Nobody spoke.
The glowing crimson words remained suspended across every screen on campus.
WARNING.
THE THIRD PHASE WILL BEGIN IN SIX HOURS.
THE HUNTERS HAVE AWAKENED.
PROTECT THE VESSEL.
The heartbeat inside the administration building echoed again.
A low vibration rolled through the courtyard, rattling the fountain and making the iron gates shudder on their hinges. Birds that should not have been there burst from the trees in a black cloud. Even the crimson rings above seemed to pulse in answer, brightening for a second before dimming again. Trisha felt the air tighten around her chest, as if the campus itself were holding its breath. Somewhere beneath the stone walkway, something massive shifted, and the sound made everyone step back.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
It sounded louder now.
As if whatever was inside knew they had arrived.
Trisha couldn't take her eyes off the screens.
Protect the Vessel.
The old man's words returned to her.
The Vessel has returned.
Returned.
Not appeared.
Not awakened.
Returned.
Why did it sound like she had been here before?
"Someone explain," Britney demanded.
Nobody moved.
She pointed at Trisha.
"Why do all these weird messages suddenly involve her?"
"I don't know," Trisha replied.
And she meant it.
The old man slowly rose to his feet.
Though calm, his eyes remained fixed on her.
He looked like a man seeing a legend come to life.
Liam stepped in front of Trisha.
Immediately.
The movement was so instinctive that he didn't even think about it.
"Who are you?" he asked.
The old man blinked.
Then his expression softened.
"I apologize."
He gave a slight bow.
"My name is Cedric Vale."
Silence.
"I was once a professor at Royal Crest University."
"Once?" Gold repeated.
Professor Vale nodded.
"Before everything changed."
Britney frowned.
"Everything changed this morning."
The old man looked at her.
"No."
A chill spread through the group.
"It changed long before that."
Nobody spoke.
The professor slowly turned toward the dark sky.
"The red moon was simply the beginning."
Silence followed.
Nobody understood.
The professor looked back at them.
"You should come inside."
"No."
The answer came immediately.
Everyone turned.
It was Britney.
She crossed her arms.
"Absolutely not."
"Britney—"
"No, Ethan. No."
She pointed toward the dark entrance.
"The doors opened by themselves. This man somehow knows our titles. The building has a giant heartbeat inside."
She looked horrified.
"That is horror movie behavior."
Nobody could argue with her logic.
Professor Vale sighed softly.
"You are frightened."
"Of course we're frightened!"
For some reason, that made him smile.
"I suppose that's normal."
"No kidding."
The old man looked around at all of them.
His gaze lingered on Liam.
Then on Trisha.
Finally, he nodded.
"Then perhaps answers will help."
Silence immediately descended.
Answers.
That was exactly what they needed.
"What is happening to us?" Hazel asked quietly.
Professor Vale was silent for several seconds.
Then he answered.
"You have become Heirs."
Silence.
"Heirs of what?" Grey asked.
"Ancient bloodlines."
Nobody spoke.
Professor Vale slowly walked toward the courtyard fountain.
"The creatures you call myths were never myths."
Silence.
"They existed."
The wind suddenly seemed colder.
"They still exist."
Britney blinked.
"You're telling me werewolves and vampires are real?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"Yes."
She looked offended.
"You can't just say yes like that!"
Nobody laughed.
Because everyone looked equally shocked.
The professor continued.
"For thousands of years, they lived hidden from humanity."
"Why?" Amazon asked.
"Because they nearly destroyed the world."
Silence.
Professor Vale looked toward the crimson rings.
"The Blood Moon is their prison."
Nobody breathed.
"The moon..." Vyonna whispered.
"...isn't a moon?"
"No."
The old man's answer was immediate.
A shiver ran through the group.
"Then what is it?" Gold asked.
Professor Vale's expression darkened.
"A gate."
Silence.
Nobody moved.
Nobody even blinked.
Then Henry laughed nervously.
"Okay."
Nobody looked at him.
"No one panic."
Nobody listened.
"The moon was a gate?" Ethan asked.
Professor Vale nodded.
"The crimson rings you see now are the broken seals."
Silence.
"The gate has opened."
Nobody spoke.
The professor looked at each of them.
"And your bloodlines have awakened because of it."
The words hung heavily in the air.
Then Liam frowned.
"You called me Moon Werewolf."
"Yes."
"How do you know that?"
The professor's expression became strange.
Because I have been waiting for you.
He didn't say it.
Not aloud.
Instead, he simply answered.
"There are records."
"What records?"
"Ancient ones."
Liam looked unconvinced.
Then the professor looked at Trisha again.
His expression changed.
Fear.
Respect.
Sadness.
All at once.
"And her?" Liam asked quietly.
Silence.
The old man looked away.
"You already know."
"I know she's called the Vessel."
"No."
Liam's golden eyes narrowed.
"I mean what is she?"
The professor slowly looked back at him.
Then at Trisha.
For a very long time, nobody spoke.
Finally—
"I don't know."
Silence.
Everyone blinked.
"You don't know?" Britney repeated.
"No."
"But you called her the Vessel."
"Yes."
"You know weird messages about her."
"Yes."
"You looked like you saw a ghost."
"Yes."
Britney stared.
"And you still don't know what she is?"
"No."
Nobody knew what to say.
Because somehow that answer was even scarier.
The professor knew things.
A lot of things.
Yet he didn't know what Trisha was.
The heartbeat echoed again.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
This time everyone heard it.
Professor Vale's expression changed.
He slowly turned toward the administration building.
His face lost color.
"No..."
"What?" Liam asked.
The heartbeat became louder.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
The front doors slowly opened wider.
Darkness spilled from the entrance.
Cold air swept across the courtyard.
Then—
Footsteps.
Heavy.
Slow.
Something was walking inside the building.
Everyone froze.
The professor's face turned pale.
"Impossible."
Another step.
Boom.
Another.
Boom.
The ground trembled slightly.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Then Professor Vale whispered four terrifying words.
"It woke up too early."
The footsteps stopped.
Silence swallowed the entire campus.
Then two enormous golden eyes slowly opened within the darkness of the administration building.
And they were staring directly at Trisha.