Red Ink

Seraphina POV

"Who is Elara?"

For one second, I couldn't breathe because my mother's name was still burning across the wall in dark letters. "THE BLOOD OF ELARA WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN."

I stared at it until the letters blurred then I forced myself to look at Kael.

His eyes were fixed on me but I couldn't tell him.

So I swallowed hard and shook my head. "I don't know."

Kael's expression didn't change. "What?"

"I don't know who she is."

His eyes narrowed. "You're saying you don't know the woman whose name is written on the wall?"

"Yes, i don't."

"Then why did you look like you'd seen a ghost?"

My fingers curled into my palms. "Because whoever wrote that message obviously wants to frighten people."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only one I have."

Kael stepped closer. "Selene."

There was something different in his voice now.

"Stop lying to me."

My heart hammered. "I'm not lying."

He stared at me and I forced myself not to look at the wall again but how could someone here know her name?

And how could they know about her bloodline?

I had spent years hearing people speak about my mother as though she had been reckless, stubborn, and incapable of knowing her place but this was a warning not insult.

Someone knew that her daughter was here,my stomach twisted as Kael glanced toward the healer. "Leave us."

The healer hesitated. "Prince....."

"Now."

She immediately obeyed and the moment the door closed behind her, Kael turned back to me.

"Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing."

I said nothing. "The student disappeared without anyone seeing him leave. A warning appears on the wall."

"I told you. I don't know who she is."

His jaw tightened. "You expect me to believe that?"

"I don't care what you believe."

My voice came out sharper than I intended and Kael's expression hardened.

"You should care."

"Why?"

"Because you're standing in the middle of something you clearly don't understand."

I looked at him. "I understand enough and you don't even know me that well."

"Do you?"

He stepped closer. "You came here alone with no Pack or a proper identification. You fought one of our strongest students on your first day. Someone attacked the Academy looking for an Alpha's daughter, and then this Elara's name appears on a wall."

His eyes locked onto mine. "And you're telling me none of it concerns you."

I felt trapped because every answer would expose me, I needed to leave immediately. I didn't suffer just to be sent back to my father on my second day already. "I need to go."

I moved toward the door and Kael caught my wrist. "Let me go."

"Not until you tell me the truth."

"I don't know the truth you are searching for!"

My voice cracked and I hated that my eyes were burning, I was close to tears and break down in front of him.

Kael's grip slowly loosened and I pulled my hand away. "I don't know who is doing this," I whispered. "I don't know why they're doing it. And I don't know who Elara is."

Kael studied me but eventually, he stepped aside. "Go to your dorm."

I stared at him. "You're letting me leave?"

"For now."

His eyes remained cold. "But this conversation isn't over."

I nodded then I walked out.

I didn't run until I was far enough away that he couldn't see me then I ran.

My heart pounded as I rushed through the Academy corridors, I couldn't stop thinking about my mother and the message, the crystal and the student and finally the witch only she knew who I was and where I was going.

Everything was connecting in my head, but none of it made sense. I reached my dormitory and pushed the door open. "Mira?"

I stepped inside. "Thank the Moon."

Mira was sitting on my bed and she jumped to her feet when she saw me. "Where have you been?"

I closed the door behind me. "Why?"

"Because you disappeared."

She hurried toward me. "I came back from the medical wing and you weren't here. I went looking for you, but the guards wouldn't let anyone leave the building."

She stopped and her eyes moved over me. "You're bleeding."

I looked down, the cut along my side had reopened. "It's nothing."

"Stop saying that."

She grabbed my arm. "Sit down."

"I'm fine."

"Sit."

I sat on the edge of the bed and Mira disappeared into the bathroom then returned with a cloth and a small bottle of healing ointment, she began cleaning the cut and I hissed. "Sorry."

"It's okay."

She looked at me. "What happened?"

I didn't answer. "Selene."

She pressed the cloth against my side. "You've been gone for hours. The Academy was attacked, a student disappeared and you came back looking like you've seen a ghost."

I stared at the floor. "I don't know where to start."

"Start anywhere."

I took a shaky breath. "After the floor collapsed, Kael pulled me out."

Her eyebrows rose. "Prince Kael?"

"Yes."

"You were with him since I left your side?"

"Yes."

"Alone?"

"Mira."

"Sorry."

She returned to cleaning my wound. "What happened next?"

I told her, everything about the missing student, the black crystal, the message and finally......"Elara."

Mira's hand stopped. "What?"

I looked at her. "They wrote her name on the wall."

"Who is Elara?"

"I don't know."

She frowned. "You're sure?"

"Yes."

"What did the message say?"

I swallowed. "That the blood of Elara would not be forgotten."

Mira slowly sat beside me then she whispered, "That's insane."

I nodded. "Exactly."

"No, I mean..." She shook her head. "Everything about this is insane."

She started counting on her fingers. "You arrived yesterday."

"Yes."

"On your first day, you fought Marcus."

"Unfortunately."

"Then you somehow impressed Prince Kael."

"I didn't."

"Then the Academy was attacked and that student disappeared from a locked room, now someone's writing mysterious messages about some woman named Elara?"

I nodded, Mira stared at me. "Crazy things are happening."

She gave a nervous laugh.."And it's literally only the second day you've been here."

Then her smile disappeared. "Selene."

"What?"

"Do you think someone followed you here?"

The question made my blood run cold and I looked at her. "I don't know."

"But you were running from something before you came here, weren't you?"

I said nothing and Mira's eyes softened. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

I looked away.."I wish I could."

She reached for my hand. "Whatever it is, you're not alone."

My throat tightened and I squeezed her fingers. "Thank you."

For a moment, the room was quiet then we heard a sound had come from the window and we both froze. "Did you hear that?"

I nodded and my heart began pounding.

Mira stood. "Don't."

I grabbed her wrist. "Stay here."

"Selene...."

I moved toward the window and looked but there was nothing to see

Mira released a breath..'See? Probably a branch."

I almost believed her then I noticed a handprint on the glass and my blood froze.

Someone had touched the window from inside our room. Mira stepped beside me and her face drained of color. "That's impossible."

I stared at the handprint RUN was written in red ink.

Mira screamed and I stumbled backward. My heart was pounding so hard it hurt then the lights went out.

Mira grabbed my arm. "Selene!"

"I'm here."

There was someone else in the room, I reached for my knife and my fingers closed around the handle. "Who's there?"

Then a voice whispered directly behind me. "Did you really think changing your face would make you disappear?"

My blood turned to ice and I spun around.

Mira screamed again and I raised my knife. "Show yourself

"Five years is a long time, Seraphina."

My breath stopped because I knew that voice, it belongs to the witch.

My eyes widened but before I could move, the crystal shattered and the room went completely silent.