A figure landed right in front of us, covered in black from head to toe.

April screamed so loud I thought she might pass out.

Zoya bolted behind Jack, using him as a shield. Time froze. My instincts said run, but how do I start running on a bizarre road like this? Even if I chose to, with how fast the figure emerged, there was no way I could beat him in a race.

My head processed all possible outcomes, and I subconsciously jumped into Fred’s arms, holding his neck tightly with my eyes shut. It’s better to die in the arms of a hot guy, after all.

Then came the laughter.

“You should have seen your faces!” he wheezed, doubling over.

“What the actual fuck, man?” Jack snapped, pushing him in the chest. “Are you trying to get killed?!”

The guy straightened and pulled off his ski mask. Underneath was a smug-looking dude, face painted white with red streaks down his cheeks, a bloody Joker smile smeared across his lips. I’d recognize that face anywhere, even with all the world's paint on it,the guy from the coffee shop on campus, a real ass and total jerk.

I quickly jumped down awkwardly, smoothing my dress. Immediately, April burst into laughter. “Even my little sister, who is just five, isn’t as much of a scaredy-cat as the both of you. Get off my path,” she said, rolling her eyes as she pushed Zoya aside.

“Heyyy,” Zoya went after her, pulling her hair.

April screamed and turned to Jack, hoping he’d come to her rescue. He totally ignored her, more focused on the coffee guy.

I quickly went after Zoya. “Hey, hey, hey. Calm down. Don’t give her the satisfaction of getting on your nerves. Besides, this is who we should be dealing with,” I said, sending dagger stares at the guy from the coffee shop as I pulled Zoya’s grip off Sophia’s hair.

Knowing I was referring to him, he shifted backward. “It’s Halloween. I’m only doing my fair part to scare everyone,” he said, raising his arms in surrender.

“Not in a goddamn fuckin’ wood, you motherfuckin’ asshole,” I barked.

“Alright, alright. We should get going if we still plan on making it to the party. By the way,not cool, bro,” Fred, who had been quiet all along, chimed in.

“My apologies. I’ll take y’all down. The tent is just by the corner.”

“Tent?? What do you mean by tent?” I asked, surprised.

“What were you expecting? A mansion?” he burst out laughing. “If there’s a full-blown house in the middle of nowhere, would you want to go into it? Of course, it’s a tent. It’s Halloween.”

“Don’t mind her. That’s how she asks useless questions,” April interrupted.

Okay, I’ve had enough of this girl for one night. Frowning, I walked ahead of the group. At this point, I wasn’t even feeling the vibe of Halloween anymore.

“Hey, hey, slow down,” Zoya called behind me. I was about to ignore her when I caught sight of the tent ahead and stopped in my tracks.

It was a huge tent that could accommodate over a hundred people. There were lights all around with Halloween decorations,skeletons, pumpkins, and weird drawings of human skulls with blood dripping on the fabric. What’s with the host and blood?

The music coming from the tent was slow and calm, which explained why we hadn’t heard it from far away. “Finally, we’re here,” Fred said, running ahead. Zoya shot me a glance and shrugged before chasing after him.

Next were Jack and Sophia.

“Are you coming or not?” the coffee guy asked.

“Sure,” I replied, strolling into the tent.

The tent was crowded with teenagers, some I recognized, some I didn’t. But as I scanned the room, my eyes landed on a group that seemed completely out of place.

They weren’t wearing anything unusual,in fact, they were the only ones not dressed in costumes. But that’s what made them stand out.

They wore jeans, t-shirts, regular clothes,but there was a certain elegance in how they moved. A precision in every gesture. Their eyes gleamed with an otherworldly light,dark and piercing, with a red ring around the iris. Their skin looked smooth, flawless and unnatural.

They moved with an eerie stillness, like they weren’t really moving at all. Their smiles were polite, but forced. Like predators pretending to blend in with prey. You could feel it, the danger beneath the surface.

The men were impossibly handsome, with sharp features and eyes that felt like they could see right through you. The women were just as stunning, with porcelain skin and raven-black hair cascading down their backs like silk.

They carried themselves like royalty pretending to be commoners. Every move was graceful. Unbothered. Powerful.

I watched as a group of guys swaggered over to them, clearly captivated. The women smiled and laughed, their eyes sparkling with amusement. But it was obvious who was really in control.

“If you’re done observing, will you join me for a drink or two?” a voice said behind me, jolting me from my thoughts.

