The room was swallowed in shadows, lit only by the faint glow filtering through the window. Suitcases lay open on the bed, clothes scattered everywhere. Kara folded a jacket while stealing glances at Alice, who seemed restless, pacing, checking weapons and documents.
"You're nervous," Kara said, trying to break the silence.
"It's not nerves," Alice sighed.
"It's… concern."
Kara set the jacket aside and approached her.
"Because of the trip or the Council?"
Alice hesitated, biting her lip. Her light eyes locked onto Kara's, filled with something unspoken.
"I found out what Natalie has been doing all this time."
Kara frowned.
"What?"
"She's been going to a vampire nightclub downtown… with Rose." Alice lowered her voice, as if speaking the truth aloud was already dangerous.
"And she didn't tell us anything."
Kara's eyes widened.
"A… vampire club?"
Alice nodded.
"Yes. A place where they gather to feed, negotiate, and show off. It's dangerous territory, especially for a human like Natalie."
A tense silence settled between them. Kara took a deep breath.
"So that's why she was disappearing for days and acting so strange… I never imagined this."
Alice dropped what she was holding and sat on the edge of the bed. Her shoulders relaxed slightly, as if she were finally letting go of a long-carried weight.
"Kara, there's something I need to tell you. Something that might help you understand all of this."
Kara sat beside her, curious.
"The Council wasn't created by chance," Alice began, her voice low and serious.
"After the original vampire was sealed in a lost tomb in Wallachia by a hunter bloodline, the first vampire turned by Dracula — Vlad IV—decided to create the Council. He believed that if vampires kept exposing themselves and hunting humans openly, it would only be a matter of time before they were eradicated."
She paused, watching Kara's reaction.
"So the Council was founded to protect our kind. The basic rule was simple: live in the shadows, remain anonymous. And for that, relationships with humans were forbidden. A single mistake could draw unwanted attention."
Kara lowered her gaze, finally understanding why Alice had avoided her so much in the beginning.
"So that's why you pushed me away…"
"Yes," Alice answered softly, filled with sadness.
"It wasn't because I didn't want to be with you. It was because being with you meant risking everything."
Kara exhaled deeply, taking Alice's hand.
"I understand… but at the same time, I don't. I can't accept that something so natural… that feeling this for someone… needs to be hidden."
Alice looked away, as if she didn't have an answer. Tension hung between them, suspended in the air. Kara squeezed her hand gently, showing that despite everything, she was still by her side.
Meanwhile, outside the club, in Ruby's apartment, the atmosphere was different.
Rose replayed Alice's accusation over and over in her mind, as if she were still facing her sister in that alley. The harsh words echoed inside her, her eyes shining with irritation and wounded pride.
Natalie, sensing the heavy mood, put on soft music to try to lighten things.
"Guys… we can't keep going like this. It won't solve anything."
Ruby, always more expressive, tried to joke:
"Yeah, if you keep trying to kill each other with your eyes, someone's going to need more than a band-aid in the end."
Rose scoffed, arms crossed, but said nothing. She was still stung by the way Alice had judged her without hearing her side.
Natalie gently touched her shoulder.
"Hey… don't let this eat you alive. Alice is just scared, that's all."
Rose looked away, taking a deep breath, trying to suppress the urge to snap back.
"Scared or not… she treated me like I was a threat. And I won't forget that so easily."
Ruby, still smiling but in a firm tone, added:
"Maybe because for a while you were, and maybe it's time all of you stop hiding things from each other. Alice's accusation, the Council, unresolved fights… all of that's going to explode later if you don't deal with it now."
Silence fell again, but something was different this time: an unspoken acknowledgment that Ruby was right.
Rose closed her eyes and murmured:
"Maybe. But I don't know if I'm ready for that."
Natalie and Ruby exchanged a knowing look, realizing the tension was far from over.