We all stood there in complete silence. Just staring at the strange man. The air inside the suite suddenly felt tighter. He stood calmly in the middle of the room like he belonged there while all of us silently tried to understand how he knew the things he knew. How did he know Emmanuel? How did he know Juliet’s old name? And more importantly— what exactly was he? Juliet kept staring at him with narrowed eyes, like she was trying to pull memories from the deepest part of her mind. Timi looked cautious. Ayara looked ready to rip his throat out at any second. Stephen looked irritated. And me? I was unsettled. The man casually grabbed the bottle of gin again and took another sip before saying, “We should get out of here quickly.” Immediately all our attention sharpened. “Why?” Stephen asked. The man lowered the bottle. “Because when I was coming up here,” he said calmly, “I noticed a couple of hunters at the lobby.” My stomach tightened. “And my

Everything after that became a blur. Cold wind. Streetlights rushing past above me. The distant sound of sirens somewhere in Paris. Then darkness again. I kept drifting in and out of consciousness on Hakim’s shoulder. Every time I opened my eyes the world tilted strangely. At one point I saw rain pouring lightly across empty streets. Another time I heard Hakim speaking to someone but I couldn’t make out the words. Then darkness swallowed me again. My neck burned terribly where he bit me. My entire body felt hollow. Weak. Like something important had been ripped out of me. I didn’t know where we were going. Didn’t even know if I cared anymore. Then finally my eyes slowly opened again. This time I wasn’t moving. I was laying across an old leather sofa. I groaned painfully and sat up slowly clutching my ribs. The room was dark and quiet. Only a few dim yellow lights illuminated the place. Then I realized where I was. An empty bar. Completely em

Me, my uncle Ajayi and the Count drove through the silent outskirts of Paris until we finally arrived at a small old house hidden between rows of dying trees. The place looked ordinary from the outside. A warm yellow light glowed through the curtains while rain drizzled softly onto the roof. The Count stepped forward and knocked gently. A few seconds later the door opened and an elderly woman appeared. The moment she saw him, her wrinkled face softened into a smile. “You’ve returned,” she said warmly. The Count nodded once. “We need shelter.” “Of course,” she replied immediately, stepping aside for us. “Come in.” We entered the house slowly. The warmth inside immediately wrapped around me after the freezing Paris air outside. The place smelled like herbs, old wood and burning candles. Then the Count calmly said to the woman, “Please prepare a bath for my son.” The word son made my stomach tighten instantly. I looked at him in confusion. He spoke so casually about

By now the noise of our battle had spread through the surrounding streets.Apartment windows were filled with frightened faces.People gathered at a distance holding up phones, recording the burning buildings and shattered road while screaming in different languages. Some ran away while others stood frozen, unable to comprehend what they were witnessing.Car alarms echoed everywhere.Smoke covered the sky.Yet none of us cared.Adesina stood across from me breathing heavily while black blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. His eyes remained locked on mine with that same terrifying calmness that had irritated me since the fight began.I smiled slowly.Then I asked, “Do you know what demons are mostly known for?”For the first time during our battle, confusion crossed his face.“What?”“Possession.”And then I moved.I sprinted toward him at full speed.His eyes widened immediately as realization struck him.“No!”But it was too late.The moment I reached him, my body burst apart