Chapter 34:
The bell tolled as if each strike cracked the sky.Incense burned slowly, filling the air with a sweetness that failed to mask the tension.
Arisha walked down the stone aisle, wrapped in a white dress that belonged to no era. Every stitch was a chain. Every flower braided into her hair, a farewell.
Mikhael stood at the altar, tall, dressed with the solemnity of a king who had never wanted a throne. His dark eyes fixed on her—holding her, devouring her.
The priest spoke the ancient words.The echo of each syllable trembled through the floor… until something changed.
A whisper. A crack.The candle flames bent, as if an invisible wind had swept through the temple.A roar of energy shattered the protective barrier. The invisible glass burst into a thousand fragments, and a blaze of blue light filled the air.
Through the sparks stepped a man—tall, hair pale as snow, eyes of an impossible blue that seemed to drink the light. The crowd moved aside as if they recognized something their minds could not name.
"Kiran."
Arisha looked at him, and the world unraveled.
When she opened her eyes, the blue still burned in her memory, but the silence was absolute.No bells.No voices.No echo of Mikhael shouting her name.
Only the murmur of a nearby river and the soft crackle of grass beneath her.
She was in a clearing. Dawn light filtered silver through the leaves. The air was cold, clean, almost sweet… so alive it hurt to breathe. Nothing she knew smelled like this: untouched, unspoiled by time or blood.
Kiran stood a few paces away, watching her with the calm of a predator who had decided not to strike—yet. His blue eyes were not merely a color; they were a heartbeat.
"Where… where are we?" Arisha whispered, sitting up.
"Far," he replied. "Far enough so they can't find you."
She wanted to ask who, but the answer was already in her skin: Mikhael's touch still lingered, Baco's gaze haunted her… and above it all, the strange heat Kiran had left on her waist when he held her.
"Why…?" she began, but he was already moving closer.
"Because you're Nevri." His voice was deep but not aggressive. "Not just any… you're the last."
Arisha shook her head with a humorless laugh."I'm nothing you think I am."
Kiran tilted his head, studying her."You say that because you've never felt what I felt when I saw you." His steps closed the space, pressing her gently against the trunk of a tree. "That scent… it's not human. It's not vampire. It's home."
The word slid into her chest like a soft blade. Home.Impossible that a stranger could speak it that way… and make it sound like a promise.
For the first time since she met him, Arisha did not think of running.
A thick mist began to swallow the clearing.Kiran's long fingers closed firmly over her mouth, silencing her before she could speak.
"This isn't just mist," he murmured near her ear. "It's laced with venom. And see those hunting hounds?"
He pointed with his other hand. Arisha followed his gaze: two grotesque beasts prowled through the fog, collars gleaming like precious stones. They were not ordinary animals—these were first-generation vampires, black market creatures.
Instinctively, she touched the blue ribbon at her neck, startled. Kiran noticed, glancing sideways at her. She stepped back, stumbling over her boots, and he released her.
"Cover yourself with this. It's what you wanted," he said, removing a blue scarf and offering it to her.
"You didn't have to grab me like that," she retorted.
He only looked at her from the corner of his eye and extended the scarf again."Take it, Arisha. Rain is coming. We have to be cautious and use the trees to move."
Without further warning, he tore a strip from the bloodstained fabric at her sleeve and flung it aside.
"It was necessary," he said flatly. "Those beasts have no sense or restraint."
With a swift motion, he lifted her by the waist and leapt into the trees. But Arisha's scent had already drawn the creatures' attention. Without warning, he dropped her into a pool of mud and unsheathed two short blades.
In a blur, the beasts were cut down. Blood splattered, and he plunged into the mire beside her, covering himself in mud and gore to mask their scent.
When they emerged, Kiran noticed something strange in the creatures' blood—it was not ordinary. He stripped off his upper garment, revealing a body honed and unmarked, regenerating with unnatural speed.
"I never lose, Arisha," he said, turning to her with those piercing blue eyes.
Arisha could see it—those beasts were far from ordinary; each carried a red stone embedded deep within its head. And without meaning to, a thought of Baco crossed her mind.
What am I doing? I should be with him…
"This isn't the time for sentiment, Arisha. It's better to keep a cold head," Kiran reminded her, stretching out a hand to help her up.
As he pulled her from the mud, he didn't let go immediately. His grip lingered… and then, he leaned in, inhaling the scent at her neck.
"You are without doubt the last female Nevri. With you, the king is crowned. You should choose better—rather than that vain vampire who sees nothing beyond his own reflection. A shallow fool."
Arisha pushed him away at once, though she could not deny the spark of curiosity this Nevri named Kiran stirred within her.
"Remember, Arisha," he added with a faint, knowing smile, "Kiran never loses to anyone. I am always the best choice."
She caught his arm."I won't let myself be distracted… and I'll never take my eyes off you, Nevri."
Letting go, she walked ahead as if she had said nothing at all—yet a soft, sweet smile curved her lips.