I swear I'll find the truth," Yeonjun had promised me.
And guess what?
Truth sucks. Literally.
1. The Calm Before the Curse
For the first time in forever, the halls of Nightshade Academy felt... normal.
Which, by our standards, meant only two ghosts in the girls' bathroom and minimal blood trails by the library.
Yeonjun and I walked side-by-side, the air between us still buzzing from that kiss.
And not the awkward "do I look like a tomato?" kind — the "is this dangerous or do I just like him too much?" kind.
"So..." I said, bumping his shoulder. "Are we ignoring the fact that we were basically raised to be supernatural soulmates?"
Yeonjun smirked. "Nah. I just plan to beat the prophecy to the punch."
"Oh? And how's that working out for you?"
He stopped, looked at me — really looked at me — and said:
"Step one: keep you alive. Step two: kiss you whenever the world isn't ending."
"...So basically, you get to kiss me never?"
He chuckled, but the sound didn't reach his eyes. Because just then—someone stepped out of the shadows.
2. A Friend With Fangs... and Secrets
Kael.
My best friend. The sarcastic necromancer. The one who once made my shampoo scream just for fun.
"Amelia," he said, voice tight. "We need to talk. Alone."
Yeonjun stepped protectively in front of me, instantly.
"Not happening."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "You think she's safer with you, blood prince?"
"I know she is."
Tension snapped like a rubber band. I pushed between them.
"Guys! Chill. Kael, say what you have to say."
He looked me dead in the eye.
"You're being watched. Not by the Headmaster. By someone closer."
3. Truth Bomb, Incoming
Kael pulled a scroll from his cloak — bound in red wax, etched with my family crest.
I didn't even know we had a family crest.
"This," he said, "was found in the restricted archives. Hidden under layers of blood runes."
He opened it.
And the words written inside?
"Bond her to the prince. Seal the gate. Sacrifice if necessary."
Yeonjun's hand clenched into a fist. "What gate?"
Kael's eyes darkened. "The one that keeps her other half locked away."
4. Betrayal Tastes Like Dust
Kael turned to me slowly.
"The doppelgänger? The one trying to take over you?"
"Yeah… she's a menace."
"She's not some rogue ghost," he whispered. "She's the other you. The half your family split during a blood rite when you were a baby."
I blinked. "WHAT."
"They needed a vessel to hold power. One of you got the body. The other — the darkness."
Yeonjun's voice was ice. "And now she wants her piece back."
Kael nodded. "And if she gets it… you'll become something this world hasn't seen in centuries."
5. When Flirting Meets Fear
Yeonjun pulled me aside, jaw tight.
"You okay?"
I shook my head. "Nope. Found out I'm a magical science experiment with an evil twin living rent-free in my soul. Pretty sure I'm not okay."
He gently cupped my face. "You're still you. Whatever they did, they didn't break that."
"Are you sure?"
He leaned closer. "I kissed you, didn't I?"
"Okay, calm down Romeo."
6. Oh, Look — Another Curse!
The scroll began to glow — hot, red, angry.
"Kael," I warned, "I think your murder letter's alive."
"It's reacting to your blood," he muttered. "It's opening the final spell."
The scroll burst into flame — but not before revealing one final line:
"The prince must die, or the gate will open."
Yeonjun went pale.
I stepped back. "No. No no no. We're not doing the whole 'sacrifice the hot brooding vampire to save the world' thing, okay?!"
Kael's eyes met mine — and for the first time, I saw regret.
"That's why I came to warn you," he whispered.
"Because your parents... they've already put the plan in motion."
7. Trapped Between Fire and Fangs
Suddenly, the walls closed in.
Actual, magical walls. Spikes. Fire. The whole dramatic underworld aesthetic.
"We're not alone," Yeonjun growled, baring his fangs.
And from the ceiling dropped a hooded figure.
A voice echoed around us:
"Sacrifice the prince. Seal the gate. Or watch her become death itself."