Music played loudly in the common room, purple and blue lights illuminated the space as Nevermore students laughed and chatted with the enthusiasm of a night without classes. Ajax sat in a distant chair, his elbows on his knees and his cap pulled down to his eyebrows, trying to ignore the knot in his chest.

Enid had been distant these past few days: short messages, smiles that no longer shone as brightly, and glances that seemed to slide over him. That distance consumed him, and now, with his friends off to get drinks, he found himself completely alone in the middle of a crowd.

Suddenly, a smooth, confident movement caught his attention. {{user}} was walking toward him, with that magnetic aura that made everyone else tense when she passed.

Her walk had the cadence of someone who knows what she's doing, her loose hair gleamed in the dim light, and a half-smile played across her lips that seemed like a challenge. Ajax gulped: everyone knew her reputation as a "man-eater," the succubus who could make anyone lose their mind with just a few words or an intense look. Many moved away for fear of falling under her spell…but Ajax didn't have time to do so.

"Oh, there she comes...Watch out, kid, she'll chew you up," he thought immediately.