Seraphina Vale was born into wealth.

Into power.

Into a name that opened doors before she even spoke.

The Vale family didn’t just exist in society they ruled parts of it. Old money. Quiet influence. The kind that didn’t need to be loud to be feared.

People smiled around them.

Respected them.

Envied them.

But never truly knew them.

And Seraphina?

She had spent her entire life feeling like she didn’t belong in it.

Not in the grand estate that sat on the edge of the city, wrapped in iron gates and silence.

Not in the polished dinners where every word was measured.

Not even in her own reflection.

Because no matter how perfect everything looked on the outside—

Something inside her felt… wrong.

It started with the dreams.

They weren’t normal dreams. They never had been.

They were too real.

Too sharp.

Too… alive.

Every night, without fail, they dragged her into the same place.

Dark corridors.

Stone walls.

Cold air that clung to her skin like a warning.

And the scent—

God, the scent.

Metallic.

Heavy.

Blood.

Seraphina ran through the halls, her bare feet slapping against the cold floor as panic clawed at her chest. Her breath came out in uneven bursts, echoing around her as if the walls themselves were listening.

She didn’t know where she was going.

Only that she had to get away.

From him.

A presence lingered behind her. Not footsteps. Not sound.

But something worse.

Something she could feel.

Watching her.

Following her.

Hunting.

“Stop running.”

The voice was low.

Smooth.

Deadly calm.

It wrapped around her like smoke, sending a chill down her spine that froze her in place.

Slowly—too slowly she turned.

And for a second—

Just a second—

She saw him.

Crimson eyes.

Sharp.

Unforgiving.

Hungry.

Seraphina gasped—

And woke up.

Her body shot upright in bed, her chest rising and falling as if she had actually been running.

Her silk sheets clung to her skin, damp with sweat. The soft glow of her chandelier dimly lit the massive room, casting long shadows across marble floors and expensive furniture that suddenly felt suffocating.

She looked around quickly.

Her room.

Her bed.

Her reality.

But her heart didn’t get the message.

It kept racing.

Her clock read 2:47 a.m.

Again.

It was always that time.

Seraphina pressed her fingers against her temples, exhaling slowly as she tried to steady herself.

“This is getting ridiculous,” she whispered.

But the words didn’t convince her.

They never did.

Because deep down…

It didn’t feel like a dream.

It felt like something calling her.

She couldn’t stay in bed.

Not tonight.

Not with that feeling still crawling under her skin.

Throwing the covers aside, Seraphina slipped out of bed and walked across the room, her bare feet silent against the cold marble floor. She pushed open the tall glass doors leading to her private balcony.

Cool night air rushed in instantly.

Relief.

She stepped outside, gripping the railing as she inhaled deeply.

From up here, the entire estate stretched endlessly perfect gardens, trimmed hedges, security lights glowing faintly in the distance. Beyond the gates lay the quiet city, dim and distant.

Everything looked normal.

Perfect.

Controlled.

Just the way her family liked it.

Seraphina exhaled slowly, her shoulders relaxing—

Until she noticed something.

Stillness.

Too much stillness.

The guards that usually patrolled the grounds were nowhere in sight.

No footsteps.

No distant voices.

Nothing.

The entire estate felt… paused.

Her grip on the railing tightened.

“That’s weird,” she murmured.

Her eyes scanned the grounds more carefully now.

And that’s when she saw him.

At the far edge of the property.

Standing just outside the iron gates.

A figure.

Tall.

Still.

Watching.

Her breath caught instantly.

He didn’t move.

Didn’t shift.

Didn’t even seem to breathe.

He just stood there half-covered by shadows, the dim light barely touching him.

But she knew.

She knew he was looking directly at her.

A chill ran down her spine.

She should go inside.

She should call security.

She should do something.

But she didn’t.

She couldn’t.

Because something else had taken over.

Something deeper.

Stronger.

Pulling her forward.

