Chapter 3 What Are You?

• Cassia pressed forward, her bare feet moving soundlessly over the forest floor. The damp soil felt cool against her skin, and every step she took sent a thrill of excitement through her. She was still on cloud nine thinking that she was already free.
• The towering trees stretched endlessly before her, their thick canopies blocking most of the moonlight, but she didn’t mind. The darkness was nothing new to her—she had lived in it for years. And yet, this felt different.
• The air smelled of fresh earth, crisp leaves, and something wild. It was so different from the stagnant air in the tower, where all she had was dust-covered books and the scent of old wood.
• She slowed her steps, her fingertips brushing against the rough bark of a nearby tree. This was real. This wasn’t a dream.
• She took a deep breath, inhaling everything, savoring the moment—until a sudden, sharp pang of unease settled in her chest.
• Cassia froze.
• Something was wrong.
• Her senses—ones she never really had to rely on before—screamed at her. The hairs on her arms stood on end, and an unsettling chill crept down her spine. She was being watched.
• Slowly, Cassia turned her head, her eyes scanning the shadows between the trees. The forest was eerily silent now, the distant sound of crickets and rustling leaves swallowed by an unnatural stillness.
• Then—movement.
• From the darkness, three figures emerged.
• Men.
• Or, at least, they looked like men at first. They stepped forward in near-perfect unison, their bodies partially concealed by the shadows, but Cassia could see enough.
• Their eyes gleamed unnaturally under the slivers of moonlight. Their skin—too pale, almost gray—seemed stretched thin over their bones. But what stood out most were their fangs. Long, sharp, and glistening under the faint glow.
• Cassia’s heart pounded.
• She doesn’t know much about the outside world, but she know what creature was in front of her. It were vampires.
• Her father had never told her much about them—only that they were dangerous. That they were ruthless. That she should never, ever cross paths with them.
• Well.
• That was impossible now.
• The tallest of the three stepped forward, his lips pulling back into a slow, sinister grin. “What do we have here?” His voice was smooth, but there was a sharpness beneath it, like the edge of a blade.
• Cassia didn’t move. She refused to show fear.
• The second man circled her slightly, his eyes raking over her. “A lone little wolf… without a pack?” He chuckled darkly. “How… unfortunate.”
• Cassia clenched her fists. She wasn’t a wolf. She never had been. Her father had never taught her how—plus she had never felt her wolf.
• And yet, she wasn’t weak.
• The third vampire inhaled deeply. “She smells different,” he muttered, his head tilting slightly as if trying to place what exactly she was.
• “Yes. She smells… different.”
• Cassia took a slow step back. The movement didn’t go unnoticed.
• “Ah, ah, ah,” the first vampire said, wagging a finger. “Where do you think you’re going, little… whatever you are?”
• Her muscles tensed. They were playing with her, enjoying the moment. They thought she was an easy target.
• Big mistake.
• She didn’t wait for them to make the first move.
• Cassia spun on her heel and ran.
• The forest blurred around her as she sprinted forward, dodging low-hanging branches and leaping over fallen logs with ease. Her heart pounded in her ears, but she didn’t let it distract her. She had one advantage—speed. She had always been unnaturally fast, faster than what should have been possible for someone like her.
• But so were they.
• She could hear them—closing in.
• A blur of movement to her right. Another to her left.
• They were toying with her.
• Faster.
• Cassia pushed harder, her body moving purely on instinct. The wind howled against her skin, but she didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop.
• Then—a shadow lunged.
• Cassia barely had time to react before clawed hands grabbed her arm and yanked.
• Her body twisted midair, and she crashed onto the ground, the impact knocking the breath from her lungs. Leaves and dirt scattered around her as she skidded against the forest floor.
• Pain shot up her shoulder, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself up.
• Too slow.
• The first vampire was already in front of her, crouched low, watching her like she was prey.
• The second and third flanked her sides, cutting off any escape.
• She was trapped.
• “Impressive,” the leader mused. “You’re fast. Strong, too.”
• Cassia glared, breathless but defiant. “Let me go.”
• The second vampire chuckled. “Oh, sweetheart, that’s not how this works.”
• The leader took a step forward. “We’ve been starving, you see. And you…” He inhaled deeply. “You smell delicious.”
• A chill shot through her.
• They weren’t just playing with her anymore. They were about to kill her.
• Cassia’s body tensed, her mind racing. She had never fought anyone before—had never even learned how. Her father never allowed her to train and never trusted her with power.
• But she wasn’t going to die here.
• No.
• Something inside her snapped.
• “J-Just let me go!”
• The vampires laughed.
• The leader lunged.
• Cassia moved.
• She ducked low, spinning out of his grasp with inhuman speed. Before he could react, she slammed her elbow into his ribs—hard enough that she felt something crack.
• The vampire stumbled.
• The other two growled, eyes flashing as they lunged at her.
• Cassia barely registered what she was doing. Her body moved on pure instinct, dodging the first attack and countering the second. She kicked, her foot connecting with one vampire’s knee, sending him collapsing to the ground.
• She wasn’t supposed to be this strong.
• She wasn’t supposed to be this fast.
• And yet… she was.
• The realization hit her like a lightning strike.
• What am I?
• The leader recovered quickly. His fangs gleamed as he lunged at her again, his claws slicing through the air.
• Cassia sidestepped—too late.
• A sharp pain tore through her shoulder.
• She gasped, staggering back.
• Blood seeped through her torn sleeve, warm and sticky against her skin. The wound burned.
• The leader sneered, licking the blood off his claws. “Not bad. But you’re still nothing compared to us.”
• Cassia clutched her shoulder, breathing heavily. The pain was intense—but something else was happening.
• Her skin… glowed.
• The vampires froze.
• Cassia didn’t understand what was happening, but her body was healing. The wound on her shoulder—the deep, ugly gash—was closing before their eyes.
• The leader’s face twisted into something between rage and terror. “What the hell are you?”