The council hall was still soaked in the heavy silence of the decision they had been given. The torches on the ancient walls crackled, casting moving shadows that stretched across the stern faces of the vampire founders. Alice and Kara stood side by side, only a step apart, yet separated by an abyss of uncertainty, holding on to each other just to stay grounded.
When they finally stepped out of the hall into a narrow, less suffocating corridor, the world seemed to shrink around them. Their footsteps echoed softly, the only sound besides Kara's frantic heartbeat.
"They don't get it…" Alice said at last, breaking the silence. Her voice was low and rough, full of inner conflict.
"Turning you means forcing you into an eternity you might not want. But wiping your memories… it's like everything we lived just disappears."
Kara stopped and grabbed Alice's arm, holding it tightly. Her brown eyes were wet, but burning with resolve.
"And you think this is easy for me?" she said, breathless.
"I… I like you, Alice. More than I can even explain. But becoming a vampire? I don't know if I'm ready to lose who I am."
Alice looked at her, the red of her eyes glowing with a mix of pain and tenderness. She leaned in, almost as if she'd kiss her just to find comfort, but stopped herself.
"I'm not forcing you into anything," she said firmly, though her voice shook.
"So I'll ask for time. Even if I have to stand against the whole council."
They walked back into the hall, where the weight of tradition was already waiting for them. The council hadn't moved: Vlad IV still sat on his dark stone throne, regal and cold, while the other members watched them like predators tracking their next move.
Alice lifted her chin, trying to hide how much she trembled inside.
"I need time," she said, her voice clear and slicing through the silence.
"This decision… it's not simple. Not for me, not for her."
The reaction was instant.
Baronesa Crowell slammed her golden cane on the floor, the sound exploding like thunder. Disgust tightened every line of her face.
"Absurd!" she snapped, her voice dripping venom.
"What time could there be to consider something so obvious? Either the girl transforms and accepts her fate, or she forgets and goes back to being mortal. There is no middle ground. No room for hesitation."
Kara shrank back at the harshness of the words, but Alice stepped forward, shielding her with her presence. Before Crowell could continue, Albert, silent until now, surprised everyone.
"Perhaps we should allow it," he said, calm but unexpectedly firm.
"It's rare, extremely rare, to see genuine love between a vampire and a mortal. They deserve… at least a moment to choose without being crushed by immediate pressure."
Whispers filled the hall. Sir Benjamin scoffed and crossed his arms, while Talia raised a single eyebrow in pure disdain. James Butcher leaned forward, eyes narrowed.
"And what if this 'pause' just gives them more time to scheme against us?" James shot back.
"Love blinds, Albert. But we can't afford to be blind."
Vlad raised his hand, and the noise died instantly. The ancient lord stared at Alice and Kara for a long moment, as if reading their every thought, every heartbeat.
"Enough," he said, his voice deep and absolute.
"If time is what you seek, time you shall have. Two days. No more, no less."
Kara's heart skipped. Alice clenched her fists, but stayed composed.
"Two days to decide," Vlad went on.
"If you return to this hall within the appointed time, we will hear your final choice. If you fail to appear… Alice will be hunted and judged for insubordination. And Kara's memory will be erased permanently."
The silence that followed was absolute, heavy enough to crush.
It was a sentence wrapped in coldness, but it still gave them a fragile sliver of choice.
Alice squeezed Kara's hand like a promise not to abandon her at the edge of this cliff. Baronesa Crowell still glared at them with pure fury, as if mercy itself were a personal insult. But Vlad had spoken, and among the council, Vlad's word was law.
The two left the hall with Albert, who had unexpectedly helped sway the council, carrying the weight of the final decision on their shoulders. Two days. Only two days to choose between eternal love and absolute oblivion.
And the clock had already started ticking.