For three days, Kaiel had been doing something he'd never done before in his six hundred years of existence.
He'd been stalking a human girl.
Ever since the night of chasing the rogue and her bumping into him, he still couldn't get his mind off her.
He'd asked Felix to compel her to forget everything, and with Jareth's help, he'd found her room and laid her in her bed.
But every night, when the campus fell silent and darkness blanketed Blackthorn, he found himself outside Ravenwood Hall.
His feet simply carried him there, as if some invisible thread pulled him toward her window.
He was drawn to her.
Like a moth to flame.
And he hated it. He had never been interested or attracted to anything. Never felt anything. Why now?
He leaped from the ground, landing just inches away from her window.
He reached her window and paused.
The curtains were drawn, but not completely. There was a gap—just wide enough for him to see inside.
And there she was, sleeping soundly.
Her blonde hair spilled across the pillow like molten gold in the moonlight. Her face was turned toward the window, peaceful and soft, her lips slightly parted as she breathed.
Kaiel's hand rested on the windowsill.
He shouldn't be here.
Why can't I stop thinking about her?
Before he could talk himself out of it, he pushed the window open.
He slipped inside, silent as death.
The room was small and simple. The air smelled faintly of flowers—jasmine, maybe, or lavender. Something soft and delicate that clung to everything.
Kaiel moved closer to the bed.
She didn't stir.
He stood there, staring down at her, his jaw tight.
She looked so... fragile. Breakable. Like porcelain that would shatter with the slightest touch.
Her chest rose and fell with each slow breath. Her hand was tucked beneath her cheek, the other resting on the blanket.
Kaiel's fingers twitched.
He wanted to reach out. To touch her face.
But he didn't.
Instead, he just stood there ,
Memorizing every detail.
The curve of her jaw. The way her lashes fanned across her cheeks. The faint freckle near her temple.
What the hell is wrong with you?
He didn't have an answer.
But he felt it.
Sharp and undeniable.
He wanted her so badly.
the feeling was there. Solid and Unshakable.
This girl—this fragile, terrified human girl—belonged to him.
And he wanted to protect her.
Possess her.
Keep her.
Kaiel's hands curled into fists at his sides.
He turned and left before he could do something he couldn't take back.
*************************************************************
Celeste was broken.
Three days of compulsion, unbearable pain, and threats.
Finally, she'd cracked.
She sat slumped in a chair in the center of the room, her wrists bound with enchanted chains that glowed faintly in the dim light. Her brown hair was matted with sweat, blood dripping down from her scalp. Her face was pale and hollow. Dark circles ringed her eyes, and her lips were cracked and dry.
She looked like she'd aged ten years in three days.
Viktor stood in front of her, arms crossed, his expression cold and unreadable. Jareth leaned against the wall, his sharp eyes fixed on her.
"Talk," Viktor said, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.
Celeste lifted her head slowly, her eyes dull and lifeless.
"My name," she whispered hoarsely, "is Isolde."
"Isolde Ashcroft."
She took a shaky breath, her voice barely above a whisper.
"When King Valdran ordered my family's execution, my grandmother gave me something. A necklace. She said it would keep me alive. Keep me safe."
She paused, swallowing hard. Her throat burned.
"The necklace... it lets me swap souls. Once I give it to someone and they put it on, our souls exchange. I take their body. They take mine."
Jareth's face darkened. "You've been stealing bodies. That's dark magic."
"For how long?" Viktor asked.
"Since my entire family were killed by you fucking creatures who think you own everything."
"And Celeste Moreau?" Jareth's voice was dangerously quiet.
Isolde's eyes filled with exhaustion. They had forced a potion down her throat, and ever since then, she'd been feeling hot and compelled to tell the truth.
"The real Celeste died when she was a child. A car accident. I was there when it happened. I saw her... lying there. Empty. Her soul was already gone."
She looked down at her bound hands, shaking her head vigorously, trying to snap out of it and stop talking. But she couldn't fight it.
"So I put the necklace on her. And I took her body."
"You've been living as her ever since," Viktor said.
"Yes."
"And her family? Do they know?"
"No. They think I'm their daughter."
Viktor stepped closer, his voice sharp. "Why are you here? At Blackthorn?"
Isolde hesitated.
"Answer," Jareth said coldly.
"A book," she whispered. "There's a book here. With dark magic. Spells that were forbidden centuries ago. I need it."
Viktor's eyes flashed. "Where is this book?"
"I don't know," Isolde said. "I just know it's here. Somewhere in Blackthorn. That's why I came."
"What do you need the book for?" Viktor asked.
"To bring—"
A loud explosion shattered the air.
Isolde's body erupted in a burst of fire and flesh, pieces scattering across the room. Blood and gore splattered onto Viktor and Jareth.
Viktor wiped the blood from his face, his expression grim.
"There's more to this than we thought," he said quietly.
*************************************************************
Kaiel walked through the campus with no particular destination in mind.
Students were staring at him.
Ladies blushed. Guys stared openly.
He found himself heading toward the Grand Hall.
The Grand Hall was nearly empty when he arrived. Just a few lingering students and a handful of faculty scattered around.
Onim was standing near the platform.
Kaiel approached him.
"Headmaster," Onim greeted him with a respectful nod.
Kaiel asked him about the message he'd sent earlier. While Onim was speaking, Kaiel felt it.
A shift in the air.
He turned his head slightly.
And there she was.
Walking into the Grand Hall.
Blonde hair. Pale skin.
She wasn't looking at him. Wasn't paying attention to anything except the stairs she was walking on.
And then she looked up.
Their eyes met.
Recognition flashed across her face.
The bottle of water she was holding slipped from her hands and crashed to the floor.
And then she ran.
Kaiel watched her go, his expression unreadable.
But inside, something dark and satisfied curled in his chest.
So she remembers.
A faint, dangerous smile tugged at his lips.
"This will be fun."