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Chapter 5: Rakiza’s White Lotus Dream

7 a.m.

Saint Anne's dormitory

They gathered around the kitchen table with the purple lotus flower in the water-filled vase. Rakiza, Muriel, Susan, and Chin were all staring at the flower.

"Are you sure you dreamed Nikolas gave you this white lotus flower?" Muriel inquired, her gaze fixed on the flower.

"Yes," Rakiza.

"The flower is real, Raki," Susan explained.

"Didn't you know that every hue of the lotus flower has a meaning?" Chin remarked from the opposite side of the table.

"What is the significance of this white lotus flower, Chin?" Rakiza inquired.

"The lotus blossom is regarded as the world's womb." Chin started to explain. "And the white lotus flower represents," being awakened, mental purity, and spiritual perfection, "Chin continued, her gaze fixed on the flower, before asking, "But where did you obtain this flower?"

"I have already told you." Rakiza reasoned, "Nikolas came in my dreams and gave that flower to me."

Chin inquired once more, "Are you a sleep walker, Raki?"

"What?" Rakiza was aghast. "Sleep walker? Oh no! That’s simply not possible. I only dream, sometimes... strange dreams. "

"What do you mean by "strange dream?" Muriel inquired.

Rakiza recounted, "I had a dream once, seeing myself wandering in a palace."

Susan interjected, "And you felt like Cinderella being chased by her prince," she laughed.

"Shut up, Susan." Muriel chastised her. "We're having a serious conversation."

"I'm sorry," Susan said, smiling.

"By the way, did you know Amber Lotus has sleep pollen?" Chin voiced out her knowledge again. "You would think of the amber lotus as relaxing to the eye, but beware." She smiled. "Those flowers have symbolic association with vampire roses and killer trees," and added, "The amber lotus flower has the potential to incapacitate a victim."

"And how did you know that, Chin?" Muriel frowned.

"Before I decided to master my ballet, I used to like learning about plants." Chin narrated, "My grandparents, who were both naturalists, inspired me to become a botanist. My mother, on the other hand, encouraged me to pursue my greatest ambition, which was to tour the world and become famous as a ballet dancer. So that's why I'm here. "

"So, what can you say about this flower?" Susan finally asked, adding, "Where did it possibly come from?"

"The question is, who plucked the flower and brought it here? In Rakiza's bed? " Muriel asked again.

"Whoever this flower belongs to, I’m grateful for what he did," she spoke to the white lotus as she put on her uniform. "I have to go ahead. I have to finish my Monsanto drawing today. "

Every day at school was the same; students with varied interests and goals in life crossed paths. Some seem carefree, while others are so preoccupied with their books that they are oblivious to the turmoil around them. Muriel's group was the most attractive of them all.

Raki was scouring the area for Theo, but he was nowhere to be found, so she continued to gaze at her old watch.

"What's bothering you, Raki?" Muriel inquired.

"I was seeking a half-baked model. I needed him to pose for my art project. "

"Forget him, Raki," Susan continued, "he’s destroying your day."

"But I need to draw him," she said as she rose to her feet, "I have to go to the forest. Who wants to go with me? " She asked her three friends.

All of them refused to accompany Rakiza.

Rakiza drew her bag with her tools. She moved quickly and discreetly to the side of the forest where she was scheduled to meet Theo.

A few minutes later, she was already standing in the same spot she had the day before when Theo emerged from the thick part of the woods.

Rakiza rattled and quickly took out her drawing pad. "Please don't start the counting when my hands aren't holding my pen." She rummaged through her tools as quickly as she could.

Theo was silent, just staring at her carefully.

Rakiza had quickly positioned her tools and drawing pad and was ready in a few seconds. "Okay, I'm ready," she said, looking into Theo's eyes and melting in his gaze.

"You have eight minutes to sketch me," Theo said, removing his black-fitting shirt, revealing his muscled chest.

Rakiza couldn’t stop herself from staring at Theo.

Theo cleared his throat, "Are you going to for the whole session or what?"

