Chapter Text
william did not hear his name being spoken in his dream.
his name was not being called.
it was being remembered.
the voice did not come from a single mouth. it was neither old nor young. neither woman nor man. it seeped through stone, blood, and forgotten prayers.
"don't wake."
william realized he was standing in the darkness. there was no ground beneath his feet. no sky above. only a turning void… and at its very center, a burning red line.
"look."
the line widened. the images opened.
years ago, there was an order that ruled. an age with a throne, but no king. vampires were not merely children of the night; they were law, fear, balance. humans obeyed.
then… the void was touched.
five people.
four knowingly.
one to save the person he loved.
the void did not let him go.
the order collapsed. the throne was left empty. vampires were hunted. magic was forbidden. academies were reopened.
the red line trembled.
"every curse begins with a choice."
william saw his shadow fall to the ground. before him, he saw someone with curly hair curled up on the floor. he looked to be in pain, yet he was not out of control. he was awake.
" you are not calling him, william.he knows you."
the image changed.
an underground archive. the smell of blood. old books. a chained door. behind the door, a beating heart, but not alive. not hungry. waiting.
william’s chest tightened.
"don't touch him" the voice said.
but it was already too late.
a face appeared in the darkness. pale. eyes black as night. a vampire whose heart beat with a curse.
william did not know his name.
but the dream knew it.
"some curses are not meant to kill" the voice whispered.
"some… are meant to find each other."
the red line went out.
my eyes flew open, and just as quickly i sat upright in bed. my heart was pounding violently, as if it wanted to tear through my ribcage. as my gaze fell on my trembling hands, i placed them over my heart and tried to calm myself with deep breaths. the dream i had just seen slowly began to lose its hold, its details fading as if they were never meant to linger in my mind, while the sun gradually rose and let its light seep through the window. i took a deep breath and got to my feet. the bone-colored linen shirt i was wearing clung to my body, damp with sweat. grimacing, i stepped away, feeling as though i had earned a hot wash. after going inside and undressing completely, i walked toward the crude basin hanging from the ceiling. when i gently pulled the rope beside it, a small amount of water poured down, just enough to dampen my hair and skin. i took the soap and began to clean myself. when my thoughts filled with the parchments i had been unable to finish in the archive the night before, i let out a sigh. it had been almost three years since i arrived at the academy, and when they realized that seals had never affected me for as long as i could remember, they struck a deal with me: in exchange for organizing the archive of the lost ages, i would be allowed to stay at the academy. as grateful as i was for this, the work was sometimes truly exhausting. i finished washing quickly and began to get ready. as i pulled on my simple shirt, i tightened the cords at the sleeves slightly and let them hold my wrists. i put on my dark vest and fastened its buttons. when my eyes drifted toward the window, i decided against wearing my jacket. the weather was clear today. just as i was pulling on my trousers, a sharp knock sounded at my door, making me frown. i hastily buttoned my trousers and stepped toward the door. when i opened it and saw Elias standing there, looking at me with his usual indifference, i allowed myself a faint smile.
"hello?" i said, as if asking, when he pulled the pocket watch from his coat and held it right in front of my face.
"the carriage leaves in fifteen minutes, William. you’re not going to make us run again, are you?" he said sharply, and the smile on my face only widened. my only friend in the archive and in this world full of nonsense always spoke to me like this.
"as you can see, i’m getting ready, elias, i muttered, moving to put on my boots. if you weren’t holding me at the door, we’d probably be going down the stairs already."
today was the day summer gave way to autumn. the last day of summer. with the arrival of autumn, the most powerful mages of each element (as determined by academic achievement) descended into the villages to protect the priests performing the blessings. i was the foremost and strongest mage of the wind element. but the reason for this was that i was different from the other mages. while other elemental users needed an object, i had been born with a wind inside me. no matter where it was or how it moved, the wind obeyed my word. mages like me were rare throughout history, but well, it seemed luck had smiled upon me.
but this luck had never truly felt like luck.
the wind was with me, yes. but to say that i commanded it would be too arrogant. i merely allowed it to pass. and it carried me in return. there was a silent agreement between us; unasked, unconfirmed, yet never denied. those at the academy believed it to be a natural talent. a privilege. a gift.
no one knew about the darkness that seeped into my dreams at night.
as i straightened up after putting on my boots, elias leaned against the doorframe. his eyes were as sleepless as ever, but there was a strange attentiveness in his gaze. as if he were not examining me, but the air around me.
"are you alright?" Elias said at last, as though it didn’t matter much.
the weight of the question was heavier than the words themselves.
"i’m fine" i said too quickly.
