Nobody breathed.
The golden eyes remained open inside the administration building.
Watching.
Waiting.
The entire courtyard had fallen into complete silence.
Even the wind had stopped.
Trisha's heart pounded violently.
Those eyes.
She knew them.
She had seen them before.
In her dream.
At her window.
And now...
Her breath caught. For one impossible second, she remembered a room filled with candles, a crown of silver light, and a voice calling her name from somewhere beyond time. The memory vanished as quickly as it came, leaving only fear, confusion, and the strange certainty that the creature recognized something she had forgotten deep inside her bones and blood.
They were here.
"Liam..." she whispered.
He immediately stepped farther in front of her.
His entire body had tensed.
His golden eyes glowed faintly again.
Everyone instinctively backed away.
Except Professor Vale.
He remained standing where he was.
Completely pale.
"No," he whispered.
The eyes blinked.
Slowly.
Then the darkness inside the building moved.
Boom.
A heavy footstep echoed.
Boom.
Another.
The ground trembled.
Something was coming.
The giant eyes lowered slightly.
Then a figure emerged from the darkness.
Everyone froze.
It was enormous.
At least ten feet tall.
Its body was covered in dark scales that shimmered like obsidian.
Massive wings folded behind its back.
Long silver hair flowed over its shoulders.
Two black horns curved from its forehead.
Yet despite its terrifying appearance...
Its face looked human.
Beautiful.
Ancient.
Its golden eyes slowly moved across the group.
Nobody dared to speak.
Then it looked directly at Trisha.
And smiled.
The creature's expression softened completely.
As if it had finally found something precious.
Professor Vale looked horrified.
"It can't be..."
The creature ignored him.
Instead, it took another step forward.
Its enormous wings shifted slightly.
The sound alone made everyone jump.
Another step.
Closer.
Liam moved.
He stepped directly in front of Trisha.
"Stop."
The creature paused.
Silence.
Its eyes slowly settled on him.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then the creature smiled again.
"A Moon Werewolf."
Its voice was deep and smooth.
Ancient.
It sounded like distant thunder.
Liam's eyes widened.
It could talk.
Everyone looked equally shocked.
The creature tilted its head.
"Interesting."
Silence.
Then—
"Who are you?" Liam asked.
The creature blinked.
As if surprised by the question.
Then it smiled.
"I have had many names."
Nobody spoke.
"Guardian."
Silence.
"Servant."
Silence.
"Warden."
Silence.
Then it looked at Trisha again.
"Family."
Nobody moved.
Trisha's eyes widened.
Family?
The creature took another step forward.
Liam didn't move.
Neither did Trisha.
The creature stopped.
Then something impossible happened.
It slowly lowered itself.
One knee touched the ground.
Everyone stared.
The creature bowed.
Its massive head lowered.
Silence filled the courtyard.
Professor Vale looked like he might faint.
"No..." he whispered.
The creature spoke.
"My Queen."
The words echoed across the campus.
Nobody breathed.
Nobody blinked.
Trisha stared.
"What?"
The creature slowly lifted its head.
Its golden eyes were warm.
Gentle.
"You have finally returned."
Silence.
"I think..." Trisha swallowed. "...you have the wrong person."
The creature smiled.
"I do not."
She looked even more confused.
"I've never met you."
"You have."
"No, I haven't."
The creature remained calm.
"Not in this life."
Silence.
Nobody understood.
Not in this life?
What did that even mean?
The creature slowly rose to its feet.
Its enormous height became even more intimidating.
Then it looked toward the crimson rings.
Sadness appeared in its eyes.
"Ten thousand years."
Silence.
"I waited ten thousand years for only you."
Nobody spoke.
The creature looked back at Trisha.
"And now you are here finally."
She couldn't understand anything.
She didn't know this creature.
She didn't know what a Vessel was.
She definitely wasn't anyone's queen.
"Professor..." she whispered.
He looked at her.
Then at the creature.
His entire body trembled.
"Professor, what is it talking about?"
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then—
"I don't know."
Britney looked horrified.
"Again with the not knowing!"
Nobody laughed.
The creature's eyes slowly moved toward Professor Vale.
"You remember me."
It wasn't a question.
The professor swallowed.
"Yes."
The creature nodded once.
"You have aged."
Silence.
Professor Vale looked like he wanted to run.
Instead, he asked quietly,
"What are you?"
The creature blinked.
Then it smiled.
"A promise."
Nobody understood.
The creature ignored their expressions.
Instead, it looked at Trisha again.
"You are frightened."
She didn't answer.
Because she was.
Terrified.
The creature's expression softened.
"I would never harm you."
Silence.
"I exist to protect you."
The words felt sincere.
Completely sincere.
Yet somehow that frightened her even more.
Then—
DONG.
The crimson rings glowed.
DONG.
The ground trembled.
DONG.
Every screen on campus suddenly lit up.
Crimson words appeared.
WARNING.
THE THIRD PHASE WILL BEGIN IN FIVE HOURS.
THE VESSEL HAS BEEN LOCATED.
THE HUNTERS ARE COMING.
Silence.
Then another line appeared.
THE GUARDIAN HAS AWAKENED.
Everyone slowly looked at the creature.
Guardian.
The creature simply stared at the screens.
Its expression changed.
The gentleness disappeared.
Its eyes became cold.
Ancient.
Dangerous.
Then it looked toward the darkness beyond the university.
A low growl escaped its throat.
The sound didn't seem human.
It sounded like something ancient awakening.
"Too soon," it murmured.
Nobody understood.
Then every light on campus suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed everything.
People gasped.
Only the crimson rings remained.
And the creature's glowing golden eyes.
A cold wind swept through the courtyard.
Then—
A distant howl echoed.
Another answered.
Then another.
And another.
Dozens of howls rose from every direction around the university.
Everyone went pale.
They weren't alone.
Something was surrounding the campus.
The creature slowly spread its massive wings.
Its golden eyes remained fixed on the darkness.
Then it spoke.
"They found you."
Silence.
The howls grew louder.
Closer.
The creature's expression became terrifying.
For the first time since appearing, it looked angry.
Its scales seemed darker.
Its eyes burned brighter.
Then it looked at Trisha.
And said six words that made everyone's blood run cold.
"My Queen, the Hunt has begun."
[To Be Continued...]