The morning after the accident, Dream's phone wouldn't stop buzzing. Her mum was the first to call.
"Baby, are you okay? I heard what happened. Francisca texted me. God, I wish I was there."
"I'm fine, Mum," Dream said softly, curling deeper under her sheets. "Really. Just a little shaken."
Her friends called too Claire, then Jeremy. All concerned, all skeptical.
"Maybe it was just a stranger who helped you," Claire said, chewing something on the other end of the line. "You probably imagined his face from the trauma."
Jeremy was more cautious in his response. "Dream… I believe you saw something. But don't let your mind go to places that'll drive you crazy."
She understood what they were trying to do,comfort her, bring her back to reality. But she knew what she saw. It was him. The same man from her father's burial. His eyes weren't something anyone could imagine. Not that piercing. Not that otherworldly.
Dream wasn't crazy. And she was going to prove it. Or at least, she was going to understand it.
Later that day, she called her mum again. "Mum… I want to come home. I need to go through Dad's stuff. I think it might help."
"Dream," her mum sighed, weary after another long hospital shift. "I don't think that's a good idea. There's nothing there but memories. Please don't dig into things that might hurt you."
"I just want to understand something."
"I said no."
But by that evening, Dream was already packing a small bag.
She made the journey home quietly, her thoughts spinning with questions. Her childhood home still smelled the same,like vanilla and laundry detergent. Her mum was waiting at the door, arms folded but her eyes soft.
"I knew you wouldn't listen."
"I had to come."
They hugged for a long time. Then her mum made jollof rice and grilled fish, Dream's favorite. For a moment, the warmth of home made everything feel normal.
But that moment passed.
"Mum," Dream said over dinner, her fork paused in mid air. "I found something."
Her mum looked up. "What do you mean?"
"In Dad's old office. I went there today. I know you told me not to, but… I had to."
Her mum stayed quiet.
"There were photos," Dream continued. "Old ones. Of people. Some with fangs. Pale skin. And they looked the same… across decades. Even centuries. And, Mum… Jessica was in one of them."
Her mother's eyes widened.
"You're sure?"
"Yes. Same afro, same brown eyes. Standing beside someone, but his face wasn't visible. The date on the photo said 1521. That's over 500 years ago, Mum."
Her mum put down her fork slowly. "Oh God… I hoped this would never reach you."
Dream blinked. "You knew something."
Her mum nodded. "Once, when I was a teenager, I saw something strange. A woman who never aged. I saw her in Lagos. Then again years later, unchanged. I always thought I imagined it. Or forgot. But your father… he believed. He started researching all this. He said there were people… not quite human. People who lived for centuries. Fed on blood. Had powers. I told him to stop."
"Is that why he died?" Dream asked in a whisper.
"I don't know," her mum said, voice cracking. "But his car accident wasn't… normal. The brakes were checked the day before. Everything was working fine."
Dream pushed her plate away, her appetite gone.
Her mum reached over and held her hand. "Dream, listen to me. This isn't something to chase. These beings, if they're real, they're dangerous. Promise me you'll stop digging."
Dream met her mum's eyes. "I promise."
But her heart said otherwise.
The next week, she returned to school.
Francisca hugged her the moment she saw her. "You okay?"
"Better now," Dream smiled. "Thanks."
But things weren't the same. She couldn't look at Jessica without wondering. Was she human? Was she watching Dream too?
She tried to keep her distance, but Jessica always found a way to sit near her. Smile at her. Talk to her.
Dream wasn't ready to confront her. Not yet.
But she needed someone to talk to.
So she called Jeremy.
He answered from his dorm, his face already serious the moment he saw hers.
"What's wrong?"
Dream told him everything. About the photos. The research. The familiar faces. Jessica.
Jeremy ran a hand through his curls. "Damn."
"What do I do?"
"Don't confront her. Not yet. Gather more evidence first. And Dream…" he looked straight into the camera. "Be very careful."