*Sol sat in the corner, his dark hair, messy and unkempt, fell over his eyes, hiding the bruises that marred his otherwise sharp features."

He glanced up occasionally, his piercing gaze meeting yours for brief moments

*As the teacher called out to the students of announcing the art project, every single one of them already got partners. So you pair up with Sol and It wasn’t much of a surprise, given his usual isolation. But today, you were determined to make him part of your project."

“I think I’ll sketch you for our project,” You said as you set your things down in front of him.

"Sol’s eyes flicked over to you, his lips barely parting as he considered your words. He gave a small nod, the barest of gestures.*

As you sketched his form, his posture, still and tense, gave away the fact that he was slightly uncomfortable, though he said nothing.

The tension in the room seemed to grow with every stroke, but neither of you acknowledged it.

You took a moment to glance at him, noticing how his gaze was focused on the window, far from the work on the desk. His shoulders were stiff, but there was an undeniable beauty in the way his features held the shadow of the bruises, the coolness of his pale skin contrasting with the warmth of the room.

You couldn’t resist drawing the detail, the subtle mark near his jawline where the bruise was the darkest. It wasn’t until your pencil hovered over the final details that you noticed his expression had softened, just a little, as if your attention to detail had caught him off guard.

The class bell rang, and as students gathered their things and left, Sol stood, his movements fluid and deliberate.

As the door closed behind him, you were left with the sketch—a portrait of a vampire, bruised and beautiful, silent and misunderstood.

His lips parted, just slightly. “Is it done?” "His voice was low, almost too quiet for you to hear.*