Page 11 of Crimson Shadows
“We’re nearly there,” Randall says softly.
I peer out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of this mysterious University, but all I can see is darkness and trees. Then, suddenly, we are driving through a cloud of shimmering mist, and the forest opens up.
I gasp.
Before us stands an enormous castle, its turrets and spires reaching up into the night sky. It looks ancient, like something out of a fairytale, with ivy climbing up its stone walls and gargoyles perched on its battlements. But there are also modern touches - large glass windows that gleam with warm light and sleek buildings that seem to blend seamlessly with the older structures, all lit up with floodlights that I doubt are powered by electricity.
“Welcome to MistHallow University,” Randall says.
I stare in awe as we drive through wrought iron gates that open up on our approach and up a winding driveway. Other cars are parked along the edges, and I can see figures moving about.
As we pull up, Randall turns to me. “Are you ready?”
I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. “As I’ll ever be.”
“Just remember you belong here, Adelaide.”
I nod, taking that ominous-sounding warning and holding onto it. Intimidated doesn’t quite cover the sensation that crashes over me as I step out of the car.
“You need to go it alone from here,” Randall says, grabbing my holdall and placing it at my feet. “Head to the Housing office as soon as you can.”
“And where is that?” I murmur, looking around in awe.
Randall gestures to a large stone building to our right, its windows glowing warmly. “That’s the Housing office. They’ll get you sorted with your room.”
I nod, suddenly feeling very small and alone. “You’re not coming with me?”
He shakes his head. “This is your journey now, Adelaide. I can’t hold your hand through it. But I’ll be around if you need me.” He hands me a small black card with a phone number on it.
I take the card, slipping it into my pocket. “Right. Okay then.”
Randall gives me a small smile. “You’ll be fine. Remember, you belong here.”
With that, he gets back into the car and drives away, leaving me standing alone in front of this imposing castle. I take a deep breath, shoulder my backpack, and grip my holdall tighter.
“Here goes nothing,” I mutter as I inhale deeply and try to steady my nerves, which are firing on all cylinders. “Here goes everything.”
4
ADELAIDE
But I don’t go anywhere.I stand rooted to the spot, my eyes wide as I take in the sprawling magnificence of MistHallow University. More appears before my eyes the longer I stand and stare at it. Almost as if it is revealing itself to me, one bit at a time. It’s doing a strip tease, and I wonder what the grand finale is. The central part of the castle looms before me, a colossal structure of ancient stone with modern additions that seem to defy the laws of physics and architecture alike. Turrets and spires reach towards the sky, somehow bypassing the trees as if they don’t exist, their silhouettes stark against the inky blackness of night. Ivy crawls up the weathered walls, its tendrils weaving intricate patterns that seem to shift and move in the flickering light of the ornate lanterns that line the pathways.
The campus sprawls out before me, a labyrinth of old and new buildings. Everywhere, there’s an air of magick that makes the air around me hum with energy.
I take a tentative step forward, and then I wince, half-expecting someone to materialise out of the shadows and demand to know what I’m doing here. But no one appears, and Icontinue on, my eyes darting everywhere, trying to take in every detail.
As I walk, I notice how the layout of the campus seems to shift and change. Buildings that I could have sworn were on my left suddenly appear on my right. Paths twist and turn in ways that don’t make logical sense. It’s as if the entire university exists on some sort of parallel plane, defying the laws of physics and geography.
“Fucking hell,” I mutter, my head spinning as I try to make sense of my surroundings. Is this what Randall meant when he said MistHallow was protected by ancient magicks?
I’m so engrossed in my observations that I almost miss the sound of an approaching vehicle. The purr of a powerful engine cuts through the night air, and I turn to see a sleek, black Rolls Royce gliding down the path towards me. The car moves with supernatural grace, its polished surface reflecting the moonlight like a mirror.
I jump out of the way, and it passes me. I catch a glimpse of the driver – a stern-faced man with eyes that seem to glow in the darkness.
The Rolls comes to a stop a few feet ahead of me, and the back door swings open. A man steps out, and my breath catches in my throat.
He’s devastatingly handsome in a way that is impossibly inhuman. Tall and lean, he’s dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, black shirt, and a deep purple tie that seems to shimmer in the moonlight. His hair is as black as a raven’s wing, styled in a way that looks both effortless and impossibly perfect. Like me, a woman who hates the sun, his skin is pale… and now I know why. Is this impossibly beautiful creature a vampire?