Before she could think, Seraphina turned and rushed back into her room, grabbing the nearest hoodie and slipping it on. Her heart pounded not from fear this time, but from something dangerously close to curiosity.

Or worse.

Need.

“This is stupid,” she muttered as she slipped on her shoes.

But she was already moving.

The halls of the estate were dark as she made her way downstairs, her footsteps quiet out of habit. Growing up in the Vale household had taught her one thing very clearly:

Move unseen. Speak carefully. Ask nothing.

But tonight, she broke every rule.

She slipped past the empty security post.

Past the silent corridors.

Until she reached the front entrance.

Her hand hesitated on the door.

For a moment, doubt crept in.

What if this was a mistake?

What if

No.

She exhaled sharply and pushed the door open.

The night air hit her harder outside.

Colder.

Sharper.

Alive.

Seraphina stepped onto the gravel path, her eyes immediately locking onto the gates in the distance.

He was still there.

Waiting.

Her heartbeat echoed in her ears as she walked toward him, each step slower than the last.

Closer.

Closer.

Closer.

Until she stood just a few feet away, the iron gates separating them.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Neither of them moved.

And then

He stepped forward.

Into the light.

Seraphina’s breath stopped.

He was

Beautiful.

In a way that didn’t feel human.

Sharp features. Pale skin. Dark hair falling slightly over his forehead.

And his eyes—

Her heart skipped violently.

Crimson.

Exactly like in her dreams.

“No…” she whispered, taking a step back.

That wasn’t possible.

It couldn’t be.

His gaze didn’t leave hers.

Not for a second.

And when he finally spoke

Her entire body went still.

“I was wondering,” he said softly, his voice dangerously calm, “how long it would take you to come to me.”

Her stomach dropped.

“You-” her voice shook despite her trying to steady it. “You’ve been watching me?”

A faint smile touched his lips.

Not warm.

Not kind.

Something darker.

“Always.”

Fear should have taken over.

It should have sent her running back into the safety of her house, her world, her reality.

But it didn’t.

Instead

She stepped closer.

Until only the gate stood between them.

“Who are you?” she asked, barely above a whisper.

He tilted his head slightly, studying her like she was something rare.

Something fragile.

Something dangerous.

“Someone you should stay away from,” he replied.

Her brows furrowed.

“Then why are you here?”

For the first time, something flickered in his expression.

Something almost… conflicted.

But it disappeared just as quickly.

“Because,” he said quietly, stepping even closer to the gate, “you’re not supposed to exist.”

Her breath hitched.

“What does that mean?”

Silence.

Heavy.

Thick.

Dangerous.

And then

He reached through the bars of the gate.

Before she could react

His fingers brushed against her wrist.

Electric.

That was the only way to describe it.

A sharp, intense sensation shot through her body, stealing the air from her lungs as her vision blurred for a split second.

Images flashed in her mind.

Blood.

Darkness.

Him.

Everywhere.

Seraphina gasped, trying to pull back

But his grip tightened just slightly.

Not enough to hurt.

Just enough to keep her there.

His expression had changed now.

Completely.

The calm was gone.

Replaced by something raw.

Hungry.

“You feel that, don’t you?” he murmured, his voice lower now.

Her heart pounded violently.

“What… what is this?” she whispered.

He stared at her like he already knew the answer.

Like he had been waiting for this moment.

“For centuries,” he said slowly, “I felt nothing.”

Her breath trembled.

“And now?” she asked.

His gaze darkened.

His thumb brushed lightly against her pulse.

And when he spoke

It sounded almost like a confession.

“Now I feel everything.”

Seraphina’s chest tightened.

This wasn’t normal.

This wasn’t safe.

This wasn’t something she should be standing here entertaining.

And yet

She didn’t move.

Didn’t pull away.

Didn’t run.

Because deep down…

She knew.

This moment

This man

This feeling

Was the beginning of something she wouldn’t be able to escape.

And as his red eyes locked onto hers, filled with something dangerously close to obsession

One terrifying thought settled into her mind:

She had just crossed a line she could never uncross.