Page 36

THE ROOM WAS CHAOS.

The dorm room was a whirlwind of scattered makeup brushes, curling irons left running, and half-closed wardrobes spilling dresses like silk ribbons onto the floor. The clock on the wall read just past 5PM—an ominous reminder of how late they already were.

Julia was the loudest in her panic, tugging on her gold hoops as she shouted across the room about borrowing perfume, while Cressida was busy smoothing her dark lipstick in the mirror, eyes sharp and effortlessly composed.

Y/N sat perched on the bed, slipping on her boots—the black leather hugging her calves as she glanced over at Aisha, who sat cross-legged on her bed with a book in hand, unbothered by the chaos.

"We're gonna be late—hurry up!" Julia chirped breathlessly, as she shoved lip gloss into her bag and grabbing her coat. The other two followed—their perfume trailing behind them like a heady storm of florals and vanilla.

Aisha only waved without looking up from her book, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. "Try not to embarrass yourselves!" she teased, but they were already gone. "Love you all! Please don't die."

★

The hallway was quieter, their rushed footsteps echoing faintly against the old wood of the dormitory floors. In fact, compared to the loudness and hustle bustle they had been around all day, it was dead silent; causing Y/N let out in a panicked whisper as she trailed behind Julia and Cressida.

"Jeez slow down..!"

Inside the cramped space, their bodies pressed together tightly—Cressida and Julia teasing each other about who would get to grab the first drink, while Y/N tried to focus on breathing evenly, the enclosed space heightening her awareness of the girls around her.

The familiar sound of a lighthearted argument about whose heels were clicking too loudly filled the air, mixing with the soft hum of the elevator's ascent.

The building tension between them felt almost too much in such a confined space, but before Y/N could dwell on it, the doors slid open to reveal the noise and chaos of the party waiting beyond.

Golden light spilled from string lanterns and the flash of coloured LED lining the edges of the room. Music pulsed through the floorboards, low bass reverberating through Y/N's shoes.

The living area of the fourth-floor lounge had been transformed—couches dragged aside, a makeshift dance floor filling with students already losing themselves to the night.

Julia grinned, looping her arm through Y/N's as they made their way inside.

The room was an explosion of energy—people dancing in the middle, couples weaving through the crowd, and a table set up for beer pong in the corner.

A few older students, dressed to kill, leaned against the walls, exchanging flirtatious glances.

Cressida had barely stepped through the threshold before she was whisked away by her usual crowd—a group of vampires dressed sharp and deliberate, their smiles too knowing, their movements too smooth.

Julia offered her a grin, slinging an arm over Y/N's shoulders. "Beer pong?" she suggested, her eyes gleaming with mischief. Y/N shook her head, not particularly in the mood for a competitive drinking game. "Pass. But you go ahead..!" she smiled.

Julia huffed with a small smile, and disappeared into the throngs of students, leaving Y/N alone with a solo cup of just coke in hand. She stood at the edge of the room, trying her best to blend into the corner, away from the heat of the dance floor and the flashing lights that buzzed overhead.

★

For a moment, everything felt still. The noise of the party seemed distant, muffled, as her gaze flickered to the people milling around the room.

She found herself standing near the edge of the room.

The noise was easy to drown out here. Conversations blurred together, light bouncing off the windows like distant stars.

And then she heard it.

A voice—smooth, familiar, and too close for comfort.

"Look who it is? The curious one."

Y/N's pulse immediately spiked, recognition flooding her veins. Calixto.

The last time they'd been alone, he'd been too close, his hands brushing against hers as he'd tied her hood strings, his gaze heavy with something unspoken.

Her stomach flipped at the memory, the warmth of the evening rushing back to her.

She turned to face him, and he stood there—leaning against the doorway, his presence somehow commanding even in the midst of all the chaos.

His blonde hair was tousled from the and his grin—half cocky, half teasing—was unmistakable.

"You know most people would've congratulated me for the win today. .?"

"You really think that was a win for you, huh?" Y/N couldn't help but scoff.

Her heart raced, but she made a deliberate effort to keep her tone casual. "Must be nice to have such an easy game when you play against a bunch of nerds."

His golden eyes flickered with amusement, and he pushed himself off the frame of the door, taking a few steps toward her. "Easy game? You should've seen me out there. Everyone else was just playing catch-up."

He flashed her that infamous grin again, and Y/N felt her chest tighten with something she couldn't name. "But hey, I'm not complaining. At least I got to make it more interesting." He leaned in a little closer, his voice dropping. "For you, that is."

Y/N swallowed, eyes locking onto his as she tried to maintain the sarcastic edge she had perfected. "Oh, did you? Guess I didn't notice."

Calixto chuckled softly, the sound low and dangerous in the midst of the thumping music. "You noticed. Don't lie. You were watching. I saw."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she shifted her weight to her other foot, but even she knew that the playful tension between them was palpable. There was something about the way he moved, the confidence he exuded, that drew her in despite herself.

