Page 56 of BLOOD LUST | YANDERE VAMPIRES

across the high walls of the drawing room, tracing patterns on the dark mahogany panels as if the shadows themselves whispered secrets long forgotten.

The heavy velvet drapes were drawn tight against the chill of the autumn night, trapping warmth and memories inside the cavernous space.

Outside, the sky was a muted canvas of stars, shrouded in wisps of fog that curled like spectral fingers across the cobblestone streets of the estate. Yet inside, sheltered from the crisp air, the echo of giggles and the rapt sound of laughter echoed in the drawing room.

His eyes flickering past the large canvas propped upon his easel to look at her—his lady, his muse. The gentle glow of the fire on her skin was what he strove to capture with painstaking care on his canvas.

Each stroke of his brush a testament to his devotion, each shade blended with an almost reverent delicacy, aiming to imbue the paint with the same luminous, living warmth he saw before him.

He wasn't just painting light; he was painting her essence, the quiet magic of the moment.

"Why so serious, my lord? Is it because I am not a well-behaved model?" She teased.

He glanced back at her again, tilting his head, he pretended to think as he smiled softly, silver locks falling over his eyes. "You're perfect as you are, my lady... Sanchez?"

He chuckled, "Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"Lady Y/N Sanchez?" She mirrored his actions, tilting her head to the side with a giggle just to tease him further.

"I love it. "

?????????????? ??????

Azul sat alone, poised yet restless, on an ornate settee upholstered in deep crimson brocade. His hands, pale and slender, rested lightly on the arms of the chair, fingers flexing with the weight of centuries held close.

His eyes, a stormy gray that could chill the marrow, gazed not at the flickering flames of the hearth but into a past that clawed at his heart with the tenderness of a wound never healed.

He remembered her—the fragile, radiant woman who had been his entire world, tethered to mortality yet burning with a light that no darkness could consume.

The way her laughter had lifted like a silver bell through the suffocating silence of that stifling manor, defying the unyielding rules of their worlds.

Her name was Y/N too.

He could see the curve of her cheek, pale and flushed beneath the candle's glow, her eyes wide and searching.

He could feel the ghost of her touch as though it still lingered on his skin—the gentle brush of her fingers through his silver hair, the way her breath caught when he drew her close beneath the moon's watchful gaze.

They had been a forbidden melody in a world that demanded silence.

But their love, like all things wrought from light and shadow, was doomed.

He had watched her fade into the dawn one cruel morning, her mortal breath slipping away like a sigh on the wind, leaving him alone to carry the burden of eternity. The bitterness of loss settled deep in his bones, a cruel companion as endless as time itself.

? ★ ?

" achoo! "

Y/N blinked, startled, as the dusty sunlight filtering through the dorm room window caught the tears threatening to spill over her lashes. Julia, ever the observant friend, handed her a tissue with a small, knowing smile.

"Bless you," Julia said lightly, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Y/N sniffled, dabbing at the corner of her nose.

"Thanks.." she murmured, voice hoarse.

Julia's eyes held a mixture of concern and gentle curiosity, exchanging a glance with Aisha, who had been folding laundry quietly but now turned to face Y/N with steady eyes.

"You've been quiet since... well, since that note arrived. And you ran out. And then you came back crying—do you want to talk about it..?"

"You're not alone," Aisha said, her voice calm but resolute. "and you don't have to carry it all by yourself."

Julia stepped closer, resting a comforting hand on Y/N's shoulder. "We're here. No matter what happens, we've got you."

Y/N managed a faint smile, the warmth of their support a small flame against the cold dread threatening to consume her. Yet beneath the surface, turmoil churned, a storm she was not yet ready to face.

The hours slipped by in a fragile peace, each moment pregnant with the unspoken tension that lingered between them all.

"I... I need to tell you both everything," Y/N began, voice barely above a whisper.

Julia leaned forward instantly, all sharp edges and fierce loyalty. "We're listening."

Y/N took a shaky breath and began.

"It started with Calixto. That night at the party.. he kissed me. Like, really kissed me. I thought maybe.. maybe he felt something too." Her gaze dropped, shadowed with hurt.

Aisha's fingers tightened around the edge of her sleeve, her eyes flickering with confusion and arms tightening around herself. "Wait. You let him kiss you? After everything you've been through? You know how complicated he is."

Julia shot her a warning glance but Y/N didn't back down. "That bastard!"

"He kissed me. And then ignored me. Like I was invisible." Her voice cracked. "Like I was just someone to use for a moment."

