Chapter 152 A Familiar Face
Kira's POV
Is this the end?
Is this how I would finally die? Not by an accident or by natural cause…but because some monster gripped my shoulder?
I couldn’t move.
The cold hand didn’t just rest there. It tightened, fingers digging in with a grip that felt too real, too solid for any ghost story.
Pain flared where the icy touch met my skin, sharp and biting, like frostbite spreading fast. I wanted to scream, but my throat had seized up, turning every sound into a trapped whimper.
The air around me grew heavier, thicker, pressing down on my chest until breathing felt like sucking air through a straw.
I didn't dare turn around yet.
Cold breath ghosted across the nape of my neck again…slow, deliberate, carrying the faint metallic scent of old blood and damp stone. It made my stomach twist violently. This thing, whatever it was, was tasting my fear. Enjoying it.
“Leah…” My mental voice cracked, small and desperate. “What the hell do we do now? I’m frozen. I can’t even twitch. Tell me there’s a way out of this.”
Leah pushed forward harder, her presence flooding me with raw, protective rage. I could almost feel her hackles raised, fangs bared in the darkness of my mind.
‘Listen to me, Kira. Whatever this thing is…ghost, spirit, palace demon, I don’t care. We fight. I will fight with everything I have. I refuse to let us be taken down by some scary bedtime story bullshit lurking in these walls. You've faced worse. You've survived worse. This corridor wants fear? We’ll give it claws and teeth instead.’
Her words hit like a slap, snapping me out of the worst of the paralysis for a split second.
Leah wasn’t panicking. She was ready to tear the world apart to protect us. That stubborn fire of hers…the same one that had kept me going through every betrayal, every loss…ignited something deep in my gut.
The terror was still there, choking and real, but beneath it burned pure defiance.
I forced another slow exhale, long and controlled, pushing the panic down as far as it would go.
My hands trembled at my sides, but I curled them into fists. “Alright,” I whispered to myself, the word barely audible but laced with every ounce of resolve I could muster.
“Let’s do this.”
Gathering every scrap of strength, every bit of adrenaline flooding my veins, I twisted sharply…violent and fast…spinning around to confront whatever nightmare had me trapped.
And I came face to face with her.
But how could she be here? Am I hallucinating?
I couldn’t breathe for a second.
The cold hand on my shoulder loosened just enough for me to relax slightly, and when my eyes finally focused in the dim, flickering light that had somehow returned, I let out a shaky exhale.
“Is it really you?” The words tumbled out before I could stop them. My voice sounded small and cracked in the heavy silence. “How are you here? When did you get back? Did you hear the voice too?”
Even without considering how suspicious it was finding her here, a wave of relief crashed over me so hard my shoulders sagged.
A familiar face. After all that running, the looping corridors, the whispers, and the freezing terror…someone I actually knew came to my rescue.
The vampire princess who was supposed to marry Levi.
What was her name again?
It danced on the tip of my tongue but refused to stick. Still…if she ended up with Levi, we’d practically be family, right? In-laws or something. That had to count for something in this messed-up world.
I felt a tiny bit safer. Just a tiny bit. At least it wasn’t some faceless shadow monster dragging me into the abyss.
But then Leah’s voice cut through my head, sharp and wary. ‘Kira… something feels off.’
A fresh chill slid down my spine, slow and icy. The relief curdled fast. Why hasn't she answered my question? Why isn't she saying anything?
The princess tilted her head, noticing the way my face had tensed up again. A cold, calculating smile curved her lips…too perfect, too sharp, like she enjoyed watching my fear flicker back to life.
“Princess Abby,” she whispered finally, her voice smooth as silk and twice as dangerous. “It’s been forever. I thought I would never see you again.”
“Same here,” I replied awkwardly and gulped, the sound loud in my own ears. Okay. What the hell was I supposed to make of this?
I needed to leave…right now…but I didn’t want her to see how scared I still was.
Why wouldn’t I be scared? She was a freaking bloodsucker. And by that, I didn't mean a mosquito.
She's a fucking vampire! And I am just a… puppy. Sorry, a werewolf. One wrong move and she could drain me dry before I even finished shifting.
‘Hey, that’s offensive,’ Leah huffed in my mind, sounding genuinely annoyed.
‘Sorry,’ I shot back quickly. ‘But let's be real. This lady in front of us is a vampire. She could drain our blood before I even transform and fight back.’
Leah’s presence flared hotter. ‘You have no idea how strong we are now. Stop selling us short.’
I almost smiled at that, but the moment passed fast. The princess just stood there watching me with those unnerving eyes, like she could hear every word of our private conversation.
I remembered the mind-link then…really remembered it…and tried again.
This time, it worked. The connection snapped open like a door finally unlocked.
‘Victoria?’ I sent urgently. ‘Come quick. I need you. I'm lost!’
Her reply flooded back instantly, laced with worry. ‘Princess? Where are you? We’ve been looking everywhere for you! The king is tearing the palace apart. Everyone is looking!’
Relief tried to creep in again, but I still had no clue where “here” actually was. I turned back to the vampire princess, keeping my voice as steady as I could. “Where are we exactly? And how do we get out of here?”
She took a slow step forward, graceful and predatory all at once.
Before I could back away, she leaned in close…too close…and sniffed along the side of my neck.
Her breath was cool against my skin, sending another unwanted shiver through me.
She inhaled deeply, then exhaled with her eyes closed, like she’d just smelled the most delicious thing in the world. Her expression looked almost… blissful.
“Um, excuse me,” I said, stepping back quickly, my tone sharper than I intended. “I’m not food, okay? I’m the queen of this kingdom, and I’ll fucking kill you before you even open your mouth to bite.”
The princess threw her head back and laughed…a light, musical sound that somehow made the dark corridor feel even more dangerous.
“What makes you think I’ll bite you? Has the thought occurred to me? Yes. Will I do it? No.” She smiled again, softer this time, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I just want to be friends, Princess. That’s all.”
Friends. Right. Because vampires and werewolves were famous for cozy friendships.
I felt Victoria pushing through the link again, her voice more frantic now. ‘Princess, tell me where you are. We’re coming!’
But how could I tell her when I still didn’t know? I swallowed my frustration and looked back at the vampire princess.
“What are you doing here anyway? And how did you find me? I’ve been trying to escape this maze tunnel for what feels like forever.”
She blinked at me, genuine curiosity flickering across her flawless face. “What maze tunnel?”
I frowned and gestured around us. “This one. The dark bottomless tunnel we’re standing in right now. Can’t you see—”
My words died in my throat.
When I looked around, the endless black corridor had vanished.
Heart slamming, I stared at what replaced it…something that made my blood run cold all over again.