I turned,and there he was.

An angel in human form. For a second, I expected him to sprout wings and fly.

Long hair brushed his shoulders, his body looked sculpted, his presence magnetic. But he looked like them. Just more… captivating.

“Helloooo… A fly’s going to get into your mouth with how wide it’s open.”

“Excuse you!” I snapped, regaining my composure. “My mouth was closed. You must be daydreaming.”

“Oh, I wasn’t. It was wide open. I was almost tempted to stick something in it…”

“You can’t be serious,” I said, walking deeper into the tent.

“Oh, I am. A stick, maybe…” he replied, following behind me.

“You wouldn’t dare…” I barked, annoyed. I can’t believe I thought he was attractive a moment ago.

“Oh sweetheart, I do a lot of things. But bluffing ain’t one of them. You’re only frantic because you’re not aware of what kind of stick I mean. You know, the one between my legs…”

He grabbed my hand, turning me to face him.

The force made me bump into him, my head hitting his chest.

“Aush!” I winced. It felt like I hit a damn wall.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, trying to rub my head.

I pushed him away. “Let go of me!” I barked, storming off.

Before I left, I thought I heard him scoff. I swear he muttered, weak humans with terrible tempers, but I was in too much pain to confirm.

“Are you okay?” Zoya asked, walking up.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Doesn’t seem like it. You’ve been rubbing your head since I got here. Did something happen? I saw you talking to that hot guy…”

“Nothing happened,” I said, forcing a smile.

“Then what are you waiting for? Let’s hit the dance floor! There are a lot of hot guys here…” she grinned, pulling my arm.

Chuckling, I followed her and picked up a drink as we started dancing.

Don’t be mad at me, cupcake…

The voice echoed in my head.

I spun around,no one close enough to have whispered that. The music was too loud. I shouldn’t have heard anything.

“That’s weird…” I muttered.

“Hello, pretty…”

I heard the voice again. A shadow passed behind me.

“Did you hear that?” I asked Zoya, gripping her arm.

“Hear what?”

“The voice…”

“Aya, are you okay? You’ve been acting weird all night.”

“I’m fine,” I said, brushing it off. “I’ll go get another drink.”

At the drink stand, I poured myself some juice. Maybe the alcohol was making me hallucinate.

“No, it isn’t…”

“Holy shit!” I jumped, turning to see the guy from earlier,standing right beside me.

Was he here before? How didn’t I see him?

“No, I wasn’t.”

“What?” I asked, stunned. I didn’t say that out loud. How is he responding to what I think?

“Do you live in town?” he asked, pulling out a seat and sitting casually.

The way he moved,so still, so precise. Was he even breathing?

“Mind saying what’s going on in your head out loud? You think too much, you know.”

“I don’t want to talk to you,” I said, turning to leave.

“Yes you do. You’re curious,I can see that.” He said, but not out loud. Like I heard it in my head.

“What did you just say?” I turned back to him sharply.

“Say what?”

“You just said something. Don’t pretend I’m crazy. I heard you.”

“I didn’t say anything, Aya.”

“How do you know my name?”

“The choker around your neck says ‘Aya.’”

“Oh.” I subconsciously touched my pendant .

I think I’m going crazy. Everything about this party feels off.

“Yeah, you’re the only one who thinks so,” he replied again.

“What? Are you reading my mind?”

“Is that possible for humans to do?”

“What do you mean, humans? What are you?”

“I’m Azriel.”

“I don’t mean your name. I don’t give a fuck about your name.” I narrowed my eyes. “What are you? How are you hearing my thoughts?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, turning to leave.

“Of course, you do.” I grabbed his hand. “Jeez…why is your skin so cold?”

“You ask too many questions, Aya.”

“I ask because I want to know. Not just you,everyone here is acting weird. They look at us like they want to devour us.”

“Really?”

“Stop acting dumb. If you’re not going to tell me what’s going on, then stay away from me and stop lurking around me!” I said, stomping my foot.

“Wow… you’ve got a temper, little one.”

“Little one? You’re not much older than I am. Stop acting like a grandpa. You know what? I’m done talking to you. Bye.”

“Relax, Aya. You rush too much. Were you born in September?”

“You know what? Fuck off.”

I turned to walk away again, but he pulled me back.

“Okay, I’m sorry… Let’s start over. I’m Azriel. And I’m a vampire. He said bowing slightly.