Every university had its rumors. Some spoke of haunted libraries, others whispered about cursed classrooms. But here, at St. Valeria University, the whispers always circled back to one man—Professor Zaid.

He was young, barely twenty-eight, yet carried himself with an authority that even the senior staff couldn’t match. Students said his eyes could silence an entire lecture hall, that no one dared laugh or whisper once he entered. Some adored him for his looks, others feared the sharpness in his voice.

But none of them knew the truth.

Zaid wasn’t human. He was one of the very few vampires left in a world that believed they were nothing more than myths. And in this human world, only one person knew what he truly was—Professor Cassis. Cassis was different, too. Not a vampire, but one of the rare few born with the power to control and suppress a vampire’s nature. Without him, Zaid’s life would have collapsed long ago.

Even with Cassis’s help, the hunger never fully disappeared. It was always there, gnawing at him in silence. He had lived years taming the thirst, convincing himself he could endure. Until Lerra arrived.

She didn’t know it, but her blood was unlike any other. There was something in it that called to him with maddening force, sharper and more intoxicating than anything he had ever tasted. From the moment she walked into his classroom, Zaid knew she was dangerous—not because she threatened him, but because she tempted him beyond reason.

And tonight, of all nights, her scent was unbearable.

Lerra sat in her usual seat, nervously straightening her notes. It had only been a week since she joined her master’s program, and already she felt like an outsider. Especially under Professor Zaid’s gaze. He had the kind of presence that made the air heavy, the kind that pressed silence onto the room with just his footsteps.

Today, her body betrayed her. Her cycle had begun that morning, and though no one around her noticed, Zaid did. His sharp senses caught the faintest trace of blood, and his control nearly cracked. His jaw clenched as he gripped the chalk too tightly, forcing himself to lecture as if nothing were wrong. But every word was dragged out through clenched teeth, every breath filled with a tormenting sweetness.

Her blood.

He wanted it.

When the lecture ended, Lerra quickly packed her books, but Zaid’s voice froze her in place.

“Lerra.”

She turned, startled. His expression was calm, but his eyes glinted with something darker.

“You should go home early today,” he said, his tone low and heavy.

She hesitated. “Professor?”

His jaw flexed, as if he was holding back more than words. “Don’t stay here after sunset.”

Confused, she nodded and slipped out, her heart racing for reasons she couldn’t explain.

By evening, a storm had swallowed the sky. Rain slashed against the university windows, wind clawing at the gates. Lerra lingered at the entrance, clutching her bag. Her short skirt whipped violently in the storm, and with a frustrated sigh, she turned back. She would wait it out.

But the storm didn’t calm. The hours stretched. The sky darkened.

And high above the clouds, the full moon stirred—waiting to break free.

Lerra hugged her bag tightly, staring at the sheets of rain hammering against the glass doors. The wind howled like it wanted to tear the world apart, her skirt whipping against her thighs every time she even thought about stepping outside.

“Great. Just great,” she muttered, pressing her forehead against the cold glass. “Professor says go home early, but how am I supposed to walk out there like this? Ugh, why did I wear this stupid skirt today?!”

Her voice cracked with frustration, and she stomped her foot like a child, cheeks flushed in embarrassment even though no one was there to hear her.

But someone was.

Far across the building, in the dim corridors where shadows stretched like claws, Zaid stood still as stone. His fingers dug into the wall, breath harsh and uneven.

The scent had grown unbearable.

Lerra’s blood called to him—sharp, intoxicating, impossible to ignore. And now the sun was gone, the full moon rising high above the storm clouds. His body trembled, every thread of control unraveling. He had fought for years to keep the monster buried. Tonight, the monster refused to stay caged.

In the blink of an eye, he was gone from the classroom.

The storm drowned out everything—the echo of his footsteps, the rush of wind as he moved. One heartbeat, Lerra was alone. The next, she felt it—the shift in the air, the sudden, unnatural chill crawling down her spine.

She turned.

“Professor…?”

He was there.

Zaid stood only a few feet away, his figure cutting through the flickering light. His dark eyes glowed unnaturally, no longer the sharp, calculating gaze of the man she knew, but wild, beast-like, burning crimson as they fixed on her.

