---
Nyah Cole hated late nights.
Not in the poetic, "the stars are beautiful" kind of way people romanticized online. No—she hated the real version. The cold air that clung to your skin. The silence that felt too heavy. The way every shadow stretched just a little too far.
And tonight?
Tonight felt worse than usual.
Nyah adjusted the strap of her tote bag as she stepped out of the campus library, her shoulders aching from hours of studying. The bright lights behind her spilled onto the pavement before the heavy doors shut with a dull click, leaving her in the dim glow of flickering streetlamps.
She checked her phone.
11:47 p.m.
"Perfect," she muttered. "Mira's going to kill me."
Her roommate had texted her at least three times already:
Don't stay out too late.
It's creepy tonight.
I'm serious, Nyah.
Nyah rolled her eyes slightly, though a small smile tugged at her lips. Mira was always like that—overprotective, dramatic, convinced the world was out to get them.
Still…
Nyah glanced around.
The campus was quieter than usual. Most students had already gone back to their dorms or apartments, leaving the walkways strangely empty.
Too empty.
She shook the thought off.
"You're just tired," she murmured to herself.
Her apartment wasn't far—fifteen minutes, maybe twenty if she walked slowly. The normal route was well-lit, looping around the main road.
Safe.
Predictable.
Long.
Nyah hesitated, then glanced toward the narrow pathway cutting between two buildings—a shortcut students used all the time during the day.
At night… not so much.
It would shave off at least seven minutes.
She exhaled.
"I just want my bed."
That settled it.
Pulling her jacket tighter around herself, Nyah turned and headed toward the shortcut.
---
The moment she stepped into the narrow path, the air changed.
It was subtle at first.
Cooler.
Quieter.
The sounds of the city seemed to fade behind her, swallowed by the tight walls and overhanging trees.
Her footsteps echoed softly against the concrete.
Maybe this wasn't a great idea.
Nyah shook her head, forcing herself to keep walking.
"You're fine," she whispered.
Halfway through, she slowed.
Something felt… off.
It wasn't something she could see.
It was something she felt.
Like being watched.
Nyah glanced over her shoulder.
Nothing.
Just the empty path stretching behind her.
She let out a breath.
"Okay. Definitely just tired."
She turned forward again—
And froze.
Someone was standing at the end of the path.
Tall. Still. Completely blocking the exit.
Nyah's grip tightened on her bag.
"Uh… excuse me?" she called cautiously.
No response.
The figure didn't move.
Didn't react.
Didn't even seem to breathe.
A chill crept down her spine.
"Look, I just need to get through," she added, forcing a bit more confidence into her voice.
Still nothing.
Her instincts screamed at her to turn around.
So she did.
Only to stop short.
There was someone behind her now.
Her heart dropped.
"That's not funny," she said quickly, her voice thinner than she wanted.
The second figure stepped forward, emerging from the shadows.
Nyah's breath caught.
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
His skin looked too pale under the dim light. His movements were too smooth, too precise.
And when he lifted his head—
Her stomach twisted.
His eyes glowed.
A deep, unnatural red.
Nyah stumbled back. "What—"
A blur of motion.
He was suddenly closer.
Far too close.
Her pulse skyrocketed.
"Please don't scream," he said softly.
His voice was calm.
Almost gentle.
That made it worse.
Nyah shook her head, backing away. "I don't have anything—just let me go, okay?"
He smiled.
It wasn't reassuring.
"You have exactly what I want."
Her chest tightened. "I think you've got the wrong person."
"Oh, I don't think so," he murmured.
He stepped closer again, and Nyah felt the air leave her lungs.
There was something suffocating about his presence—like the world itself was pressing down on her.
Her back hit the wall.
No escape.
The second figure behind her moved closer, cutting off any chance of running.
"Stay still," the first one said, almost kindly. "This will only hurt for a moment."
Nyah's mind raced.
This isn't real.
This can't be real.
But it felt real.
Too real.
His gaze dropped to her neck.
And then—
She saw it.
Fangs.
Sharp. White. Inhuman.
A strangled sound escaped her.
"No—no, please—"
He tilted his head, studying her.
Then he inhaled.
Everything changed.
His expression snapped.
Gone was the calm, controlled demeanor.
What replaced it was hunger.
Raw.
Intense.
Dangerous.
"Well," he whispered, almost in awe. "That's… unexpected."
Nyah didn't understand.
Didn't want to.
"Please," she said again, her voice shaking.
He didn't answer.
He leaned closer.
Too close.
Nyah squeezed her eyes shut—
And then—
A blur of movement cut through the darkness.
A sharp crack echoed through the alley.
The weight in front of her vanished.
Nyah's eyes flew open.
The vampire—the one in front of her—was gone.
No.
Not gone.
He'd been thrown.
Across the path.
Like he weighed nothing.
Nyah's breath came in short, panicked bursts as she turned—
And saw him.
Another man stood between her and the two attackers.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Still.
But unlike the others—
He didn't feel suffocating.
He felt…
Controlled.
Dangerous in a different way.
Deliberate.
