VIOLA POV


    The narrow staircase spiraled downward. Every step seemed to carry a pulse, a low, steady thrum that vibrated through the soles of my feet and climbed up my legs, making my skin prickle. The air was thick, heavy and despite the urge to flee, I pressed on, my hand trailing along the cool stone wall.


    The darkness seemed to writhe around me, its echoes skittering across my nerves like ethereal spiders. It felt as if the basement itself was warning me to turn back.


    Suddenly, I heard it again. A sound—low, rhythmic—rose from the depths. Chanting. The words crawled up through the air like tendrils, barely audible at first, yet thick with power.


    I strained to catch the meaning, but they slithered just beyond my grasp, each syllable sending a chill deeper into my spine.


    "Asmodee….Princeps libidinis…Revelamini nobis scientiam prohibitam…"


    The Latin whispers, their meaning danced just beyond my grasp. The voices grew louder and Jamal had always said I overthought things. I allowed my thoughts to control me and maybe he was right. This had to be insane.


    If I told anyone about this—about seeing visions, about chasing a chained man from a dream—I’m sure they’d lock me away in a white rubber room. Even Emery might think I was possessed.


    Maybe I was…


    No, I shook my head. That wasn’t it. Jamal wasn’t right.


    Not this time.


    Something was happening to me, something real, something I couldn’t ignore anymore. Whether I understood it or not, I was seeing things and hearing voices.


    By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs, my heart was pounding in my ears. Torches along the stone walls blazed to life, revealing a long hallway that stretched before me.


    Every instinct screamed at me to turn back, to leave this place behind. But something pulled me forward—something stronger than fear, stronger than reason as the chanting continued.


    I followed the hallway, my footsteps echoing on the stone floor for what felt like eternity, until flames suddenly erupted all around me. They revealed a massive circular room and I gasped, instinctively stepping back as the chanting grew even louder, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at once:


    "Asmodee, princeps libidinis, Revelamini nobis scientiam prohibitam, Vindica iniurias nostras, Potestatem tuam invocamus, Surge ex tenebris, Dominator desiderii et ultionis."


    The fire''s heat licked at my skin, making me sweat. The ancient words seemed to pulse not just through the air, but through my very bones, resonating with something deep inside me.


    This was the place, the secret room my vision had shown me. But something was off. The man I''d seen wasn''t here, and this place was nothing like the meticulously designed, worship-inspiring library above.


    This room was more like a cellar, rough and unadorned. I glanced up at the ceiling, wondering how these two drastically different places could be connected.


    Suddenly, a new sound cut through the chanting—the ominous clinking of chains. My breath caught in my throat as realization dawned. This wasn''t just a room; it was a chamber, a prison. The thought sent a chill down my spine despite the surrounding flames.


    Did someone design it to stop whatever was down here from getting out? To protect those above from whoever—or whatever—was imprisoned here?


    As the implications of my discovery sank in, I started to back away. I shouldn’t be here, but as I moved, something changed. The words grew clearer and slower. It felt like whoever—or whatever—was chanting, wanted me to understand. To repeat.


    The pull that had led me to Phantombrook crackled through my veins like dark lightning. The ancient words bypassed all logic, all sense of self-preservation, wrapping around my mind like smoke. I found myself listening intently and before I could even process what was happening, the words slipped from my tongue.


    Each syllable was a rush of power I wasn’t supposed to have. My magik had always been small—insignificant, even—but this...this felt different. Like something ancient was waking inside me, something far beyond candle flames and parlor tricks.


    "Asmodee, princeps libidinis, Revelamini nobis scientiam prohibitam…” As I chanted, it was as if someone else was here speaking with me. “Vindica iniurias nostras, Potestatem tuam invocamus, Surge ex tenebris, Dominator desiderii et ultionis."


    As the last syllable left my lips, the flames around me surged higher. The air grew thick and heavy, like trying to breathe underwater. Static electricity crackled along my skin, raising goosebumps.


