The morning after the intruder vanished, the air around Viana's home still felt heavy — like it remembered the dark presence from last night.
Viana didn't sleep. She kept pacing the floor, her mind racing.
Lucian, too, looked exhausted. But neither of them said much. Silence sat between them like a ghost.
At last, Viana spoke.
"We need answers."
Lucian nodded. "There's only one place to find them. My mother's hidden library."
---
They traveled far — through thick woods, over rivers, into the ruins of a forgotten town. Deep inside a hill was a small, moss-covered door. Lucian muttered a spell under his breath, and it slowly creaked open.
Inside, the space smelled like damp stone and dust. Hundreds of ancient books lined crooked shelves. Candles lit up on their own.
Lucian went straight to a thick book bound in black fur.
"This," he said, "is where I found the prophecy."
Viana leaned over the book. Its pages were handwritten in red ink. At the center was a poem:
---
**"When moon-born and night-fed cross their fates,**
**And blood is mixed through love or hate,**
**A storm shall rise, a shadow wake,**
**To burn the world or heal its ache."**
---
Viana stared at it. "Moon-born... that's me. Werewolf."
Lucian nodded. "And night-fed is me. Vampire."
Her voice was low. "Through love or hate..."
Lucian looked at her, serious. "They believe if we fall in love... or even if we hate each other deeply... we could awaken something dangerous."
"But *what*?"
Lucian flipped the pages. There were stories — of ancient hybrids born once every thousand years. Most were hunted. One destroyed an entire kingdom. Another healed a cursed land.
Viana felt dizzy. "Are they saying... if we love each other, we might awaken a power strong enough to destroy the world?"
"Or save it," Lucian said quietly.
---
As they left the library, the sky had turned grey. Rain began to fall. But it was warm — like summer rain.
Viana and Lucian didn't rush. They walked together in the woods, the rain soaking them.
"I used to dream of living like a normal girl," Viana said. "College. Books. Maybe a small bookstore. A dog."
Lucian smiled. "I dreamed of being left alone, finally safe."
They paused near a large oak tree. Viana looked up at him, her hair wet and clinging to her cheeks.
"We didn't choose this," she whispered.
Lucian gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. "But maybe we were chosen for it."
Their eyes locked.
And without thinking, he leaned in and kissed her.
Soft. Warm. Honest.
Viana's chest tightened, and her eyes fluttered closed.
For a moment, the world was silent — like even the forest was holding its breath.
Then—
A flash of red lightning lit the sky.
They pulled apart, startled.
The air shifted.
Lucian whispered, "The Crimson Star…"
Above them, faint but visible through the clouds, a blood-red star had appeared beside the moon.
It hadn't been there before.
Their kiss had awakened it.
---
They ran back to the cottage. Books flew open by themselves. Spells glowed from the walls.
Even Vikram's old sword — resting on the wall for years — began to tremble.
Viana gripped the edge of the table.
"We've started something, haven't we?"
Lucian nodded. "The prophecy… it's begun."
Suddenly, pain shot through Viana's chest. She fell to her knees, gasping.
Lucian rushed to her side.
Her veins glowed red for a few seconds — as if something inside her had ignited.
Then it stopped.
Viana breathed hard. "What... what was that?"
Lucian's face was pale. "Your power is changing."
---
That night, Viana stood outside, staring at the Crimson Star.
Lucian stood beside her, quiet.
She didn't say anything for a while. Then she asked, "Do you regret it?"
"The kiss?"
She nodded.
He shook his head. "No. Do you?"
Viana smiled faintly, looking up. "No."
She turned to him, eyes glowing faintly gold and red — the werewolf and vampire sides both alive.
"We don't know what's coming next, Lucian. But whatever it is... I'm not afraid."
He reached for her hand.
"Neither am I."