Elias raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further. he was one of the few who knew how to keep his questions to himself. perhaps that was why he was still by my side.
as we descended the stairs, the stone walls of the academy slowly drank in the morning light. the building always felt awake. the walls had a memory; whispers, forbidden spells, sealed names… that was why the archive of the lost ages lay underground. some knowledge was dangerous when exposed to daylight.
when we stepped into the courtyard, the wind struck my face. it was light. almost cautious. as if it were testing not my hair, but my thoughts.
i stopped for a moment.
the red line from the dream came before my eyes. the door underground. behind it, a heart that beat but did not live. something was waiting. something that had been waiting for a very long time.
"william."
Elias’s voice pulled me back to myself.
"the priests will be crowded today. the vampire hunters will be with them too. i don’t want trouble."
i nodded. there were already too many things we didn’t want.
when we got into the carriage and the wheels began to roll over the stone road, the academy was left behind us. there was a strange tightness in my chest. as if i should have left the dream there… but it had come with me. in my chest, in the spaces between my breaths, in every moment the wind changed direction.
and i didn’t know it.
i thought the vampire i had seen curled up on the ground in the dream
had not seen me yet.
but some curses…
don't wait for time.
the village had awakened before sunrise.
the holy symbols hung in front of the stone houses had been fumigated throughout the night, salt and ash scattered across the thresholds. people watched from their windows but did not step outside. blessing day was a day everyone wanted to see, yet no one fully trusted.
the priests had gathered in the center of the square. their white, pale robes almost seemed to emit light in the morning sun. they held sacred seals in their hands, silver crosses around their necks. the prayers had not yet begun, but the air had already grown heavy.
as wind mages, we were spread around the perimeter. each element had been placed at its own point; earth to the north, water to the east, fire to the south. the wind… was in motion as always. it could not be fixed in place.
i stood slightly apart from the square. elias was just behind the priests, checking the documents and the order of the blessing. he cast me a brief glance over his shoulder. it was a silent im here.
the vampire hunters arrived late.
when i heard the sound of chains, i lifted my head. leather cloaks, silver clasps, weapons hanging at their waists. even the hilts of their swords were carved with holy inscriptions. there was no prayer on their faces, only habit. they did not work with holiness, but with blood.
the leader of the hunters stopped in the center of the square. his eyes were quick. he wasn’t counting people, but shadows.
his gaze caught on me.
the wind hardened without me realizing it.
"wind mage" he said. his voice was thick and impatient.
"yes?" i said.
there was a brief silence. the priests did not stop their prayers, but the rhythm of their words faltered.
"be careful today"the hunter added.
"i am careful every day." i said, then smiled calmly.
he smiled, but his eyes didn't.
"some curses hide behind blessings."
my heart sped up involuntarily.
at that moment, there was a movement at the edge of the square.
a child screamed. then a woman. people pulled back. one of the priests hesitated. his holy symbol nearly slipped from his hand.
the wind changed direction.
i could feel it.
not cold. not hungry.
something waiting.
"stop" i said.
my voice sounded unfamiliar even to my own ears.
the vampire hunters reached for their swords. chains were drawn. the priests raised their prayers. the air began to tremble.
i closed my eyes.
i didn't call the wind.
i only let it pass.
the dust, ash, and incense at the center of the square lifted for a brief moment. a surge that burned the eyes but spilled no blood. no one was harmed, but everyone stopped.
silence fell.
"there is no vampire here" i said.
'but one was close.' i thought so in my mind
the leader of the hunters stepped toward me. very close.
"are you sure, mage?"
i lifted my head. i did not look away.
"yes."
he studied me for another moment. then he stepped back.
"then you live for today" he said.
"but the wind doesn't lie. remember that."
when the hunters withdrew, the priests completed their prayers. the blessing was done. people slowly returned to their homes.
but the tightness inside me did not fade.
because what i had felt…
had not fled.
it was only waiting.
and things that wait
eventually whisper your name.
as the square emptied, the wind slowly calmed as well. the smoke of the incense settled over the stones while people kept their heads lowered and hurried away. no one ever looked back after a blessing. to look back was considered an invitation.
when Elias came to my side, the mocking expression was gone from his face. he adjusted the edge of his robe and glanced around quickly, as if making sure the priests could not hear.
"did you feel something?" he said. it was not a question.
i did not answer at once. i watched the hunters’ retreating backs. the sound of chains was still in my ears.
"yes" i said at last.
"was it a vampire?" Elias said.
i shook my head from side to side.
" no. or… it wasn’t as we know it."
Elias’s jaw tightened. he reached into his pocket and pulled out an old rosary, rolling it between his fingers. it was clear he did it out of habit, not faith.