    Everything went still. The chanting stopped, the fire calmed, and I stood frozen, heart pounding, as the weight of what I had done crashed over me. This pull, this connection I felt—it had led me to participate in something far beyond my understanding.


    Had I just taken part in some sort of summoning? And if so, what exactly had I helped to call forth?


    In that breath of silence, I glanced around foolishly thinking nothing was going to come out of this. Abruptly, a powerful gust of wind slammed into me, knocking me off my feet.


    I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the breath from my lungs. Gasping, I rolled onto my side, my ribs aching with every inhale.


    As I pushed myself onto my hands and knees, an odd sensation flushed through me—an energy buzzing deep within my core. It was unsettling, unfamiliar, but I didn’t have time to wonder what it meant.


    My legs shook as I struggled to stand, and my eyes darted wildly, searching for answers, for escape, but froze on the sight before me.


    Standing where only moments ago there had been nothing but darkness, was the man from my vision. The chains that had once bound him lay broken and scattered across the floor. He was tall—dangerously tall—his body lean and powerful, every inch of his pale skin gleaming in the flickering firelight.


    I noticed a dark snake tattoo coiled on his right side, its snake head reaching up to his chest. Its tail disappearing low on the man’s hips and curling at his back. This stranger was completely naked, his eyes glowing with a deep, unnatural crimson that locked onto mine. They burned like embers.


    I staggered back and the room seemed to shrink. The walls pressed in, the air thickening as his presence consumed the space.


    Whatever I had dragged out of the darkness, snarled, a low, feral sound that crawled along my skin, raising every hair on my neck. My breath caught as I spotted them—fangs, long and razor-sharp, gleaming from his mouth. My stomach dropped.


    Holy shit. A Vampyr.


    For a half a heartbeat, a millisecond at most, an image flashed through my mind. Blue eyes but they were his and softer somehow, gazing at me with... something other than this current insatiable hunger.


    The broken sense of familiarity disappeared as quickly as it had come, and terror resumed, wrapping its cold fingers around my insides.


    The Vampyr’s eyes  fixated on me, and then he lunged with inhuman speed.


    His hand shot out like a viper, fingers wrapping around my throat. Before I could react, I was yanked off the ground, my toes barely grazing the floor as his grip tightened.


    Air rushed from my lungs, and I gasped, desperate for breath. My hands flew to his wrist, clawing and scratching, but it was like trying to pry open iron.


    This was the man I had seen in my visions, the one who had haunted my mind. But now, face-to-face with the reality of him, all I felt was sheer, unrelenting terror. My thoughts spiraled, a rush of panic surging through me.


    What had I done? What had I unleashed?


    My vision blurred, dark spots creeping in at the edges as his grip squeezed tighter. My lungs burned, my heart pounded in my ears. I kicked out wildly, my foot slamming into his shin, but it was like kicking solid stone. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The Vampyr didn’t flinch but he growled and his grip only tightened, cutting off what little air I had left. The world swayed, my body growing limp as his head dipped closer. His lips parted—fangs, sharp as razors.


    A searing pain shot through me as they pierced my skin, a jolt of agony that snapped my mind into focus. I’d felt this before—the slow, deliberate pull as they fed—but this was different. This time, it wasn’t careful or restrained. This time, it wasn’t consensual.


    A scream tore from my throat, "No! Stop!" I shrieked, my voice barely more than a rasp as I struggled against the Vampyr.


    It was raw. Savage. He was taking what he wanted, and I had no power to stop him.


    My body stiffened, muscles frozen even though I knew I should relax. The more you fight, the worse it gets… But I couldn’t think straight.


    My hands beat uselessly against his chest, my nails clawing at any part of him I could reach. But it was like attacking a statue – unyielding, immovable.


    Was this how I die? In a basement, killed by a creature I was stupid enough to release? Emery would find me in the spirit realm, just to berate me.


    Just as the edges of my vision began to darken, a thunderous boom echoed through the chamber. A blinding flash of yellow light erupted between us, and suddenly, the Vampyr’s grip loosened, dropping me.


