"We're going to be roomed together?" I ask, my voice laced with surprise as I step further into the room. My eyes sweep over the interior: two beds on opposite sides of the room, a wooden table tucked neatly into the far corner, and a soft, worn rug covering the floor. The gentle crackle of a fireplace along the side wall adds a cozy warmth to the space.
In front of me, Silas turns with a mischievous grin. "Why? You think I snore?" he teases, dropping his bag onto the bed closest to the balcony.
"N-No… I just thought I'd be put somewhere… smaller," I reply, hesitating as I close the door behind me and slowly make my way to the other bed, the one farther from the balcony.
It doesn't escape me that Silas chose the bed nearer to the sunlight. Somehow, I can't help but feel like he did it intentionally, knowing how uncomfortable I am with too much sun.
"Why smaller? I specifically asked my mother to assign you as my roommate, so you wouldn't feel out of place," Silas says, his smile bright and genuine. Embarrassed, I quickly avert my gaze, heat rising to my cheeks.
Why is he so thoughtful sometimes?!
"Something wrong?" Silas asks, his voice tinged with slight concern. "You probably think it's weird sharing a room with another guy…" His expression falters for a moment, disappointment flickering in his eyes.
"It's fine!" I blurt out, my voice louder than intended as I spin toward the wardrobe I hadn't noticed earlier. I busy myself with stuffing my bag inside, hoping to hide my flustered expression.
Behind me, I hear Silas walking closer, his own bag slung over his shoulder.
"Oh? Well, I'm glad," he says, his tone light again. "This is my first time rooming with another guy, too. It's so exciting!" His enthusiasm is contagious, though it only makes my face heat up more. He really has no sense of tact…
"This is like one of those sleepovers," Silas adds, his cheeks faintly tinged with pink. He lets out an excited squeal, and I have to fight the urge to pinch his cheeks in response.
"So you've never shared a room with anyone before?" I ask, finally managing to regain some semblance of composure. I sit down on my bed, bouncing slightly on the mattress before leaning back with a satisfied sigh.
"Nope," Silas replies, his tone shifting as his expression darkens slightly. "I've never had to. I mean, I'm a Gael…" He trails off, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
"You guys must be rich or something," I mutter, glancing at him. "You've mentioned your mother's a high-class mage, so I'm guessing your father is too?"
Silas nods, his lips forming a small pout. "Yeah… But it's not just that. I don't really have, um… friends to room with. It'd feel awkward sharing a room with someone I don't know."
A soft huff escapes me as I watch him. Who would've thought Silas had a shy side? I guess I don't know him as well as I thought… and for some reason, that realization irritates me a little. There's so much more to him I haven't seen yet.
But now, I have three whole weeks to learn.
"Well," I say after a beat, "now you've got a roommate. And a friend."
Silas's grin reappears, brighter than ever. "I know, right?! This is going to be so fun! Just so you know, I'm usually gone in the morning, and I stay up pretty late at night." He says it with so much excitement, I can feel my dead heart skip a beat.
"I… usually sleep in during the morning and stay up at night," I admit, feeling a little bashful.
"Perfect!" Silas claps his hands together, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "That means we'll have plenty of time to talk at night! Fufu~" He rubs his hands together in mock villainy, his playful tone making me turn away to hide my embarrassment.
"Are you going to sleep now?" Silas's voice cuts through the quiet, accompanied by the faint rustling of sheets as he moves behind me, likely rising from his bed.
"Yeah… I'll probably wake up a little later," I reply, forcing a yawn and keeping my gaze fixed ahead, refusing to look at him.
"I can wake you up for dinner, if you'd like?" he offers casually.
"Fine by me. Are you going somewhe—achk!" My words catch in my throat as I sneak a glance at him, only to immediately regret it. He's in the middle of taking off his clothes, switching them out for a uniform I've seen a few others wear around here.
"What's that?" Silas asks, his tone curious as he turns to face me. I quickly snap my head away, pretending I didn't just see more of him than I intended.
"I-I said, are you going somewhere?" I manage to stammer, my voice unsteady. Behind me, I hear him hum, clearly amused by my flustered state.
"Yup. I've got some classes to oversee. A few high-ranking mages were sent off to deal with an accident, so I have to temporarily stand in for one of the subjects," he explains, his voice tinged with excitement. "How do I look?"
I finally gather the courage to glance back at him—and instantly regret it again. The sight steals my breath. He looks… immaculate. The uniform, tailored perfectly, accentuates his sharp features and gives him an air of regality. He looks like the kind of prince you only see in movies—the kind who rescues princesses from dragons or sweeps them off their feet with a charming smile.
"Well?" Silas prompts, tilting his head slightly.
"G-Good," I murmur, feeling my cheeks flush.
