Chapter Four

Reno.

There was nothing left. Only remains of the palace that once stood here, in this land of ashes. The humans invaded our coven after the war ended. Although principal Rose and Dorothea were able to obliviate the institutes using the spell balls, most of the humans were still aware of the battle that took place. Krulisa's beasts had killed more than thousands of students of the Journey institute, leaving their parents in shock and doubt over what had happened to their children. Rumors spread around saying that a few witnesses reported a war between animals and humans. The vampires were safe since they looked just like humans. But us, we were different. The nadarians were hunted all over the world. And killed.

Only I survived by staying at the Academy. My mother lost her memory and fell sick thirteen years ago. After losing my father, she blamed herself for what had happened to him. She thought he died because she forced him to go look for me.

Last year after her death, I started fearing for my life. I was scared because I'm the only nadarian alive. My last wish is to see Catty before anything happens. Before I die, I want to make sure that Catty is safe. That Catty gets to live the life that was snached from her thirty three years ago, if she is ever born again.

I stand watching the scenery before me. This land and everything that stood here once, they all belonged to my father. And today, it's a land full of grass, cows scattered everywhere. A barn in the middle of the land. Although I miss everything, I'm glad that mortals don't live here. They fear that the land is cursed with the spirits of the monsters that died down here. Us. The Nadarians.

What have we ever done to them?

Why are we treated like animals when all we did was fight for the world?

Why does the world fear us?

I'll keep having these questions ringing inside my head forever. These are the same questions that the Cross sisters must have thought during their last moment. Before they sacrificed themself.

Ever since they left, the immortal world swore an oath to never help the mortals again. The vampire covens came together and had a meeting over the death of the Cross sisters. It was then they decided to let mortals deal with themselves while we deal with our lives. They feared that getting involved with mortals could bring us harm just like it did centuries ago.

If Krulisa was to ever come back again, we were told to not stop her or deal with her. But as far as I know, Krulisa's awakening is not just a threat to mortals, but immortals too. With Krulisa ruling over us, and Victoria or other covens, nothing will ever be the same.

I decided to leave the Academy last week after Victoria spoke about killing Catty once again. Thirty three years, and she still has that plan intact in her head. There was no way to turn her away.

I moved back to Hallsenberg. The tree house that I built with Ethel was still here. No one came to the forest, no one destroyed our tree house. Only the roof of it fell off and the interior was full of dry leaves and ants. Took me almost three days to rebuilt it properly and then I decided to live here. Though I miss the presence of Ethel, I should get used to living alone.

After the war, Ethel changed too. His hatred for the Hudson brothers worsened. He got ruthless and did everything the queen, his mother, ordered him to do. Who would believe it if I told them that he was the king but still took the orders from his mom.

Everyday! Every single day, I would go ask Ethel if he was by my side to protect Catty if she is ever born again. But as I expected, he kept rejecting me. His anger got the best of him. It felt like at some point he was starting to show anger towards me too.

"I did good by leaving," I said to myself.

At Least it was easier for me to live here. No humans ever visited the forest of Hallsenberg or the east forest. Just like thirty three years ago, people still feared that there were beasts living here, although some of them thought it was only a myth. Who knew their myth would actually come true.

Honestly, I have no problem living alone. But my mother's dying wish was for Victoria to raise me and treat me as a vampire. And Victoria just lost her daughters. At this moment, she was open to adopting me as her son. But I didn't want that. I told her that I would rather respect her as my friend and ex girlfriend's mother. She never opposed my opinion.

Today was just another sunny yet cold morning. I sat under the tree, chopping wood for the night. It gets so cold that one can barely move their legs. While leaving the Academy, I stole a few thick blankets and some coats to help myself. I know what it feels like living in the forest.

"What do I eat for today?" I say, looking at all the canned food before me. Lucky me. I didn't have to go hunting anymore. Staying at the Academy made me learn more about the mortal world. They have this huge house, called a Grocery. Loaded with different types of food and stuff. I used some of the coins and money that Victoria once gave me. I don't know where she got them from, but all I was told was that they might come in use some day. It's as if she predicted that I was going to leave any time soon.

That much money was enough to get me food for an entire month.

Something distracts me.

I climb up my tree house, sensing an unusual voice.

I stood leaning off the side railing of the treehouse looking over the looming trees, I got a strange feeling someone, or something was watching me through the shadows of the forest. My eyes suspiciously grazed the forest around me, something didn't feel right. For a brief moment I saw something swiftly move between the trees. It gave me a sense of warning that it looked like some kind of animal, but didn't smell like one, it smelled like, I sniffed the air. It had a tinge of human, yet also smelled like wet dog. It piqued my interest as it began to get closer, I jumped from the tree house onto the forest floor and came face to face with this... Thing. We stared at each other, glaring at each other as if in our mind a conversation would be said, one we would both ask the same thing.

"What are you?".

It began to back away but I wanted to know more, it took off running into the trees.

"Hold on, wait!" I called out to the animal chasing in and out of the way of the trees, until I finally made it to a clearing but the animal was gone and so was its scent. "Where did it go?" I spun around every which way until I finally admitted that I lost it.

That wasn't an animal for sure. Not a human either. And I can swear on my dead mother that it was not a Nadarian either.

