TESSY'S POV
Blood.
There was so much blood.
It spread across the pavement beneath Eira's head like a cruel crimson river.
Too much.
Far too much.
My hands shook uncontrollably as I dropped beside her.
"Eira!"
No response.
Her eyes remained closed.
Ambulance sirens wailed somewhere in the distance. People shouted around us. Someone was crying.
Everything blurred together.
All I could see was her.
Lying there.
Motionless.
Hours later, the hospital corridor felt like a prison.
Every second stretched into eternity.
Every tick of the clock felt like torture.
I had never felt so helpless in my life.
Finally, the doctor emerged from the ICU.
I jumped to my feet.
"Doctor, what happened to her? Will she be okay?"
My voice trembled.
The doctor removed his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Somehow, that frightened me more than anything else.
"Ma'am, her condition is critical. We've managed to stop the bleeding, but her brain activity is extremely concerning."
My knees nearly gave out.
"If she doesn't wake up by morning," he continued quietly, "she may slip into a coma."
No.
No.
No.
The words didn't feel real.
They sounded like something happening to someone else.
"Eira..."
Her name broke inside my chest.
"Tessy, you need to hold yourself together."
Mom's voice sounded distant.
Weak.
Meaningless.
I stared at the ICU doors.
Praying.
Begging.
Hoping.
For the first time in my life, I felt completely powerless.
I didn't notice the figure standing several feet away.
Hidden behind the corner.
Peter.
He had heard everything.
Every word.
Eira was critical.
Her brain activity was dangerously low.
She might not wake up.
Peter's lips slowly curved into a smile.
Then he quietly turned away.
PETER'S POV
Peter walked out of the hospital with a smile he couldn't suppress.
He had come to find out whether Eira would survive.
Now he knew.
She was dying.
The thought filled him with a twisted sense of triumph.
He had attacked her.
He had left her bleeding.
And now the doctors were fighting to keep her alive.
But he didn't care.
As far as Peter was concerned, he had already won.
For the first time in months, he felt free.
He had wanted revenge.
Now he had it.
An hour later, Peter sat in a private bar room with two of his friends.
The room was secluded from the rest of the bar.
Thick walls.
A locked door.
Dim lights.
No other customers.
Exactly the kind of place where no one would disturb them.
Peter poured himself another drink.
"Tonight, we celebrate."
One of his friends laughed.
"Celebrate what?"
Peter lifted his glass.
"Eira."
His friends exchanged glances.
Peter's smile widened.
"That bitch is dying."
One of them stared at him.
"You actually attacked her?"
Peter leaned back.
"I told you I would."
He took a long drink.
"That bitch ruined my life."
His expression darkened.
"Everything was fine before she came along."
He slammed his glass onto the table.
"Then she destroyed everything."
His friend shifted uncomfortably.
"Peter, maybe you should—"
"She deserves to die."
The words came without hesitation.
Peter poured himself another drink.
"And now..."
A slow, twisted smile returned to his face.
"...she is."
He raised his glass.
"My victory."
The glasses clinked.
Peter laughed.
He had no idea that he wasn't alone.
ADRIAN'S POV
I had been on my way to see Eira when I saw him leaving the hospital.
Peter.
I stopped.
Something about the satisfaction on his face made my instincts sharpen.
I followed him.
I didn't know where he was going.
I only knew one thing—
I needed to know why.
Across the private room, seated in the deepest corner where the shadows concealed me completely, I remained motionless.
I hadn't touched the drink in front of me.
I hadn't spoken.
I hadn't moved.
I simply listened.
Every word.
Every insult.
Every mention of Eira.
And with every word Peter spoke, my expression grew colder.
Peter continued laughing.
"Finally, that bitch is getting what she deserves."
My fingers slowly tightened around the armrest.
My black eyes remained fixed on him.
How dare he say her name?
The thought was quiet.
But deadly.
He had touched her.
He had come near her.
He had hurt her.
And now he was sitting there celebrating while she fought for her life.
My jaw tightened.
I could have killed him immediately.
But I didn't.
Not yet.
I wanted his friends gone first.
I wanted Peter completely alone.
I wanted him to understand exactly why he was going to die.
One friend eventually stood.
"I'm leaving."
Peter raised his glass.
"Yeah. Bye."
The door opened.
Then closed.
The second friend followed shortly afterward.
The door locked again.
Silence descended over the room.
Peter poured himself another drink.
He smiled to himself.
"Finally."
Then—
A voice came from the darkness.
"Finished celebrating?"
Peter froze.
The glass slipped slightly between his fingers.
Slowly, he turned.
I was still sitting in the corner.
But now I was visible.
My posture was relaxed.
My face emotionless.
My black eyes fixed on him.
Peter's face drained of color.
"Adrian..."
I stood.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
"You said her name."
Peter swallowed.
"I—I didn't know you were here."
"I know."
I took one step forward.
Peter backed away.
"I heard everything."
Another step.
"You attacked Eira."
His breathing quickened.
"You left her bleeding on the pavement."
