{IRIS}
I didn't know where I was, but I was certain I was far, far away from my previous pack now.
Val—Vladimir Nightborne—had conjured a portal, dark and shimmering like the surface of a restless lake, and within seconds, we had stepped through it, leaving everything behind.
Magic. Portals. Vampires.
Before coming to the pack, I had never known such things were real. I had never imagined that the world I lived in held so many hidden layers—so many creatures that lurked in the dark, unseen yet powerful.
And now, I stood at the gates of a looming castle, nestled deep within an ancient forest, its towering spires disappearing into the misty night sky.
The air was thick with something otherworldly, a quiet hum of energy that made my skin prickle. The trees surrounding the fortress were gnarled and endless, their twisted branches reaching like skeletal fingers toward the storm-laden sky.
"Uhm . . . where are we?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, as my gaze locked onto the castle's dark silhouette.
"Somewhere in Romania," Val murmured.
Before I could even react, he moved.
A swift, effortless motion—one second I was standing on the damp forest floor, and in the next, I was inside the castle.
The shift in space sent a sharp dizziness through me. My vision blurred, my stomach twisted, and for a brief moment, I thought I might collapse. Before I could fall, strong hands steadied me.
Val's hands.
His grip on my waist was firm, his presence overwhelming. I clutched his forearms instinctively, feeling the coolness of his skin beneath my fingertips.
For a breath, our eyes met—his silver, ancient gaze emotionless yet intense. Then, as quickly as he had caught me, he pulled away, leaving only the ghost of his touch lingering on my skin.
A voice shattered the silence.
"Welcome back, Lord Val."
I turned my head, startled by the sight before me.
Lined up in perfect formation, a group of attendants bowed in unison—tall figures clad in immaculate black uniforms, their expressions solemn.
At the center stood an elderly man, his presence both commanding and severe. His long, pointed beard was stark white, matching the sharp, upward arch of his brows and the slicked-white strands of his hair. Even his eyes—narrow and gleaming red like embers—seemed to pierce through me with quiet scrutiny.
I knew, without question, what they were.
Vampires.
Their skin was pale, almost luminous under the castle's dim torchlight. Their eyes, varying shades of crimson, watched me with unreadable intensity. The air in the grand hall felt heavier, charged with something I couldn't quite place.
Val was different from them.
At first glance, he looked almost human. Almost. But I had seen what he truly was when he fed, when his fangs gleamed under the moonlight, when his control slipped, if only for a moment.
His voice broke through my thoughts. "Take care of my guest. See to it that she is taken care of."
And just like that, he was gone.
Vanished into the shadows without another word, leaving me standing alone in the midst of creatures who could tear me apart without a second thought.
The moment he disappeared, the atmosphere shifted.
The attendants' gazes sharpened.
The red in their eyes flared, glowing ominously as their expressions darkened. A deep silence settled over the hall, thick and suffocating.
I swallowed hard.
"Uhm . . H-hello, my name is Iris Snow," I managed, my voice small.
The old butler, I assumed—tilted his head slightly, regarding me with a look I couldn't decipher. When he finally spoke, his voice was raspy, touched with something almost haunting.
"Lady Iris."
I flinched. There was something unnerving about the way he said my name—like he was testing how it felt on his tongue.
"My name is Sebastian," he continued, his tone calm. "Do not worry. As long as you are our lord's guest, you will not be harmed."
He glanced over his shoulder at the attendants behind him, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly.
"Am I correct?"
As one, the maids and butlers bowed. Their voices, eerily synchronized, answered in perfect unison.
"Yes, Sebastian."
A shiver ran down my spine.
There was something chilling about their coordination—how seamless it was, how rehearsed. But I didn't sense hostility. If anything, Sebastian carried an air of authority, and from the way they reacted to him, it was clear that he was the one in charge of the servants here.
"I will show you to your room now, Lady Iris."
"Uhm . . . just call me Iris."
Sebastian merely gave a slight bow, then turned on his heel.
"This way, Lady Iris."
I sighed but didn't argue. With one last glance at the darkened corridor Val had disappeared into, I followed Sebastian into the heart of the castle, my footsteps swallowed by the vast, endless halls of a place that now felt like a gilded cage.
I didn't bother correcting him anymore and simply followed, staying close as we walked through the eerie, silent halls of the mansion.
There was something unsettling about this place. It felt haunted—like the kind of vampire lair one would read about in dark, forbidden tales. But more than the suffocating silence, it was the feeling of unseen eyes watching me that made my skin prickle.
My gaze drifted to the towering paintings lining the corridor walls. Their gilded frames shimmered under the dim candlelight, casting shadows that seemed almost alive. Most depicted regal figures, all possessing the same striking features—pale skin, high cheekbones, piercing crimson eyes.
And then, I saw him.
A portrait larger than the others, hanging at the very center of the hall. The man in the painting stood with an air of power, dressed in black and crimson. His expression was severe, stony, and yet . . . hauntingly familiar.
"Uhm . . . is this Lord Val?" I asked hesitantly. I knew it would be disrespectful to call him simply by name when everyone here seemed to revere him so deeply.