Midnight woke to the sunlight streaming through her bedroom window, the warm glow landing directly on her face. She groaned softly, sitting up against her headboard as the events of last night replayed in her mind. Davon… Kael… and that mysterious man.
"We need her… she's the only one who can stop him."
The words echoed in her head like a whisper she couldn't escape.
Her thoughts were interrupted when something unexpected hit her senses—
a smell.
A strong smell.
She frowned. Lila is cooking… but why can I smell it from here? Her room was on the second floor, and the kitchen was all the way downstairs. Yet the scent grew sharper, richer, almost overwhelming—and her stomach growled loudly.
She quickly showered, dressed, and walked downstairs, trying to compose herself. Davon was already at the dining table. Midnight forced a calm expression, pretending she hadn't heard anything the night before.
"You're up early," Davon said, eyeing her suspiciously. "You don't even have school today. What's going on?"
Midnight shrugged casually. "Nothing. I just wanted to wake up early. You look tired, though. Didn't get enough sleep? Or did you go to bed late?"
Davon paused, sensing something behind her tone.
He forced a smile. "After you went to your room last night, I went straight to mine and slept. I'm just stressed from work—that's probably why you think I'm sleep-deprived."
She knew he was lying.
She didn't show it.
She simply continued eating in silence until Davon suddenly stood up and ruffled her hair.
"If you get bored here, take your three dogs to the park. And take Iris and Eris with you. Don't give them a headache, okay? Bye, my dear sister." He laughed.
Midnight glared at him, crossing her arms under her armpits, rolling her eyes dramatically as Davon walked out the door.
But as soon as he left, a thought struck her—the name Draven.
Davon had mentioned him last night.
"Uncle Draven."
Who was he?
And what did that "bastard" do to him?
Midnight walked to the garden, her three dogs trailing behind her like loyal guards. She paced back and forth, deep in thought, and her dogs copied her, moving in the same direction with every turn.
Iris spotted her and walked over. "Midnight, what are you doing? You're making me dizzy. Even your dogs are getting confused. Are you still thinking about what happened yesterday?"
Midnight hesitated before pulling Iris closer. "Iris, we're best friends. I can trust you, right? I want to ask you something… Do you know someone named Draven? Maybe he's one of Uncle Kael's friends? Do you know him?"
Iris stiffened. For a moment, she didn't even blink. Her eyes darted to the side as if checking whether someone else was listening. She swallowed hard, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.
"D-Draven?" she echoed, her voice slightly shaky. "I—I don't know him. I only heard that name from you." She forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Where did you… even get that name?"
Midnight quickly lied. "Nowhere. The name just popped into my head. I don't know why."
She couldn't tell Iris the truth. Iris might tell Kael… or Davon.
"Let's just go to the park later so you don't think about anything else. Davon called Eris to say we'll go with you to the park, d-don't worry about it, okay?" she said, her nervous smile still glued to her face.
And Midnight just nodded.
At the hospital, Davon was in his office. As a highly skilled heart surgeon, he had been given his own private space—something he preferred, especially on stressful days.
He was reviewing patient files when his phone suddenly rang. The number wasn't saved, but he answered anyway.
The voice on the other end was the same man he had spoken to that night.
And this time, he brought terrible news.
"I just arrived in England, and bad news immediately greeted me. That shameless monster isn't letting anything go—not even children. This is not what King Draven planned."
Davon's blood boiled.
"You scoundrel… I'll kill you," he growled, slamming his fist onto his table so hard that the wood cracked. "I swear, I will avenge the royal family… and my grandfather."
The memories he had buried for years came rushing back.
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Davon had stepped outside during the royal celebration. He never enjoyed crowded parties and had gone to his usual quiet place—the forest behind the mansion.
The full moon lit the woods brightly, calm and peaceful.
But the peace shattered when he glanced back toward the mansion.
There was chaos.
Davon rushed back, but as he neared the entrance, someone grabbed him by the arm.
When he looked up, he saw Draven's secretary—Kael.
Kael pulled him into a hiding spot near a window, where they still had a clear view of what was happening.
Davon's heart dropped.
He saw King Draven stabbed in the chest. Elise was killed the same way. And the infant in the stroller… slaughtered without mercy. Moments later, his own grandfather fell to the same fate.
Davon could only cry—helpless, human, and far too young.
When the man responsible stepped closer, they didn't dare breathe. As soon as he turned away, Kael dragged Davon toward the secret passage behind the mansion, leading straight into the forest.
Once deep enough in the woods, a faint cry echoed through the night.
A baby.
Kael tensed immediately. A crying infant could attract vampires from miles away.
He found the baby wrapped in a small blanket. Davon's eyes softened.
"Kael… can we take her? She's all alone here. Someone will kill her if we leave her."
Kael didn't hesitate. He scooped the baby into his arms, then crouched.
