Chapter 13: A Bad Day
And on the other side…
Inside the classroom…
The teacher's voice continued explaining.
One sentence after another.
And equations appearing one after another across the smart board.
A long explanation that stretched on without pause.
But for Lily…
None of it reached her clearly.
Her gaze remained fixed forward.
But her mind was not here.
Thoughts kept crowding inside her head.
Scattered images.
And questions without answers.
And that strange feeling she could not explain.
The second class passed slowly.
The bell rang.
The students moved.
The teacher changed.
And the smart board filled with different words.
But Lily's state did not change.
She remained seated in her place.
Her eyes were on the smart board…
But her attention was far away.
Another class began.
A different explanation.
And a different subject.
And new voices.
And yet…
The words passed before her without leaving any trace.
She tried to focus once.
Then once again.
But her thoughts always returned to that vague feeling.
Time continued to move forward.
One class after another.
One teacher left.
And another entered.
The smart board was erased.
Then filled again.
The students wrote.
And asked questions.
And shifted in their seats.
While Lily remained silent.
As if the whole day were passing around her…
And she was only watching it.
Until—
The bell finally rang.
A sharp sound announcing the end of the school day.
Chairs moved.
Books closed.
And the classroom filled with the noise of students leaving.
Lily blinked slowly.
As if she had only just returned to reality.
As if her awareness had been far away that entire time.
She did not realize how the day had passed.
But the classes…
Had truly ended.
Lily left through the school gate.
The street in front of her was slightly crowded.
Students returning to their homes.
Cars passing by slowly.
And the sounds of the city gradually returning after the quiet of the day.
She tightened the bag on her shoulder.
Then she began to walk.
Her steps were calm.
A little slower than the rest of the students.
As if her body were moving on its own, while her mind remained caught somewhere else.
The same chaos still filled her head.
The thoughts that had accompanied her throughout the day had not disappeared.
They kept returning to her…
Again and again.
Whenever she tried to push them away, they came back once more.
And because of that, she did not pay attention to the road as she should have.
The buildings passed before her eyes.
The sounds rose, then faded.
And faces passed by her without leaving any clear trace in her mind.
Even time itself… passed without her feeling it.
She did not realize how long the walk home took.
She only noticed when the house finally appeared before her.
Her steps came to a stop.
And she lifted her eyes toward it.
The curtains were half closed.
And a faint light slipped out from inside.
Lily stood for a moment in front of the door.
As if she needed those few seconds to separate herself from the noise outside, and from that distraction that had continued to chase her since morning.
She slipped her hand into her pocket.
And took out the key.
Then she turned it in the lock.
A soft click.
She pushed the door open slowly.
And stepped inside.
The warmth of the place greeted her at once.
And a faint smell of food still lingered in the air.
She closed the door quietly behind her.
And from the direction of the living room…
The sound of the television was playing softly.
She raised her gaze toward the inside.
Lauren was sitting on the sofa.
Her eyes were on the screen.
And the blue light reflected from the television flowed gently across her face.
She did not look toward Lily directly.
She remained as she was for a few brief seconds.
Then her voice came from where she sat:
You're finally back.
She raised her eyes slightly toward Lily.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
How was your day at school?
Lily stopped near the door for a moment.
As if something heavy were pressing against her chest, preventing the words from coming out easily.
Her fingers slowly loosened from the bag.
And she slipped it off her shoulder.
Then she placed it beside the door.
She remained standing in place for another second.
Her shoulders were tense.
And her breathing was uneven.
As if she hated even this state she had fallen into.
Hated this weakness.
And hated even more that she could feel it so clearly.
After that, she finally lifted her head.
And looked at Lauren.
The television was still playing softly.
An ordinary sound.
And an ordinary scene.
But something inside Lily was not normal at all.
And when she finally opened her mouth, the words came out heavy:
It was a bad day.
Lauren lifted her eyes from the screen.
And turned toward her.
But Lily continued before she could ask:
I met a terrifying person.
The sound of the television suddenly dropped.
Lauren picked up the remote.
And turned it off.
Then silence fell over the living room.
The weight of that silence made Lily's heart tighten even more.
She raised her eyes.
And looked directly into Lauren's.