"Only good?!" he whines, his tone taking on a playful edge. With a pout, he summons a mirror in front of him, inspecting his reflection critically. "I thought I looked handsome."
"It's… decent," I say, trying to sound indifferent, though I can feel the heat rising to my face.
"Decent?!" Silas lets out a dramatic, pained noise, clutching his chest as if I'd just stabbed him. "I've never been called decent before. Is this why most guys hate me?" he sighs, dropping his hand and giving his reflection one last, dissatisfied glance.
I stay silent, watching him out of the corner of my eye. He looks more than good—he looks incredible. There's something about the way the uniform fits him, the way he carries himself with such ease and confidence, that makes my chest tighten.
I can't help but feel a strange tug deep inside me, an almost possessive urge. Part of me wants to wrap him up in a blanket and keep him here, hidden away from anyone else. No one else should see him like this—this handsome, this perfect. He should stay here, with me, and only me.
But of course, I stay quiet, swallowing the thought as I glance away.
—
In the end, I couldn't sleep. I managed a short nap after Silas left, but it didn't last long. The birds outside the balcony woke me with their incessant chirping, and the wind sent the curtains flapping wildly, their sharp snaps against the window frame grating on my nerves. I groaned, dragging myself out of bed to shut the window. I yanked the curtains closed and locked the balcony door, plunging the room into shadow. Only the faint flicker of the fireplace brought any light to the space, casting long, restless shadows across the walls.
I sighed, collapsing back onto the bed. "This is… so boring," I muttered to the empty room. I grabbed my phone, hoping for some kind of distraction, but the screen greeted me with the cruel reality: no signal. No texts, no updates, no games. Nothing. Just me and the silence.
"No signal… Seriously?" I groaned, tossing the phone down onto the bed. I closed my eyes, willing myself to fall asleep again, but the effort was futile. My mind, traitorous as ever, drifted back to Silas. Specifically, to the image of his bare back as he left.
"Ugh… Does he have no shame?" I muttered, my cheeks burning as the memory replayed in vivid detail. His skin had been smooth, unreasonably so, dotted with small moles that I hadn't noticed before. It was ridiculous how clearly I remembered it. The way the firelight had traced the contours of his shoulders, the faint lines of muscle beneath his skin...
I groaned again, louder this time, burying my face in the pillow. My heart was racing, and I hated it. Curse these impure thoughts! I had no business thinking about him like that.
"Okay, okay. Inhale, exhale. Don't think about it. Don't think about it," I whispered, my voice shaky as I tried to steady myself. It didn't work. Each time I told myself to stop, the memory came back, stronger, sharper, teasing me with the details I so desperately wanted to forget.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I shot up from the bed, my movements frantic. "Nope. I need to get out. Now." My voice was louder than intended, but it wasn't like anyone could hear me. I rushed toward the door, my footsteps heavy against the wooden floor.
What if I just wander around and get used to the place?
After all, I'll be staying here for three weeks… It's strange to think about. Do the other students even know I'm a vampire?
Probably not.
As I wandered down the hallway, searching for the stairs, my thoughts drifted. The air here was different—calm, yet buzzing with the energy of its inhabitants. Just as I was about to turn a corner, a familiar voice called out.
"Sir Gray?"
I stopped mid-step and turned. There, down the hallway, stood Navee. She was balancing two fluffy towels on her arms and holding two robes. Her bright expression lit up the otherwise dim corridor.
"Miss Navee," I greeted, stepping closer.
"Navee is fine," she said, her cheeks tinged a light pink.
"Then Sebastian is fine as well," I replied with a small smile. Navee's blush deepened, and she stammered.
"R-Really!? O-Oh! Uhm… It's so good to see you again so soon, Si–Sebastian," she giggled nervously, her hands fidgeting slightly.
I chuckled softly. "I suppose I'll be in your care for the next three weeks."
"Three weeks with Sebastian!" she exclaimed, her face now a bright shade of red. Her smile was so dazzling I had to glance away, almost blinded by her radiance.
She really is a light mage through and through.
"Three weeks of doing… nothing," I muttered with an awkward laugh. The truth stung more than I wanted to admit. I had only come here because I couldn't stand the thought of not seeing Silas for three weeks. Yet now that I was here, I felt like nothing more than a burden.
The thought weighed on me, shame curling in my chest like a restless serpent. Curse this ridiculous crush on Silas.
Navee must have found my comment funny because she laughed softly, her voice light and melodic.
"Perhaps you'd like to help me with the flowers?" she offered hesitantly. "Though! It's fine if you don't want to! But since you seemed interested in Arcus… I thought maybe… you'd want to… uhm, help me?" Her voice trailed off, losing confidence.
I couldn't help but chuckle at her nervousness. Helping her didn't sound bad at all. In fact, Arcus was a beautiful flower, and I'd always had a soft spot for flowers.
