Page 5

It's not like it was unusual for the girls. Dormitory assignments happened every year at Auragon; obviously, this year just happened to be slightly different. Clearly.

The air was heavy, the weight of the day's events pressing down on them. The three girls moved in tense silence, only the crunch of their footsteps on the gravel path filling the space between them.

When they reached the administrative office, a large oak desk stood at the centre, stacks of papers piled high. A middle-aged woman with sharp glasses and an even sharper expression barely glanced at them before pushing a clipboard forward.

"Sign your names. You'll find your room assignments there," she said curtly.

Y/N hesitated for a moment before picking up the pen. Her fingers hovered over the paper.

The dorms had been separated before. Humans in one building, vampires in another. But with the merger, rumours had been swirling about changes.

Y/N scanned the list.

Her stomach dropped.

Her mind snagged on the last name.

'Cressida Voss.'

Not a human name.

"Are they serious?" Aisha muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Julia frowned. "No way..."

But the paper didn't change.

They had been assigned a vampire roommate.

Y/N clenched her jaw and forced her hand to sign next to her name before sliding the clipboard to Aisha. The sooner they got to their room, the sooner she could figure this out.

"Next" the woman at the desk called without looking up.

The three of them left, dread curling in Y/N's stomach with every step.

★

The dorm building was massive, gothic-styled architecture looming over them with dark brick walls and arched windows. Inside, the high ceilings and grand chandeliers did little to make the atmosphere feel less suffocating.

"What the hell.. it's like they basically emo-fied the school." Julia mumbled.

They made their way up the stairs, past the other students—some already unpacking, others whispering in hushed voices. Most human students looked nervous.

Y/N couldn't blame them.

When they reached ROOM 317, Aisha hesitated at the door before unlocking it.

It swung open.

And she was already there.

'Cressida Voss'

She was sitting on the windowsill, bathed in the dim glow of the setting sun. Her long, blonde hair cascaded down her back, and when she turned her head, her pale blue eyes settled on them with a lazy, unreadable expression.

★

Cressida took her time glancing at each of them before exhaling through her nose. "Humans."

Julia stiffened. "Vampire."

A slow, amused smirk curled on Cressida's lips. "This should be fun.."

Aisha exchanged a look with Y/N before stepping further into the room. "So, uh, ground rules?"

Cressida raised a brow. "Rules?"

"Yeah, like—" Aisha folded her arms, "No drinking our blood, no weird creepy staring while we sleep—"

Cressida actually laughed.

A soft, velvety sound that somehow made Y/N's skin crawl.

"Oh, girlfriend" Cressida mused, standing up from the windowsill in one fluid, effortless motion. "If I wanted to drink your blood, you wouldn't even notice."

Y/N tensed.

Julia grabbed Aisha's wrist before she could snap back.

"Not funny," Y/N muttered.

Cressida tilted her head, eyes gleaming with something dangerous. "It wasn't a joke."

The room felt too small.

Y/N took a slow breath and forced herself to hold Cressida's gaze.

"Then maybe you should sleep with one eye open," Y/N said evenly. "Wouldn't want to wake up with a stake in you."

For a long moment, neither of them looked away.

Then Cressida smiled.

Sharp. Unsettling.

"I like you" she murmured.

Y/N didn't respond.

She just turned away, heading toward her bed, heart pounding a little too fast.

This year was going to be hell.

★

Later that night.

Y/N tossed and turned in bed, sleep eluding her.

Her mind wouldn't stop replaying the events of the day—the cafeteria fight, the way Calixto looked at her, and now... a vampire roommate.

Just as she exhaled, trying to settle her nerves—a soft knock echoed from the door.

Her body stiffened.

She glanced at the time. 1:42 AM.

Aisha was asleep. Julia too.

Y/N swallowed hard, slowly getting up and padding toward the door.

She hesitated.

Then, carefully, she turned the handle and cracked it open.

A figure leaned against the frame.

Golden eyes gleamed in the darkness.

Calixto.

His lips curled into that slow, easy smirk.

"Hey Y/N"

★

"What're you doing here.."

She almost mumbled, her hand gripped onto the door, ready to slam it shut in case of, anything.

He looked her up and down, a flash of amusement in his eyes as they raked over her smaller figure, "You're tiny human."

"Not really.."

He scoffed, "I could still eat you in one bite."

there was a moment of silence shared between them as he continued to take in all her features, the delicate way her pyjamas hung loose from her body; and the vulnerable look of her as she stood there awkwardly, the feeling of his gaze like it was peeling away each layer of fabric upon her.

"You still haven't told me why you're here?"

He smirked "Here" handing her a small platic back which she took, the weight of it more than it seemed.

"What's in here? It's so heavy.."

"Blood."

She froze for a moment her eyes traveling up to look at his unbothered face, then travelling back down as she slowly opened the white bag. There was about six or seven bags of them, each contained in their own blood bag like they were stolen fresh from the hospital.

"Where did you—"

"That's none of your business" he cut her off, "Let's just say it's a gift from Silas."

Her brows furrowed still examining the contents of the bag, "Why're you giving it to me?"

"It's not for you. Give it to Cress." he arm extended as he pointed past her to the sleeping vampiress who slept almost similarly to a corpse.

'Cress'? Is she his girlfriend?

"Oh okay.."

His hand slowly crept up his face as he tried to hide the amused smile that twisted on his lips. "Were you expecting me to be here for you?"

"No." she simply replied "If that's all, good night" she said, before shutting the door on him, hearing only a slight grunt as it hit him.

He rubbed his face, continuing to glare at the door,

"Fucking little bitch, I'd suck the life out of her before she could even blink.." he muttered to himself walking back to his own dorm building.