Ethan was a young vila in his early twenties, feared if not hated by his peers and other fellow students. His family was powerful, their lineage pure and ancient. His days went smoothly, and he particularly enjoyed his peaceful existence, far away from his parents who pressured him from morning till night and their sordid secrets. The Arena was his small haven, a place where he could escape the influence of his family and the tyranny of his mother. But that was before he sensed her.

The young man had a well-established routine that suited him perfectly. In the mornings, he had his breakfast in his room like all the other vilas, the only species privileged enough to have their meals brought directly to their quarters. He would then usually spend his mornings in the library, either leisurely browsing or reading fictional books. The room was large enough for him to enjoy its quietude without anyone bothering him. When he didn’t have afternoon classes, he would return to his sanctuary nestled between the bookshelves.

Vilas had very few classes, just a few hours here and there throughout the week. Other species had more packed schedules, especially the magicians, who were the most numerous, using the school’s grounds to perfect their specialties. Most of what vilas learned pertained to the history of other species and the workings of their societies. Their primary purpose at the Arena was political. The school allowed them to forge connections with all the different peoples, expanding their personal networks and strengthening their family’s influence.

Of course, Ethan had no interest in any of that. When he first arrived at the Arena, he was initially respected by other vilas until they realized he didn’t adhere to his family’s politics. He remained somewhat intimidating in their eyes, but they sometimes allowed themselves disrespectful behavior that particularly annoyed him.

From the moment his vila sensed her, Ethan knew his perfect routine was about to shatter into a thousand pieces. He had felt her presence even before she reached the school’s gates. His body had warmed, his mind intoxicated, his instincts awakened. The phenomenon lasted only a few seconds, quickly replaced by an immense void and an intense revulsion upon realizing what had just occurred. A crucial absence that hadn’t existed a moment before had suddenly formed within him.

Immediately, he left his room and headed to the office of his professor, Vassili More. Knocking twice on the door, he didn’t wait for the man to invite him in and entered the room, impatient and smoldering inside as he started to pace back and forth.

“Good morning to you too, Ethan,” the professor greeted absentmindedly, busy revising some papers. “What can I do for you?”

“I found her,” he muttered, enraged.

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Vassili looked up from his parchments and studied his student closely. Given the timing, it could only be Mia. A calculating gleam lit up in the vampire’s eyes upon receiving the information, but Ethan was too furious to notice. He had no reason to be suspicious, after all. The professor was a long-time friend of his family.

“Isn’t that supposed to be a good thing?” he responded, skeptical.

“A good thing?!” Ethan shouted.

His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. After a stern glance from his professor to remind him to keep his temper in check, he reluctantly sat down and tried to calm himself. Or, at least, to attempt it.

“It’s a human! A damn human! I thought that such a thing would never happen again now that we’ve decimated them! What’s a human doing on Istarea?” Ethan snapped, his anger seething.

“She accidentally traveled through a portal from her world to ours,” Vassili replied with a sigh, masking the discomfort the harsh words of his student were causing him. “And how is that a bad thing?”

“How... are you kidding me?”

“Easy now. I might be a friend of your family, but here, I’m also your professor. I suggest you address me with more respect; my tolerance has its limits,” he retorted curtly.

Ethan closed his eyes and took several long breaths, exhaling slowly, before refocusing his attention on his professor. He was still boiling inside but managed to keep his rage at a reasonable level to continue the conversation without exploding.

“Fine. Now answer my question.”

“There are a dozen reasons why it could be a bad thing! She’s weak, they’re going to use her against me, my family will probably try to kill us! Have you forgotten what happened to my brother? Oh, and did I mention she’s ridiculously weak?”

He could imagine hundreds of scenarios in which this whole situation would end horribly, both for him and for her, though he couldn’t care less about the fate of the young human. He had countless examples and anecdotes in mind to support the fact that things couldn’t possibly go well. The most pertinent was the fate of Adam, his brother whom he had never known.

“Listen, it’s not like you have a choice. No vila has ever been able to change the outcome. There’s a reason we call it a curse. You can never go against your vila’s desires. You’re bound to her, whether you like it or not. Fighting this fact will only bring you pain.”

“I’d rather suffer than be tied to that,” he answered with disgust.

“As you wish,” his professor sighed.

Something in the vampire’s gaze seemed to scream at him that he was being foolish and that his protests would change nothing, but Ethan wasn’t in the mood to continue the conversation. Vassili had noticed this quite well and chose not to press on. His student’s reactions were dictated by fear; he wasn’t yet ready to be reasoned with.

Without waiting, Ethan left the room and retreated to his personal chamber, where he could let his anger explode as he pleased. There were supposedly no humans left on Istarea, and the only one who landed in their world in decades had to be his soulmate? His mother must have bathed him in waters of misfortune when he was a child; it was the only explanation for the unfortunate chance he was facing. An ironic twist for his family.

Never, ever, would he accept the fate his vila was trying to impose on him. He valued his skin. At least, that’s what he was trying to convince himself of in this moment...