The forest was oppressively silent, the damp air carrying the faint rustle of leaves beneath polished boots. Damien Ravenscroft's steps were unhurried, his posture deceptively relaxed. Beside him, Maximilian and Leonard moved in sync, their expressions unreadable in the silver moonlight.
"Still brooding over the minister's brat?" Maximilian broke the silence, his voice tinged with exasperation.
Damien's lips curled into a slow smirk, his red eyes gleaming with a sinister glint. "Brooding? That's such a pedestrian word. This is simply... a correction. Necessary, of course."
"Necessary or entertaining?" Leonard asked, raising an eyebrow.
Damien chuckled, his tone dripping with mock innocence. "Is it so wrong to enjoy a little necessity now and then?"
"You could've chosen a quieter solution," Maximilian pointed out, his tone neutral but his gaze sharp.
Damien's smirk deepened. "Silence is fleeting. Fear, on the other hand... fear leaves scars."
The trio fell into silence as they approached the dormitory. The faint pulse of Jaffet's frantic energy reached Damien before the room even came into view. His smirk faltered briefly. A half-vampire, and yet so predictable.
Inside his dorm, Jaffet paced like a caged animal. Sweat slicked his forehead, and his chest heaved with uneven breaths. He'd pushed his desk against the door and dragged the dresser in front of the window. A pitiful attempt at safety.
"They'll believe me," he muttered to himself, clutching his phone tightly. "The dean has to listen." His words were shaky, less convincing with every repetition.
His phone buzzed in his hand—a missed call from the dean flashed on the screen. Relief surged in his chest as he dialed back, but his hands trembled, and the phone slipped to the floor.
A soft knock interrupted his frantic scramble.
Tap. Tap.
"Jaffet." The voice was smooth, almost mocking. "Why don't you let me in? We can talk."
Jaffet froze. His throat tightened as panic surged through him. "S-stay back!" he stammered, snatching his phone off the floor. "I'm calling the dean! You can't—"
The door creaked open before he could finish, the desk scraping uselessly against the polished wood floor. Jaffet's heart sank as Damien stepped inside, the dim light casting shadows across his sharp features.
"Calling the dean, are we?" Damien drawled, amusement lacing his tone.
Jaffet's hand trembled as he held up the phone like a shield. "Stay away!"
Damien plucked the device from his hand with maddening ease. "Now, now," he chided, tossing the phone into the air and catching it lazily. "Let's not add theft to your list of offenses, shall we?"
"You—" Jaffet's voice cracked. "You're the one breaking in!"
Damien chuckled darkly, stepping closer. "Breaking in? Doors are merely suggestions, Jaffet. They don't apply to me."
Jaffet's knees buckled, but he forced himself to stay upright. "This is about that girl, isn't it? She's not—"
"Human?" Damien interrupted, his voice dropping into a dangerous whisper. "No, she's not. But that's none of your concern."
Jaffet's gaze darted toward the blocked window, desperation etched across his face. Damien's laughter was low and menacing, filling the room with its cold resonance.
"Go on," Damien said, gesturing to the window. "Try your luck."
Jaffet didn't move. He could feel Damien's confidence, the certainty that escape was impossible.
"I didn't mean to—"
"To what?" Damien's smirk vanished, replaced by cold indifference. "Pry into things that don't concern you? You made a mistake, Jaffet. A fatal one."
In a desperate attempt, Jaffet grabbed a glass paperweight from his desk and hurled it at Damien. It shattered harmlessly against the wall. Before he could even process the failure, Damien was in front of him, his hand clamped around Jaffet's throat with terrifying strength.
"Predictable," Damien murmured, almost bored. "For a half-vampire, you're remarkably fragile."
Jaffet clawed at Damien's hand, gasping for air. "P-please," he choked. "I won't say anything, I swear—"
Damien leaned in, his red eyes gleaming with malice. "Oh, I know you won't."
With a single, fluid motion, he slammed Jaffet's head against the wall. The sickening crack echoed through the room, and the boy's body went limp. Blood trickled down the wall, the metallic scent thick in the air. Damien dropped the lifeless form without a second glance.
"How messy," he muttered, wiping a fleck of blood from his cheek. He licked it off his thumb, a flicker of a smile playing on his lips . "But effective".
The window creaked open behind him and Maximilian and Leonard climbed in .
"It's done?" Maximilian asked , though he already knew the answer.
Damien gestured toward the body with a casual shrug ."Of course. Did you doubt me ?".
Leonard crouched beside the corpse , inspecting the bloodied face . "Son of a minster. This might complicate things".
Damien's expression remained indifferent. "Let it . Complications keep things interesting.
The grave was shallow but sufficient . The forest loomed around them, the darkness heavy and oppressive. Damien stood at the edge of the pit , watching as Maximilian and Leonard shoved dirt over the body .
"Efficient as always" he remarked , his tone light . "You two missed your calling as landscapers".
Leonard rolled his eyes,"Your jokes are terrible".
Damien feigned offense "Terrible?, I'm wounded "
"You're incapable of shame", Maximilian said flatly.
"True ", Damien admitted with a grin .",But you tolerate me anyway".
"Is she the one you've been waiting for all these years all she just caught your eyes "Leonard asked .
Damien's expression faltered for a second before he muttered almost inaudibly "She's the one ".
The grave was quietly covered and the trio melted into the shadows, leaving no trace behind.
Cora sat cross-legged on her bed staring at the wall . Her mask was firmly in place , but the weight of the day pressed on her chest like a physical burden.
"You've been quiet all evening". Amelia said from across the room, her books spread out on her bed . "What's wrong ?".
Cora hesitated. She couldn't tell Amelia about what had had happened in the library or about her encounter with Jaffet. Her lips parted, but the words that came out weren't the ones she'd planned."I'm…going to be acting as Damien's girlfriend ".
The books tumbled from Amelia's hands ."What?!!".
Cora winced as Amelia shot to her feet. "Did he force you ?". Amelia demanded, her eyes blazing with fury . "That scumbag— I'll kill him!".
Amelia stormed toward the door, completely forgetting the strict school rules but Cora jumped up grabbing her arm .
"Wait! It's not what you think ! " . Amelia paused turning back with a frown.
"Then what is it ? Why would you agree to something like that ". Amelia knew cora didn't like attention and this would do more than that .
"It's complicated". Cora admitted her voice barely above a whisper. "I….I promise I'll explain everything. Just give me sometime".
Amelia sighed, her expression softening. She reached out and squeezed Cora's hand . You don't have to tell me everything right now. Just know I've got your back , okay? Mask or no mask ".
Cora swallowed hard , emotion tightening her throat. She didn't deserve Amelia's loyalty, not with all the secrets she was keeping. But one thing was clear– no matter how weak she felt now, she couldn't stay this forever.
Her eyes drifted to the window, the moonlight casting faint shadows across the room.
She knew that if she was able to resist Jaffet's hypnosis then it meant she was something else which wasn't human, and this sacred her more than anything.