Two weeks later, and the talk of the strange vampire still hadn’t faded from the community.

It didn’t matter that there hadn’t been another sighting since that night. Fear had a way of lingering, growing teeth in people’s minds. You could almost taste it in the air—thick, metallic, and stubborn.

As I had predicted, night movements and activities were banned. The decree had come swiftly, like a blade in the dark. The beasts were released earlier than usual; unlike before, they weren’t just patrolling our own community—they were making rounds in others too.

Even school hours had been clipped short. No more lingering for extracurricular activities until twilight. Everything had...