Under the Moonlight
Chapter 4: Blood and Weakness
Aria stirred awake with a low whimper.
Her entire body ached, but something inside her felt worse—deeper, burning. A churning pain that clawed at her insides.
She sat up slowly, the room still dark. The cold food Lucien had left on the previous night—bread, stale but edible—was gone. Her stomach wasn't hungry anymore.
It was cramping. Badly.
She winced as a dull ache twisted sharply in her lower abdomen.
No…
She pulled back the thin blanket and looked down.
Blood.
She cursed under her breath and stumbled to the tiny attached bathroom. Each step sent a fresh wave of pain through her belly, and the cold tile floor bit into her bare feet.
She braced herself against the sink, breathing heavily, pain making her eyes blur.
"Not now... not here," she whispered to her reflection.
She splashed water on her face, but it didn't help. Her cheeks were pale, her lips trembling.
It was bad. Worse than usual. Her period had never hit this hard before.
She clutched her abdomen, sinking to the floor, curled up.
She needed pads. Painkillers. A bed. A mother's voice. Something.
Instead, all she had was a stone dorm room, locked windows, and the memory of Lucien's cold glare.
---
A knock at the door.
She ignored it.
Another knock. Louder.
Then silence. Then the door creaked open.
Lucien.
He stood there, sharp and cruel as ever, dressed immaculately like he hadn't known a bad day in his long, undead life.
His red eyes narrowed at the sight of her crouched on the floor.
"You look pathetic."
"Go away," she muttered.
"I gave you food. That should've been enough. Why are you still a mess?"
She didn't answer. Couldn't. The pain shot again through her stomach and she winced, breathing hard.
Lucien stepped closer, not bothering to hide his irritation.
"You're bleeding."
Aria didn't meet his gaze. "It's my period. In case you don't know what that is."
Lucien's face twitched slightly.
"I know what it is. You're leaking and it's disgusting."
Her eyes snapped up to him. "You think I enjoy this?"
"You humans… always whining. Bleeding. Crying. Weak."
"Then kill me," she snapped. "If I'm that useless, just kill me already and get it over with!"
He stared at her. No smirk. No expression. Just silence.
"You think that would be mercy?" he asked after a moment. "I don't give mercy."
"Then what do you want from me?" she choked. "To bleed? To starve? To suffer for your amusement?"
Lucien didn't reply. Instead, he dropped something on the small desk beside her bed. A paper bag.
"What's that?" she asked suspiciously.
"Supplies. So you don't make the entire dorm smell like death."
Aria forced herself up, grabbed the bag, and looked inside.
Pads. Painkillers. A small heating patch. A bottle of water.
She blinked. "I..but Why…"
"I told you," he said flatly. "You belong to me now. I won't let you rot just yet."
"You could've just let me die out there yesterday," she muttered.
"I was tempted."
"Then why didn't you?"
Lucien's eyes flicked to hers. "Because that would've been too easy."
Aria felt something sharp tighten in her throat. The humiliation. The helplessness. The pain. And now… this monster standing above her, deciding how much suffering she deserved.
"I hate you," she whispered.
He smiled. "Good."
She took the bag and retreated to the bathroom, slamming the door.
Lucien didn't follow. Didn't call after her. He just left.
---
She sat on the bathroom floor for a long time.
The heat patch helped. The pills dulled the pain but not the ache in her chest.
When she finally came out, he was gone.
A note sat on the desk.
"Class starts tomorrow. Don't embarrass me."
Aria tore the note in half, her fingers shaking.
But she still placed the supplies neatly in the drawer.
Because as much as she hated him—she needed to survive.
And tomorrow, the academy would see her again.
Bruised. Bleeding. But standing.