Another step.
"And then you came here..."
My voice dropped.
"...to celebrate her death."
Peter's mouth opened.
"I didn't mean—"
"Don't."
The word cut through the room.
Peter went silent.
I stopped a few feet away.
My expression remained frighteningly calm.
"Say her name again."
Peter stared at me.
"Adrian, listen—"
"Say it."
His lips trembled.
"Eira..."
I disappeared.
In the next instant, Peter was slammed against the wall.
My hand closed around his throat.
His feet left the floor.
A terrified gasp escaped him.
My face was inches from his.
My black eyes were no longer entirely human.
"You don't get to say her name."
Peter clawed desperately at my wrist.
"Adrian—please—"
"How dare you touch her?"
My grip tightened.
Peter choked.
"How dare you come near her?"
His eyes widened.
"How dare you hurt her?"
Each question was colder than the last.
I slammed him against the wall again.
The impact cracked the plaster.
"You put your hands on her."
Another impact.
"You made her bleed."
Another.
"And then you came here..."
My voice became almost a whisper.
"...and celebrated."
Peter struggled desperately.
"I—I didn't know—"
"You didn't need to know."
My eyes burned with murderous fury.
"You should have known better."
I released him.
Peter crashed to the floor, coughing violently.
He scrambled backward.
"Please..."
I walked toward him.
Peter tried to crawl away.
The locked door was behind him.
There was nowhere to run.
I crouched before him.
"You thought you had won."
Peter shook his head.
"No..."
"You thought she was going to die."
"Please..."
"You thought you could touch her and walk away."
I tilted my head slightly.
My expression was terrifyingly calm.
"You were wrong."
Peter's eyes filled with panic.
I seized his jaw.
"Look at me."
Peter had no choice.
"Do you know what the worst part is?"
Peter trembled.
I leaned closer.
"It isn't that you hurt her."
A pause.
"It's that you thought you had the right to."
Peter's breathing faltered.
My thumb pressed against his jaw.
"Eira is not yours to touch."
My voice became dangerously low.
"Not yours to approach."
My eyes darkened.
"Not yours to hurt."
Peter whispered,
"Who is she to you?"
My expression turned colder.
"Mine."
The single word filled the room.
Absolute.
Possessive.
Final.
Peter's eyes widened.
I released his jaw and stood.
Peter barely had time to breathe before I seized him again.
This time, there was no hesitation.
No warning.
No mercy.
Peter's desperate cries echoed through the locked room.
I remained terrifyingly calm as I ended his life.
When Peter finally went still, I released him.
His body collapsed onto the floor.
Silence.
I looked down at him.
There was no guilt in my eyes.
Only cold satisfaction.
I wiped the blood from my hand and turned toward the door.
Then stopped.
Without looking back, I spoke.
"You should have been afraid the moment you touched her."
I opened the door.
My black eyes hardened.
"But you weren't."
A faint, merciless smile appeared.
"So I made sure you learned."
And then I disappeared into the darkness.
ADRIAN'S POV
Tessy's sobs echoed through the hospital corridor.
Raw.
Broken.
Hopeless.
I walked past her unnoticed, my face hidden beneath a hospital mask.
The moment I pushed open the ICU door, the world seemed to stop.
There she was.
Eira.
Lying motionless beneath white sheets.
Machines surrounded her.
Cold lights illuminated her pale face.
Too pale.
Far too pale.
For one horrible second, she looked dead.
Something inside me tightened.
I hated the sight.
I hated the weakness it stirred inside me.
And I hated the person responsible for putting her there.
Slowly, I approached her bed.
My fingers brushed against her cheek.
Cold.
Too cold.
My jaw clenched.
For centuries, I had watched kingdoms collapse and empires burn.
I had seen wars consume entire bloodlines.
I had witnessed countless deaths.
None of it had ever mattered.
Yet seeing her like this—
Silent.
Fragile.
Broken—
made something inside me fracture.
I pressed my hand against her head and closed my eyes.
Searching.
The moment I felt her life force, dread consumed me.
It was fading.
Weak.
Fragile.
A tiny flame struggling against an endless darkness.
"No."
The word escaped through clenched teeth.
"You are not dying."
My voice hardened.
"I won't allow it."
For the first time in centuries, I felt something I had almost forgotten.
Fear.
Not for myself.
For her.
I lowered my forehead against hers.
"Stay alive, Eira."
My voice became barely a whisper.
"I haven't given you permission to leave me."
Then I disappeared.
The forest blurred around me.
Trees shattered as I passed.
Ancient trunks splintered beneath my claws.
The wind screamed through the darkness.
Pain.
Fear.
Rage.
Everything inside me erupted.
"I WILL SAVE YOU!"
My roar shook the forest.
Animals fled.
Even the darkness seemed to recoil.
Dropping to my knees, I carved an ancient symbol into the earth with blood-covered fingers.
Ενεργειακός τροχός.
The Wheel of Energy.
The forbidden ritual.
The ritual that would either save her—
Or destroy me.
Candles burst into blue flames.
