Water remembers. It carries echoes of emotions, whispers of past moments, frozen in time. Given the right conditions, it reveals what was once hidden—grief, love, fear. I had spent years studying this phenomenon, watching ice crystals form intricate patterns in response to energy, emotions, even words.

  The most delicate and beautiful crystal I had ever seen had formed under the words "love and gratitude."

  —Masaru Emoto, "The Hidden Messages in Water"

  And yet, water could just as easily mirror darkness.

  Alice

  I woke up to the piercing howl of a wolf—a sound that, judging by its persistence, had been going on for a while.

  "I really need to change the alarm tone," I thought groggily. "One day, I'll find myself a man, and the poor guy will run for the hills."

  I somehow managed to slide off the bed and shuffle to the bathroom, trying to recall why on earth I had jolted awake at such an ungodly hour. It had to be something important...

  The life-giving streams of water did their job, waking up my sleepy mind, and suddenly, I moved with the speed of a manticore. It was the first day at my new job! I'd been waiting for this day through three long years of school and five grueling years at the Academy of Arcane Forensics. No wonder I couldn't sleep last night—I’d only managed to doze off just before dawn.

  I sprang from the shower, toweled off, dried my hair, and dashed to get dressed. Good thing I had prepared my dress and work briefcase the night before!

  Taming my unruly blonde curls on the go and chewing the last bite of my sandwich, I burst out of the house and raced toward the glider station. Just three stops, and I would be at the marvelous and majestic Enclave of Arcane Affairs! My heart pounded with excitement and anticipation. My legs trembled, but I pressed forward, the click of my brand-new heels echoing with what I hoped was confidence, as I approached the towering glass doors of the Enclave.

  The security guard at the entrance scrutinized my arcanegraph and the placement letter from the Academy of Arcane Forensics. His gaze lingered on my figure in the blue business dress, pausing briefly at my legs. He gave a barely audible approving hum, returned my documents, and said:

  "Welcome to the Enclave, Arcaness Lamard. May the Veil guide your path. You need room 315. Your team is already there. Please register your pass with HR on the second floor today."

  I gave him a quick smile and hurried up the stone staircase to the second floor, stopping in front of the door with the right number. Trying to steady my breathing and calm my still-thundering heart, I took three deep breaths and pushed open the massive wooden door.

  "Three, two, one, go!"

  Two identical young vampires, sitting across from each other at a table to the left, began chugging some cloudy, pale liquid from enormous bottles. Their eyes remained glued to a double-sided echronis, the enchanted timekeeper, between them, and their skin took on a greenish hue with every fraction of a second. The room reeked of garlic.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  The vampire on the left got distracted by my entrance and coughed, spraying a fine mist of the pale liquid across the table. The one on the right finished his drink, let out a victorious shout, and, still ignoring me, declared:

  "That's it! Victory is mine, and Margareta belongs to me!"

  Then he looked at me, froze, and his reddish eyes traced a slow path from my head to my toes. His lips curved into a sly smile, revealing sharp fangs, and he purred in a velvety tone:

  "Oh, good morning, most radiant enchantress. How may I brighten your day?"

  The left vampire finally stopped coughing, his attention fully on me now. His gaze lingered, but not in a way that felt entirely professional. He leaned toward his twin and whispered loudly:

  "Fine, take Margareta. I claim first rights to the new arrival!"

  I flushed, bristling at the implication, and huffed indignantly.

  "I am your new forensic investigator," I said sharply, then added, with weighty emphasis, "Not an 'arrival,' not an 'enchantress'—but your colleague, Arcaness Alice Lamard."

  The vampires exchanged glances, then, in unison, peeked at my legs again. The left one sighed wistfully and said to the right:

  "Shame. Code of conduct and all. Fine, Margareta is still yours."

  The right one nodded, his expression shifting to something more serious. He turned to me and offered a formal bow, though a mischievous glint remained in his crimson eyes:

  "My name is Andreas, and this is my brother, Thomas. It is a pleasure to meet you, Forensic Investigator Arcaness Lamard." He straightened up, smirked, and added, "Though I must say, your timing is impeccable—right when I was about to bask in my victory."

  I rolled my eyes and, despite myself, burst into laughter. Thomas mirrored my grin, his fangs just peeking through.

  "She’s one of us. We’ll get along just fine."

  I closed the door behind me, moved forward, sat in the visitor’s chair at the empty desk on the right, and took in the room where I’d be working. My eyes darted between the two vampire brothers, who were now clearing away the bottles and wiping down their desk.

  They were as alike as two drops of water, and I had no idea how I’d tell them apart. Both were fairly tall—almost a head taller than me, and I wasn’t exactly petite. They wore black trousers tucked into polished leather boots that betrayed a flair for fashion, along with silk shirts. The only difference was that the right vampire wore his dark hair loose to his shoulders, while the left had his tied back in a ponytail.

  The door flew open again, and a tall man strode in, his long dark hair flowing. He wore simple black trousers tucked into high leather boots and a black silk shirt that did nothing to hide the outline of his well-trained body. He listened intently to the colleague behind him, who moved with a particular animal grace that marked him as a shapeshifter.

  My heart skipped a beat when I looked at the first man, and he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of me. Memories flooded in—a day from my past, in my old home, the day I had first seen him. That encounter had fueled eight relentless years of work to bring me here, to the Enclave.

  Back then, he had introduced himself briefly, offered me his handkerchief, then turned away to focus on his important investigator duties. I had believed he would figure everything out, uncover the truth. But now, I felt the familiar sting of disappointment in this beautiful, charismatic man.

  "I am your new forensic investigator, Arcaness Alice Lamard," I announced, rising from my chair and meeting his gaze. "I've been assigned to your team as the top graduate of this year’s Arcane Criminology class."

  His brows shot up in surprise. After a pause, he replied:

  "The top graduate of Arcane Criminology, huh? My new subordinate... Alright. Pleased to meet you, Arcaness Lamard. I am Raen Thorne, head of the Homicide Division. This is our team —"

  He was cut off by a signal emanating from the carved obsidian commulet at the back of the room. Raen moved swiftly towards it, his palm igniting its runes with a soft, cerulean glow.

  "We’ve got a body. We're heading out immediately. You can continue introductions on the way."

  He turned to leave. The vampires and the shapeshifter sprang to action, grabbing their gear and following him. I rose from my chair, clutched my briefcase, and hurried after my newly found team.