    Collapsing to the ground, gasping and disoriented, a sharp pain bloomed in my right shoulder. I winced, instinctively reaching to rub the spot. The ache felt deeper somehow, different from what I''d expect from a fall, but I didn''t have time to dwell on it.


    My hand flew to my neck, feeling the warm trickle of blood from the puncture wounds. Through the haze, I saw a familiar figure rushing towards me – the male librarian from upstairs.


    "Are you alright?" he asked, kneeling beside me. His eyes darted between me and the Vampyr, who now lay across the room, the blast having thrown him there. Right now, he was barely moving, just groaning from the attack.


    I tried to respond, but only managed a weak nod. My mind was reeling, caught between relief at the interruption and ache from his fangs and… a gnawing throbbing on my right shoulder.


    What was that? I thought, thinking how I fell, when the Vampyr dropped me and I hadn’t fallen on that side of my body.


    As the fog in my head began to clear, the reality of the situation crashed over me.


    I had released a Vampyr – and he was clearly famished. And I had nearly paid for that mistake with my life.


    "Why did you release him?" the librarian demanded, his voice tight with barely controlled panic. "Do you have any idea what you''ve done?"


    I stared at him, mouth agape.


    How could I possibly explain the visions, the pull I''d felt? "I... I didn''t mean to," I stammered. "There were these chants, and I just... I don''t know what happened."


    “Chants?” His brows furrowed and then suddenly his eyes widened. "It can''t be," he whispered, his gaze roaming over my face as if seeing me for the first time.


    Suddenly, he stood up and took a step back. "It''s been almost a century..."


    "What?" I asked, standing up with confusion clouding my mind. "What are you talking about?"


    But the librarian seemed lost in his own thoughts, muttering under his breath. I caught fragments of words - "reincarnation", "Katherine", "impossible" - none of which made any sense to me.


    Before I could question him, a loud groan echoed through the chamber. We both turned to see the Vampyr stirring across the room, pushing himself up from the ground.


    "Why do you taste like her?" The Vampyr murmured, his head bowed. His accented words vibrated within the stone encasement, sending chills down my spine.


    Her? Who was he talking about? And why did he think I tasted like someone else?


    The librarian cursed softly. When I glanced at him, his face had drained of color. He stepped forward, raising his right hand.


    "Sol ardenti, umbras fuga," he intoned, and I recognized the words immediately; I''d heard this incantation enough times that I knew its purpose.


    The magik took shape before my eyes, strands of golden light weaving together into a sphere of pure, concentrated sunlight. Unlike the wild flames surrounding us, this light was focused, intense—a weapon forged of daylight itself.


    "Stay back!" The librarian warned the Vampyr.


    His warning was ignored as the man rose to his full height. Crimson eyes locked onto us, blazing with a dangerous mix of hunger and fury. His presence seemed to fill the space, his power palpable as he took slow, deliberate steps closer, each one more menacing than the last.


    "Why do you taste like her?" he growled, his voice low and filled with venom.


    The confusion swirled in my mind, and the librarian whirled around, aiming the solar sphere not at the Vampyr, but at me.


    My eyes widened in shock. "What—" I barely had time to gasp, to question, to do anything else. I all but barely turned away from the oncoming assault, bracing for impact.


    But the attack never reached me.


    Instead, a deafening blast rocked the chamber, followed by the thunderous crack and rumble of stone giving way. My ears rang as debris rained down around me, dust clouding the air.


    Stumbling back, I blinked through the haze, trying to make sense of what had just happened. As the dust began to settle, I saw him—the Vampyr—standing where the librarian had been just moments before. His arm was extended upward, fingers wrapped around the librarian''s wrist, forcing it towards the ceiling.


    Realization dawned: the Vampyr had saved me. He''d redirected the librarian''s attack at the last possible second, sending the solar sphere into the stone above instead of into me.