Lerra froze. Her fingers tightened around her bag straps until her knuckles turned white. “P-Professor, I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stay late, I just—”

Her words tumbled out in panic, but he didn’t respond. He didn’t even blink. He only stepped closer, slow, deliberate, every motion predatory.

“Professor?” Her voice shook now, breaking into the silence.

Zaid’s chest heaved as if each breath was agony. His lips parted, and for a fleeting second, she caught sight of sharp fangs glinting under the storm’s flashes of lightning.

Her pulse thundered in her ears.

This wasn’t the same man who stood at the front of her class earlier. This wasn’t her professor at all.

This was something else.

Something dangerous.

And it was coming straight for her.

Lerra’s back hit the cold wall, her breath caught in her throat. Zaid’s crimson eyes glowed in the dim corridor, sharp like a predator locked on its prey. His hand pressed against the wall beside her face, caging her in.

Her trembling voice broke the silence.

“P-Professor… I—I’m sorry for staying late…”

But he didn’t answer. His gaze had dropped to her neck, his lips parting slightly, fangs gleaming in the moonlight seeping through the window. The air around them thickened with danger.

Lerra’s knees weakened. He’s not the Professor I see in class… this is something else. This is a beast.

He leaned closer, so close she could feel the chill of his breath grazing her skin. She turned her head away in panic—

And then—

A force shoved Zaid back with a violent crack against the wall opposite.

“Enough!”

Lerra’s wide eyes darted to the new figure—Cassis. His silver hair caught the moonlight like a blade, and his eyes blazed with a protective fury she had never seen before.

“Control yourself, Zaid,” Cassis hissed, standing between them. His arm stretched out in front of Lerra like a shield. “She’s not your prey.”

Zaid snarled low in his throat, his fangs bared fully now. His refined, calm professor’s mask was gone—only the predator remained.

For a moment, the two locked eyes. Tension snapped in the air like thunder.

Lerra’s heart pounded. She clutched her skirt, frozen in fear, yet unable to look away.

Zaid’s chest heaved as he stepped forward again, crimson eyes burning with hunger.

“Move,” he growled, his voice guttural, unrecognizable from the controlled professor she knew.

Cassis didn’t flinch. “You’ll regret it if you touch her.”

The air seemed to tremble between them, two forces colliding — one driven by instinct, the other by sheer willpower.

Lerra’s lips parted, but no sound came out. She wanted to scream, to run, to ask what in the world was happening — yet her body refused to obey. Her gaze darted between them, heart thundering, unable to process why her calm, distant professor looked like a monster under the moon.

“Do you even realize what you’re doing?” Cassis snapped, his tone sharp, commanding. “She’s not just any girl. Her blood—”

“—is mine.”

Zaid’s voice was dark and possessive, sending chills straight through Lerra’s veins. His crimson eyes flicked to her, and for a heartbeat, she thought she saw not a predator but a man chained to his own hunger.

Her hand flew to her neck, instinctively protecting it.

Cassis’ expression hardened. His silver aura pulsed faintly — something about his presence alone seemed to hold Zaid back, like invisible chains.

Zaid snarled, baring his fangs again, but his steps faltered under Cassis’ invisible pressure. The hallway trembled with tension, silence stretching thin like glass about to shatter.

And then—

“Professor… please…” Lerra whispered.

Her voice, soft and trembling, cut through the hostility like a fragile thread.

Both men froze.

Zaid’s crimson eyes locked on her, conflicted. Cassis’ hand tightened at his side, ready to strike again if he had to.

The storm outside raged louder, rain slamming against the windows, thunder rumbling like the sky itself was echoing the chaos inside.

Lerra’s breath came in sharp bursts as Cassis’s grip tightened on Zaid. The professor’s eyes were no longer human—they were drowning in crimson madness.

“RUN! RUN! RUN, LERRA!” Cassis’s scream ripped through the air, his voice cracking with desperation.

Her feet obeyed at first. She stumbled, heart hammering, running blindly toward the gate. But when she reached it—when freedom was just a step away—her body froze.