His dark coat shifted slightly as he straightened, his posture relaxed in a way that didn't match the tension in the air.
"Two against one?" he said calmly. "I expected better."
The first vampire rose slowly, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.
"You shouldn't be here," he snapped.
The newcomer tilted his head slightly.
"And yet, here I am."
Nyah stared at him, her heart pounding.
Something about him was different.
Not human.
But not like them either.
The second vampire lunged.
What happened next was too fast for Nyah to fully process.
One moment, the attacker was mid-air.
The next—
He was slammed into the ground.
Hard.
A sickening crack echoed.
Nyah flinched.
The man—her… rescuer?—didn't even look winded.
The first vampire hesitated now, his red eyes narrowing.
"You're making a mistake," he said.
"Am I?" the stranger replied.
His voice was calm.
Cold.
Deadly.
Nyah shivered.
The air around him felt sharper somehow, like it could cut.
The vampire glanced at Nyah.
Then back at him.
Realization flickered across his face.
"…You know what she is."
The stranger didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
Something shifted in the tension.
The vampire smiled slowly.
"Then you know we won't stop."
"I'm counting on it."
The words were quiet.
But they landed like a threat.
A dangerous one.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then—
The vampire stepped back.
"Enjoy your claim," he said lightly. "While it lasts."
And just like that—
He disappeared into the shadows.
Gone.
Nyah's knees nearly gave out.
Silence rushed in, thick and overwhelming.
Her gaze snapped back to the man standing in front of her.
Her protector.
Her heart still pounded wildly, adrenaline coursing through her veins.
"W-what…" she stammered. "What was that?"
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he turned slowly to face her fully.
And for the first time—
She saw his eyes clearly.
Not glowing.
Not monstrous.
But not normal either.
Dark.
Too dark.
Like they held something ancient beneath the surface.
He studied her in silence.
The weight of his gaze made her skin prickle.
"Are you hurt?" he asked finally.
His voice was low.
Controlled.
Nyah blinked, thrown off by the question.
"I—no. I don't think so."
A pause.
Then—
"Good."
That was it.
No explanation.
No reassurance.
Nyah frowned, her fear mixing with confusion.
"Okay, no," she said, shaking her head. "You don't get to just say 'good' after that and act like everything's fine."
He didn't react.
Didn't even look surprised.
"What were they?" she pressed. "And how did you—what did you do to them?"
Silence stretched between them.
Then he stepped closer.
Nyah's breath hitched instinctively.
He stopped just a few feet away.
Close enough for her to notice the details now—the sharp lines of his face, the faint shadow of stubble, the way his presence seemed to fill the space without trying.
"You shouldn't have taken this path," he said.
Her jaw dropped slightly.
"Seriously?" she shot back. "That's your answer?"
"It's the truth."
Nyah let out a disbelieving laugh.
"I almost got—" She stopped, unable to even say it. "And you're talking about my route?"
His gaze didn't waver.
"They found you because you were alone."
A chill slid down her spine.
"Found me?" she repeated. "You're talking like they were looking for me."
He didn't deny it.
Nyah's stomach dropped.
"No," she whispered. "That doesn't make sense. I don't know them. I've never seen them before."
"That doesn't matter."
Her pulse spiked again.
"Then what does?"
He didn't answer right away.
And that silence?
It scared her more than anything else that had happened tonight.
Finally, he spoke.
"You need to go home."
Nyah stared at him.
"…That's it?"
"Yes."
"No explanation? No 'hey, by the way, vampires are real and you're apparently on the menu'?"
A flicker of something crossed his expression.
Gone almost instantly.
"You're not safe out here."
Her chest tightened.
"Clearly."
He ignored the sarcasm.
"Go home. Lock your doors. Don't go anywhere alone."
Nyah hesitated.
Every instinct told her to listen.
To run.
To pretend none of this had happened.
But—
"What about you?" she asked.
The question slipped out before she could stop it.
He paused.
For the first time, something unreadable entered his gaze.
"I'll handle it."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you're getting."
Nyah crossed her arms, despite the tremor still running through her body.
"You saved me," she said. "The least you can do is tell me your name."
A beat of silence.
Then—
"…Adrian."
The name settled between them.
"Nyah," she said automatically.
"I know."
Her breath caught.
Of course he did.
Just like the others had.
Fear curled tightly in her chest again.
Adrian seemed to notice.
His expression hardened slightly.
"They won't stop," he said quietly.
Nyah's throat went dry.
"What does that mean?"
"It means," he replied, "your life just changed."
The weight of those words hit harder than anything else tonight.
Nyah swallowed.
"…Why?"
Adrian held her gaze.
For a moment, it looked like he might actually answer.
But then—
He stepped back.
Creating distance.
Shutting the door on whatever he'd almost said.
"I'll be watching," he added.
Nyah's eyes widened slightly. "That's… not comforting."
"It's not meant to be."
Before she could respond—
He moved.
Fast.
Inhumanly fast.
And then he was gone.
Just like the others.
Leaving Nyah alone in the quiet, empty path.
Her heart still racing.
Her mind spinning.
And one terrifying realization settling in:
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
---