What is it?

What was that?

I kept running and trying to find if it left any clue behind. But no. Nothing.

It sort of looked like a dog.

Why was it scared of me? Every animals are scared of Nadarians. Except for dogs. Their sharp brains help them sense the positivity in us.

"This wasn't a dog then!" I whisper. Just as I try walking a few more steps further, a voice distracts me. A female voice.

I ran as fast as I could, chasing the voice. Someone was screaming for help.

"I guess the dog is about to attack a human." I say.

But this is unusual. The sound was coming from the east.

"The east forest." I stopped running, panting hard. Questioning myself if I should run inside the east forest or just ignore the whole situation. It's been years since I or anyone was here, at the east forest.

"What do I do? What do I do? WHAT DO I DO!?" Pulling my hairs in frustration, I finally pulled my sword and ran inside. If not now, then I might regret later.

I found the animal-like creature standing right before me, holding a girl with long brown hair by her neck. He growled angrily at her as she cried. Her hands dropped as she stopped fighting for her life.

The creature saw me standing and threw the girl away, making her fly across.

"No!" I shouted, before running up the trees, grabbing her and pulling her into a hug, saving her from hitting the ground. We rolled together on the ground as I shielded her.

"Are you okay?" I asked. But she didn't reply. For a moment I could hear my heart racing as if I ran a marathon. But as I removed her hair from her face, a part of me was completely paralyzed. Seeing her face made me feel numb, only my hands were shaking on their own will. Tears started pouring in my eyes as I slowly touched her face.

She was none other than the girl I once loved. The girl who died to save us all. She was none other than my Catty. Catherine Cross.

She looked at me but barely said a word. Her neck and legs were bleeding. Every single part of her body was wounded badly.

My tears dropped on her cheeks. She tried touching my face until her eyes closed, and her hands fell back to the ground.

"Ca- cat -catty?" I gulped my tears. "Catty, wake up! Catty please wake up!"

No. This can't be happening. She can't be dead!

I checked her left hand to see if she had any pulse. And luckily, she did. She was still alive.

Picking her body up , I began running out of the forest.

"I'll save you Catty. I'll get you to the hospital!" I said.

An old man and a young boy were all I found standing on the main road with a car. They looked at me and came running.

"Holy shit! What happened- WHAT HAPPENED TO MY GIRL!?" The old man cried seeing Catty.

My girl? Did he just call her his girl? Catty and this old fart are a-

No! Never!

I must be going crazy.

The young boy walked forward and touched Catty's face. He began crying seeing her wounds.

"We- we have to rush her to the hospital, Dad! She is wounded."

Ok. So that must be his father.

But what is he to Catty? I mean, who are these two? And why am I wasting my time? I need to run to the hospital!

The old man pulled Catty from me and made her lay on the backseat of the car.

"Tyler, get in! We need to hurry!" He said, starting the engine.

The young boy turned to me and smiled sadly.

"Thank you. Thank you for saving her. Although I have no idea what happened to her back there, I really hope we can meet again and you could tell me-"

"She was attacked by an animal." I say, breaking his sentence. "The forest is a dangerous place. You should stay away from here. No humans are safe inside the east forest. And make Catty aware of that too."

He blinked twice.

"Catty? Did she tell you her name?"

Oh boy. I just-

"Uh no- I mean yes. She did." Why am I getting nervous?

He scoffed.

"It's funny how you call her that. No one ever called her like that. It was always, 'Kat' or 'Katherine'."

"Cat? Like the animal Cat?"

He shook his head and began laughing.

"No. Not at all. It's Kat with a 'K'!" He pulled out a card from a maroon wallet. "It's my sister's wallet. Here. You see? This is her ID card." He pointed at her name. "Her name is Katherine Lockwood. So we call her Kat in short."

Katherine Lockwood? Wait what?

"Tyler you getting in or not? Your sister needs to be rushed to the hospital and you're having a great time talking to some stranger?" The old man glared at me from head to toe. Tyler pulled the card back inside and ran to the backseat in a hurry.

"I really hope we meet again. It was really nice talking to you-"

"Reno. My name is Reno." He nodded with a smile.

"See you again buddy!"

I stood and watched as they drove off.

"Katherine Lockwood…" I whisper.

She is not my Catty. How could I forget that? If that guy is her brother, that old man is her father.

She has a new family. No sisters but a brother. Named, Tyler!

It's exactly what Victoria said, Catty will be born again. This girl is her reincarnation! Which mean-

"The rest of the sisters are reborn as well." I close my eyes.

Victoria will kill her if she gets aware. She will definitely send her army after Catty!

"What do I do?" I've been asking myself this question quite often.

She didn't look harmful to me. Instead she was harmed by some monster in the forest. She is innocent!

Will Victoria believe me if I told her all this? Of Course no! She will accuse me of lying.

I can't tell her. Nor anyone else. Catty's rebirth should remain a secret within me itself. I just have to know if she is aware of her past life. If she knows anything about what happened thirty three years ago.

And I have to find out if her sisters are back as well. Where are they?

"I'm sorry, Victoria. But this is the first and last secret. Forgive me."

Even if Victoria decides to kill me for lying, I'll die happily. But for now, I have to protect Catty.

............