The wind howled violently.
Ancient power awakened.
And so did the pain.
ELISA'S POV
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
Ever since Eira entered his life, Adrian had changed.
I hurried toward his room and knocked.
No answer.
Fear tightened around my chest.
I pushed the door open.
Empty.
The room had been abandoned.
The sofa had been shoved aside as though someone had left in a hurry.
"Adrian..."
I whispered.
Then I ran.
Mike sat beside the fireplace.
The moment he saw my face, he stood.
"Mike, Adrian... he's not at home."
His eyes closed.
Searching.
Seconds later, they flew open.
Filled with fury.
"He's performing the Ενεργειακός τροχός."
The words drained all color from my face.
"No..."
"To save that girl."
"The Ενεργειακός τροχός?"
My voice shook.
"It transfers power from one being to another," Mike said.
His fists clenched.
"But if used on a human..."
Fear gripped me.
"...it freezes the vampire from the inside."
My breath stopped.
"A cold death."
"Forever."
Tears instantly filled my eyes.
"What? No—please, Mike. Save him!"
"We have to stop him."
Then we ran.
ADRIAN'S POV
Pain.
Nothing existed except pain.
I sat inside the circle, my sleeves rolled to my forearms.
My eyes were closed.
Ancient words flowed from my lips.
The chant of ἐνέργεια.
Power gathered around me.
The air vibrated.
Blue light erupted from the symbol.
Then agony exploded through my body.
Every bone.
Every nerve.
Every drop of blood.
It felt as though ice and fire were tearing me apart simultaneously.
A scream ripped from my throat.
A glowing sphere formed before me.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a strand of Eira's hair.
My fingers trembled.
Not from pain.
From fear.
The moment the strand touched the sphere, the connection formed.
Instantly.
I felt her.
Weak.
Fading.
Slipping deeper into darkness.
Alone.
"No..."
More power poured from me.
The pain became unbearable.
My skin split.
Blood streamed down my arms.
Still, I continued.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Until my body could no longer endure it.
I collapsed onto the ground.
Barely breathing.
"Eira..."
Blood spilled from my lips.
"You'll be fine."
The cold had begun.
I felt it spreading through my veins.
Freezing me from the inside.
Turning my blood into ice.
Turning my body into a tomb.
But I didn't care.
Not if she lived.
Not if she opened her eyes again.
"I won't let anything happen to you..."
My vision darkened.
The last thing I heard was Mike screaming my name.
Then everything disappeared.
MIKE'S POV
I reached the clearing just as Adrian collapsed.
"ADRIAN!"
Elisa's sobs echoed through the forest.
"Mike, do something!"
I dropped beside him and pressed my hand against his chest.
My blood ran cold.
He was freezing.
The ritual had already begun consuming him.
His heartbeat was slowing.
His skin felt colder than death itself.
"We have to take him to Michael."
There was no time.
I lifted Adrian into my arms and ran.
MICHAEL'S POV
Hours later, the ancient meeting hall stood silent.
Every elder had gathered.
Watching.
Waiting.
Praying.
Michael stepped forward.
Without a word, he tore open his shirt.
A blade flashed.
Blood flowed.
The Triskelion appeared across his chest.
The others formed a circle around him.
Their chanting shook the hall.
Ancient power flooded the room.
Michael cut his wrist.
Dark blood dripped onto Adrian's lips.
The ritual continued.
Minutes felt like centuries.
The entire room seemed to hold its breath.
Finally, Michael stepped back.
His face was pale.
Exhausted.
"I have saved his body from freezing."
Relief swept through the room.
Elisa collapsed into tears.
Then came the second sentence.
"But the damage within..."
His eyes lowered to Adrian.
"...the loss of power will take time to heal."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Painful.
Then Michael turned and left.
TESSY'S POV
Three hours.
Three endless hours.
I sat outside Eira's room.
Praying.
Begging.
Crying.
Refusing to leave.
Then suddenly, a nurse rushed past me toward the doctor.
My heart stopped.
I followed immediately.
"Doctor—what happened?"
He ignored me and hurried inside.
Seconds later, he emerged.
His face looked strange.
Shocked.
Almost frightened.
"What happened?"
I asked again.
My voice trembling.
The doctor stared at me.
Then whispered—
"She's awake."
The world stopped.
Tears instantly filled my eyes.
"Thank you."
I grabbed his hand, unable to stop crying.
He nodded absently.
Still stunned.
"Everything is okay now, right?"
The doctor looked back toward her room.
Disbelief filled his face.
"Yes."
A pause.
"But it's impossible."
"What?"
"All her internal injuries have healed."
My breath caught.
"What?"
"Even her brain activity is completely normal."
The doctor shook his head.
Unable to understand.
Unable to explain.
"It's a miracle."
And somewhere far away, in another room, a vampire lay unconscious.
The doctors would call it a miracle.
The elders would call it forbidden magic.
But the truth was far simpler.
A girl had opened her eyes because a monster had willingly sacrificed himself to keep them from closing forever.