Hanna leaned back, searching for a comfortable pocket of space against the seat’s headrest, her eyes fixed on the bus window. Only seven other passengers had boarded with her in Charleston. At exactly eight o'clock, the bus hummed to life and pulled away from the terminal, gliding smoothly onto the vast, open stretch of the highway.

  She spent a long time staring at the world outside, watching the streetlights blur into streaks of gold until her eyelids grew heavy. Eventually, exhaustion won. The six cheese sandwiches she had devoured at the station had brought on a heavy, inescapable slumber.

  "Hey, wake up."

  Hanna jolted awake. Her vision was a disoriented haze as she looked up at a woman standing over her seat.

  "We’re here."

  "What?" Hanna croaked, her voice thick with sleep.

  "The bus has reached Pittsburgh."

  Still dazed, Hanna sat up and peered out the window. The bus was parked inside what looked like a cavernous, sprawling building. The roar of idling engines was deafening, punctuated by the sharp, impatient blast of horns echoing through the terminal.

  Hanna hurried off the bus, trailing behind the woman who had woken her. The moment her feet hit the terminal floor, a sense of overwhelming confusion took hold. The scale of it was alien. The station was a sea of people; buses surged in and out without pause, creating a chaotic symphony of movement she had never imagined.

  Clutching her backpack tightly to her chest, Hanna moved slowly, her eyes darting around the crowd. In the frantic rush, she accidentally clipped a passerby's shoulder. Her face went pale instantly, her chest tightening with guilt and a mounting, primal fear.

  According to the schedule, the bus to New York was forty minutes away. But panic began to set in. She had no watch, no smartphone—no way to track the ticking seconds. She stood frozen in the middle of the crowd, having no idea where she was supposed to wait.

  "Hey!"

  "Hey, over here!"

  Hanna looked up. Standing a short distance away was the woman from the bus, waving at her urgently.

  Hanna hesitated at first. But then the woman held her ticket up high and gestured toward the gates. It clicked: the woman was also heading to New York.

  "You’re going to New York too?" the woman asked. She looked modern, with wavy blonde hair that cascaded past her shoulders. Hanna gave a small, cautious nod.

  "Just wait here. But if you need the restroom or want to buy something, do it now—fast. The bus gets here in twenty minutes."

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "I... I don't want to go anywhere," Hanna replied, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

  "Fine then, just stay put," the woman said, turning back to resume a conversation with the companion at her side.

  Hanna scanned the area and noticed an empty spot at the end of a long metal bench. She stepped toward it carefully and sat down, stealing occasional, quiet glances at the blonde woman.

  She tried to recall the station in Charleston. She didn't remember seeing this woman or her friend board the bus. She had even counted the passengers as a precaution.

  Maybe they boarded while I was asleep, Hanna whispered to herself, trying to smother the seeds of doubt taking root in her mind.

  _____

  "Maybe we should just be honest about who we are," the companion whispered to the blonde woman, her tone laced with skepticism.

  "No. We wait until we get to New York. If we reveal it now, there's a chance she won't believe us," the blonde woman replied firmly.

  The friend stole a glance at Hanna, who sat perched at the edge of the bench. "But how are you so sure it's her?"

  "Did you see any other girl get off that bus?"

  "I know that. But we don't even know what she actually looks like. You should have asked her name."

  "If I asked... I'm certain she would have run," the blonde woman replied curtly. She shifted her body slightly, pretending to watch the buses, but her eyes remained sharply fixed on Hanna.

  "The jacket and shoes she's wearing... they’re far too big for her," she added, having scrutinized the girl’s appearance.

  "I noticed. She looked terrified of you. But that’s still not enough to prove she’s Victoria’s daughter."

  "Have you ever seen that vampire?" the woman whispered, her voice nearly swallowed by the terminal noise. Her companion shook her head slowly.

  "If we have the wrong person, Jane is going to lose it," the friend muttered, imagining Jane's infamous temper.

  The blonde woman’s expression flickered with doubt. She raked her fingers through her hair, trying to shake the nerves. Finally, she took a sharp breath and muttered with grim determination, "I’m certain... it’s her."

  ______

  The bus to New York arrived early. Hanna stood up immediately as the other passengers began a frantic scramble for their luggage. The blonde woman gave her a hand signal, confirming that the vehicle hissing to a stop was indeed their ride.

  Hanna joined the growing line. She glanced back; this time, the crowd was much larger than on her previous leg. One by one, passengers climbed the steps after showing their tickets.

  "Ticket?" the driver asked in a flat, bored monotone.

  Hanna fumbled through her jacket pockets, pulled out the small slip of paper, and handed it to the uniformed man.

  "Make sure you're in the right seat," the driver grunted, handing it back.

  Hanna stepped into the cramped, stuffy interior. She stood in the narrow aisle for a moment, letting others shove bags into the overhead compartments. Her eyes scanned for the number on her ticket.

  Thirty-eight, she thought, moving slowly until she found her row.

  She sank into the seat, but the knot in her chest wouldn't loosen. She waited with bated breath, wondering who would fill the empty spot beside her as the stream of passengers continued to flow in.

  Minutes passed. Everyone seemed to have found their place, yet the seat next to Hanna remained empty. She craned her neck, looking toward the front. As the doors hissed shut, Hanna let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief. She preferred the solitude.

  But just as the bus began to reverse, the driver slammed on the brakes, jarring the entire vehicle. The front door swung open again.

  "I'm sorry! I'm late!" a male voice shouted from the front. The driver didn't answer, clearly just wanting to get moving.

  Hanna, who was busy checking the contents of her backpack, gasped as a heavy weight suddenly hit the cushion next to her. A stocky, slightly chubby boy had slumped into the seat.

  And the boy smelled incredibly sweet.