“What do you mean??”
“Don’t trust anyone. Keep your room locked, especially at night.”
“Why-“
“Good morning.”
Vero and Elijah jumped until they screamed when they heard the voice of someone saying good morning.
Vero jumped beside Elijah and turned to look at the figure that startled them.
A woman of unusual height stood tall with a smile. Her eyes were blue as ice, hidden behind square glasses, and her red hair was in a tight bun.
“Are you a freshman?” she asked. She glanced at the sheet of paper clutched in Vero’s hand.
“Ah… yes,” Vero replied, nervously.
The woman held out her hand and moved her head slightly. She glanced at the paper one more time before looking at Vero. Vero immediately understood what the woman meant. She handed over the papers, and the woman accepted it.
“Verona Windward,” read the woman aloud. “Welcome,” she said, looking at Vero. “I’m the head of the dormitory building B, Caroline. You can call me Ms. Carol.”
Vero tried to smile back at Ms. Carol, but the muscles of her lips tightened.
Ms. Carol crossed her arms in front of her body and turned her gaze to Elijah. “Looks like your job here is done. Shouldn’t you be back now?”
Elijah said nothing and just nodded. He faced Vero and gave her a meaningful look before nodding his head in farewell.
Vero froze, watching Elijah leave and the message he had left replaying in her mind. Message laden with warnings.
“Come on, Ms. Winward.” Ms. Carol’s calm yet sharp voice made Vero turn to her. Ms. Carol turned and walked first, while Vero picked up her suitcases in a hurry and tried to catch up.
This dormitory turned out to be much more spacious than Vero thought. There are at least three-storey buildings overlooking the lake. Vero surveyed the buildings and wondered if the dorms here were mixed dorms.
“These buildings are girls’ dormitories. The boys’ dormitory is on the west side, on a separate plot,” explained Ms. Carol, as if she could read Vero’s mind.
Vero cleared her throat and said ‘oh’ softly while continuing to concentrate so that her suitcases didn’t fall.
Ms. Carol took them to an elevator and by the time the two of them, and Vero’s luggage, were in the elevator, Ms. Carol pressed the button number four. The hum of the elevator accompanied their quick journey to the fourth floor and the tingling sound as the elevator doors opened brought Vero to an astonishing sight.
The elevator doors faced toward a glass wall showing mountains and lakes, like a realistic landscape painting.
But Ms. Carol didn’t give Vero a chance to enjoy it. She continued down the hall on the left and stopped at the far end of the door.
“This is your room,” She said. Again, she reached out, and it took a moment for Vero to realize that Ms. Carol was asking for her room key.
Vero reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a brass key.
After unlocking, Ms. Carol enters, and Vero follows her.
Vero didn’t think that her room would look this amazing. She placed her suitcases by the door and walked over to the large French windows which led her to a balcony. From the balcony, Vero could see the green hills, the icy blue lake, and the big houses across the lake. Her room faced directly into the biggest house there. Vero vaguely saw movement from the windows of the magnificent house.
“The rules here are not strict. We made it that way for the convenience of the students. Even so, I hope you adhere to the listed rules well.”
Ms. Carol tapped the sheet containing the list of rules that Felicia had given before handing it back to Vero. “You can start school tomorrow,” she added. “If you need anything, you can meet me in my room on the ground floor, or you can ask Felicia.”
Vero nodded and Ms. Carol continued, “I hope you adapt well here.”
“Of course,” Vero answered right away.
With an environment like this, it will be very easy for her to adapt. And she did plan to rebuild her image and power here, just as she had built it back where she came from.
Wherever Vero is, she doesn’t want to be someone who is invisible. Being the center of attention is a joy for her and she believes she can do well here.
*
But what Vero thought was easy turned out to be a big mistake.
Since setting foot in Duradel, the wheel of her life has turned, and she is now at the bottom.
*
Vero spent the rest of the day arranging things and then taking a shower. Each room has a bathroom in it, so Vero didn’t come out of the room at all on her first day here.
It wasn’t until the next day, when she came down for breakfast, that she ran into other students in the dining hall between the boys’ and girls’ dormitories.
All eyes turned to her when Vero joined the queue to take breakfast. The atmosphere was awkward, but Vero tried to ignore the curious stares from the students. After getting her breakfast, Vero headed to an empty bench nearby.
Just as she put down the tray and sat down, a group of female students suddenly came up to her and sat on the empty chairs around her.