"then that’s not a good thing, William.blessing days aren’t meant for good things anyway."
for the first time, a brief smile appeared on his face, but it vanished just as quickly. his eyes returned to me. this time, carefully.
"when the hunter looked at you… '' he said, leaving the sentence unfinished.
"when?"
"when you stirred the wind. for a moment… the wind didn’t listen to you."
the cold inside me deepened.
"it always obeys me" i said.
"today… it hesitated."
Elias stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"they don’t fear you at the academy, william. they think they don’t understand you. but hunters… they fear what they don’t understand."
the wind lifted my hair slightly. it was irritated. or restless. it was hard to tell which.
"we shouldn’t be in this village,'' i said. ''this isn’t our work. this wasn’t in our plan."
and Elias smiled "plans change when curses surface." his voice sounded mocking.
we fell silent for a moment. the holy markings left in the middle of the square were beginning to fade with the wind. ash mixed into the cracks between the stones. that was what temporary sanctity looked like.
"William…" Elias said, using my name this time.
"have you ever wondered why some seals don’t affect you?"
my heart tightened. i didn’t look away from him, but i didn’t answer either.
"at the academy they call it an “exception,”" he went on.
"but exceptions usually leak in from somewhere."
"what are you implying?"
he shrugged.
"nothing. just… be careful. especially at night."
the red line from the dream brushed the edge of my mind.
"at night, the only thing that speaks to me is the wind" i said.
"are you sure?"
Elias turned his back and started walking toward the priests. after a few steps, he stopped.
''by the way'' he said.
''a parchment went missing from the archive last night.''
the blood drained from my face.
''which parchment?''
he didn’t turn around.
''the one about the void.''
and he walked on.
the wind suddenly shifted direction. it grew colder. as if something had pronounced my name correctly for the first time.
and in that moment, i understood.
the blessing was over.
but the invitation had already been given.
while the carriage waited for me ahead,i started walking.what i had felt truly wasn’t a vampire. if it were, i would have killed it without hesitation. wouldn’t i?
when we finally returned to the academy and after i spent the entire day dealing with reports, i focused on my real task: the archive. night clung to the academy’s stone walls.
the corridors were empty, but they were not silent. the torches were close to burning out, their flames casting trembling shadows along the walls. my footsteps didn’t echo on the stone floor. the wind swallowed them before they could reach me. as i descended toward the archive, i thought uneasily about the missing parchment elias had mentioned. this would seriously set my work back. i wanted nothing more than to finish this and get the hell out of here. when my steps finally reached the archive door, i studied it.
the door leading to the archive was sealed.
it always was.
but seals had never behaved like “obstacles” to me. they felt more like… something familiar.
i placed my hand on the cold surface of the door. the holy symbols faded beneath my fingers. i didn’t murmur words. i didn’t pray. i didn’t even call the wind.
the door opened with a sigh.
the stairs leading down were damp. the stone steps looked as though they hadn’t heard footsteps in centuries. the deeper i went, the heavier the air became; the smells of mold, old leather, and iron blended together. and also… blood. dried, but not completely forgotten.
i lit the torch.
the light revealed shelves filled with parchments. chained books, sealed chests, plaques with their names scraped away. the archive of the lost ages held everything history was not supposed to forget, but was afraid to remember.
elias’s words echoed in my mind.
the one about the void.
my steps turned instinctively toward the depths. this time, the wind wasn’t carrying me. it was silent. as if it were listening.
the void section was at the very bottom.
when i reached it, one of the shelves was empty.
the chain had been cut.
in the place where the parchment should have been, only a dark mark remained; a circle drawn in blood, with a thin line running through its center like a crack. it looked far too much like the red line from my dream.
my chest tightened.
''you don’t belong here'' i whispered.
but my words echoed.
not to me.
i heard a sound behind me.
breathing.
i raised the torch.
his medium length curl hair fell over his forehead, with faint freckles around his nose, making him look like a work of art. his eyes were black, envious even of the night. he was taller than me. though his appearance suggested someone my age, his pale skin betrayed what he really was.
not human.
but not entirely vampire either.
a pale face. dark hair. eyes… black like night, but not hungry. as if they had been waiting for something for a very long time.
his heart was beating.
in the wrong rhythm.
the wind suddenly stirred.
''step back'' i said. my voice was sharp.
the being stopped. his gaze traveled over my face. then his lips moved, just slightly.
''you…'' he said.
''you can feel me.''
my heart slammed against my ribs.
''who are you?''
he fell silent for a moment. as if saying his name was dangerous.
''you shouldn’t be here, William.''
he knew my name.
the torch flame trembled.
and for the first time, i felt not the wind…
but my own mind shaking.