As if she were forcing herself to continue.
Then her voice came out slowly:
He is… Alex's brother.
Lauren's expression froze for a brief moment.
But Lily did not stop.
She swallowed with difficulty.
And felt that tightness return to her chest once again.
Lauren…
I do not know anything about the supernatural world.
She shook her head slightly.
And her gaze trembled for a moment.
But this…
It scares me.
Her hand tightened without her noticing.
And her fingers grew more rigid.
As if she were trying to hold herself together before her trembling exposed her.
I want to protect myself…
And protect Ken.
She paused for a moment.
And her eyes lowered slightly.
As if the next confession was too heavy to come out easily.
Something inside her was rejecting it.
Rejecting this feeling of helplessness.
And rejecting that she had stood there beneath that gaze, this powerless.
Then she spoke in a lower voice:
Lauren…
He was looking at me…
As if I were a toy.
Prey.
Her voice trembled slightly.
And the moment the last word left her lips, that cold feeling came crawling back inside her once again.
Fear.
Suffocation.
And that humiliating feeling that she was too weak to defend herself.
She clenched her jaw.
As if she hated even the act of remembering it.
It terrified me.
Silence filled the room.
And Lily kept looking directly at Lauren.
This time, there was not only fear in her eyes.
There was something more bitter.
Rejection.
Constraint.
And a sharp hatred for that feeling he had left inside her.
Then she finally asked:
Can you teach me… how to protect myself and my family?
After the question left Lily's lips, silence settled over the living room once again.
Her eyes remained on Lauren.
And inside her chest, that heavy feeling was still there.
Cold.
And disturbing.
As if that man's gaze had never truly left her.
As if it were still clinging to her skin.
Pressing on her nerves.
And leaving inside her that humiliating sense of helplessness.
And somewhere else…
Far from this quiet house…
The source of that fear was still present.
Inside the mansion, where Adrian and Alex were staying…
Adrian fixed his gaze on Alex, who was sitting on the sofa.
Then a slow smile formed on his lips.
Cold.
And slightly tilted.
Well, brother…
It seems your taste has never changed.
I am truly surprised.
That resemblance in face and body…
She is almost a copy of her.
Even the scent…
His smile paused for a moment.
But his eyes remained fixed on Alex.
And yet, brother…
This is strange.
How does that bloodline still exist?
How is there still a family that belongs to her bloodline?
I am talking about your beloved.
At that moment…
Alex's eyes turned completely black.
The darkness swallowed the white of them all at once.
And the fingers of his hand tightened violently.
Until his nails dug into the flesh.
Tore it.
And blood began to flow between his fingers, drop by drop.
Then he vanished.
It was not a step.
And it was not a burst of movement the eye could follow.
Only a black flash cutting through the empty space.
And in the very next moment, he was directly in front of Adrian.
Close enough to be terrifying.
His hand shot to the collar of his shirt.
And gripped it with force.
Until the fabric pulled tight between his fingers.
Even the air between them seemed to freeze.
Adrian…
What did you do to Lily?
Why did you go to her?
I swear…
If you did anything to her, I will kill you.
Even if you are my brother.
A sly smile spread across Adrian's lips.
No fear.
No confusion.
Only that twisted calm that made him seem even more provocative.
Brother…
You really have lost control of your emotions.
That does not suit you.
Do you know, brother…
I was truly surprised when I caught that scent.
After thousands of years…
It was as if the past itself had risen and stood before me.
An old feeling.
Sharp.
And familiar to a disturbing degree.
It made my blood boil.
And made my mind return to those days.
Truly…
Your beloved's family is descended from her.
I had thought she had left no descendants behind.
How did that happen?
His smile tilted further.
Slower.
And darker.
And yet…
She resembles her.
Even her voice…
It is the same voice.
In any case, putting that aside…
How can she have descendants in this world?
How did I not know about it through all these years?
Who did that?
And who hid her descendants?
Adrian laughed softly.
A short laugh.
And low.
But it was enough to make the atmosphere darker.
Hahaha…
Alex…
When her skin touched my body…
At the moment I embraced her…
It felt like a shock striking my body directly.
A sharp shiver ran through every part of me.