“Hey,” said a bright red-haired girl. “Are you the new girl?”
Vero looked up and tried to smile. “Yes,” she answered.
“How did you get in here? Why did you suddenly move?” Now it was the turn of a blue-haired girl sitting next to Vero who asked a question.
Vero took a bagel and spread it with buttercream, then replied, “I can’t answer that question. Personal problems.”
Her sharp and straightforward answer took the girls by surprise. Maybe they didn’t think that Vero, who was new here, dared to give such an answer.
Vero didn’t care if they were angry. She won’t be here long, though.
While Vero was munching on her bagel, the red-haired girl reached out. “Forgive us for being presumptuous. I’m Mia.”
Vero looked at Mia’s outstretched hand while chewing her food. She let Mia’s hand hang in the air for a few seconds before Vero shook her hand. “Vero.”
“My name is Ava.” The blue-haired girl stretched out her hand and Vero took her hand away from Mia to shake Ava’s hand. “What year are you?”
“Sophomore.”
“Whoa, me too! I hope we’re in the same class!”
The other girls also introduced themselves and after the introductions finished, they ate their own breakfast while talking about various things.
Of all the conversations Vero heard, there was one topic that made the girls very excited.
Of course, it’s about boys.
“Lev is so handsome today!” Mia screamed. “I ran into him earlier on my way here.”
“Has he come?” Ava said, no less excited. “Oh my God. You must have had a great day meeting Lev in the morning.”
The other girls shouted, agreeing with Ava’s statement.
The conversation about the guy named Lev continued until they headed to class.
Vero had no other choice but to sit with her new friends, even though they were very noisy.
Back in her place, no one dared to speak this loudly around Vero except she’s the one who started the conversation.
Vero was observing her new classroom when someone came in and all the girls suddenly fell silent.
“Lev,” whispered Mia, who was sitting right next to Vero. “Oh Lord. How can there be a human as handsome as him?”
Vero glared. Cold sweat ran down her back and forehead. Her palms trembled.
Wasn’t that the man she was with at the hotel?
Shouldn’t he be dead already?
He’s the guy Vero met on her birthday. She was so sure about it. Vero would never forget that face anywhere. A handsome young man with a distant, cold impression, his pale face was so easy for Vero to recognize. As soon as she saw him, two things happened simultaneously within her. Her memory of the young man covered in blood in the hotel room gave her chills. Then an unstoppable curiosity welled up within her. How could he be here when Vero had to hide and leave her life because she thought he was dead? With no hesitation, Vero stood up from the chair. The sound of her chair creaking caught the attention of her new friends. They stopped chatting and followed Vero with their gazes while she walked towards Lev’s table. “You,” Vero said as soon as she arrived in front of Lev’s desk. She stood straight and folded her arms in front of her chest. “How could you be here?” Lev, who was sitting facing to the side, listening to his friends chatting, glanced at Vero with an expressionless
Duradel may not be Vero’s domain, but she believes she can make her new friends bow to her, just as she did back home.After making sure Lev was no longer on the 4th floor, Vero entered her room and took the cell phone she kept in the nightstand drawer. She turned on the phone and waited for the main screen to appear and the signal was established.For a moment, she expected notifications of messages or missed calls, either from her parents or from her friends who wanted to know her whereabouts and current condition.But none appeared.Vero pursed her lips, and her shoulders slumped in disappointment. She put her phone on silent mode and put it in her bag. It is a violation to carry a cell phone to class and Vero didn’t want to lose it on her first day here. So she had to be careful.The long lunch hour was still going on when Vero returned to the campus. She headed to the cafeteria and looked around for her new friends amidst the crowd of students having their lunch.Mia’s red hair a
Vero found her cell phone, and she was pulling it out of her bag when someone crossed the side hall and stopped when he saw them.“What are you doing here? Isn’t the lecture over?”A tall, thin man like a dry tree in winter appeared and gave Vero goosebumps. Looks like it’s one of the campus staff. His appearance and face reminded Vero of Ms. Caroline. Both were pale-faced and seemed to have no feelings.All the girls were shocked and the arrogant attitude they had shown to Vero just now disappeared.“We’re taking Vero for a walk, introducing her to the campus area,” said Mia. The lies she told were so smooth that Vero wanted to compliment her.“You can do it tomorrow, at lunchtime,” the man said in an even tone. He barely even opened his mouth as he said it.“Okay, Mr. James,” said Ava.Mr. James glanced at Vero. “You’re the new student? Verona Windward?” he asked.“Yes, sir,” Vero answered, nodding.Mr. James gave Vero an appraising look from head to toe.“I hope you’ve read and mem
