance—each word deliberate, spoken like a man who wasn't used to being denied.
She still couldn't see his face, but she didn't need to. The cloak he wore was fine, the fabric thick and trimmed with dark embroidery. His boots were black, polished to a gleam, with intricate designs curling along the edges—craftsmanship that would cost more than her entire home.
The moon hung high above them, casting its pale light over the earth. It illuminated just enough for her to make out details on his coat, though the insignia etched into his ring remained obscured in shadow. Even so, she was certain—he belonged to nobility.
"I-I'm sorry, my lord!" she stammered at once, lowering her head in a show of submission, as was expected from a commoner like her. "I-I wasn't laughing, my lord! I find nothing funny!"
Aria kept her eyes on the ground, her voice trembling as she tried to push the fear from her throat. Every nerve in her body was screaming for her to run.
Why was he here? Why would someone so clearly wealthy—so powerful—be standing in her small village on this night of all nights, just as it was being attacked?
She had only just spoken when her body moved on instinct. She took a cautious step to the side, preparing to take another and distance herself from him. But then—
"Don't."
A single word. Sharp. Cold. Commanding.
And somehow, her body obeyed.
Her foot hung half a centimeter off the ground, frozen in place. She jerked her gaze toward him, her chest tightening when his head shifted slightly, his gaze locking with hers.
In that one second, her breath caught in her throat and refused to return.
He—he is—
She didn't know what word to use. There wasn't one strong enough to capture what she saw.
He was the most handsome man she had ever seen, but that wasn't the part that paralyzed her—it was the fear. The dread crawling up her spine.
His hair was black as night, thick and swept back, brushing the edges of his cloak's collar. Regal cheekbones rose high above a sharply carved jawline, giving his face a sculpted, aristocratic elegance.
But it was his eyes that silenced her thoughts.
Crimson. Deep-set beneath dark brows. They glowed faintly, burning from within, their intensity so sharp that holding his gaze felt like looking directly into the sun.
And yet, despite that power, there was something else in his expression.
A smirk. Just the barest curl of his lips—but it dripped with arrogance.
A dominating aura clung to him, so strong that the very air around him felt different. The way he looked at her—like she wasn't even worth acknowledging—cut sharper than any blade.
He's a vampire.
I need to—
"Don't," he said again, his tone unhurried, like a man stating something obvious. "If I chase you, I will kill you. I don't want to do that just yet."
Her eyes widened in horror. His words sank in slowly, like venom creeping through her veins.
She staggered backward on instinct, panic rising in her throat. She didn't miss the way his hands clenched at his sides, like he was barely restraining himself—like it was taking every ounce of control not to lunge at her.
Her legs trembled. Her body screamed to flee.
And then—
"ARIA!"
A familiar voice broke through the tension like a crashing wave, and relief surged through her chest as she turned to see her father and brother racing toward her—swords drawn, eyes wild.
But they froze.
And so did she.
A long black sword suddenly appeared beneath her chin, so close its sharp edge nearly kissed her skin. The slightest movement would slice her open.
Her breath came in shallow gasps. She clenched the leather bag in her hands, her fingers white-knuckled around the strap as her gaze snapped to her father and brother.
They held their swords—but didn't move.
"DON'T YOU DARE TO—" Tharen her father began in a warning tone, but didn't finish.
In a blur too fast for her eyes to follow, her father dropped to the ground, his knees buckling with a sickening crack.
A man—dressed in a uniform unlike any she'd seen before, something out of a royal court—stood over him with one hand clasped around her father's neck.
"Don't kill him!" the vampire beside her ordered, his voice a low command that allowed no room for argument.
Tears welled up in her eyes at the sound of her father's groan.
Her brother stood frozen, short sword gripped tightly in his hand— his face twisted with fury and fear.
"Don't!" Aria gasped out the warning, her voice breaking under the pressure. She had seen the guard's speed.
They didn't stand a chance.
Whoever her father and brother had fought before—whoever those men in black were—they were nothing compared to the ones standing beside her now.
The sword still hovered at her neck, unmoving. The threat was very real.
"Gather all the survivors. Burn the village to the ground and them with it!" the vampire commanded next, his voice casual. Blurry figures darting out from behind him and towards the village the very moment he spoke.
Aria's face twisted in horror. Her village… Her neighbors...Everyone she had ever known
And there was nothing she could do to stop it.