The morning light streamed through the curtains, too bright for the heaviness in my chest. Sleep had been impossible after the truth my parents dropped at breakfast. I tossed and turned until exhaustion finally swallowed me, but even in dreams, the whispers followed—the glow, the calling, the secrets I couldn't escape.
When I finally dragged myself downstairs, both of my parents were waiting. Their faces carried the same weight mine did—like the air itself was too thick to breathe.
I sat at the table, arms folded, jaw tight. "So what now? You've told me I'm some… extinct witch, part of a bloodline that shouldn't even exist. But what am I supposed to do with that?" My voice cracked between anger and fear. "How do I deal with it?"
Mom reached across the table, her voice steady though her eyes shone with sadness. "We can only teach you the basics, Hazel. The rest… isn't ours to give."
My brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Dad leaned forward, his tone grave but firm. "Your aunt—my sister—has been waiting for this day. She's the last trained guardian of our line, and she has spent her life preparing for the moment you came of age. She will teach you how to fight—how to wield a sword, how to defend yourself. But more importantly, she will teach you how to draw power from nature. From the sun and moon, from the earth itself, and from the plants that carry the whispers of old magic."
The words wrapped around me like a cloak too heavy to wear. "Fight? Power from the moon? Dad, I don't even know how to hold a sword properly. I can't even win a tug-of-war match without falling over."
A faint smile tugged at his lips, though it didn't reach his eyes. "That's why you'll train. One week with her will give you the foundation you need. When you return home, your training will continue—here, with us. But Hazel…" His voice softened. "You need to understand that this isn't just about learning. It's about survival."
The sharp edge of his words made my chest tighten. "Survival from what?"
Mom and Dad exchanged a look, a silent conversation passing between them. Finally, Mom turned to me, her expression heavy. "Because Warren and Devon aren't who you think they are."
The mention of their names sent a jolt through me. "What do you mean?"
Dad didn't hesitate. "They're vampires, Hazel. Both of them. They come from a kingdom named Cealthorn—one of the oldest, strongest kingdoms of their kind."
The room tilted around me. I gripped the edge of the chair to steady myself. "No… no, you can't be serious. Vampires? Warren? Devon?"
Mom's voice was gentle, but unyielding. "Warren is more than just a vampire. He's the crown prince of Cealthorn. One day, he may rule their kingdom."
I shook my head, disbelief twisting inside me. "That doesn't make sense. Warren—he—he's just… Warren. He can't be—" My voice broke, and I pressed a hand to my mouth, trying to catch my breath.
Dad's words cut through the fog. "It makes perfect sense. Think about it. How else do you explain his presence, his aura? The way he always seems to know more than he says? The way he looks at you, like he sees something the rest of us can't?"
My heart hammered, memories flashing in my mind—the way Warren's eyes seemed to darken in certain lights, the strange sharpness to his movements, the weight of his silence. All the little things I had brushed off as quirks now screamed at me as truths I hadn't wanted to see.
"And Devon?" I whispered, though part of me already knew the answer.
"Also a vampire," Mom said, her lips pressed tightly together. "He may not carry the same title as Warren, but his blood ties run deep. Cealthorn isn't just a kingdom, Hazel—it's a world hidden within this one. And now, whether you want to or not, you're caught in the middle of it."
The words sank into me like stones dropped into water. A part of me wanted to scream at them, to tell them they were insane, to pretend I hadn't heard. But another part—the part that remembered Warren's strange confession, the pull of the glowing light, the way my dreams whispered of things I couldn't name—knew it was true.
I leaned back in my chair, my hands trembling. "So I'm a White Witch, and Warren's a vampire prince. And Devon… all of them are tied to this kingdom I've never heard of." My laugh came out hollow. "Sounds like the beginning of some messed-up fairy tale."
Dad's eyes were steady, unyielding. "It's no fairy tale, Hazel. It's your life. And it's only just beginning."
I left the kitchen without a word, my mind a whirlwind. The words my parents had told me kept replaying—White Witch, bloodline, Warren, Devon, crown prince… Cealthorn. My chest ached with a strange mixture of fear and disbelief. I needed to be alone.
I stepped into my room and closed the door behind me, leaning against it as I let the silence envelop me. My fingers traced the edge of my desk absentmindedly, and I stared at the walls, the posters, the familiar clutter. Everything looked the same—but nothing felt the same anymore.
I thought about what my parents had said, trying to absorb it all. A week of training with my aunt. Learning to draw power from the sun, the moon, the earth, and plants. How to wield a sword. How to survive. And then… vampires. Warren. Devon. A kingdom called Cealthorn. And a crown prince who had been by my side all along.
I sank onto my bed, burying my face in the pillow as the weight of it pressed down on me. I didn't even realize when hours passed. Eventually, I forced myself to get up, to take a bath, to wash off the tension that clung to me like a second skin. The warm water soothed my aching muscles, but it didn't wash away the questions swirling in my mind.
Dressed and slightly calmer, I stepped back into the living room. I hadn't expected anyone else to be here. But there she was.
A woman. Dark, long hair cascading over her shoulders, eyes a warm brown that seemed to pierce right through me. She smiled faintly, a calm, almost knowing smile.
"Who—who are you?" I stammered, startled. I hadn't heard her arrive. Not a sound. Not a footstep. Not even the faintest shuffle.
The woman tilted her head, her gaze steady. "I am Lilith," she said softly. "I was sent to meet you. Your parents spoke of you."
I froze. My thoughts raced. She just… appeared? When did she get here?
Then it hit me—the memory of my bloodline, of my parents' words about magic, about witches, about powers. Lilith didn't need to sneak in. She could teleport.
"You… you can teleport?" I whispered, disbelief and awe warring in my voice.
Lilith's smile deepened. "Indeed. And there's much you need to learn, Hazel. The truth you've just discovered is only the beginning."
I sank into a chair, my hands trembling. The world I thought I knew was gone. The rules I'd lived by were shattered. And now… a new chapter of my life was about to begin.