ala and her encounter with Alexei had left her feeling lost and confused. She couldn't believe that everything she had learned about vampires was a lie,

tmares and visions that haunted her. But as soon as she closed her eyes, the horrors of the gala returned, each facel

in her mind. She tried to eat some ramen, but her stomach rebelled, and she couldn't keep anything down. He

real? Was she

en she opened a bottle of water to see article after article about a Mass Shooting at the Gala. Thi

ad witnessed. She was on camera, she was human, and no, she didn’t seem like she was acti

tinued following link after link. Audibly repeating,

left in the last two years who bothered to talk to her at all. Two rings. Three.

e! How are you?" The familiar

. There was a pause. A length of time as if Kim was preparing for the onslaught of theories and stra

okay?" Skepticism had fled from

voi Group because they are linked to the charities Julia wa

off, "Blaire. N

lease l

believe you were at a vampire gala linked to Julia’s death, can you?"

aw the vampires, and they were... they were feeding on people," Blai

a politician and covered it up to look l

here. I got footage of them, except they don't appear on cameras. I didn’t know that, but I had a mirr

hing over her voice, "Blaire, have

ked up the prescription. She lied, “I stopped taking them just few days ago," Blaire admitte

unded, focused, and it prevents these... delusions from taking over," Kim said gently. "I kn

ring with emotion. "I can’t be the only one who knows what happened.

talk to is a therapist." Kim said, trying to reason with her fri

d, her frustration rising. "I need to figure out w

can guide you through this. Even if this is real, think for a minute. You saw people get eaten by vampire

iend's concern. "Okay, okay, I'll talk to someone," she finally relente

an eye on the news and see if there's anything unu

ng to find some evidence that would confirm her experiences. The more she read, the more confus

g the victims – Marty Scultz. She had assumed that the vampires had wanted him el

ject that hadn't been there before – a cellphone with a post-it note attached. Written on it was a sin

ssage, explaining that she wanted to learn more and help stop the House of Adze. Hours went by, and she pa

, with its bare walls and the lone mattress on the floor. The cluttered desk held her laptop and research materials, but it also

ng her doubts along with the pills. She couldn't afford to lose herself in her purs

laptop screen as she continued to read articles about the gala and the shooting. The events we

r further into a spiral of panic and disarray. The phone final

ur message," his voice came throu

I want to help. I need to know more, but I need assura

"I knew you'd say yes. I can promise you that you'll be sa

thoughts. She had stumbled into a dangerous world, and she neede

onsters, and we don't harm innocent people. Your family wi

his decision. "Okay, I'll come. But I need more information, and I ne

ngs, but we need to meet in person for a full discussio

r fears, "Alright, I need to bring some ess

emember, pack light. Leave everythi

every last bottle of medication. She left then with that and the bare necessities. The tools of h

e sight was unexpected, but she realized that the reach of the vampires w

r nodded at her, and the car smoothly merged into the flow of traffic. The city lights flicke

She was stepping into the unknown, drawn to a world she had never imagined existed

g into a realm where secrets and shadows reigned. There was no turning back now, and