22 her saviour

Ryan

In my vision, she was there, at the party, wearing that dress. I didn't understand why, but I felt an undeniable connection to her, a strange sense of responsibility. Whenever she was in danger, I'd see her, vivid and real, even if it was just a fleeting image, a dream, or a minor injury. But this time, it was different. It wasn't a dream. Everything about her, her face, her laughter, her fears, were suddenly so clear.

"Valerian College," I muttered, recognizing the name from my vision. She was there, at that university. I hopped on my motorcycle and roared towards it, the image of her running through the woods, terrified, burned into my mind.

Why me? Why was I chosen to be her guardian? Maybe because Valerian was just a stone's throw from my apartment. Whatever the reason, it didn't matter now. This was my job. My duty as a guardian.

Cursing under my breath, I saw the security guards at the entrance. What kind of party was this, with such tight security? I'd managed to snag a student ID from a friend who studied here, but the guards insisted I needed an invitation, my name on a list.

I needed to think fast. My vision was clear. She was in danger, now, running through the woods, somewhere on campus.

I sprinted towards the back of the school.

"Damn, this place is huge," I groaned, realizing it took me ten minutes on my motorcycle just to reach the back. A massive wall, as tall as the tallest narra trees, blocked my path.

My phone buzzed as I contemplated scaling the wall.

"Hello," I answered, keeping my gaze on the wall.

"My secretary said you have something important to discuss," a voice, cool and collected, said from the other end.

"Yes, ma'am, but I'm in the middle of something. The precious one, she's in danger. If my vision is right, and she's chosen me as her guardian, then she's in serious trouble."

"Is that so? Ryan, be careful. Where are you?" Her voice was laced with disbelief, maybe because after years of waiting, our generation was finally tasked with fulfilling the mission our ancestors had failed.

"Valerian College, ma'am. I'm on my way in. We'll talk later." I hung up and took a running leap, launching myself over the wall.

As a guardian, I possessed abilities that surpassed even the strongest humans. We weren't as powerful as vampires or werewolves, but we were trained, honed, and dedicated to our calling.

*******
Raige

I scanned the crowd, searching for Aliyah. She was nowhere to be found, and her friend was gone too.

“Damn it, where the hell are you, my love?” I muttered, ignoring the people who were trying to strike up conversations. They could all wait. All I cared about was finding my precious one.

I stopped time, hoping to get a clearer picture of the situation, to see if I could spot her without any distractions.

I cursed again, realizing she really was gone. Maybe she’d wandered off somewhere.

As my power faded, I started walking, my senses heightened, searching for any trace of her.

After a moment, I thought I heard her voice. Focusing my abilities on her, I could sense her every step, every breath. It was definitely her. And she was moving faster, snapping branches underfoot as she ran.

She was in the woods? But there wasn’t any woods on this campus, was there?

Scanning the area, I looked for a cluster of trees.

The agriculture building. That was the only place with enough plants, trees, maybe even a park or a small wooded area.

I sprinted towards the agriculture building, my heart pounding in my chest. As I reached the area, a thick, metallic scent of blood washed over me, a slimy, coppery tang that filled the air. Human blood. One of my kind, my irresponsible kin, had done this. They’d hurt someone.

Thank God it wasn’t Aliyah. If it had been, I would have unleashed hell on Earth.

I scanned the area again, desperately searching for any sign of her. I could sense her presence, but she was nowhere to be found. Where was she?

“Help me…,” her voice, faint and desperate, cut through the air. “Aliyah!” I yelled, my voice raw with fear.

My gaze darted around the area, my eyes straining to find her. I couldn't just barge into the woods blindly. There were footsteps, a lot of them, running in one direction. Then I saw her, a flicker of movement, running towards the woods. They were chasing her.

“You damn fools,” I roared, my voice a guttural growl of rage. “If anyone lays a finger on her, even a single hair, I’ll tear you apart, every last one of you.”
I knew they could hear me, even though humans wouldn’t have been able to. These were my kind, and my voice, laced with fury, would strike fear into their hearts.

As expected, they stopped, their steps faltering. But then, a flash of silver, a swift arc of a sword, or whatever weapon they wielded, sliced through the air.

I rushed towards the sound, my heart pounding, a knot of anxiety tightening in my gut.

I found a figure there, a stranger, someone I didn’t recognize. It wasn’t one of us.

He fought like a seasoned warrior, protecting Aliyah. He was guarding my love. But who the hell was this guy?

My eyes narrowed as he expertly dispatched the three vampires, the others fleeing into the woods. He helped Aliyah to her feet, guiding her as she stumbled.

I cursed under my breath, frustration burning through me. I had to get to her, take care of her myself. I sprinted towards them, my legs pumping, fueled by a primal urge to protect her.

“Aliyah, my love, what happened?” I asked, my voice laced with feigned ignorance. My gaze, however, never left the man. His hand rested on Aliyah’s shoulder, the other on her waist. My jaw clenched, a growl rumbling in my chest. No one should touch her like that, except for me.