The door creaked open and Kai stepped back into the quiet apartment he'd cleaned earlier that evening, the rush of the city still buzzing in his veins… or was that the after effects of the blood?. The magic in the air outside had felt like caffeine laced with adrenaline. It was intoxicating and damn near addicting but here, in this space, everything felt... still and quiet.
He moved straight to the shelf at the far wall, slid aside a stack of grimoires, and pulled out an old, heavy leather-bound one the symbol of the Gemini Coven etched deeply into the front like a scar. Behind it, tucked between the wall and the back of the shelf, was a small wooden box. He flipped the lid open and carefully placed the strand of Julia Wicker's brunette hair inside.
"For later," he murmured to himself, snapping the lid shut. "Locator spell might be needed later on".
He smirked, walking away.
"That's not creepy at all, Kai," he muttered. "Next thing you know, I'm collecting teeth and finger bones."
Dropping onto the couch, he pulled out his wallet, thumbing through the ID he'd woken up with. The name matched first and last. Same smug-looking photo too. 'Nice job, ROB,' he thought. 'All the paperwork and none of the boring DMV lines.'
His stomach gave a low growl. Blood was still fresh on his tongue, but vampiric metabolism was a cruel mistress. He walked to the fridge, opened it, and was immediately greeted by a cold, hollow nothing.
"Oh, come on," he muttered, closing it again. "I'm a supernatural demigod and I don't even have a bottle of water?"
Back to the couch. He whipped out his phone and checked his banking app. A modest balance greeted him so not broke, but not exactly Bruce Wayne either. Just enough to keep him functional. A sigh escaped him as he leaned back into the cushions.
"Alright, Kai," he said to himself. "Step one: get into Brakebills. Step two: try learning and if possible master their magic. Step three: don't get murdered by talking trees, time-traveling lunatics, or any other absurd shit this world's gonna throw at you."
He folded his arms behind his head and stared at the cracked ceiling.
'So… Brakebills. Magic Ivy League. First test? That exam in the middle of nowhere with questions no one's supposed to answer unless they're "special." Yay destiny.'
Kai frowned.
'Problem is… I'm already special. Too special in fact. If they run a magical diagnostics spell and I show up as a vampire? Yeah, that's gonna set off some serious security alarms. Dean Fogg probably has anti-possession, anti-illusion, anti-you're-not-human wards layered over that place like cling wrap on grandma's casserole.'
He sighed, rubbing his temples.
'Best way in? Quentin or Julia. Q's the ticket in Mr. Chosen One with anxiety and a paperback addiction. But Julia did not get admitted to Brakebills this time around. She gets rejected. That's part of the story. That whole tragic spiral into hedge witch chaos what a nasty business.'
He sat up, expression sharpening.
"So if I want access to Brakebills' library, training, and secrets without getting spell-blasted into a rabbit, I need a strategy." He tapped the side of his head. "I need to blend in. Mask the vampire part if needed, Cloak the siphoner energy signature if it can be detected. Maybe glamor up a human aura. Hell, maybe bribe a fairy. Or hex a talking tree. Who knows?"
Then his mind wandered to Marina.
'The hot Blue-eyed hedge bitch queen of downtown chaos.'
He scoffed to himself. She wasn't exactly part of the main Brakebills clique, but Marina was powerful, resourceful, and as manipulative as they come. The unofficial leader of the hedge witches, running magical rackets out of warehouses like some tattooed mafia. He'd only seen her on screen, but now that she was real? The idea of meeting her sent a small thrill down his spine.
'If I could track her down… maybe steal one of her little warehouses. Or blow one up. Whichever comes first.'
But then his thoughts hit a wall.
'Downside? She was expelled from Brakebills. Burned bridges. Knows her way around, sure… but I'm betting Dean Fogg's got eyes on her. The man probably has enchantments set on every latte she orders.'
He frowned.
'She's not his daughter pretty sure that's just fan-theory nonsense but they've got history. Which means, if I show up sniffing around her scene, I might end up on his radar before I'm ready. No thanks.'
He scratched his chin, debating, eyes drifting toward the ceiling again.
'Still… backup plan. She's a wildcard, but wildcards are useful. If I can't sneak into Brakebills the polite way, I might just kick the door down and take over the goddamn hedges.'
He stood up from the couch with a stretch.
"But for now," he muttered, heading for the bedroom, "I stick with what I know."
He paused by the window, pulling the blinds open just enough to see the neon blur of nightlife on the street below.
"I wait. Until the plot starts. Until Quentin gets his Hogwarts letter."
He smirked. "'Til then… I guess I'll just familiarize myself with this world. Maybe stalk a few main cast members. Casually. As one does."
He paused.
"…Also, I should probably buy groceries. Blood doesn't cook itself."
___
Sunlight bled lazily through the blinds, catching dust motes in the air like floating gold.
Kai rolled over on the couch, one arm dangling off the side, his other hand still clutching his phone from the night before.
He sat up with a groan, rubbing his eyes.
"Ugh, damn sun. Okay," he muttered, blinking against the light. "New day. Same magical drama."
Kai stood, heading toward the kitchen again, more out of habit than hope.
"I need to fix this, no blood. No, snacks. No evil breakfast sandwiches."
He walked to the small table by the wall, grabbing a notebook he'd found in the apartment and flipping it open. He clicked a pen and started jotting things down Brakebills timeline, Julia = rejected early, Q = chosen, find a way in without triggering alarms, Do not miss the magical exams unless absolutely necessary, learn more or practice TVD magic, Avoid Marina... for now.
Stalk main cast (purely academic, obviously)
He stared at the list.
"God, I sound like a deranged supernatural guidance counselor."
He grinned, flipping the notebook closed and headed towards the bathroom to freshen up before breakfast.
Time to blend in. Time to move pieces into place.
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