Still in her room, Kara sat in front of her computer.
The decision was made.
If Alice really was a vampire, she would find out. And this time, even if she needed proof drawn in blood, there would be no denying it.
Kara sat at her desk, the dim lamp light casting long shadows across the wall. The search page about vampires was still open on her laptop, words like "uncontrollable thirst," "superhuman strength," and "blood attraction" flickered on the screen like silent accusations.
Since the night Alice had saved her, Kara couldn't get her out of her head, those intense eyes, the firm, cold touch against her skin. Now, that strange mix of curiosity and fear was eating her alive. Imagination wasn't enough anymore… she had to know.
The plan was risky, maybe even stupid, but she couldn't think of another way.
The next morning, she waited on the side staircase of the campus, where she knew Alice usually passed by.
The air was cold, and Kara shoved her hands into the pockets of her hoodie, feeling the small pocketknife hidden inside.
Her heart pounded hard, not just from the thought of hurting herself, but from what could happen if she was right.
A few minutes later, Alice appeared, walking with that calm, almost soundless step, her black hair falling over her shoulders, her expression as always… distant.
"Hey, Alice," Kara said, forcing a smile.
Alice hesitated for a moment, as if weighing whether to stop or keep walking, but finally approached.
"Kara…" she said in a neutral tone. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Kara lied.
As she spoke, she discreetly pulled the knife from her pocket.
Pretending to adjust the zipper of her hoodie, she made a quick, shallow cut along the side of her hand.
The sting came first, then the warm rush of blood.
Alice froze instantly.
Her gaze locked onto Kara's hand.
She didn't blink. She didn't breathe.
A chill ran down Kara's spine. Alice's eyes looked darker, almost liquid, and for a fleeting instant, a sharp light flashed across them.
She stepped forward, close enough that Kara could feel the cold radiating from her body.
"What did you do?" Alice asked, her voice low, rough, like she was struggling to stay in control.
Kara kept her bleeding hand exposed, pretending not to sense the danger.
"It's just a cut… nothing serious."
Alice frowned, taking a deep breath as if fighting against something irresistible.
But instead of stepping back, she reached out and gently took Kara's wrist.
Her touch was firm, almost protective, yet there was tension in every movement.
"You shouldn't play with blood…" Alice murmured, and the way she said "blood" made Kara's heart hammer even harder.
Alice pulled a handkerchief from her coat pocket and pressed it over the wound.
Her gaze lingered on Kara's eyes for far longer than it should have.
"Next time… be more careful," she said, suddenly letting go, as if forcing herself to break the contact.
Kara stood there, watching as Alice walked away quickly, almost as if she were fleeing.
And in that moment, the doubt turned into a heavy, unsettling certainty:
Alice had reacted exactly as Kara feared… and, deep down, exactly as she wanted to confirm.