Someone’s POV
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I stopped walking and almost went deaf as she shouted at me.
“I-I’m just going out to get some fresh air,” I replied, making an excuse.
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Do you think you can fool me? Don’t even attempt to escape because if you do, I’ll be forced to kill you.” You could hear the threat in her voice.
I bit my lower lip. That was not an option. If I were to die, I needed to tell them the truth first.
I slowly turned away, avoiding her scrutinizing gaze.
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of escaping. Besides, what chance do I have against you, right?” I needed to convince her that I was on her side. It was the only way to stay safe for now.
“Indeed. Go back to your room now. You’re not allowed to leave until the fated battle tomorrow. You know what will happen to you if you disobey,” she warned.
I was about to protest, but I had to prioritize my thoughts now.
With that, I nodded and walked back to my room. I needed to figure out a way to escape from here.
Weakened, I sat down on the floor. I should have listened to him, if only I had.
“Don’t worry. I’ll do everything I can to correct the mistakes I made as long as I still have the chance,” I said as if he could still hear me.
I let out a deep sigh. But I was startled as I suddenly remembered something.
I quickly went to the trunk under my bed. I opened it and from inside, retrieved an object that could help me.
Why did it only occur to me now?
It felt like I heard his words again, the day he gave me this thing.
“Here. Keep this. It will greatly help you protect yourself. I am not around all the time to look after you, that’s why. But...” He sighed and stared blankly at me. “It will only work if you use it in a good way. Don’t expect it to work if you use it for evil purposes.”
I hesitated to take the item he was handing to me. But in the end, I thought that I might need it someday.
“What’s with this?” I asked while looking at the bracelet he gave me.
He smirked. “It’s a special weapon of mine, and he doesn’t know about it.”
That made my brow raise. “Weapon? How can this be a weapon?”
Seriously, what can a single bracelet do?
He sighed before flicking my forehead. I just gave him a glare. “Once you wear it, you’ll become invisible.”
I smiled bitterly. Well, if I had thought of using it earlier, maybe it wouldn’t work either.
But now I have finally decided. I will do everything so that the trust and sacrifices you made won’t be in vain...
My dear brother, Dave.
***
Nicole Jane’s POV
I am currently in the middle of the forest. I looked around, but all I could see were towering trees.
“Kyle?” I called out, but no one answered.
“Is anyone there?” I called again. But this time, only the cold breeze of the wind answered me.
I started walking. However, after an hour of walking straight, I realized that I was just going in circles, ending up back in the same place where I stood earlier.
“Nicole.”
That voice left me stunned and gasping.
I couldn’t be mistaken. I knew it was him. I would never forget that chilling voice that always made me shiver!
I turned my head to my right, and there he was. Suddenly, I realized how much I had missed him.
“Dave.” I tried to walk closer to him, but it felt like my feet were rooted to the ground.
He smiled at me, but there was still sadness in his face. “Help her, please,” he pleaded.
Confusion creased my forehead upon hearing his words. “Help who?”
But he kept repeating the same plea to me, and I couldn’t quite understand whom he was referring to.
“Help her. She’s not the enemy. At least not the real one. Get to know who is around you, Nicole. That one is right beside you, observing as you fall into its trap.”
I was truly confused by what he was saying. “Help who, Dave? Please enlighten me! And who is the real enemy you’re referring to?”
He smiled again. “I have great trust in you. I know you can find the answers in your own way.”
“But Dave—”
“One more thing. Once everything has been cleared to you and the war has ended, please be happy. That way, I’ll be finally happy too.”
I was about to speak, but in an instant, he was no longer in front of me.
“Nicole! Nicole! Wake up!”
I woke up to the sensation of someone shaking my shoulder. I gasped for breath and sat up in bed.
“Here. Drink this.”
Trembling, I took the glass of water that Kyle handed to me.
“Thanks.”
He sat on the edge of my bed, his expression filled with concern. “Are you okay? Tell me. What did you dream about? I was outside your room, about to knock on the door when I heard you scream.”
I suddenly remembered my dream and Dave. I knew he had something to say and convey to me. He was giving me a warning. But I was still confused about what he meant.
I looked at Kyle and forced a smile. “I can’t remember it now. Maybe it was just a bad dream. It was too blurry,” I lied.
I’m sorry, Kyle. But I think I need to find the answers about my dream on my own.
He nodded. “Okay. Anyway, I came here to ask if you’d like to go to the beach. The weather is nice, and I think it would be a great time for some relaxation.”
I nodded eagerly, my eyes sparkling with excitement upon hearing their words. For now, I would set aside the mystery behind my dream.
“I love that! Just wait for me downstairs.”
I quickly got ready after Kyle left my room. Once I finished preparing, I put on my pink bathrobe and draped a towel over my right shoulder before finally heading out and downstairs.
“Hi, Mom! Dad!” I greeted both my parents with a peck on the cheek as I saw them sipping their coffees in the dining area.
“Hi there, sweetie! You can go ahead now. They’ve been waiting for you. Seems like you had a good sleep,” Mom said.
I just smiled. “Where’s Gino?” I asked when I noticed he was nowhere in sight.
“He’s with Athena. You know, probably just wandering around,” Dad replied cryptically, earning a pinch from Mom.
“You and your ideas!” she exclaimed.
Uncle Zach and Auntie Cass laughed, busy sipping their red-colored drinks.
I simply shook my head and headed outside. As soon as my eyes met Kyle’s, I started walking towards him. When I got closer, without hesitation, I took off my robe, leaving me only in a red two-piece suit.