"To save time, climb on."
Kael carried Davon on his back while holding the baby securely. As a strong and fast vampire, he reached the road within minutes and waved down a passing car.
They were lucky—the driver stopped.
Inside the car, Kael spoke quietly, "We need to leave England. Morvane will hunt me down—I have all of Draven's documents. We'll pick up my family and go to Thailand. We'll be safer there. From now on… this baby is your sister."
Davon whispered, "Midnight."
Kael looked at him. "What Midnight?"
"That's what I'll name her… because we found her in the forest at midnight."
Tears welled in Davon's eyes.
"Someday… Morvane will pay for killing the royal family. And for killing my grandfather."
Kael could only wrap his arm around the boy, feeling both his sorrow and his rage.
When they finally reached Kael's house, everyone packed in haste. But before they could leave, someone knocked on the door.
The man at the doorstep immediately stepped inside. "You need to leave now. Morvane is looking for you. I'll follow after I secure Master Draven's treasures and bring them to you."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "Why help us? Aren't you afraid he'll kill you?"
"He owes me a debt. I'll explain later. Go—now."
They made it safely to the airport, and soon after, the plane lifted off toward Thailand.
Back in the present, Davon snapped out of the memory when he heard his name being called urgently.
He was needed in the operating room.
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Davon rushed out of his office immediately.
On the way to the park, Midnight walked with her three dogs. Eris held Milo's leash, Kaiser stayed beside Iris, and Champ trotted next to Midnight. As they walked, Eris suddenly said, "Your birthday is coming soon, Midnight. What gift do you want from me and Iris?"
Midnight looked at them and smiled. "Just be honest with me. That's all I want."
The twins froze. Their eyes widened for a split second, and they stiffened at her words.
"Y-Yes… of course," Iris replied nervously.
Midnight simply smiled and decided not to push them. They were supposed to enjoy their time at the park.
When they arrived, they sat on a bench and noticed an ice cream vendor nearby.
"Come on, Iris," Midnight said. "Let's buy some ice cream. Eris, watch the dogs for a bit."
After buying ice cream, they returned to Eris.
"Where's my ice cream?" Eris asked, confused.
Midnight and Iris exchanged a quick look.
"Iris said you don't like ice cream," Midnight replied.
Eris glared at his twin. "I don't like ice cream, but I eat it. You're unbelievable, Iris."
Midnight burst into laughter. "Fine, this one's yours. I'll buy another."
As Midnight walked back toward the vendor, she didn't notice a girl around her age approaching from behind. The girl was walking backward, waving goodbye to her friends. When she finally turned around—
She bumped straight into Midnight.
Both of them fell. Midnight shut her eyes on instinct and didn't see the girl's face.
But the girl saw hers.
For a brief moment, she stared—wide-eyed, stunned—before scrambling to her feet.
"I—I'm so sorry!" she blurted, then hurried out of the park in embarrassment.
Midnight stood and brushed the dirt off her clothes. But then—
Her heart suddenly raced. Heat surged through her chest—burning, overwhelming.
She clutched her chest in pain.
Iris and Eris noticed her wobbling and rushed toward her. The dogs followed, whining anxiously.
Just before Midnight collapsed, Eris caught her in his arms.
"Iris—call Theo. Now."
Theo arrived quickly. Eris carried Midnight into the car, and they sped home. Once they reached the house, Eris laid her on the sofa as Iris called their parents, Kael and Lyra. Davon arrived shortly after Kael.
"What happened to Midnight?" Davon asked.
"Someone bumped into her," Eris explained. "When she got up, she held her chest—then passed out. I caught her before she fell."
Davon checked her chest—and everyone froze.
There, glowing faintly, was a red mark shaped like a moon.
Lyra knelt beside Midnight, examining the mark closely.
"This is a mate mark," she whispered. "Midnight has found her mate. Did any of you see the girl's face?"
All of them shook their heads.
"No, Mom," Iris said. "She ran off right away."
"Then only Midnight will be able to find her," Lyra said. "Because if her mate is human, she'll have a scent only Midnight can recognize—unique and intoxicating."
Midnight still wasn't waking up, so Davon carried her to her room and gently placed her on her bed before stepping out.
The moment the door closed—
Midnight opened her eyes.
She sat up slowly, whispering to herself, "I knew you were hiding something from me. I'll find out the truth… one way or another."
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Midnight had been awake the whole time. She only pretended to sleep so she could hear everything—
and what she discovered shook her to the core.
Her mate.
The girl who bumped into her.
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"Is she really the one destined for me?" Midnight whispered to herself. "I didn't see her face… but her scent—"
She touched her chest.
"It smelled like hyacinth… with strawberry and honeysuckle."
A slow smile appeared on her lips.
"I hope I can see her again," she murmured. "I want to know who she is."