"I don't mind," I said gently. "I'd like to help, if it's okay with you, of course."
"Of course!" she squeaked, practically bouncing on her heels. "We–We can go there now!" Her sudden excitement startled me, and I flinched slightly.
Then, as if remembering something, Navee froze. "Oh, I almost forgot!" she exclaimed, looking down at the towels and robes in her arms. "I brought these for you and Sir Gael. Towels and robes. I even made a few adjustments to yours so you could have a hood!"
She handed me the items, and I took them carefully. She unfolded one of the robes, revealing a well-made garment with a large hood.
"Oh…" I blinked, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Sir Gael told me to make the adjustment," she explained with a proud smile. "He said it might help you feel more at home here. And I made sure the fabric was to your liking—soft and warm, unlike mine."
She gestured for me to try it on. I hesitated for a moment, then shrugged off my jacket, leaving me in my brown turtleneck. Sliding the robe over my shoulders, I clasped it at my neck. The fabric fell gracefully over my frame, hiding my body without being too long—thankfully, it wouldn't drag or trip me up.
"Oh wow," I murmured, running my fingers over the soft material. "It feels nice."
I flipped the hood over my head, letting it drape lightly. Navee clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling.
"It fits you perfectly! Sir Gael really knows your measurements!" she said with such enthusiasm that I flushed.
"Ah…" was all I could manage, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
"Is it alright if I put these towels and the other robe in your room?" Navee asked.
"Of course," I replied, leading her back to the room Silas and I were sharing.
As soon as we stepped inside, Navee hesitated. "It's very dark in here," she remarked, her voice uncertain.
She moved gracefully, placing the towels on the table and hanging the robe in the wardrobe. I watched as she adjusted Silas's and my bags, ensuring they wouldn't tip over when the wardrobe was opened. Her attention to detail was impressive.
"The wind is very strong, and the curtain keeps flapping around... The sun is uncomfortable," I mutter, my voice low.
Navee lets out a small, startled, "Oh!" Her cheeks flush a soft pink, and she quickly averts her gaze.
"Forgive me, I completely forgot…" Navee mumbles, her voice tinged with guilt. She rubs the back of her neck awkwardly, a bead of sweat trickling down her temple. Her face is pale, and she looks flustered.
"It's fine," I say softly, offering her a faint smile. I wave a hand dismissively to put her at ease.
Navee hesitates for a moment, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. Finally, she speaks, though her voice is quiet, almost uncertain. "It's just… Sebastian, you're so different from other vampires. It's hard not to see you like one of us." She twiddles her thumbs nervously, her eyes fixed firmly on the floor, avoiding mine.
I open my mouth to respond, but before I can say anything, she perks up suddenly, as though struck by an idea. "Oh! Then you must take a rest in the morning! Vampires are most awake at night!" Her excitement dims almost instantly, her shoulders slumping as a gloomy expression overtakes her face. "But… that means you can't be my assistant after all. You'll only end up exhausted in the mornings, and I—I can't do that to you…" Her voice cracks slightly, and she sniffles, her lip trembling as though she's on the verge of tears.
I can't help but stammer, caught off guard by the rapid shift in her mood. "I-I can handle being outside in the morning!" I blurt out, my words tumbling over themselves as I try to reassure her.
She looks up at me, her eyes wide with surprise. "R-Really? But vampires are never awake in the morning! It's strange enough seeing you up and about now!" She scratches the back of her head, her expression a mixture of curiosity and disbelief.
I chuckle lightly, though it's more to steady myself than anything else. "Is that so? That might explain why I always feel so tired in the morning," I admit, rubbing the back of my neck.
Navee taps her chin thoughtfully, her brows furrowing as she considers my words. "Probably. Most vampires don't leave their houses in the morning. They stay hidden away until nightfall… But you're different." Her eyes meet mine briefly before darting away again. "You're very brave to go out under the sun like this, knowing the risks. Aren't you afraid you might… you know… get burned?"
I can't help but smile at her concern, though it's faint, almost shy. "Ah… I do worry about it. That's why I always make sure to wear plenty of layers." I pull back the sleeve of my turtleneck slightly, revealing another thin, long-sleeve shirt underneath. "See?"
Navee's face turns a deeper shade of red, and she quickly waves her hands at me, flustered. "Th-That's enough! You don't have to show me more!" she stammers, her voice rising slightly in pitch.
I chuckle softly, letting my sleeve fall back into place. "Alright, alright."
Clearing her throat, Navee straightens up, though the pink in her cheeks lingers. "Th-Then… if it's alright, we can head to the greenhouse now!" Her voice carries a hint of nervous energy, as though she's eager to change the subject.
I nod, my voice calm. "Okay."