Vero’s journey was long. The night almost didn’t pass, and not even a second Vero could close her eyes. The figure of a man covered in blood flashed through her mind, and she covered her mouth every time she remembered the incident.
The sun formed a faint orange line across the horizon, making Vero realize where she was. The road the car passed was so winding, flanked by mountains full of pointed pines.
For a moment, Vero forgot her problem and was stunned at the sight. She pressed the button to open the window and the cool air caressed her, causing Vero to close her eyes for a moment while taking a deep breath.
“We’re almost there, Miss,” said the driver who escorted her, Elijah, as the car swerved down and over a bridge.
The bridge spans over a ravine. At the bottom of the cliff, there is a river and beside the bridge, there is a waterfall that is so high and flowing fast.
“I’ve seen no buildings at all,” said Vero after being satisfied with looking at the waterfall, whose voices were bustling like heavy rain.
“After going through the tunnel up ahead.”
Vero turned her gaze to the windshield and saw a tunnel under a lush hill.
Vero frowned at the sight. The tunnel looks dark and mysterious.
“Have you been here before?” Vero asked Elijah.
Elijah nodded. His gray hair moved slowly with the movement of his head. “One time,” he said. “I have come here once. It’s been a very long time. But I’m almost certain not much has changed there.”
“Where?”
The car they were traveling in had now entered the tunnel. There were only dimly lit orange lights stuck to the tunnel walls. And the tunnel itself looks like a hastily dug and left with its natural stone walls. Only the smooth asphalt road and the wall lamps show the existence of civilization.
When the car finally came out of the tunnel, Vero gasped. Down below, in a gorge surrounded by snowcapped mountains, lay a city blended with forest and lake. The lake is so big, calm, and blue that it looks like a giant mirror from a distance.
“Duradel, the village of the elders.”
Vero was amazed. She would live in this hidden place that looked like heaven? She felt her lips move into a smile. Her parents really kept their word, sending Vero to an amazing place and making sure she was safe.
The car was now driving through the streets in the middle of the city, and Vero saw pastel-colored houses that looked like they were built in the Middle Ages. Every time Vero passed residents who were walking on the sidewalk or sweeping their yards, the residents stopped their activities and stared questioningly at the car.
“Why are they looking at us?” asked Vero.
“It’s a little town and we are strangers,” explained Elijah. “And these times are not the time for new student admissions.”
“Where is the university?”
Elijah pointed to a large building on top of a hill. “There.”
But instead of heading up the hill, the car turned and drove down the road that led to the lake. The sun’s reflection over the lake made Vero squint, and when the car drove down the road by the lake, Vero saw several magnificent houses opposite. The houses were a settlement separated from the city as if not part of Duradel.
“Those houses,” Vero pointed across the lake, “Do you know who they belong to? Has this village become some kind of vacation spot for the super-rich?”
“No, Miss,” answered Elijah. Vero expected an explanation, but he said nothing else.
The car stopped in front of a red multi-story building overlooking the lake. Elijah came down and opened the door for Vero. “We have arrived.”
Vero came out and looked once more at the lake and the large medieval-style houses opposite, before turning and looking at the red-painted buildings that towered over and looked striking.
“You will stay here,” Elijah explained.
“This is… a dorm?”
“Yes, sort of.”
Elijah carried Vero’s suitcase and walked into the building. Vero stopped for a moment at the gate and read the writing written on the curved board above the gate.
Aeterna Nocte
It’s Latin for Eternal Night.
Vero frowned. Quite an odd name for a dormitory.
They arrived at the entrance hall and the driver turned into a room marked administration room.
There was a woman with black hair with very pale skin behind a long desk. The woman stood up and smiled.
“Welcome,” she said. “Are you Verona Windward?”
“Yes, she is.” It was Elijah who answered the question. “On behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Windward, I’m sorry for this sudden moving.”
“No problem. The school year just started two weeks ago, so Ms. Winward will have no trouble adjusting.”
The woman held out her hand, and Elijah shook it. When the woman reached out to Vero, Vero hesitantly extended her hand, and they shook hands. The woman’s hands were icy cold.
“My name is Felicia. You can call me Feli.”
“Hi.” Vero nodded and immediately withdrew her hand. Her skin felt stiff and almost frozen.
“I will finish the administrative matters in a moment. You can wait here.”
Vero and Elijah sat in a row of benches by the window. Vero repeatedly glanced anxiously at the door. Worry and fear came back to haunt her.
Hopefully, her parents really can sort things out so she can come back soon. Although the scenery in this small town captivated her, Vero wasn’t sure she would feel at home here because this place didn’t have the glitter of a big city that she used to enjoy.
Vero would ask her father to buy or build a house here so she could come back any time for a vacation. Maybe someone sold one of the mansions across the lake.
“Ms. Winward,” Felicia called. Vero stood up and walked over to her. Felicia handed over a few pieces of paper and asked Vero to sign them, then she took the papers and handed her a key and a filled-out form, and a list of the dormitory rules.
“Your room is on the fourth floor of building B. Meet the head of the dormitory there and give her this form.”
Vero nodded and thanked her.
Before leaving the room, Felicia told Vero the location of building B and now Vero was heading there with Elijah. They walked down the hall across from the administration room, which led them to a garden with a path that ran down the middle.
Like the view of the city, this dormitory is also quite a treat for Vero’s eyes. She even hummed and was in a good mood when suddenly Elijah grabbed her arm.
“Ms. Windward.”
Vero stopped humming and turned to him. “Yes?”
“I have to get back soon,” he said. “We part here.”
Vero nodded, frowning. For someone who was bidding farewell, Elijah’s tone was strange and the look on his face was… terrified.
“Okay,” said Vero as she pulled her hand so that Elijah released his grip. But instead of understanding Vero’s movements, Elijah’s fingers tightened around her elbows, making Vero wince in pain.
“Listen to me,” said Elijah suddenly. His voice was low and heavy and almost a whisper. He glanced around as if making sure no one else was around.
“This place… this place is dangerous.”
*
“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 musc
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