1925
Janet knew everything, the secrets of the supernatural, the existence of mythical creatures. Years had passed since she first arrived, and her stay had been one of purpose, a fresh start after her brutal past. Though she still mourned the loss of her child, she was grateful that a child of that man had never been born. And it was all thanks to him and his mother.
The men that night hadn't just used her body for their pleasure; they had beaten her so severely that she lost the fetus growing inside her.
But now, she was no longer the illiterate woman she once was. Her knowledge had expanded, thanks to the king's generosity, he had been her tutor, her guide. And despite vowing never to love a man again, she had failed. She had fallen for him. She wouldn't mind making another mistake, not if it was with him.
He was worth that.
"It's not much I ask, just make me one of you," Janet pleaded, bowing before Steffen.
He shook his head instantly. He had saved her to give her a new life, not to let her throw it away in pursuit of a fantasy. He feared she wouldn't survive the transformation, no one had ever survived his bite.
"If you're too scared, then have someone else do it. Have Abi do it," she urged, her eyes flickering to Abi with a silent plea.
"Count me out," Abi dismissed quickly, stepping back before the pressure could fall on her. It wasn't selfishness; it was her nature. She had spent half her youth among humans, even married one, yet fate had been cruel, stealing her husband away in war. With nowhere else to go, she had returned to WillsHills to serve the king.
"Then have John bite me," Janet persisted.
For two years, she had begged for this. And for two years, Steffen had refused. He believed her desire was fleeting, that she had much more to accomplish as a human. He didn't want her to become a prisoner to immortality, which he saw as nothing but a curse.
"This conversation is over," Steffen declared, rising to his feet and walking away.
"Stingy! All of you are stingy!" Janet yelled, stamping her foot against the floor.
Frustrated, she stormed outside into the woods, hoping the fresh air would clear her mind and rid her of her greedy obsession. She sighed, kicking small stones along the footpath.
Then, a chill ran down her spine.
It was summer, yet the air was unnaturally cold. The sun still hung high in the sky, its golden rays spilling over the land, but something wasn't right.
Her ears caught a voice.
"It's useless to run. Today marks your last day."
Janet peeked through the trees.
A man stood over a woman who was collapsed on the ground, blood seeping from a deep wound on her arm. Her fiery ginger hair cascaded down her back, and her eyes, wide with defiance, met the man's.
Three more men flanked him.
Janet's grip tightened. Without thinking, she rushed forward, like a foolish duck walking into its own death.
"Let's be civil here. Killing is a crime punishable by years in prison, maybe even beheading," she said boldly.
The man let out a sharp chuckle.
"Foolish human," he scoffed, his brown eyes flashing red.
And that was all she needed to know, they weren't human.
She could run. She could leave the woman to her fate.
But that would make her just as bad as those who had once hurt her.
She had been in this position before, trapped, beaten, powerless. But she had been saved.
So she stayed, even at the risk of her own life.
"I don't care what you are, but I won't let you hurt her," she declared, standing her ground.
The man's jaw tightened in irritation. With a low growl, he bared his fangs and stalked toward her, hungry.
But just as he lunged, the woman on the ground grabbed Janet's waist and ran.
Faster than the wind, she carried Janet away. But halfway through the forest, she stumbled and collapsed, dropping Janet onto the grass.
The woman lay still, her skin pale, her breath fading.
"Are you okay? What's happening?" Janet asked, her own breaths coming in sharp gasps.
The woman weakly shook her head. "There's nothing to be done. I'm at my end."
"Don't say that! You just need to move. If you use your speed again, I can get help"
"I can't use any more of my powers." She coughed, blood dripping from her lips. "And they're not far. Once they catch us, we'll both be dead."
Janet swallowed hard. "Who are they?"
The woman's gaze darkened. "An enemy of my clan. They want my powers. If they get them, innocents will suffer."
Silence fell.
Janet's fists clenched at her sides. She hadn't realized just how dire the situation was. And worse, she had already chosen a side.
The losing side.
"I'm sorry," the woman murmured, her voice barely a whisper against the rustling of the trees.
Before Janet can react, fangs sink into her neck. Pain explodes through her body, white-hot and unrelenting. Sparks of energy crackle along her veins, sending her mind into a whirlwind. Memories not her own surge in, sharp, fragmented, overwhelming, the woman's life spilling into hers: past regrets, present fears, secret desires, hidden dreams.
Her coal-black hair ignites in fiery ginger streaks. Her eyes flare, unrecognizable. Her skin pales, almost deathly, as if the very life inside her is being rewritten.
And then, silence.
The energy dissipates. The memories recede.
When Janet blinks, the woman is gone.
Vanished.
By the time Steffen's guards found Janet, the enemy had already left, perhaps realizing their true target was dead.
When Janet awoke, Steffen stood over her, his expression hard.
"You disobeyed me and walked straight into the Duel Grounds," he said coldly.
Janet groaned, sitting up. "I saved someone."
"And in doing so, you've placed yourself in a situation I can't fix."
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
Before Steffen could respond, Abi entered. "Your Majesty, someone requests your presence."
Steffen turned and left, his expression unreadable. Janet followed, hoping to plead for his forgiveness.
But when they reached the gates, a man stood waiting.
"King Steffen," the stranger greeted with a bow. "His Majesty requests that you send the new princess home."
Janet's steps faltered. "Who's being taken away?"
The man turned to her and bowed deeply. "Your Highness."
Janet's heart stopped.
She looked around, expecting to see someone else.
"Who, me?"
"Yes. You are the new princess."
Her mind spun. "What? How?!"
The man remained composed. "The woman you met was our princess. She transferred her powers and memories to you, making you her replacement. From now on, you will carry her name. You will be addressed as Balu."
"That's insane," Ella vents, again pulling John from the past. Her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "She had to change her name? Why?"
"Because it's the law of vampire royalty," John explains, his voice steady. "When a royal dies, their memories and powers don't just vanish. They must be passed on to a chosen successor, someone who can carry on their legacy. By receiving the late princess's memories and abilities, Janet became her replacement."
Ella scoffs, shaking her head in disbelief. "That's barbaric. How can someone just lose their identity like that?"
"It's tradition," John replies, unfazed by her outrage. "Humans have customs and traditions they follow, and supernaturals are no different." He glances at her from the driver's seat. "Besides, she got what she wanted, didn't she? To be one of them?"
Ella huffs, turning her gaze toward the window. "Still doesn't make it right."
A moment of silence stretches between them before she speaks again, her curiosity getting the better of her. "And what about the man who betrayed her? And his mother? What happened to them?"
John exhales, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. "That's a story for another time," he says, his tone lighter, but there's an unmistakable weight behind his words. "If you want to know, you should ask Balu herself. She's the one best suited to tell it."
Ella frowns at the name. It still doesn't sit right with her. Janet had to give up everything, even her own name ,just because of some vampire law.
John slows the car as they approach a towering wrought-iron gate. The moment they near, it creaks open on its own, the metal groaning as if resisting their entrance. Ella watches in awe as the massive doors swing inward, revealing a long, winding driveway leading to a grand estate. The moment the car crosses the threshold, the gates shut behind them with a heavy finality.
John smirks, catching her expression. "Welcome to WillsHills."
Ella barely hears him, her mind still tangled in the story of Balu, Janet. Or whoever she is now.
"Mia," she murmurs to herself, lost in thought.