It had been a few days since our beach outing, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with Elena. She seemed distant, her once bright and lively eyes now clouded with worry.
She smiled less, and when she did, it didn't reach her eyes. I noticed her spending more time on her laptop, her fingers flying over the keys with an intensity that suggested she was searching for answers to questions she didn't feel comfortable asking me.
One evening, as I walked past her in the living room, I caught a glimpse of her screen. The words "vampires" and "vampire society" jumped out at me, sending a cold shiver down my spine. My heart sank.
She was trying to understand a world that was as terrifying as it was mysterious. A world I had hoped to shield her from, but now it seemed I had no choice but to confront it head-on.