The campus was quiet at night, the laughter and noise of the day drowned out by crickets and the soft hum of streetlamps.
Aiden slipped out of the hostel, pulling his hood low. His chest still burned from earlier, but now something worse gnawed at him. A thirst. Deep. Relentless.
He had tried everything — three bottles of water downed in minutes. His stomach couldn't take it, and now he leaned against the side of a fountain, coughing, gagging, water spilling back out. His throat still burned as if it were made of sand.
"What's happening to me…" he whispered, clutching the stone edge for balance.
At the same time, Selene left her mother's company tower in the city. She should have gone straight home, but her body wouldn't let her.
That aura. That pulse. It was here again. Stronger.
Her feet moved without thought, each step pulling her down side streets until the scent hit her — sharp, intoxicating, and overwhelming. Her fangs tingled before she even saw him.
And then she did.
The boy.
He was doubled over by the fountain, gasping, water dripping from his lips. His aura blazed in the night, burning like forbidden fire. And gods, he smelled of hunger… and something far more dangerous.
Selene's chest tightened. She felt it too. The thirst.
"Y-You…" she whispered, stepping closer.
Aiden looked up, his eyes not entirely human for a flicker of a second. "Stay back," he warned hoarsely. "I can't… I don't know what's wrong with me."
Selene's throat burned. She knew exactly what was wrong. And if she let him go unchecked, he might attack anyone. An innocent.
Without thinking, she pulled her wrist to her lips, biting down, crimson welling. The scent hit Aiden like lightning. His body moved before his mind could catch up, and he grasped her wrist, pressing it to his mouth.
The moment her blood touched his tongue, the fire in his chest eased, replaced by something electric — a rush of strength, clarity, life itself.
Selene gasped softly, but then it hit her too. His scent, his aura — it drew her closer. Before she realized it, she leaned in, sinking her fangs gently into his shoulder.
They fed from each other beneath the moonlight, bound by something older than both of them.
When they finally pulled apart, trembling, both their eyes glowed faintly — hers scarlet, his flickering between silver and black.
For a long moment, they just stared at each other, breathing hard, the night heavy with unspoken words.
Selene wiped her lips delicately, trying to hide her own confusion. She hadn't meant to… she shouldn't have… but it was too late.
The bond was sealed.
Far above, in a chamber of shadows, Countess Lysandra stirred in her sleep. A sharp pain lanced her chest. She sat up, eyes glowing.
"No…" she whispered. "That foolish girl…"
Back at the fountain, Aiden staggered to his feet, still dazed. "What… what did you do to me?"
Selene looked away, her voice barely a whisper. "No… it wasn't just me. We did it… to each other."