Ivan walked out in the corridor with Eve in his arms. Her heartbeat low, her breathing soft and steady, as if she was simply asleep. Though his steps were firm and purposeful toward the infirmary, his senses remained fully attuned to every beat of her heart and every breath she took.
He used his vampiric speed to reach there faster. As he moved, his eyes glowed red and in a blink of an eye he stood in front of the infirmary door.
Doctor Zora, a light brown hair Lumen, had her hair tied in a bun and wore glasses as she studied one of the reports on her desk. When Ivan appeared, she looked up from the parchment and her gaze fell on Evelyn in his arms.
A flicker of shock crossed her face before she masked it was professional composure. She recovered quickly and looked back at Ivan to say, "Good afternoon, Your Highness." She got up from her seat and moved towards Eve and picked up her hand to ask, "Her pulse sounds low, did you..happen to feed from her for an extended period?"
Ivan looked back at Dr. Zora with icy gaze and said "I didn't drink from her, she has been like this after she glowed like a star in our potion making class."
Dr. Zora snapped her head towards him, her eyes wide with surprise, as he moved inside to place Evelyn gently on the infirmary bed.
"Isn't she a Lumen Princess? I heard that she joined the academy this semester." she muttered while moving already to check on Evelyn.
"She is." Ivan confirmed.
"If she glowed like a star, then it's most likely her abilities have surfaced after remaining dormant for all these years. Sometimes, it takes a powerful trigger to awaken powers forcefully."
She paused and then carefully asked, "What happened? You mentioned it occurred during the potion making class."
"Did she consume any potion she wasn't supposed to?" Dr. Zora pressed, wanting to understand the full context so she could assist Evelyn more effectively. It had completely thrown her off to see the elusive vampire prince personally bring someone to the infirmary.
As far as she could remember, she had only ever seen the prince send people to the infirmary, usually after beating them half to death. She had never seen him carry anyone here himself. Let alone a woman. And a Lumen princess, no less. 'What in the actual world?'
She heard him say, "No. She didn't consume anything."
Dr. Zora waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. When the silence stretched on, she cleared her throat and said "I need to know what happened, Your Highness, so that I can diagnose her properly."
He looked at her for a moment before letting out a quiet sign. "She used her powers… to curb mine, I think."
Dr. Zora's eyes nearly popped out of her head. Her mouth opened in sheer disbelief, but for once in her life, she found herself utterly speechless.
"Well," she muttered under her breath while checking Evelyn's vitals, "this day just keeps getting weirder."
Ivan didn't acknowledge her shock and said flatly, "Some degenerate provoked me enough to trigger my powers. She stepped in and in the process, hers awakened." He then added, "Just make sure if everything is alright."
The doctor was still too shocked to say more, so she focused on her job. She healed Evelyn a little by keeping her hand over her forehead. After a couple of minutes she told Ivan. "She is alright physically. It seems she pushed herself too far, tapped into the powers she hasn't learnt to control. She should wake up after a good rest. She doesn't really need to stay in the infirmary. I'll have someone shift her back to her room and stop by to check on her later."
Ivan nodded once, then walked over to Eve and picked her up again. Turning to the doctor, he said, "No need to have someone carry her back. I'll do it myself, as I am heading back to my room anyway." He said it like it was the most natural thing to say.
The doctor stood there dumbfounded and screamed inwardly 'I beg your pardon? The underworld's resident prince going to carry the unconscious princess like some tragic romance hero.! Did someone swap his soul in potion making class?!'
She barely resisted the urge to check if he'd been body-snatched.
She saw his eyes flashed bright red before he vanished, leaving only a light gust of wind behind.
Although Ivan said he will drop her to her room, he quickly realised he had no idea where it was. So he stood in front of his room for a good minute, contemplating what to do. When he looked down at her serene, sleeping face and saw her shiver a little.
Frowning slightly at her little involuntary action, he made up his mind and opened his door and stepped inside. His expansive room was bathed in soft glow, as the curtains were still drawn. With quiet footsteps he carried Eve and laid her on the left side of the bed.
He then pulled the blanket all the way up to her neck to ease her slight tremors. He paused as his gaze fell on her face once again. He stared at her with countless questions in his eyes.
His mind was in utter disarray, yet here she lay, on his bed, an unthinkable breach of the rules he'd always lived by. No woman had ever entered his private space, let alone shared his bed.
Don't get him wrong, though. He did indulge in the occasional night of pleasure with women, but never in his room and never in his bed.
He wondered what it was about this woman that compelled him in so many ways. As if she were an enchantress, hell-bent on disrupting the quiet, orderly life he once knew.
'No, it still is.' He said to himself.
And just when those words echoed in his mind, her face surfaced like a ripple across still water. That face, bathed in soft golden light. Eyes like molten honey, warm and unknowable. She was so beautiful, yes..but it was something else that unsettled him. The look she gave him at that moment. A look that was both breathtakingly beautiful and heartbreakingly haunting at that same time.
She gazed at him as though glimpsing a soul long lost to time, eyes heavy with sorrow, yet brimming with quiet joy. Though her lips remained still, her gaze said everything, telling a story of love, loss and recognition across lifetimes.
His mind still lost in thought, he moved to the other side of the room. Soon, he removed his shoes and blazer and slowly laid down beside her, keeping a good amount of distance between them.
He lifted his left hand and folded it behind his head, his back pressed against the bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
'Why?' he asked himself. 'Why did she look at me like that, like I meant something. Like I was someone she'd been waiting for?'
'Why does my heart feel this heavy, like a mountain has settled on it, just from a single tear drop slipping down her cheek.'
"So tragically beautiful" he whispered.
'Just why did I lose control like that?' He wondered again. 'The last time was when someone dared speak of my mother. I didn't stop until I'd reduced them.. and the entire mansion to ash. No one could stop me then.'
'So how did she do it? How did she touch me and remain unscathed? Not even my own father is immune to the heat. Neither was my mo..ther.' His eyes hardened by unpleasant memories he had long buried.
Then he turned his striking face to the side to look at her again.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice low. Then, almost like a thought slipping past his lips, he murmured her name for the first time. "Evelyn."
Without another word, he closed his eyes, more to still the noises in his head than to rest. Before long, he drifted into a light, guarded sleep.