The first week back on campus passed in a blur.Classes,whispers,the quiet hum of vampire politics hiding beneath mundane student life.Lyra tried to keep her focus on studies,but every shadow,every glance, made her pulse quicken.
She hadn't expected him—Elias.
He appeared the moment she stepped out of the lecture hall,leaning casually against a pillar as if he had always belonged there.His dark eyes tracked her, calm but deliberate, predatory in the kind of way that made her stomach twist.
"Lyra Vale," he said, voice smooth, almost teasing. "I'm Elias. I don't think we've properly met."
Lyra stiffened. Something about him made the hair on her arms rise. She didn't trust the calm, but she couldn't look away.
"I… yes," she replied carefully. "Lyra. Nice to meet you."
He smiled, faint, enigmatic, but his gaze lingered too long. "I've seen you around," he said. "You have a way of… standing out, even when you try not to."
Before she could respond, Kael appeared at the edge of the courtyard. He had been watching—always watching. But now, standing between her and Elias, he felt… dangerously close. His posture stiffened, the shadows around him darkening slightly.
"Elias," Kael said, voice low, warning. "This isn't a good idea."
Elias's smile widened, as if amused by Kael's tension. "Oh? And why not?"
Kael's eyes flicked to Lyra. She could see the conflict behind them—control, protection, centuries of instinct battling desire.
"You should leave," Kael said. "Now."
Lyra's heart pounded—not from fear of Kael, but from the sudden, electric tension between them. She stepped forward. "Kael…"
He didn't move. He couldn't. The brief slip in his control was evident—the pull to protect her, to act without restraint, just a heartbeat away from overwhelming him.
Elias tilted his head, curious, sharp. "You two know each other?"
Lyra opened her mouth, but Kael interrupted with a subtle motion—a warning glance that said, not here, not now.
Instead, she swallowed and said, "Just acquaintances."
Elias laughed softly. "Acquaintances who are hiding secrets," he said, a hint of amusement dancing across his features. "I like that. Makes life… interesting."
Later,when the students filtered into their dorms,Lyra pulled out her notebook. Her fingers trembled slightly as she began to write:
Elias_Dangerous,observant,something about him unsettles me. Kael… Kael is tense, like a storm I can't predict. I can feel it—the pull between control and protection. And I—don't know if I'm ready to understand.
That evening, in the shadows near the library, Kael exhaled sharply. He had almost acted—almost let his instincts override centuries of restraint. Alessia's voice drifted faintly from across the courtyard, light, teasing. She noticed Kael's attention on Lyra, noticed the tension, and smiled faintly.
Selvara watched from the distance, silent, her presence a quiet warning and approval at once. She had seen this before—the human who could unbalance even the oldest of vampires.
Kael's jaw flexed. "You're more than you realize," he murmured to himself, eyes returning to Lyra. "And I… I can't let you be anyone's pawn."
Lyra shivered, a mix of excitement and fear stirring in her chest. This was only the beginning.