Y/N swallowed, pressing on. "Then, when I finally tried to talk to him, he.. he rejected me coldly. Said we couldn't be anything because of who we are, because of the others? I don't know."

Aisha's lips pressed together, her eyes shadowed with concern but tinged with judgment. "Did you expect anything else? You know his type—cold, distant. You deserve better than his selfish games."

Julia's voice was low, dangerous. "He's an idiot. You deserve better than being treated like some possession."

"But right after that.. Adrian found me. He was just there in the moment." Her cheeks flushed, the memory fresh and fierce.

"We had sex," she admitted, voice barely a breath. "It was desperate and messy I'll admit that—but he was what I needed in that moment."

She looked up, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"But after... I woke up and he wasn't there. Didn't call—and then that note." Her voice cracked. "The note that said it was all a mistake. That I should stay away."

Julia's mouth fell open slightly, eyes wide.

"Wait—wait, wait. Y/N, you're not a virgin no more?!" And he actually ghosted you after that? What kind of asshole just walks away like that!" Her tone was sharp, protective.

There was a pause, a quiet weight behind her words, the fierce loyalty beneath her calm exterior.

Y/N noticed a flicker in Aisha's gaze—a subtle conflict she couldn't quite place. Maybe it was the quiet judgment she sensed in Aisha's eyes toward Y/N's choices, or the worry about the consequences of walking so close to fire.

But then Aisha smiled softly, reaching out to squeeze Y/N's hand. "You're not alone. And if anyone tries to hurt you again, they'll have me to answer to."

Y/N smiled through her tears, the warmth of her friends a fragile anchor in the storm swirling inside her. The garden felt a little less cold. The shadows didn't seem quite so long.

But deep down, the storm was only gathering strength.

? ★ ?

The days that followed were deceptively calm.

The violent murders that had shaken Auragon Academy into silence receded into whispers and speculation, the dark cloud temporarily lifting to reveal a brittle semblance of normality.

But beneath the surface, the air was taut with anticipation—the approaching Winter Ball looming like a distant thunderstorm.

One afternoon, Y/N found herself wandering the academy's sprawling garden, the chill of late autumn brushing cold fingers against her skin. She settled onto a weathered stone bench, the scent of earth and fallen leaves grounding her as her thoughts spiralled uncontrollably.

Footsteps approached—measured, graceful.

She appeared like a shadow falling across the sun, her presence both familiar and unnerving. She settled beside Y/N with a poised elegance that spoke of both nobility and something darker.

"The ball is near," She said softly, her voice a velvety murmur. "Have you prepared yourself for what lies ahead?"

An unshakeable confidence radiated from her, an almost luminous quality that seemed to brighten the very air around her.

Her long, flowing blonde hair, a silken cascade of pale gold, swirled and shimmered as the wind caught it, perfectly suited to her delicate, almost luminous pale skin. It was a vision of serene beauty and effortless grace.

Y/N glanced at her, feeling a flicker of unease but also the pull of Cressida's steady presence. "I don't know if anyone can really prepare for what might come, Cress."

Cressida's eyes softened with a rare vulnerability. "Maybe not. But you'll have to face it anyway. And you won't be alone."

There was a quiet pause, filled with the kind of weight only true friendship carries. Then, her voice lowered, gentle but serious. "I've been meaning to talk to you about Calixto."

Y/N's heart skipped, a sudden tightening in her chest. "...What about him?"

Cressida hesitated, searching for the right words. "I saw the way he looked at ou that night, you know, before everyone scattered. And my instincts—those step-sibling senses—don't lie."

Y/N's voice faltered. "It's complicated."

Cressida gave a small, rueful smile. "It always is. But I want to be honest with you. You have to be careful with him."

Her eyes held a flicker of something painful, memories shadowing her expression. "After our parents married, I saw things—things Calixto hides. There are parts of him he keeps locked away. Not just the cold exterior you see. There's something darker.. beneath."

Y/N's brow furrowed, unease settling in her gut.

Cressida reached out, squeezing Y/N's hand briefly. "I don't want to scare you. But I want you to protect yourself. Sometimes the people closest to us carry the heaviest secrets."

The wind stirred the dying leaves around them, and for a moment, the garden felt colder, quieter.

Cressida stood, giving Y/N one last look—one full of care and warning. "Please, just remember: A fiend can easily disguise themselves as a friend. Trust your heart, but keep your guard."

With that, she stepped back into the shadows, leaving Y/N alone, the weight of her words lingering like a protective shield.

The fragile peace between them had been broken, but maybe, just maybe, for the better.