The morning sun hung brightly over the city of Amalos.
For most vampires, daylight was a death sentence.
But Kael walked through it as if it meant nothing.
She moved calmly along the crowded sidewalk, blending easily among the humans rushing toward their offices and shops. No one looked twice at her. To them, she was just another woman on her way to work.
Exactly as she intended.
Ahead of her stood the tall glass building that housed one of the most advanced scientific research facilities in the city.
Eryndor's workplace.
Kael paused across the street, studying the structure carefully. Humans believed their technology made them powerful. Security cameras, key card access, surveillance systems.
All of it meant very little to someone like her.
Still, she preferred subtlety over force.
Today she wasn't coming as an intruder.
She was coming as an applicant.s
Inside her bag were forged identification papers, academic records, and references carefully prepared over the past week. To the human world, she was now Dr. Kael Arden, a researcher specializing in biological pathogens.
A perfect match for the lab's current work.a Kael allowed herself a faint smile.
Deception had been part of vampire survival for centuries.
She crossed the street and entered the building.
Inside, the reception area buzzed with quiet activity. Scientists and staff moved through the halls carrying tablets and research files.
A receptionist looked up.
"Good morning. How can I help you?
Kael met her gaze calmly.
I'm here for the research position interview," she said smoothly.
The receptionist checked her computer.
"Oh yes… Dr. Arden."
She gestured toward a hallway.
"Dr. Eryndor will be conducting the interview.
For the briefest moment, Kael's eyes flickered with interest.
So.
She would meet him sooner than expected.
The receptionist led her down a quiet corridor lined with glass walls and laboratory doors. Scientists moved behind them, busy with experiments and discussions Kael could barely hear.
They stopped in front of an office.
The receptionist knocked lightly before opening the door.
"Dr. Eryndor, your applicant is here.
Inside the office, a man looked up from the stack of papers on his desk.
Eryndor.
He was younger than Kael had expected, perhaps in his early thirties. His dark hair was slightly messy, as if he had run his hands through it too many times while working. His eyes, sharp and thoughtful, studied her immediately.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
Kael stepped forward calmly.
"Dr. Kael Arden," she said, extending her hand.
Eryndor stood and shook it.
The moment their hands touched, something strange passed between them.
Not pain.
Just… unusual
Eryndor frowned slightly, though he quickly masked the expression.
"Please, have a seat," he said.
Kael sat across from him, her posture relaxed and confident.
Eryndor flipped through her file silently for a few seconds.
"Your academic background is impressive," he said. "Pathogen research, molecular biology, immunology… that's quite a range.
"I've always been interested in unusual biological phenomena," Kael replied smoothly.
That wasn't exactly a lie.
Eryndor nodded, though something about her answer made him pause.
"Why apply here?" he asked. "Our lab deals with very… controversial research."
Kael met his gaze.
"I'm aware.
"And that doesn't bother you?"
"Not at all."
For a moment, silence settled between them again.
Eryndor studied her more carefully now.
There was nothing obviously wrong with her.
Her answers were perfect. Her credentials were flawless. Her confidence was natural.
He couldn't explain it,but something about her was wrong
"You understand," he said slowly, "that our research focuses heavily on the so-called vampire virus.
Kael tilted her head slightly.
"I read the publications your lab released last year," she said. "Your findings on blood mutation patterns were…(paused) fascinating."
Eryndor blinked.
Very few applicants had actually read those reports.
"That's… impressive," he admitted.
Still, that uneasy feeling remained.
Her heartbeat, he couldn't hear it.
At first he assumed it was just the quiet office.
But as the seconds passed, he realized something that made his brow tighten slightly.
Every person he had ever met had a rhythm to their presence small movements, breaths, subtle sounds.
But Kael sat perfectly still.
Almost like...
That was ridiculous.
He cleared his throat.
"Well," he said, closing the file, "your qualifications are certainly strong.
Kael watched him carefully.
She could smell the faint shift in his scent.
Suspicion.
Interesting, for a human, he was surprisingly perceptive.
"I believe you would be a valuable addition to the team," Eryndor continued.
Then he paused.
There it was again, tat strange feeling in his chest.
Like standing too close to the edge of something dangerous.
He forced a polite smile.
"we will begin with a trial period."
Kael returned the smile calmly.
"Of course.
But as she stood to leave the office, Eryndor couldn't shake the strange unease crawling through h
is mind.
Something about her doesn't sit right.
He just didn't know what.
And down the hallway, walking away from the office, Kael allowed the faintest smile to touch her lips.
Humans were always easier to deceive than they believed.
Still… She could feel it already. She had come to study humans.
But Dr. Eryndor… might become a problem.