Chapter 4

Clara froze for a moment. Zevko really was out of his mind. She had just come back from that forest, and now she had to return tomorrow? Still, she had no choice but to do what Zevko said. Part of her wanted to prove she was professional, but she was also honestly curious about the secret Zevko was keeping.

Clara let out a soft sigh and lowered her gaze. “Alright. In that case, let me finish these files first.”

“Good!” Zevko replied, pulling back. He returned to his desk. “One more thing, Clara. Stay away from that man.”

“What? Man? Who?”

“Don’t play dumb,” Zevko spoke without turning around; his eyes stayed glued to his laptop screen.

“Who do you mean? John?”

“He wanted to take you home, didn’t he?”

“Haha, so what if I go home with him?”

Suddenly, Zevko looked up. His sharp gaze made Clara shrink back right away.

“I-I was just kidding. Who would want to be escorted home anyway? I can go home by myself.”

“Remember, Clara. Just focus on your work. And one more thing, don’t let anyone find out about what happened in the forest.”

“Yeah, I get it. No need to remind me over and over. Excuse me.”

Clara left Zevko’s office, annoyed. She hurried to finish her work. She was exhausted and just wanted to go home and sleep. She kept yawning and tried to hide it. No matter how much coffee she drank, she couldn’t stay awake. Finally, she let her head rest on the desk and fell asleep.

Clara slept so deeply that even when her friends called her, she didn’t respond. She was alone in the room until night came.

Outside, rain poured down, and fog covered the city. The night felt eerie. Clara hurried to the empty parking lot. She got into her car, but the engine wouldn’t start.

“Damn it. What’s wrong with this car now? It was just serviced last month.”

Clara grumbled in frustration. Suddenly, she saw a shadow move past. Curious, she got out and looked around, but saw no one. When she turned to get back in the car, her eyes went wide. A black-furred creature with sharp claws and long fangs stood in front of her. Its yellow eyes watched her closely.

Clara screamed. She tried to back away, but the creature trapped her with its arms. She couldn’t move. Her breathing sped up and cold sweat covered her skin. She was terrified.

The creature stared at her, moved its snout close to her neck, and sniffed her.

“N-no, please d-don’t…”

“Mate…”

Suddenly, a deep voice came from the creature’s mouth. It pressed its snout to Clara’s neck, making her scream hysterically.

“Noooo!!”

“Clara, wake up!!”

Someone shook Clara’s shoulders. She opened her eyes and slowly lifted her head. She was still breathing hard. When she saw Zevko, she stood up right away and hugged him in fear.

“Zev, help me. That creature bit me.”

“What creature, Clara? There’s nothing here. You’re supposed to be working, not sleeping.”

Clara opened her eyes and looked around. She was still in the office. It had only been a dream, but it felt real. She touched her neck where the creature had bitten her. It still throbbed and itched, but there was no wound.

Clara was about to go back to her seat, but Zevko held her in his arms. They stared at each other for a moment. Clara’s heart pounded, but she couldn’t look away from Zevko’s eyes.

Zevko lowered his head close to Clara’s neck, as if he was smelling her.

“Zev, w-what are you doing?”

“Checking your neck. You were holding it earlier. But there’s nothing here.”

Clara breathed a sigh of relief. But she could still feel the throbbing. “But the creature bit me right here.”

“Enough, I’ll take you home.” Zevko released her from his embrace.

“No, thank you. I can go home by myself.”

Zevko didn’t say anything else and left her alone. Clara quickly packed up and went to the parking lot. She got into her car, but once again, the engine wouldn’t start.

Clara began to feel uneasy. Everything was happening just like in her dream. She wished she hadn’t turned down Zevko’s offer to drive her home. Clara didn’t want her nightmare to come true. Without thinking, she got out to look for Zevko, but bumped into someone standing in front of her.

“What is it now, Clara?”

“Oh, Zev. Um, my car won’t start. Can I ride with you?”

Zevko didn’t answer. He just took Clara’s hand and led her to his car. They drove away from the office building into the heavy storm.

That night, no other cars were on the road because it was hard to see. Still, Zevko drove calmly, as if he could see through the darkness.

At the intersection near the city park, Zevko was forced to stop. A black shadow darted across the road in front of his car.

Zevko narrowed his eyes. The shadow slipped into the park, disappearing among the trees.

“What’s wrong, sir?” Clara asked, confused. Of course, Clara hadn’t seen the shadow.

“Clara, wait in the car. Remember! Don’t get out!”

“Where are you going? I’m scared to be alone.”

“Just stay in the car. Don’t get out until I come back, understand?”

“Okay.”

Zevko quickly put on his coat, got out, and entered the park. He stood, scanning his surroundings. His sharp gaze swept the area. Suddenly, he growled and shouted in a low voice.

“Come out, all of you!”