The day was gray, as if the sky had inherited the weight of the night before.
Kara spent the entire morning replaying the scene in her mind, the silhouette cutting through the fog, the impossible strength, the strange glimmer in Alice's eyes when she saw blood. She couldn't focus on anything, not even her classes.
By late afternoon, she saw Alice alone, sitting on the farthest bench in the campus garden, distant from everyone as always.
Kara took a deep breath and approached.
"We need to talk," she said bluntly.
Alice lifted her gaze slowly, as if she had already known Kara would come.
"I have nothing to say."
"But I do." Kara sat beside her, ignoring the look of discomfort on Alice's face.
"That night… what happened with those men… the speed, the strength… Alice, that wasn't human."
Alice turned her eyes away, fixing them on some distant point.
"You should forget about that."
Kara leaned forward slightly, closing the distance between them.
"I can't. And from what I've seen…"
— she hesitated, feeling the weight of the word before letting it out —
"Alice… you're a vampire, aren't you?"
Alice went completely still.
She didn't even blink.
The silence stretched painfully long before she finally replied, a faint, sarcastic smile curving her lips, her voice low and tense:
"You don't know what you're talking about. What, did you read that on some website?"
"I know more than you think." Kara met her gaze firmly.
"And yes, I did my research. Everything fits. The strength, the way you avoid people, how cold your hands are… even the way you looked at me when I cut my hand."
Alice closed her eyes for a moment, as if struggling for control.
When she spoke again, her voice was sharper:
"If that were true, you'd be afraid… and you'd stay away."
"Maybe I am afraid," Kara admitted, refusing to look away.
"But that doesn't mean I'm going to leave you alone."
Alice turned to her then, and the intensity in her eyes nearly stole Kara's breath.
"Kara… you don't understand. The closer you get, the more danger you're in."
"Then explain it to me," Kara said, her voice soft but steady.
"Or I'll just keep getting closer until I understand why you keep pushing me away."
Alice stood abruptly, as if sitting still had become unbearable.
"It's better if you don't look for me again."
And she left, her steps quick, without a single glance back.
Kara stayed on the bench, her heart pounding.
The more Alice tried to push her away, the more she felt she needed to get closer.
And now, more than ever, she was certain: Alice was hiding something dark… and irresistible.
Later, in class, Kara sat beside Natalie, who immediately noticed the bandage on her hand.
"What happened? Are you okay?" Natalie asked, worried.
"I just cut myself by accident, it's nothing, don't worry," Kara replied, trying to sound calm.
But her thoughts were elsewhere, with Alice.
She had uncovered her secret, but had no idea what to do next.
A few minutes later, she overheard a group of students chatting, and suddenly caught Alice's name in the middle of their conversation.
Kara leaned in slightly, pretending not to listen while straining to catch every word.
They were talking about how strange Alice was, how she always stayed alone, never spoke to anyone.
"Yeah," one of the guys said. "I even tried talking to her on her first day, but she totally blew me off."
The others laughed.
"Maybe you're just not her type," a girl teased, smirking.
"Are you talking about Alice?" Kara asked, stepping closer.
"Yeah. You've talked to her before, right? I saw you two near the library once," said Jude, one of Kara's classmates.
"Yeah, we've met there a few times. We even did a literature project together," Kara replied.
"Oh, that's cool. So you two are friends?" Jude asked.
"You could say that… but we're kind of… not talking right now."
"That's a shame. But why does she isolate herself so much?"
"Well… she just likes being alone, I guess. And maybe it's better to respect that," Kara said softly, remembering Alice's words "Don't look for me again" and feeling a pang of sadness.
"I see. Well… everyone's got their own way, right? I'll see you later, Kara!" Jude said with a friendly wave.
"Bye, Jude."
And so another day of classes went by, with Kara spending every passing hour wondering what Alice was doing, and whether she would ever see her again.