Chapter 2. Whispers That Don’t Bleed Correctly

Selene

The room got quiet before I walked in, not the usual quiet, nor the kind that happens when a top hunter walks in. This was sudden, like someone cut off the conversation mid-sentence.

People dragged the boots on the floor, some people cleared their throat late, metal stopped clinking, yet I didn’t slow down.

I allowed the door to close softly behind me and I walked into the center of the room, into the space they’d left. As I walked, my eyes moved, not fast, not searching, just taking it all in.

Three people were at the weapons table, one was near the wall checking a map that hadn’t changed in weeks, two more were by the infirmary entrance. The one who was talking wouldn’t look at me.

“Keep going " I said to myself 

My voice wasn’t loud, It just filled the inward silence.

Then, the young hunter swallowed. I watched as his throat moved and his fingers clenched on the datapad.

“It’s a report from Sector Twelve " he said. "There is a possible vampire sighting.”

“Possible?" I stepped closer. Not aggressive, just precise. "You saw something or you’re wasting my time.” I said 

He gripped the datapad tighter, "There was a disturbance, signs of a struggle, Blood…”

“How much?” I cutted in 

He hesitated.

I tilted my head, "You measured it, right”

“Not much.” he responded 

The word sounded off.

“Not much " I repeated, like I was tasting something. "Define not much.” I said 

“A few drops, not enough to say it was a feed.” he replied 

I took the datapad from him, scanned it and the pictures came up grainy but clear.

Broken glass, scattered stuff, a smear of blood on the concrete that stopped cleanly.

No drag marks, no pulling, and no blood flow.

I looked back at him. "Where’s the body?”

“That’s the thing, " he said, quickly. "There wasn’t one.”

The room shifted slightly, I felt it.

“A vampire that doesn’t feed isn’t a vampire " I said, my voice flat. "There's a mistake in your report.”

“It’s not a mistake " he said, then wished he hadn’t.

Good, now he had some ego.

I stepped closer, close to see the twitch in his jaw. "Then explain it.”

“I don’t know.”

“Then I will.”

I flicked the images aside. "No frenzy, no much blood loss, no body. That means one of two things." I held up two fingers. "Either your ‘vampire’ was interrupted…”

I lowered one finger.

“Or it chose to stop.”

The second finger stayed in the air.

Silence again.

He didn’t answer.

None of them did.

Because that second option didn’t belong here, not in this room, not in what we believed.

Vampires don't choose to stop, they consume, they destroy,they end things.

Always.

“Bring in the witness, " I said.

The infirmary door opened before I finished talking.

They led her out carefully like she might break if they moved fast. She is a civilian, in her early twenties, her skin is pale but not lifeless.

Alive?? That alone made my stomach tight.

I stepped toward her ignoring how she flinched at the sight of me, people always did neither did hunters soften their edges.

“Look at me, " I said.

She did but barely.

I reached for her wrist, turning it to show the marks.

Two punctures, which were clean, too clean.

No tearing, no hesitation. Whoever did this didn’t rush, nor lose control.

I leaned in, studying the bruising around it with controlled pressure and minimal force. Precisely 

“What happened?" I asked.

Her lips parted and shook.

“He …he didn’t…" She swallowed hard. "He didn’t hurt me.”

A murmur started behind me but I ignored it.

“Start from the beginning.” I said 

“I was walking home, " she said. "And It was late, I thought someone was following me when I turned there was no one there. Suddenly…" Her breath hitched. "He was there.”

Of course he was.

“They always are, " someone muttered.

I didn’t look back.

“What did he do?" I pressed.

“He grabbed me, " she said. "Pinned me against the wall. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even scream. It was like…." She shut her eyes tight. "Like my body just stopped listening to me.”

Coercion. That’s what I expected.

“Then?" I said.

Her voice dropped. "He leaned in. I thought…." She said, trembling. "I thought I was going to die.”

“. You didn’t.”

“No.”

“Why?”

Her eyes snapped to mine. They were wide and scared. "Because he let me go.”

The word came softer this time.

“Mercy.”

It hit the room like a crack.

Behind me chairs shifted. Someone scoffed loudly.

“Shock-induced delusion," one of the hunters said. "It happens. The mind rewrites trauma to cope.”

But I didn’t turn.

I watched her.

“You’re sure?" I asked quietly.

She nodded. "He was looking at me like… like I was something he was trying to understand.”

Not as a prey. Not a target. Something else.

My fingers tightened a bit around her wrist before I let go.

“Take her back, " I said.

They did that quickly.

The moment the door shut, the room filled with noise again.

“Enough " Elias said.

His voice cut through everything. It was sharp and final.

I turned.

Commander Elias Thorne stood near the end of the room. He was straight and stern.

“Vampires do not show mercy " he continued. "They manipulate. They deceive. They survive.. ”

Then his gaze found mine. He continued.

“They kill.”

There it was. The truth we built everything on.

I held his gaze a second longer than necessary.

There was something about it.

No doubt.. Something colder.

It was recognition.

“You’re assigning this to me " I said.

It wasn’t a question.

A wink crossed his face. "Yes.”

It came fast. Like he’d been waiting for me to say it.

“Unpredictable threats are dangerous " he added. "I want this handled correctly.”

I inclined my head once. "It will be.”

The words felt different leaving my mouth.

They sounded sharper and hooked.

I snuck into the archive an hour later.

Rules didn’t count when something didn’t make sense.

The system fought back for six seconds before I got past it. It was security.. Easy to beat.

“ behavior " I said to myself looking at the results.

Files showed up. Then they vanished.

They were edited. Messed up. Shut down.

Still I dug deeper.

I need pieces of information. Always pieces.

Reports from years ago. Different places.. Same pattern.

“Not much blood.. Picked targets. People who survived.”

Every file ended the way.

They were. Stopped. Not solved.. Hidden.

My heart stayed calm.. Something else got tighter.

Then I saw it.

A name that wasn’t fully erased.

“Cassian.”

No last name. No where he was from or destination. It was there.

It was like a thread through all the stuff the system couldn’t delete.

I leaned back. I stared at it.

“Cassian.”

The name didn’t mean a thing.. Somehow it meant everything.

I started putting the pieces in my head. Lining up times and places. Looking at where things happened.. Where hunters were.

Then I realized he wasn’t random. He always showed up near us.

Near. Where things were happening. Near. Where there was fighting.

Not always the cause. Sometimes. Like he was watching.

My fingers stopped moving on the console.

A memory popped up.

On the rooftop. Months ago. Wind blowing hard across my face.. A feeling, like someone was watching me.

I thought it was just me being careful.

Psychologically.

I wasn’t alone.

He was there.

Watching me.

That didn't scare me.

It made me sharper.

And by the time I got to the rooftop that night the city was calm.

Lights were on and shadows were long between buildings.

I moved to the edge and I looked around, Listening.

Everything seemed normal, at the same time, it felt off.

The

air felt heavy like it was holding its breath.

I stopped moving and waited, still nothing, no sound, no movement. But I know I wasn't alone, but I couldn't see him, and l couldn't hear him.

Then, I felt like something in the dark had already found me.

And it was watching me.