"You've got a lot of nerve, you know that..?" she muttered, leaning against the wall behind her, her body unconsciously angling closer to his as their conversation deepened. She could feel the warmth of his body radiating toward hers, the proximity sending heat rushing through her.

He chuckled again, this time more quietly. "Maybe it's not just the nerve. Maybe it's the fact that you're intrigued."

Y/N's breath hitched, her fingers tightening around her cup. "I'm not intrigued."

"You're lying." he replied, the smirk still evident in his voice. "Tell me, Y/N. What are you thinking right now?"

She could barely focus on his words as his gaze dropped to her lips for a brief second before snapping back up. There was something about his presence, the way he had a hold over her without even trying, that made her pulse race.

"I'm thinking I should probably get away from you before I do something I regret" she said, half-joking.

But the moment the words left her lips, something shifted between them. The world around them seemed to disappear, the flashing lights and muffled voices fading as their eyes locked. Calixto took a step closer, and Y/N didn't move away.

And it wasn't long before she realised—her guard was slipping.

The cup in her hand was empty. His fingers ghosted over her wrist once; whether intentional or not—and it was enough.

She didn't like crowds. She didn't like attention. But Calixto had always struck her as the kind of boy who knew how to read a room; and even better—read her.So when her eyes flicked toward the side hallway—quieter, darker—he caught the look without question.

"Come on." he murmured, barely above the music.

And his smirk was knowing—dangerous—as she let him lead her away.

Then, without another word, he reached out, his hand finding the back of her neck, fingers brushing the soft skin there, sending a shiver down her spine before pulling her in.

The subtle electricity of his touch ignited a fire within her, a thrilling anticipation that made her breath catch in her throat.

His lips found hers, claiming her in a kiss that was bold, heated, and filled with the promise of something more. It wasn't a tentative exploration, but a confident declaration.

A possessive pressure that sent a wave of dizziness through her, even despite the lack of alcohol. The heat of his body pressed against hers, a tangible force that moulded them together, and all at once, the air between them was thick with unspoken desire.

The scent of him, a blend of leather and something intrinsically masculine, filled her nostrils, further fuelling the yearning that had been simmering beneath the surface.

Her heart pounded in her chest, a frantic drumbeat mirroring the escalating urgency of the moment, as she responded. Her hands, initially hesitant, lifted to grip his shirt, the soft fabric bunching in her fists as she clung to him for support.

★

Her back collided with the wall as she continued to cling onto him; her hands sliding behind around his neck.

Slowly, deliberately, her hands crept up, tracing the strong line of his back before finally resting around the nape of his neck.

as she let out a hum of pleasure, settling in the pit of her stomach and blossoming into a warmth that spread outwards, chasing away the residual chill of the wall.

The taste of him—sweet, sharp, intoxicating—flooded her senses, a potent elixir that dissolved her inhibitions and loosened her grip on reason. She felt herself giving in to the pull between them, a magnetic force that had been building for what felt like an eternity.

She couldn't help herself.

Logic and caution evaporated, replaced by a primal need to be closer, to feel more. The world narrowed, focusing solely on the feel of his lips on hers, the racing of her pulse, the exquisite torment of wanting him.

Each touch, each deepening of the kiss, chipped away at the carefully constructed walls she had built around her heart, leaving her vulnerable and exposed to the raw intensity of their connection.

But just as she was about to let go completely, a sudden, chilling scream cut through the air. The sound echoed, loud and sharp, freezing her in place.

"What the hell?" Y/N gasped, her mind snapping back to reality.

Without thinking, she pulled away from Calixto, her eyes wide as she looked toward the door. The music screeched to a halt, the room plunging into an uneasy silence. The sudden loss of warmth between the two and the absence of his touch prominent in her mind.

People began to shout and scramble, voices rising in panic, and Y/N found herself pushing through the crowd, her heart hammering in her chest. Calixto, confusion still etched on his face, followed her, and basically the rest of the party, out of the room and into the long, echoing corridor.

★

Outside the girls' dorm, in the darkened courtyard, the body of a human girl lay sprawled on the ground, blood pooling around her like a macabre halo. Her lifeless eyes stared up at the stars, her neck torn open in a grotesque display.

The realisation hit like a punch to the gut.

Murder.

The blood was still fresh. And with it came the unmistakable tension of a new divide, one that neither side could ignore. Gasps echoed—someone cursed under their breath—and the divide was instant.

Humans stepped back.

Vampires narrowed their eyes.

The fragile peace that had only just began to build between them splintered like glass.Vampires and humans, for all their attempts at unity, would never truly be safe in each other's presence. And now the lines were redrawn, divided once again by assumption the horrific truth of what had happened.

And just like that—the night was over.