✨ Chapter 14 – The Sterling Break-In
A day after receiving their investigation room, Ariana approached Headmaster Solarin with a polite request:
"Sir… may I go home briefly? I have old notes about Dark Vampires."
The Headmaster shook his head immediately.
"I'm afraid not, Miss Sterling. After the breach, *no student* may leave campus without official escort. It is for your safety."
Ariana's stomach dropped.
"But I really need—"
"No exceptions," Solarin said firmly.
"You will remain on school grounds."
And that was that.
Ariana walked out with her shoulders slumped.
Rylan crossed his arms.
"Well that's annoying."
Calen nodded. "Very."
Zane looked thoughtful.
"Her notes could be vital to the investigation."
Kai glanced at Ariana gently.
"You said the notes were copied from rare texts?"
She nodded.
"They're in my room. In a locked chest under my bed."
Rylan grinned.
"Locked? Pfft. Easy."
Zane deadpanned, "Her father is one of the richest and most magically powerful men in the country. Nothing in that house is 'easy.'"
Ariana sighed.
"But we need the notes."
Kai turned to her.
"Then we're going to get them."
Ariana blinked.
"You mean… break in?"
Rylan threw an arm around her shoulders dramatically.
"Welcome to your first crime, princess."
Calen coughed. "First one we know of."
Ariana rolled her eyes.
"I grew up in that house. I knew every weak spot by age six."
Kai smirked.
"I thought so."
She raised a brow.
"Why?"
"Because only someone who knows how to escape can survive having six Sterling brothers," he said.
Ariana laughed despite herself.
---
## **Nightfall at the Sterling Estate**
They waited until midnight.
All students were supposed to be asleep.
The Five Pillars (now including Ariana) snuck out:
* Rylan used flame illusions to distract patrolling guards
* Zane read the thoughts of teachers watching the halls
* Calen froze and cracked the magical locks quietly
* Kai pulled Ariana close when they slipped past shadows
* And Ariana led every step
Because she knew.
She remembered.
Every gap in the wards.
Every loose floor tile.
Every window that squeaked.
Every hallway guard rotation.
But most importantly—
She knew the secret exit under the east garden wall.
The same one she used as a little girl when she wanted to sneak out for sweets.
Kai stared at the hidden panel she uncovered behind rose vines.
"Ariana," he said slowly, "how did you find this?"
She shrugged.
"When I was ten, I wanted to escape after Mason and Max told Dad I cut my hair without permission."
Calen laughed quietly.
"You escaped because of a haircut?"
"I wanted bangs!" Ariana snapped.
Rylan wiped a tear. "Oh my—Kai she's perfect."
Kai ignored him.
"You opened this with—?" he asked.
Ariana bent down and pressed her thumb against a tiny rune.
The stone shimmered and shifted.
A hidden tunnel opened.
Kai's jaw dropped slightly.
"You memorized your home's runes?"
"I memorized the *entire house,*" she corrected. "My brothers would lock me inside when they were being annoying. I had to learn to escape."
Zane gave a small approving nod.
"You continue to surprise us."
---
## **Inside the Mansion**
The Sterling Estate was massive, sprawling, and guarded by layers of security — magical and mundane.
But Ariana?
She walked in like it was her second bedroom.
She moved fast and silent, signaling when to duck, when to hide, when to freeze.
They passed:
* Motion spells
* Guard dogs
* Barrier tripwires
* Wards
* And two butlers, half-asleep with teacups in hand
Finally, Ariana led them to her room.
A large, elegant space in soft gold and cream.
Kai looked around at the soft lights, plush pillows, and childhood drawings on the walls.
"It's… very you."
Ariana blushed.
"Don't judge me."
"No," Kai said softly.
"I like it."
Rylan clapped.
"Focus, lover boy."
Kai glared.
---
## **The Locked Chest**
Ariana knelt beside her bed and activated three hidden runes.
A heavy chest slid out from beneath, carved with moon symbols.
Calen whistled.
"You hid this well."
Ariana opened the chest.
Inside were:
* Ancient copied notes
* Her childhood handwriting
* Book fragments
* Drawings of vampire DNA diagrams
* And a leather-bound folder marked with her initials
She lifted it carefully.
"It's all here," she whispered.
Zane took one look and froze.
"These symbols… Ariana… this is old Dark Order script. This hasn't been seen in centuries."
Ariana's heart pounded.
"I copied them when I was ten," she said softly. "I didn't understand any of it then."
Kai gently took a few pages.
"These notes… they talk about **DNA splicing.** Experiments. Hybridizing vampires with magical cores."
Rylan inhaled sharply.
"Oh no. Ohhh no. We're dealing with a scientist."
Calen muttered, "Or a lunatic."
Zane was dead serious.
"Or someone trying to re-create the perfect predator."
Ariana's voice trembled.
"The modified Dark Vampires."
Kai nodded.
"Yes. And these notes—your notes—might be the only record of the experiment that ended with that last Dark Vampire being found dead."
Ariana swallowed hard.
"We need to get back before someone notices we're gone."
Kai took her hand.
"Ariana… you did something incredible. Again."
She blushed softly.
"We're a team."
Kai's eyes warmed.
"Yes," he said quietly.
"We are."
---
## **Leaving the Mansion**
They escaped the same way they came.
Silent. Smooth. Perfect.
No alarms rang.
No guards noticed.
And when they slipped back through the academy wall, Ariana sighed in relief.
"See?" she said. "Easy."
Rylan threw an arm around her shoulder.
"Princess… you were born to be a criminal."
Calen grinned.
"Especially with that tunnel."
Zane nodded.
"You are frighteningly efficient."
Kai simply smiled at her.
"You saved us days—maybe weeks—of searching."
Ariana smiled back.
Then her wolf stirred, whispering softly inside her mind.
**"More danger is coming."**
Ariana's blood chilled.
She didn't tell the others.
Not yet.
A/n: How are you guys doing?