The night air wraps around you like a cold, unforgiving cloak as you step onto the rooftop. Beneath your feet, the ancient stone feels smooth but unforgiving, cool to the touch in the quiet darkness. The city sprawls out below, a constellation of lights twinkling against the inky black. It’s peaceful down there, but up here, your world feels anything but.

Your heart pounds so loudly it drowns out the distant hum of traffic. Thoughts clash inside your mind like thunder — Magnus, secrets, the inexplicable changes you’re feeling. You clutch your arms around yourself, trying to stem the rising tide of fear and anger.

And then, from the shadows, he appears. Magnus.

His figure is outlined by the pale moonlight, tall and still. The faintest breeze tousles his dark hair, casting soft shadows over his sharp cheekbones. His school uniform is neat but somehow lacks the warmth you wish it had. His eyes — those piercing, crimson eyes — lock onto you, steady and unreadable.

Your voice breaks through the silence, trembling but resolute. “I know what you are,” you say. “You’re a vampire.”

He lets out a low, almost bitter laugh, like a man who’s been carrying a weight too heavy for too long.

“You think you know,” he replies softly, voice like a dark melody.

You take a step closer, your gaze fierce. “Don’t pretend. I saw it all — the strength you wield like it’s nothing. You crushed that metal doorknob like it was paper. I saw you carry a boulder as if it weighed less than a feather. Your hearing—how else could you know everything I whisper in my sleep?”

Your breath fogs in the cold air. “If you’re really what I think you are, prove it.”

Without hesitation, you step onto the narrow ledge, cold biting through your shoes. The drop below is dizzying. Your pulse slams against your ribs so hard it feels like it might burst free.

“I’m going to jump,” you say, voice barely more than a whisper but fierce. “If you’re really a vampire, save me. If not…” Your voice falters, caught between anger and desperation.

His crimson eyes flash with something wild, something anguished. “Get down from there. Please,” he pleads, his voice shaking with raw urgency.

But you don’t move.

Then your foot slips — heart leaping into your throat — and the world tilts sideways.

Your scream tears through the night air, sharp and wild.

Suddenly, everything is weightless.

Strong arms wrap around you, catching you just inches from the cold stone below.

His breath is hot against your skin, his heartbeat steady beneath your ear.

You cling to him, breath ragged, body trembling.

He flies upward, cutting through the night air with effortless grace, the city lights blurring beneath you.

Your eyes meet his — crimson glowing softly in the moonlight — and in that gaze, you see something you never expected: vulnerability.

For the first time, you don’t feel like you’re falling.

You feel like you’re home.

Magnus gently sets you down on the cold rooftop, his hands lingering just a moment longer than necessary. The city lights flicker below, but all you can focus on are his crimson eyes—full of pain and something softer, almost like regret.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” you ask, voice barely above a whisper.

He looks away for a heartbeat, then back at you. “I wanted to protect you. The truth changes everything.”

You swallow hard. “So what now? Am I like you?”

His gaze holds yours steady. “You’re changing, but this isn’t your fate yet. You still have a choice.”

A breeze tugs at your hair as he steps closer, brushing it back with a gentle touch. “You’re stronger than you realize. And I’ll be here. Always.”

For the first time, the fear inside you feels a little less sharp. Maybe, just maybe, you’re not alone in this.