---
Just as Celeste reached for her drink — still smiling in that quietly pleased way that made Miki both suspicious and flustered — her phone buzzed against the table.
She frowned. Only two people had this number besides Miki. And one of them was dead.
She glanced at the screen.
No name. Just a string of encrypted digits.
Miki noticed her change in expression immediately. "Who is it?"
Celeste didn't answer.
She tapped to accept the call, lifting the phone to her ear. Her voice dropped low. "Speak."
A voice crackled through the line. Male. Rough. Cold.
> "You're still pretending to be human, Celeste Lorrain. How adorable."
Celeste stilled, the color draining from her face.
> "Five years and you still think hiding in a glass tower changes your nature. But I haven't forgotten her scent. And I know exactly where to find it again."
Celeste stood up, knocking over her untouched lemonade.
Miki flinched. "Celeste?"
Celeste didn't respond.
> "You taste your little human pet yet?" the voice hissed. "Or are you just playing house like a bored widow?"
Celeste's hand trembled.
> "She's the last piece. Once I carve her heart from her chest, and watch you watch it beat — you'll understand what it means to lose everything you've ever clung to."
The line went dead.
Miki stood now too, confused, eyes scanning Celeste's face.
"What happened?" she asked.
Celeste didn't answer.
Instead, she turned and grabbed Miki's wrist. Her grip was tight — ice cold. Too cold.
"We're leaving."
"Celeste, what—"
"Now."
She didn't argue. She followed.
They left the rooftop café in silence. Celeste's coat flared behind her as she stormed down the stairwell instead of taking the elevator. Miki struggled to keep up.
"Was it... someone dangerous?" Miki finally asked when they stepped into the sunlight outside.
Celeste paused on the sidewalk. Her lips parted slightly — unsure if she should lie, protect, or warn.
And then she said:
> "He's an old vampire. One of the oldest. I thought he died in the massacre a century ago."
"Why's he after me?"
"Because he knows he can't hurt me unless he hurts you."
Miki's heart thudded painfully in her chest.
Celeste reached out then, gently brushing a strand of hair behind Miki's ear — a rare tenderness breaking through her otherwise fierce expression.
"I won't let him touch you. But you need to be careful. Always. From now on, don't go anywhere alone."
Miki took a shaky breath. "You can't protect me 24/7."
"I will." Celeste's voice cracked, just a little.
And that scared Miki more than anything.
---
Back in her office, Celeste stood alone after sending Miki home with one of her personal guards.
She walked to the tall windows, staring out at the skyline.
Her reflection in the glass shimmered faintly — a reminder of what she really was.
> "You're not ready for this," she whispered to herself. "But I'll buy you time, Miki."
She pulled out a drawer.
And inside, wrapped in velvet and sealed with wax, lay something she hadn't touched in decades.
Her old sword.
---