The alarms blared in my ears. "Is that… a fire alarm?" I asked, my voice shaking.

Carmilla's eyes were wide when they met mine. "No," she said. "It means there's Corvae in the building."

Carmilla's grip on my hand tightened and she started running down the hallway, pulling me along with her.

"Where are we going?" I asked her, confused.

"Somewhere safe," Carmilla replied.

"But shouldn't we be helping? I can't while everyone else fights for their lives, Carm!"

Carmilla stopped abruptly and I almost crashed into her. She whipped around to face me. "Laura," she said sternly. "Corvae is not because I murdered one of their agents. They're after you. That's why they're here."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. "Oh! Oh!"

"They couldn't care less who lives or dies." Carmilla looked at me, her expression unreadable. "All they care about is kidnapping you."

Without another word, she continued to drag me through the maze of hallways until we reached a heavy looking metal door. Carmilla typed a code into the panel on the right side of the door. I heard a click and the door slid open. Carmilla dragged me inside and the door slid shut behind us,

"Where are we?" I asked.

"A safe place."

"Ok, but where?"

"Must you ask so many questions: Carmilla snapped.

"Must you be so vague when you answer them?" I shot back. "I wouldn't have to ask so many questions if you'd just tell me what the hell is going on?!"

Carmilla sighed. After a few moments of silence, she said, "Corvae is after you. And, before you ask, I don't know why. I just know I was assigned to protect you. So I did. I watched you as you grew up. I tried my best to keep you safe."

I thought back to my childhood. Starting from when I was about six, I had seen a cat following me a lot. It was the same cat every time. It had pitch black fur and yellow eyes that shone bright like the stars in a night sky.

I had always felt comfort when it was near. I felt safe, like nothing could hurt me.

"You were the cat," I said.

"Yes."

"But… it was a house cat. Not a panther."

"I can choose different form," Carmilla explained. "But always a black cat."

I nodded.

"Anyway," Carmilla continued. "As you got older, you were put in more danger. When you were twelve, and I fourteen, my other assignments were dropped and I was told to protect you. Whatever the cost. And so, I became your Tracker. And I have been ever since."

"Does my father know" I asked. "About the Corvae trying to kidnap me?"

Carmilla nodded. "Yes. And…" she hesitated. "And he knows why."

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. "He knows?"

"Yes. We've asked him—I've asked him—several times, but he refuses to tell anyone. Even me."

"Why?"

"I… I think it has something to do with your- with your Mother."

I was about to respond when the sound of footsteps reached my ears. Carmilla stiffened. We stood, motionless.

I held my breath as the footsteps got closer. From the loud thud they against the floor, the person was wearing heavy boots.

The thudding got louder as the person got even closer. They… they stopped.

There was silence for a few seconds. Until the pounding started.

"Shit!" Carmilla exclaimed.

"What it is?!" I looked around frantically for a weapon, a door, anything.

'This way!" Carmilla grabbed my wrist and pulled me further into the room. We passed tons of locked wooden chests—what was in them, I didn't really want to know.

Carmilla continued dragging me through the room until we reached a door. She frantically started typing in a code.

"Come on! Come on!" she growled.

There was a beep and the door started to slide open. Carmilla pulled me through even before it was fully open.

We heard a humungous BANG! And then we saw the door to the main room break open and fall to the floor with a loud clang! What stood in its place, were at least a dozen Corvae agents. When the spotted us, they charged with a loud roar of rage.

Carmilla was already putting in the code and the door was slowly sliding closed. It shut just as the Corvae reached it. Immediately, they started pounding on the door.

Carmilla grabbed my wrist again. "Come on! It won't be long before they break through!"

Not waiting for a response, she started dragging me through a hallway dimly lit by torches on the walls.

"Where are we?" I asked, desperately trying not to trip over my own feet.

"We're in the secret tunnels," Carmilla responded, never slowing her fast pace. "They run down the entire school."

"Where are you taking us," I was breathing heavily now.

Carmilla slowed to a stop, her grip on my wrist never loosening. She turned to me. "I don't know, Laura. But as long as you're safe, that's all that matters."