CHAPTER 45

**SOPHIA**

The door creaks ominously, and the blows from the other side growing more intense.

The smell of smoke becomes unbearable, burning my nostrils and making my eyes water.

Coughing suddenly begins, shaking my body without warning, and before I can control it, I'm choking on the thick smoke invading the room.

The realization that the humans must be burning some part of the castle fills me with dread. The situation is deteriorating rapidly, and panic seeps into me like the venom of a snake.

Adam reacts immediately to my state, rushing towards me.

He grips my shoulders tightly, his eyes intense and focused on mine. Even amidst the chaos, the firmness in his gaze forces me to focus and to stay calm, as hard as that may be.

"Sophia, I need you to listen to me carefully, do you understand?", he says, his voice carrying an urgency I can't ignore.

I nod, though I'm still confused and frightened.

My mind is a mess, and the constant noise of the door being destroyed only increases my anxiety.

But the seriousness on Adam's face makes me realize there's no time for hesitation.

When he pulls the dagger from his belt and hands it to me, I feel its weight in my hands—a cold, metallic reality that pulls me back into the situation we're in.

"I need you to do anything to stay alive and protect yourself. We don't know what's happening out there, but that door is going to be destroyed, and I'll be forced to fight them. Do you understand that?", Adam's words are clear, but the fear they carry makes me tremble.

"You're going to fight the humans?", I ask, and the disbelief in my voice is evident.

I never imagined Adam, who has always been so protective and kind, having to fight against my people, but I remember that he is the royal guard of the vampires.

He nods, but the determination in his eyes is unmistakable.

"I promise I'll try not to kill them, but we need to get out of here now. You need to fight if anyone tries to capture you, human or vampire, it doesn't matter. Hold the dagger like this and don't hesitate...", he grips my hand, guiding my fingers around the dagger's hilt and teaching me how to position it for attack.

My body shakes as I feel the firmness of his hands over mine, and the reality of what he's asking hits me like a blow.

"Why would humans hurt me? I'm not a vampire, and they know that.", my voice is a whisper, almost inaudible, filled with fear and confusion.

Adam frowns, his gaze darkening as he tries to make me understand the gravity of the situation.

"Because you're the prince's donor and one of the people closest to him. The humans might try to hurt you to get to the prince, Sophia."

I blink, fear rising inside me like a tidal wave.

The thought of being used as a tool of revenge against the prince makes me feel vulnerable and exposed.

My hand grips Adam's arm tightly, and the panic is clearly written on my face.

"Don't leave me, please...", I whisper, my voice trembling as I try to find some comfort in his presence.

"I'll be with you...", Adam begins to say, but the sound of wood shattering interrupts him.

The surrounding noise grows louder, the shouts and footsteps drawing closer, echoing down the hallway like a harbinger of something terrible about to happen.

I close my eyes for a moment, trying to block out the chaotic world around us, and suddenly, an impulse surges within me.

Without thinking, I lean forward and press my lips against Adam's.

He seems surprised, but after a second of hesitation, he responds to the kiss, wrapping me in his arms.

It’s a kiss filled with fear, desperation, and something more—a desperate need to connect before everything falls apart around us.

I kiss Adam with all the intensity I can muster, wanting him to feel the depth of what I'm experiencing—the confusion, the fear, but also the trust I place in him.

But as quickly as it started, the kiss ended abruptly when Adam pulled away slightly.

There's pain in his eyes, as if he wants to say more, but there's no time. Before I can react, he pushes me behind him, his body moving to protect me at the exact moment the door is finally destroyed.

The humans burst into the room, their expressions wild and their eyes full of determination and fury.

There’s a pause, a tense moment where everything seems suspended in time. I see the uncertainty in their eyes as they spot us, and for a brief second, I hope that maybe, just maybe, they'll hesitate.

But there’s no time to wait.

Adam moves with impressive speed, his sword unsheathed in an instant, ready to defend both himself and me.

The first human lunges at Adam, who blocks the blow with ease, his defensive stance impeccable.

The sounds of metal clashing fill the room, mixed with screams of rage and pain.

I crouch behind Adam, gripping the dagger so tightly that my fingers ache.

The battle takes place just a few feet from me, and every move Adam makes is precise but controlled. He's trying to keep his promise not to kill, but the intensity of the humans' attacks is putting that promise at risk.

One of the humans charges toward me, his eyes fixed on me with a determination that makes me freeze.

Adam is busy fending off two opponents at once, and before he can react, the man is almost upon me.

My body acts before my mind can process, and I raise the dagger, just as Adam taught me.

I swing the blade upward and strike with all the force I can muster.

The man stops abruptly, his eyes widening in shock as the blade meets its target.

The impact makes me stumble back, and I watch as blood begins to stain his clothes while he collapses to the ground, gasping.

I stare at what I've just done, my body trembling uncontrollably.

The horror of the act begins to settle in, but before I can process what just happened, Adam is by my side, grabbing my arm and pulling me closer to him.

"I killed someone, I killed a human person..."

"Sophia, you did what you had to do. You had no choice.", he says, his voice firm, but there’s a softness to it, an understanding.

I nod, but the tears are already streaming down my face.

No matter how much I try to justify it, the guilt and fear consume me. Adam seems to understand this, as he pulls me even closer, hugging me tightly for a moment before turning his attention to the exit.

The surrounding chaos continues, but now, with the door destroyed, our only option is to get out of here.

"We need to go, now.", Adam says, his voice urgent, but still filled with genuine concern for me.

I quickly wipe away the tears, trying to keep calm.

I can’t let fear paralyze me.