    Our eyes met across the chaos, the Vampyr’s crimson gaze intense and unreadable. A cruel smile twisting his lips. "No one gets to kill you but me, ljubica," he growled, his voice a mix of possessiveness and threat. "Your life is mine now."


    Shit. I''d been saved from one death only to face the promise of another, more terrifying fate.


    Why? The question rang through me as I stepped back.


    I blinked, and the librarian screamed and there was a sickening rip echoing through the chamber as the Vampyr tore the man''s arm from its socket. Blood splattered, and the coppery tang of bodily fluids filled my nostrils. My stomach heaved, and I clamped a hand over my mouth, fighting the urge to vomit.


    The Vampyr sank his fangs into the librarian''s throat with a sickening crunch. I could hear the grotesque gulping as he drank deeply, my own throat tightening in response. Time seemed to slow, every gruesome detail searing itself into my mind.


    My legs trembled, muscles taut with the need to flee, but terror held me in place. I needed to—


    The Vampyr had ripped his fangs free, taking a chunk of flesh with them. Blood arced through the air, splattering across the stone floor with a sound like rain on pavement.


    That kick-started my reflexes. I spun and bolted for the curved staircase, heart hammering in my ears. The torchlight cast wild, clawing shadows that seemed to reach for me with every step. The stairs loomed ahead, and the moment my foot hit the first step, I launched myself upward, taking them two at a time.


    My legs burned, muscles screaming in protest, but fear drove me forward. The rough stone scraped my palms as I used the walls for balance, pushing myself faster.


    Reaching the top, I pushed the back of the picture with all my might. My heart pounded until it moved in the slightest and I slipped through the smallest of cracks.


    I stumbled into the library, gasping for air. The dim chandelier lights glowed from above, and I spun around and shoved the massive frame back into place.


    For a moment, I stood there, my palms pressed against the frame, listening. The only sound was my own ragged breathing and the pounding of my heart. The ache on my right shoulder persisted and despite it all, I wondered if he had followed me?


    Was he right behind that painting, waiting to burst through?


    His words echoed in my mind. "No one gets to kill you but me, ljubica."


    I backed away slowly, my eyes fixed on the elegant woman with the ruby dress. Any second now, I expected to see it fly off the wall, the Vampyr emerging in all his terrifying glory. But nothing happened.


    "Your life is mine now." His warning replayed in my head.


    What the hell is wrong with him? He’s clearly mistaken me for someone else.


    The library was eerily quiet now that it had closed. I remembered the announcement over the intercom, signaling the end of visiting hours before I found the secret passage. That only meant the visitors were gone, but the employees were still inside, cleaning and reorganizing the shelves.


    Shit.


    The librarian... Oh God. The image of his torn throat flashed in my mind, making me gag.


    Were they looking for him?


    I turned in a slow circle, taking in my surroundings. Books lined the shelves as far as I could see, their spines a blur of colors in my panicked state.


    What now? I couldn''t stay here.


    The silence pressed in on me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I had to do something, had to warn them somehow without revealing the horror I''d just witnessed.


    Who would believe me anyway?


    Not everyone knows about witches, vampyrs and everything else not human.


    My eyes darted around frantically until they landed on a small red box on the wall near the exit – the fire alarm. Of course.


    I sprinted towards it, and I grabbed a hardcover book as I passed a bookshelf. Reaching the alarm, I hesitated for just a moment. I knew that if I didn’t pull this, I would be potentially condemning innocent people to a fate worse than death.


    There was no real choice. I smashed the glass and pulled the lever down hard.


    From deeper in the library, I heard startled shouts and the sound of hurried footsteps. They dropped whatever they were doing as the piercing alarms blared through the building, and emergency lights began to flash.


    Good. They were leaving and relief flushed through me as I exited through the side door beside the fire alarm.


    The cool night air hit my flushed skin as I stumbled out and ran down the stairs, almost three at a time. I almost tripped. This side of the building led me straight into the forest but I didn’t care nor did I stop running.


    I bolted.