The Crimson Secret
The sky over Jakarta was draped in a shroud of gray, the kind that promised rain but never delivered. Nara sat by the window of the apartment she had called home for the past three years, staring absently at the busy street below. Her fingers toyed with the edge of her tea cup, the jasmine aroma barely registering in her nose. Her thoughts were far away, lost in a memory that refused to fade.
She had always known her husband, Adrian, was different. Not just in the way he spoke with a refined eloquence, or the way he dressed—as if he had stepped out of a GQ magazine photo shoot from another era—but in the subtle things. The way he moved with an unnatural grace, the way his eyes sometimes glowed faintly under the moonlight, and how his skin remained cool even in Jakarta's punishing humidity.
But love makes blind, they said.
Nara had met Adrian during a charity gala, an event she had only attended because her best friend had begged her. He had been the picture of charm and mystery, and from the moment their eyes met across the ballroom, something had clicked. It wasn't long before they began dating, and within a year, he had proposed. Their wedding had been the stuff of dreams—lavish, elegant, and attended by the crème de la crème of society.
Still, there were secrets. There were always secrets.
"You should eat something," Adrian's voice interrupted her thoughts. Deep, velvety, and soothing, it cut through the haze like a lighthouse beam through fog.
She turned to see him standing in the doorway, dressed impeccably in a dark silk shirt and tailored trousers. His hair, black as obsidian, fell in gentle waves, and his eyes—those piercing silver eyes—watched her with concern.
"I'm not hungry," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Adrian walked over and knelt beside her, taking her hand in his. "You've been distant lately. Is something wrong?"
Nara hesitated. How could she voice the gnawing suspicion in her heart? How could she say that the man she loved might not be entirely... human?
She stared into his eyes, searching for something—anything—that would confirm or dispel her fears. But all she saw was love, and it broke her.
"I just... I don't know. I've been having dreams," she said at last. "Strange ones. About blood. And shadows. And you."
Adrian's expression flickered, just for a moment. So fast that anyone else would have missed it. But Nara didn't.
"Dreams are just the mind's way of processing fear," he said smoothly. "You're safe, Nara. I would never let anything harm you."
She wanted to believe him. She needed to believe him.
But that night, as Adrian kissed her goodnight and she drifted into uneasy sleep, a shadow flitted past their bedroom window. It paused, just long enough for its eyes—glowing crimson—to lock with hers.
And in that moment, she knew.
Her husband was hiding something.
Something ancient.
Something dangerous.
And it was only the beginning.
Velvet and Fangs
Nara awoke to the soft chime of her phone. The screen glowed with a message from Ayu, her best friend since college.
AYU: Lunch at our usual place? I need juicy gossip. Don't you dare ghost me again, Nar.
She smiled despite herself. Ayu's energy was infectious, always managing to pull her out of whatever darkness she found herself swimming in. With a glance at the empty side of the bed—Adrian had already left—she sighed and typed back:
NARA: See you in an hour. And I have plenty to talk about.
---
Café Seraphine sat tucked between a bookstore and a boutique on a quiet street in South Jakarta. With its lush greenery and Parisian aesthetic, it had become their haven over the years. As Nara pushed open the glass door, she spotted Ayu waving frantically from a corner table.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Ayu said as Nara slid into the seat across from her. "Please tell me Adrian is not cheating. Because if he is, I swear to God—"
"He's not cheating," Nara interrupted, too quickly.
Ayu narrowed her eyes. "Then what is it?"
Nara stirred her coffee absently. "I think he's hiding something... something big."
Ayu leaned in, eyes wide. "Like?"
She hesitated. "Do you believe in vampires?"
Ayu stared at her. Then burst out laughing. "Oh my God, are you serious? Like Twilight vampires? Girl, I know you read too much fantasy, but come on."
Nara didn't laugh.
"I'm serious, Ayu. There are things—things I've seen. Adrian doesn't sleep at night. He disappears for hours. I once cut myself in the kitchen and he looked at me like he was starving."
Ayu's smile faded. "Okay. That's... weird."
"Last night," Nara whispered, "I saw something outside our window. It looked like a man, but its eyes glowed red. It looked at me like it knew me."
The café's cozy atmosphere suddenly felt stifling.
"You need to talk to him," Ayu said after a pause. "Or better yet, you need to follow him. See what he does when he disappears."
Nara nodded. That idea had already taken root in her mind.
She would follow him tonight.
And she would finally learn the truth.
---
That evening, Nara feigned sleep as Adrian dressed silently in the dark. He thought she was dozing, curled up on her side of the bed, but her heartbeat raced like a drum in her chest.
He moved like a shadow—silent, efficient, and impossibly fast.
She heard the front door close.
Slipping out of bed, she dressed quickly and grabbed her car keys. She waited three minutes, then followed.
Adrian's black Bentley was easy to spot. She stayed two cars behind, careful to keep her headlights dim. He drove out of Jakarta, past the suburbs, into the dense forest roads of Bogor.
Eventually, he turned onto a gravel path that led to a towering mansion—hidden from the main road, surrounded by ancient trees and mist.
Nara parked and crept closer on foot. The gates were open. Beyond them, the mansion loomed like something out of a gothic fairy tale, with high turrets and ivy-covered walls.
She saw Adrian enter through the front door.
She followed the edge of the building, careful not to be seen. A window on the side was open just enough. She climbed up and peered inside.
The room was lit by candlelight. Several figures were gathered in a semicircle around Adrian, who stood in the center like a king addressing his court.
"The time draws near," he said, his voice deeper, more commanding than she had ever heard. "The Council grows restless. We must prepare."
The others murmured in agreement. One of them stepped forward—an older man with skin like alabaster and eyes that gleamed like garnets.
"And your human wife? Does she suspect?"
Adrian was silent for a moment. Then he nodded. "She is beginning to."
"Then she must choose," the old man said. "Join us... or perish."
Nara stumbled back, heart hammering.
She had heard enough.
Her husband was not just a vampire.
He was a leader among them.
And she had to decide what that meant for her future.
To be continued...