I noticed our friends and the scattered guards suddenly turning their heads towards me. Oh well, I didn’t really care for that kind of attention anyway.
But I was taken aback by Kyle’s reaction. His brow furrowed, and his face seemed irritated.
“What are you wearing?” he asked, his tone showing disapproval.
I raised an eyebrow at him. “A two-piece?” I answered in the matter of fact tone.
But I was taken aback when his demeanor suddenly darkened. “Change your clothes. Put on shorts and a t-shirt instead.”
My eyes widened in disbelief. “What? Short and t-shirt? What the hell? I’m not a kid anymore!”
Is he serious? Hello! We’re going swimming. What’s wrong with wearing a two-piece?
He narrowed his eyes at me. “I don’t want anyone else seeing your body. You know there are a lot of people and vampires lurking around here! Now, you change your clothes or do you want me to be the one to change it for you?” His voice had a dangerous tone, so I didn’t argue any further.
“Fine!” I rolled my eyes as I marched back to the beach house. He’s so unfair. He’s just wearing shorts, and he’s already topless. He should wear a t-shirt too!
“So possessive,” I heard Hiro say from the side.
“Shut up!” Kyle shouted at him.
I was annoyed. But even so, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement. I was glad that he wanted to be the only one to see my body. I shook my head, unable to suppress a smile.
After changing, I quickly returned to them. In the distance, I saw Hiro, Reiri, Vince, and Steph boarding a boat. They were probably going to explore the entire island. Miley and Kira were by the seashore, still busy building a sandcastle that Miley couldn’t perfect until now.
I couldn’t help but remember what Dave said in my dream. He told me to really get to know the people around me.
I looked at each of them, one by one. And I was confident that I didn’t make a mistake in trusting the people and vampires around me.
“Let’s go?” Kyle extended his hand to me.
“Okay.” When I reached out, we both walked forward into the water. From the moment the cold water touched my body, I suddenly felt good.
It was such a refreshing feeling!
When we got tired of swimming, we started playfully chasing each other by the shore, splashing water.
“Kyle, that’s enough! You’re being unfair!” I screamed as he caught up to me and relentlessly tickled me.
“Kyle, stop it!” I tried to stop him, but he wasn’t listening.
I was planning to get back at him by tickling him, but he caught both of my hands. I almost held my breath as he pulled me closer.
Suddenly, nervousness fluttered in my chest. We were both soaking wet, and I could feel my damp clothes clinging to my body. Plus, the vampire in front of me was shirtless. I could feel the rapid beating of our hearts due to our nearness to each other.
“K-Kyle...” I tried to push him away, to create a small distance between us, but he didn’t make a single move.
I simply closed my eyes as he gently caressed my neck, specifically where the red mark symbolizing the two of us was located.
In response, my hand instinctively traced the red mark on his bare chest as well.
“I love you, babe,” he whispered, then rested his forehead against mine.
“I love you too, babe.”
***
Athena’s POV
Gino and I were currently making our way towards the cave at the end of the forest. I just found out earlier that he also enjoyed adventure.
He held the borrowed map from the Clarksons, and their land here was vast with plenty of places to explore.
However, even without a map, I wouldn’t get lost in this area. I could easily find my way to that cave. But I let Gino have his way.
“There it is!” I exclaimed as soon as we finally reached it.
I was about to enter when I suddenly stopped in my tracks, feeling his hand holding mine.
“G-Gino!” My heart suddenly went wild because of the simple touch of our skin.
I looked up at him, and he was smiling at me like an idiot. He seemed to be getting flustered, and I couldn’t understand why.
“About last night...” He scratched the back of his neck, looking somewhat embarrassed.
My eyes widened as I remembered what happened last night.
“Oh. About that! I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—” I couldn’t finish my sentence as he suddenly placed his finger in front of my lips.
“There’s no need for you to say sorry. What happened last night was just perfect and too good to be true. So, I guess, we’re official now?” he asked hopefully.
I found myself staring at him, confused. I was about to speak when he leaned closer, and before I knew it, his lips were already touching mine.
Everything happened so fast. Before I knew it, we were inside the cave. My naked body was lying on the cold rocks, and we were touching and kissing each other passionately.
Then it happened. And I couldn’t find any regret in my heart.
But we quickly separated from each other and hastily got dressed when we heard Althea’s loud call. Just as we stepped outside, she was approaching us.
Wait, how did this girl find out we were here?
She rolled her eyes upon seeing us. “And what were the two of you doing there? Having your own private time, huh?” She smirked.
I feel flushed now. We almost got caught. What is my clever twin doing here?
“Why are you here anyway?” I asked, changing the topic.
Her expression suddenly became serious. “Nothing. It’s just that I felt something bad would happen.”
I looked around, and I instinctively hugged myself as I felt a cold and strong gust of wind hit my skin. It gave me a momentary pause.
“Wait. It’s coming,” I concluded.
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“But why? They wouldn’t send it here if—”
“If something bad hadn’t happened,” Althea finished, confirming my thoughts.
“I think that we should place wards in the entire area,” I suggested.
She sighed. “We can’t. The area is too big. We’ll need the help of other white witches.”
Oh, right. Stupid me.
“Wait. What are you talking about?” Gino interrupted. Confusion was evident on his handsome face. In my deep contemplation, I had forgotten that Gino was with us.
“You’ll know later,” I replied, looking up at the sky.