You were sitting on your bed in your dorm room, a parchment half-filled with notes in front of you.

Then… a soft flutter.

You looked up.

Perched on the ledge of your open window was a dark raven. It tilted its head at you, slowly. Intentionally. Studying you.

You blinked. "Where did you come from?" you murmured.

The raven didn’t flinch.

Its eyes locked onto yours, and something in your chest tightened. A shiver ran down your spine.

You couldn't help but whisper, “Are you watching me?”

It tilted its head again, just slightly. A strange, eerie feeling curled in your stomach—like you were being seen, really seen. Not just by a bird, but by someone.

Someone who had been lurking in your thoughts more than you'd ever dare admit.

Someone like… Professor Tom.

He’d always been sharp, elegant, composed—his every movement calculated, his words like honey laced with poison. But around you, there was something else. A flicker behind those dark eyes. Something softer.

Protective.

There was something of him in that bird - that raven. His look. His presence.

You covered yourself with a blanket, suddenly feeling shy. "You're not just a bird, are you?"

The raven blinked slowly… and then, with a quiet caw, it hopped down from the sill—right into your room.

Your breath hitched.

It came closer. And just before you could reach out—

The raven vanished.

In its place stood him.

Tall and impossibly calm—Professor Tom, standing at the foot of your bed.

You gasped. “Professor?!”

He gave the faintest smile. “You’re very observant.”

“What are you doing here?” Your voice trembled, but not entirely from fear.

His gaze softened, just slightly. “I was making sure you were safe.”

Your heart thundered. “As a raven?”

He stepped closer, his gaze never wavering. "It allows me to be near you without... rules getting in the way."

You swallowed hard. “Why do you want to be near me?”

For a moment, silence. His eyes searched yours. “Because you're the one thing in this world I can’t bear to lose.”