From my hair…
To the smallest nail on my foot.
That was surprising to me.
More surprising than I expected.
Then his smile slowly tilted.
And his eyes filled with that twisted gleam.
And that is why only one thought crossed my mind.
Would the taste of her blood be special as well?
At that same moment
Alex exploded.
The hand gripping Adrian's collar tightened with sudden violence.
Then he drove him straight backward.
Adrian's body slammed into the wall with tremendous force.
A heavy crash shook the hall.
And the stone behind him cracked in a single instant.
The fractures spread across the wall as if the blow had torn it apart from the inside.
And dust scattered into the air.
Alex stepped closer.
Close enough to suffocate.
And his eyes, drowned in blackness, were terrifying enough to shatter any calm.
His pressure increased.
Until it seemed that the wall itself would break beneath Adrian's body.
What did you do to her?
The words came out from between his teeth.
Rough.
Low.
And filled with that rage that no longer accepted any restraint.
What did you do to Lily?
Adrian remained pinned between his hand and the wall.
But the malice never left his face.
Even with the cracks behind his back…
And even with that crushing force wrinkling the fabric over his chest…
His smile remained.
Shallow.
And provoking.
Does it matter to you that much…?
The air around them suddenly trembled.
Alex's pressure increased violently.
And the cracks deepened further.
Do not evade me.
What did you do to her?
For one single moment…
That calm disappeared from Adrian's face.
Not fear.
But something closer to excitement.
And in the next instant
Adrian struck.
It was not a human movement.
Only a violent flash exploding through the short distance between them.
Adrian's fist drove into Alex's stomach with savage force.
The wall shook.
And Alex's body was thrown backward.
But he did not fall.
His feet dug into the ground for a moment.
Then he straightened at once.
He raised his head slowly.
And a dark drop of blood slid from the corner of his mouth.
Adrian smiled.
This time, his smile truly widened.
That is better.
In a single moment
Both of them vanished.
Two black flashes collided at the heart of the hall.
The first impact thundered like a storm.
Then the second followed.
Then the third.
The wide space turned into a field of violent flashes that the eye could barely follow.
A sudden appearance.
And disappearance.
Then a crash that shook the walls.
Alex moved first.
His fist tore through the air straight toward Adrian's face.
But Adrian tilted his body at the last moment.
The blow passed beside his face.
And before the space between them could fully open, his elbow had already slammed brutally into Alex's side.
Alex's body shook.
But he caught Adrian's arm at once.
Twisted it violently.
Then pulled him closer and drove his knee into his stomach.
The blow forced Adrian several steps backward.
And the marble floor cracked beneath his feet.
But Adrian did not retreat any farther.
He raised his eyes.
And within them shone that cold red gleam.
Then he appeared directly in front of Alex.
His hand shot toward his throat.
But Alex caught his wrist at the final moment.
The movement froze between them for a fraction of a second.
Power against power.
And rage crashing against malice.
The air around them became unsettled.
The curtains trembled.
Even the hanging lamps on the ceiling shook from the pressure of the unleashed force between the two bodies.
Alex pulled his arm hard.
Then turned his whole body and hurled Adrian across the hall.
He slammed into a massive stone pillar.
And the pillar cracked through its middle.
But Adrian lifted his leg at once.
And drove it into Alex's chest with enough force to throw him several meters away.
Alex slid backward.
And his shoe tore across the marble floor under the pressure of the sudden stop.
Then he raised his head.
And this time, his fang was clearly visible.
His breathing had become slower.
But it was heavier.
And far more dangerous.
On the opposite side
Adrian stood upright.
He slowly brushed his thumb across his lip.
Then he looked at the faint trace of blood on his finger.
His smile returned.
Darker than before.
That face suits you better.
Alex's expression did not move.
But the blackness in his eyes deepened.
Then he rushed forward again.
And this time
Nothing in the hall remained still.
Their fists collided.
Then their hands locked.
And the two bodies crashed into each other in direct violence.
Alex drove his opponent back with force.
And Adrian stepped back.
Then another step.
Stone scraped beneath his feet with a rough sound.
But his smile did not disappear.
Alex raised his arm.
And struck him in the face.
Adrian's head turned with the blow.