Rakiza was startled, "Of course, that’s why I’m here." She diverted her gaze to her pad and started stroking the pencil.

They were awkwardly silent for the entire session. Rakiza's eyes and hands flawlessly produced the perfect form of Theo's face and chest.

Theo just stared at Rakiza, who was busily shading her artwork.

"Will you please stare away?" Rakiza said solemnly.

"Time's up," Theo replied emphatically. He looked around.

Rakiza raised her voice slightly and asked, "Would you just give me another minute?"

"Let's meet here tomorrow," he said firmly, pulling his shirt back and saying, "You can go now. I’m meeting someone here. "

"And who are you to command me in such a way?" Rakiza shot back. She snatched her tools and stuffed them into her bag.

"Unless you want to watch us do something," Theo remarked sarcastically.

"You know what? You’re rude," she said as she dashed out of the jungle.

The school lobby was packed with students, and Rakiza made her way through them to her next class. The room was empty, and she mumbled, "He was an arrogant womanizer beast." She took out his drawing pad and evaluated how she had improved on what she had drawn previously. She stared at her drawing for a moment before closing her eyes. She wanted to finish it without the reference’s presence by imagining Theo's face.

She was finished with her work after a few minutes and closed her drawing pad as the bell rang for the classes to resume after a short break. But whatever she did, she could see Theo’s face.


While above the hill, Theo was looking down at the Assissi School of Arts. He was thinking of Rakiza. Her vigor and assertiveness impressed him. But it was the faceless foe he was about to meet that bothered him.

Theo had been a spy for decades and was well-versed in eavesdropping on the actions of other packs. But this operation was far more unique and perilous than any other. He had to defend a human girl in order to strike a balance between the day walker and the night walker.

And, personally, he requested it and, in fact, worked hard to be a champion in front of the council in order to demonstrate his competence to handle such a mission, this mission that he was working on today. He understands that hiding in the human world may result in the accidental disclosure of his true identity. And in order to avoid it happening, he had to maintain his distance from Rakiza.

Theo's exceptional ability to detect and identify odors distinguished him from other espionage werewolves. From an early age, he practiced it on a daily basis. He could tell the difference between a human and a werewolf, a vampire, or another troll from a long distance away. And now, as he stood atop a massive boulder overlooking the village, he had a feeling something was going to happen soon.

The adversary had arrived, and it had rare vampire blood. He needs to know whether the enemy is a male or female vampire. And he needed to know if it had found Rakiza.


Outside the dormitory, fog was gradually settling on the ground at night. Some of the renters were in their rooms, but others were in the lounge doing something, including Rakiza's group. Rakiza was typing on her laptop for the story she was working on when Ambrosia, the lady guard, approached her.

"Rakiza, there's a visitor outside," Ambrosia announced.

Muriel heard it and ran to the window. "Nikolas is here, Rakiza," she exclaimed joyfully.

Rakiza dashed to the window and saw the limousine and its chauffeur approaching the main door. She quickly dashed to the door and flung it open.

"Good evening, sir. Why are you here? " Rakiza inquired, excitedly.

"Mister Augustus sent me to deliver an invitation," the chauffeur explained, handing Rakiza a scarlet invitation card. When she opened it, a white lotus flower petal was snipped inside the Gothic text of the invitation, which read:

Tomorrow at 8 p.m., "Masquerade Ball at A Tower."

"You are welcome to invite some of your friends," the chauffeur continued.

Rakiza was at a loss for words as she held the invitation card in her hands, but it was the petal of the white lotus flower that caught her eye. It reminded her of a dream she had the night before and the white lotus flower in a vase in her room.

"I can't go back home without your response, Miss Zanier."

Rakiza was perplexed but responded, "Yes, I'll go there, but..."

"I'll pick you up at 7 p.m. tomorrow night," he pledged before walking back to the limousine and speeding away.

Rakiza's gaze remained befuddled. She couldn't imagine she'd be attending a masquerade ball.

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