It had been years since the battle in Kaligard.
Viana was now twenty-four.
The valley had become peaceful once again, and her parents, Vikram and Ahaana, finally lived without the shadow of old enemies. Rayen had left a few years ago to travel, searching for his own purpose. Viana, though heartbroken at first, respected his choice. She needed to find herself too.
She now lived in a small town far from Kaligard, under a new name — *Viara*. She worked at a library, volunteered at an animal shelter, and tried to stay away from anything supernatural. She had learned to hide her powers. She never used her speed or strength in public. On full moons, she locked herself in her basement just in case.
But no matter how much she tried to blend in… she never truly felt *normal*.
---
One cold evening, as Viana closed the library, she heard a whisper behind her.
"Need help with those books?"
She turned. A tall man stood there. Sharp jawline, tousled dark hair, piercing violet eyes. He wore a long coat and carried an old book with strange symbols.
"I'm fine, thanks," she said flatly.
He smiled, almost mischievously. "I saw you drop your ID outside. Viara, is it?"
She took it from his hand, trying not to react. "Thank you."
"I'm Lucian," he said. "I just moved here. I'm... into rare books."
"Then you'll love the back section of the library," she said, walking away quickly.
Something about him felt *off*. Not dangerous, but powerful. Like her.
---
That night, Viana lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Her dreams were strange — filled with fire and shadows. In one vision, she saw Lucian standing in a circle of flames, chanting in an ancient tongue.
She woke up, sweating.
"What was that?" she whispered.
Her heart was pounding.
---
The next day, Lucian came again. And again. He borrowed books on old legends, magical lineages, cursed bloodlines. Viana kept her distance, but every time their eyes met, something pulled at her soul. Something familiar... and forbidden.
Finally, one evening, she saw him scribbling in one of his books.
"You can't write in library books," she said, approaching him.
"It's mine," he replied without looking up. "It's a spellbook."
She raised an eyebrow. "A what?"
He looked up slowly, his violet eyes glowing slightly. "You're not just a librarian, are you?"
Her breath caught.
"You're like me," he said quietly. "Not human."
She backed away. "I don't know what you're talking about."
He smiled. "Then why is your heartbeat so fast?"
---
That night, Lucian waited for her outside. When she stepped out, she found him leaning against a tree, arms crossed.
"I'm not here to hurt you," he said. "In fact, I think I was meant to find you."
"Who *are* you?" she asked.
"I'm a hybrid," he said. "Half vampire. Half witch."
She stared at him.
"My mother was a blood sorceress. My father, a vampire lord," he explained. "They were both killed when I was a child. I've been hunted ever since. I think you know what that feels like."
Viana's fists clenched.
"I'm not a threat," he said. "But something's coming. I can feel it. I thought I could handle it alone. But when I saw you... I knew I wasn't alone anymore."
---
Viana wanted to ignore him.
She wanted to keep her life quiet.
But that night, when she looked out her window, she saw a mark burning in the sky — the same mark that had appeared in her vision years ago during the Awakening.
It pulsed with magic.
Something dark was waking up.
And once again, her peaceful life was falling apart.
She closed her eyes, whispering to herself,
> "Why can't I ever stay hidden?"
> "Why does the past always find me?"
But this time, something else whispered back in her heart.
> "Because you were never meant to hide."