But before Alex could regain the distance, Adrian's hand had already seized his arm.
Twisted it outward.
And yanked his body toward him violently.
Alex's shoulder slammed into his chest.
Then Adrian shoved him back with opposing force.
Their feet slid together across the floor.
Impact.
Push.
Pull.
And the entire fight began to move across the hall instead of staying in one place.
Alex did not let him go.
He grabbed his shirt collar again.
Then drove him forward.
Adrian slammed into the edge of a side table.
It overturned.
And fell onto its side.
But Alex did not stop.
Another blow.
Then a harsher shove.
This time Adrian was forced back even faster.
And the tall window behind him drew near.
In one brief instant
Something cold flashed in his eyes.
Then he deliberately delayed by half a moment.
And that alone was enough.
Alex lunged at him with his whole body.
Grabbing him by the shoulder and the throat.
Then he shoved him forward with direct violence.
Adrian's back struck the glass.
It cracked.
Then in the next instant, it exploded completely.
Shards scattered outward.
And both bodies burst through the window with them.
They fell directly outside the mansion.
Their bodies slammed into the ground with brutal force.
And dirt and gravel scattered beneath the impact of the fall.
Pieces of glass scattered among the dry grass near the outer wall.
But even the crash into the ground did not stop the fight.
Alex was on top of him at once.
He seized his clothes again.
And struck him once in the face.
Then once more.
The third blow split Adrian's lip.
And a dark drop of blood slipped along the side of his mouth.
But he laughed.
A short laugh.
Low.
And filled with that cold provocation that made the rage in Alex's chest grow even stronger.
Alex locked his hand around his throat.
Then dragged him violently across the hard ground.
Adrian's back slammed into the thick trunk of a tree.
The trunk shook under the force of the blow.
And dry leaves fell over their shoulders.
But Adrian suddenly raised his leg.
And struck Alex in the stomach.
His balance faltered by half a step.
And that alone was enough.
Adrian twisted his body violently.
And slipped free from his grip.
Then he seized him by the shoulder.
And pulled him toward himself with force.
The two of them slammed into each other again.
Shoulder against shoulder.
And arm against arm.
Then they drove farther away from the outer wall of the mansion, toward the thick trees surrounding it.
The ground was uneven.
With exposed roots.
And stones half buried in the dirt.
And low branches cutting across the path.
But none of that slowed either of them.
A punch from Alex slammed into Adrian's jaw.
His head turned with the blow.
But he answered at once with a hard elbow to his ribs.
Alex charged at him again.
And grabbed him by the shirt.
And drove him into another tree.
Adrian's back crashed into the trunk violently.
And the bark split beneath his body.
Alex moved closer.
Until his face was close enough to be suffocating.
Then his voice came out from between his teeth:
What did you do to her?
His fingers tightened harder around his throat.
What did you do to Lily?
Adrian smiled.
Slowly.
With that same twisted calm.
As if the question itself amused him.
And that alone made the violence in Alex's face grow even stronger.
But in his rage, he increased the pressure more than he should have.
And there the opening appeared.
Small.
But clear enough for eyes like Adrian's.
In a single moment
Adrian lowered his shoulder slightly.
And freed his arm from the narrow angle.
Then he turned his body to the side.
One hand seized Alex's arm.
And the other rose behind his neck.
He pulled.
And twisted.
And shoved against the direction of his momentum.
The movement was short.
Sharp.
And precise to a savage degree.
Then that dry sound came.
Clear.
And cruel.
Alex's neck twisted at an unnatural angle.
And his whole body froze at once.
Silence spread between the trees.
Even the leaves that had stirred from the force of the fight seemed to calm all at once.
Adrian kept hold of him for one second.
Then let him go.
Alex's body fell heavily to the ground.
Without resistance.
And among the dense trees…
Near the shattered window of the mansion…
A girl stood quietly.
Between her fingers was a slender glass.
And a dark red liquid gleamed inside it.
She raised the glass to her lips.
And drank from it slowly.
Her eyes remained fixed on Alex's still body on the ground.
Then she lowered the glass slightly.
And her face remained calm.
Cold.
As if what she had witnessed had been nothing more than a scene whose ending she had expected from the beginning.