“What?” Vero thought she was misheard. There’s no way her father said that she couldn’t come back. “Dad, what are you saying?”“You can’t go back here.”“Why?!” Vero almost screamed when she asked that. This was the worst news she had heard after moving here. “Dad, don’t pull my leg! Are you not listening to me? The person is still alive! He is here!”“Vero, we’ll talk about that later, ok? Now, you must—” Her father’s next voice faltered. Only in the form of fragments of words that Vero could not hear.Once again, Vero took the phone away from her ear and looked at the signal indicator on the screen. The signal was very weak.“Dammit.” She put the phone to her ear as she walked out of the room. “Daddy! I can’t hear you! The signal is terrible,” Vero said in a hurry. She opened the door to the verandah and stood there, hoping for a better signal. “I was walking out to find a better signal. Don’t hang up the phone just yet.”No answer.“Dad?” Vero took the phone away and looked at the
It’s cold tonight. Just like any other night in Duradel. At least that’s what the locals have been saying for a long time. The same complaints about Duradel that never let go of the bone-chilling cold at night, even in summer.But whatever the weather that hit Duradel, it didn’t affect Lev and dozens of other vampires who lived in Noblebranch, the area where the vampire nobles of Duradel lived, which consisted of large mansions that attracted the attention of tourists in this little town.Although many seasoned tourists are willing to pay whatever it takes to visit Noblebranch, this place is not accessible to just anyone. Of all the Duradel areas, Noblebranch and the surrounding forest areas are forbidden places for tourists and residents who do not have permission to enter.Lev was sitting on the domed roof of the tower of his mansion. The moon tonight shone brightly in its perfectly round shape. And no matter what impulse moved him, Lev wante
When Lev lifted Verona from the lake, the girl was passing out. She slumped limply in his arms. Her body was as light as a feather, thought Lev. Does she never eat? Lev still doesn’t understand why girls these days are obsessed with skinny bodies like slates.Lev didn’t take her back to the dormitory or to the town area. There will be many eyes watching and that is not good for Verona. Especially if the dormitory gets to know about it.He carried Verona into the woods on the other side of the lake, a suitable distance from the town and closer to Noblebranch. Unlike the residents of Duradel, the noble vampires in Noblebranch wouldn’t give a damn about what was going on around them, as long as it didn’t disturb their comfort.Lev walked a little into the woods and, after making sure that no one could see them, he laid Verona down on the grass.“A very heroic act.” Sant emerged from the darkness. Lev knew he caught up with
“Hatchi!” Vero hadn’t even come out of the room and she had already used half a box of tissues to blow her nose. Upon returning to the dormitory, Vero immediately took a warm shower and wrapped herself in layers of blankets. The dorm provided three spare blankets in the cupboard and Vero used all of them. When morning came, the situation had not improved. Instead, now she felt dizzy and feverish. She had thought about skipping today’s class schedule, but this was only her second day. There’s no way she wouldn’t come. After all, she had a lot of things to do. Dizzy, Vero unsteadily walked to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and washed her face. After making sure that her face didn’t look swollen and that there wasn’t any dirt on it, she changed her clothes. Vero threw her pajamas into the dirty clothes basket and stopped when she found a T-shirt at the top of the pile. It was her savior’s shirt. Vero wanted to meet the person and thank him, but she did
Her image of the kind-hearted man who had saved her life was shattered in an instant. Of all the boys in this city, why did it have to be Lev who saved her? It was more likely for him to let Vero drown than to save her after what she did to him. When they face each other, it’s clear that Lev doesn’t like her. Then why did he save her? Did he hope Vero would feel indebted and submit to him? “It couldn’t be me,” said Vero. “And the video is blurry, so we can’t be so sure about who’s in there—” The blonde girl stamped her foot and pinched Vero’s chin with her slender thumb and forefinger. Her nails stabbed into her cheeks. “This evidence was so clear, yet you still dare to deny it?” she hissed. “Do you think I threw myself into the lake on purpose to get Lev’s attention? You think I’m that crazy?” “Well, yeah!” replied the blonde girl, as if that was the obvious thing. “You smacked Lev’s table in front of all the students. You threw food over Mia’s head.” She released her grip. “If