The morning air felt heavier than usual, almost as if the whispers that trailed Hazel had followed her into the classroom. She sat through lectures distracted, her pen scribbling notes she didn't even see. Her mind was too full — Warren wishing her a happy birthday without being told, the strange dream, the glow that had appeared in her room. None of it made sense.
By the time her last class ended, Hazel couldn't take it anymore. She needed answers.
She found Warren leaning against the railing near the courtyard, the late afternoon sun washing his features in a pale glow. He looked as though he'd been waiting for her.
"You've been avoiding me," he said softly, his gaze steady.
Hazel crossed her arms. "Maybe because you're acting… strange." She hesitated before blurting, "How did you know yesterday was my birthday?"
For a moment, Warren didn't answer. Then he sighed, as if the weight of something he'd carried for too long finally demanded release. "Because there are things about me you don't know, Hazel. Things I've kept from you."
Her pulse quickened. "Like what?"
He leaned closer, his voice dropping. "I'm not like everyone else here. I'm… different. My brother and I—we aren't just normal students. We're vampires."
Hazel blinked at him, then laughed nervously. "That's… a joke, right? You expect me to believe that?"
I'm telling you the truth."
"No." She shook her head firmly, forcing a smile to mask her unease. "No, you're just trying to scare me, or mess with me. Vampires don't exist, Warren."
Something flickered in his eyes, but he didn't push her further. Instead, he only said, "Believe what you want. But sooner or later, the truth always catches up."
Hazel swallowed, suddenly uncomfortable with how serious he sounded. She took a small step back. "Well, whatever this is, I don't have time for it. I'm going home this weekend. My parents said they… they have something to tell me."
Warren straightened at that, a strange tension rippling through him. "Something to tell you?"
"Yeah." Hazel forced another smile. "Probably just some family thing. I'll figure it out."
He didn't reply, only watched her with unreadable eyes.
As Hazel walked away, her heart hammered in her chest. She didn't believe him — she couldn't. Vampires? That was impossible. And yet… she couldn't shake the feeling that the ground beneath her feet was slowly shifting, dragging her toward answers she wasn't ready to face.
I kept my steps quick, refusing to glance back at Warren though I could feel his gaze burning into me. My chest felt tight, like I'd been holding my breath since the moment he said those words.
Vampires.
It was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. And yet, the way he'd looked at me, the quiet seriousness in his voice… it didn't feel like a joke.
I shook my head, clutching my phone as I slipped into the quiet hallway. "This is insane," I whispered to myself. "Completely insane."
My fingers fumbled as I unlocked my phone, but I pressed the call button before I could change my mind.
"Hazel?" My mom's voice answered almost immediately, warm and familiar.
"Hi, Mom," I said, forcing steadiness into my voice. "Um… I was thinking of coming home. Today. I just— I need to."
There was a pause on the other end, and then my father's deeper voice joined the line. "Hazel, sweetheart, that's good. We were hoping you'd say that. There are… things we need to talk about. Important things."
My throat tightened. "Yeah, I know. You said you had a surprise. I just… I really need to see you guys."
"We'll be waiting," Mom said gently. "Drive safe. We love you."
The call ended, but their words lingered in the hollow of my chest.
I hugged the phone to my heart, standing there in the dim corridor, trying to silence the storm raging inside me.
First, strange dreams. Then a glow in my room. Then Warren whispering impossible truths. And now my parents with secrets of their own.
No matter how far I ran, the whispers were catching up.
I drew a shaky breath, whispering to myself as I slipped the phone back into my pocket. "Maybe going home will give me the answers I need."
But deep down, a part of me already feared those answers.
The drive home felt longer than usual, each turn of the road heavy with questions I couldn't shake off. By the time I pulled into the driveway, the sight of our familiar house brought a small sense of relief, like stepping into a safer world.
The front door flew open before I even reached the steps. My mom rushed out first, her arms wrapping around me with that fierce, comforting warmth only she had. "Hazel! My baby, welcome home."
My dad followed, smiling in his quiet way, and rested a hand on my shoulder. "You've grown up so fast," he said softly. "Eighteen already. Happy birthday, Hazel." She replied with a thank you even though her birthday was yesterday and they still wished her again today she found it so caring and loving of her parents.
I smiled, though it trembled at the edges. "Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Mom."
Inside, everything looked the same—the framed pictures, the faint scent of lavender from Mom's candles, the soft hum of the old clock in the hallway. But something felt… different. Their eyes lingered on me too long, their smiles stretched just a little too tightly. Like they were carrying a secret too heavy to hide.
I tried to push the thought aside as we sat together in the living room. They asked about school, about my friends, about how I was managing. I answered, forcing myself to sound normal, but my mind kept circling back to Warren.
His words echoed in my head: If I don't tell you, Devon will.
Vampires. A kingdom. A throne. It all sounded like some cruel fantasy. But the look in his eyes had been too real to forget.
Before I could second-guess myself, I pulled out my phone and dialed his number.
He picked up on the first ring. "Hazel?" His voice was low, cautious, but there was relief in it.
"Hey," I said quietly, glancing at my parents across the room. "I… I just wanted to let you know I got home safe."
There was silence on the other end, then a faint exhale. "Thank you for calling."
I hesitated, chewing my lip. Part of me wanted to ask him if it was all some twisted joke, but the words wouldn't come. I wasn't ready—not yet. "Goodnight, Warren," I said instead, softer than I intended.
"Goodnight, Hazel," he replied, his tone unreadable.
I ended the call, my chest tightening with the weight of everything left unsaid.
No matter how much I wanted to pretend things were normal, I knew they weren't. Not anymore.