Why am I not moving? Her trembling hands clutched the iron bars, but her legs refused. It was as if invisible chains bound her to that spot.

Behind her, Cassis’s hold faltered. Zaid sir let out a guttural growl, shaking free with terrifying force. The sound of his footsteps pounding against the ground closed in like thunder.

Lerra, still facing the gate, couldn’t see him. She could only feel the air shift, the suffocating heat of his madness rushing closer. She wanted to ask, What happened to you, Zaid sir?—to demand an answer.

And so, against every instinct screaming at her, she turned back.

In that single moment, his body collided with hers—an accident born of instincts and despair.

Her lips crashed into his.

The world stopped.

It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t meant. It was raw, violent, chaotic. His fangs grazed dangerously close, but instead of blood—her breath, her taste, slipped into him.

And then—something impossible.

The beast inside him stuttered. The raging fire dimmed, just a fraction. The crimson in his eyes flickered, his snarl breaking into a sharp, strangled inhale. Her saliva, her taste—there was something about it that tethered him, even if only by a thread.

Lerra’s chest heaved as she pushed against him, wide-eyed.

“Z-Zaid sir…”

He hovered there, trembling, his lips still close enough to feel her warmth. For a fleeting heartbeat, the predator looked human again.

But it wasn’t enough.

Cassis’s horrified voice shattered the moment.

“LERRA, MOVE!”

Cassis’ hand grabbed Zaid’s—shoulder and yanked him back with a force that made the whole corridor shudder.

Before Lerra could even blink, Cassis’ fist connected squarely with Zaid’s jaw.

The impact was brutal. Zaid’s body went flying, crashing against the stone wall at the end of the hall. Dust rained from the ceiling.

“ZAID SIR!” Lerra gasped, her voice torn between worry and disbelief.

But Cassis didn’t look at Zaid. His sharp eyes immediately flicked back to her, scanning every inch of her face like she was the only thing that mattered.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice trembling slightly, betraying the anger he was holding back.

“I-I’m fine,” Lerra whispered, though her lips tingled strangely. She reached up, brushing her fingertips across them. They felt tender—slightly swollen—but not bleeding.

She was fine. Physically.

But her mind? Her heart? No. Absolutely not fine.

Because she had just… kissed her professor.

Not just kissed—his saliva had touched hers. And even worse… it worked.

When their lips met, she had felt him jolt, his wild crimson eyes dimming—just a fraction. The bloodlust that had been pouring out of him lessened, like her very presence had pulled him back from the edge.

Only a little. But still.

Her chest heaved. Her thoughts screamed. What the hell is going on? Why would something like this calm him? Two professors fighting like monsters, and me—me of all people—caught in between them…

Her knees almost gave out.

Zaid slowly stood up from the debris, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth where Cassis’ fist had landed. He dragged his sleeve across it, eyes fixed—deadly fixed—on Cassis.

And then his gaze slid to Lerra.

For a split second, those crimson eyes softened. Like the chaos inside him had felt something it wanted to cling to.

Lerra’s heart skipped a beat.

Slowly, zaid's fingers twitched against the ground. His chest heaved, ragged breaths tearing out of him. And then—those eyes snapped open again. The red glow hadn’t dimmed. If anything, it burned fiercer.

“Stay back!” Cassius barked, stepping in front of Lerra. His hand rose, glowing with an eerie light. He didn’t hesitate—he let his own energy seep into Zaid, trying to drown the beast inside him.

The power hit Zaid like cold water, making him shudder. His fangs retracted slightly, his growl softened. For a fleeting moment, Lerra thought he might finally calm down.

But she was wrong.

Zaid’s lips curled into a strained smile. His eyes flicked toward Lerra again, hunger twisting in them. He pushed himself off the ground, shoulders shaking, his body still trembling with restraint he clearly didn’t have.

“Not enough,” his voice rasped, more animal than man. “Cassius… you’re not enough.”

He staggered forward, every step echoing against the floor. The closer he came, the more Lerra’s heartbeat thundered in her ears.

“Lerra…” His voice cracked, filled with desperate thirst. “Just one drop. Just one drop of your blood. That’s all I need…”

But his eyes betrayed him. One drop would never be enough.