The city shimmered under the blood-red moon, lanterns swaying with every gust of wind. You walked beside Justin, his presence steady and familiar, though tonight it carried something more—something dangerous.

He laughed at a joke you didn’t make, his fangs just barely visible when the lantern light caught them. Your chest tightened, not with fear, but with anticipation.

The festival was chaotic, humans unaware of the creatures walking among them. Justin’s hand brushed yours as he guided you through the crowd, and you felt electricity shoot through the contact. Not that you dared say anything—he didn’t need your voice.

A sudden hush fell over the festival as the moon reached its peak. A rare ritual was underway, and everyone’s gaze turned skyward. Justin’s eyes met yours, unspoken understanding passing between you. When the light of the moon touched both of you, you felt it—a bond forming, deeper than friendship, unbreakable.

Justin’s hand tightened around yours. You didn’t move it away. Tonight, the world had changed, and silently, so had everything between you two.

The festival roared around you, but in that moment, it was just him—and the unspoken promise hanging in the crimson night.