The university campus at night was a different world. By day, it buzzed with life, laughter, and chaos. But once the sun set, the sprawling grounds turned eerily silent, the dim streetlights casting long shadows over empty paths.

Hayley Hayes wasn’t a fan of staying out late, but tonight, she had no choice. A research paper loomed over her head, and she’d spent hours buried in books at the library, determined to make sense of the impossibly complicated topic.

When she finally checked the time, she nearly screamed. It was well past 10 p.m.

“Great,” she muttered, packing up her things. “Just me, the night, and probably a serial killer waiting in the bushes.”

Clutching her bag tightly, she stepped out of the library and into the chilly night air. The walk to her dorm wasn’t long, but it was enough to make her stomach twist with unease.

The path back was unsettlingly quiet, save for the crunch of her sandals against the gravel. Hayley forced herself to focus on the glow of the lampposts ahead, trying to ignore the shadows creeping along the edges of her vision.

“It’s just your imagination,” she whispered to herself. “There’s no ghost. No demon. Just you and your overactive brain.”

The sound of a rustling bush made her freeze in her tracks.

Her heart pounded as she turned toward the source of the noise. “Hello?” she called out, her voice trembling slightly. “If you’re a murderer, just know I’m very bad at running, so you’ll catch me in two seconds anyway.”

Silence.

Hayley shook her head and laughed nervously. “See? Just the wind.” She started walking again, her steps quickening.

But she didn’t make it far.

A few feet ahead, something—or someone—caught her eye. A figure slumped against a tree, barely illuminated by the faint glow of a nearby lamppost.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Hayley’s stomach dropped. “Oh my God.”

She hesitated, torn between running for her life and helping whoever it was. Against her better judgment, she crept closer, her heart hammering in her chest.

The man leaning against the tree looked... otherworldly. His long black coat was torn, his shoulder-length hair disheveled, and his face was pale, almost ghostly in the dim light.

“Hey!” Hayley called out, her voice shaky. “Are you okay?”

He didn’t respond.

She stepped closer, clutching her bag like a shield. “I don’t know if you can hear me, but you look like you’re about to pass out. Should I call someone? An ambulance?”

Finally, the man stirred. His eyes fluttered open, and Hayley froze.

His gaze was piercing, sharp, and strangely golden—like molten metal. For a moment, she forgot how to breathe, his skin pale yet radiating and his brows thick and black like a raven in flight. He was strong and his clothes did nothing to hide his lean athletic build.

“I’m fine,” he said, his voice low and gravelly.

Hayley raised an eyebrow. “You don’t look fine.”

“I said I’m fine.”

“Well, excuse me for being concerned,” she shot back, crossing her arms. “Next time, I’ll just leave you to die dramatically under a tree. Why are people so strange here?;it's not like i am trying to steal your lunch money”

The corner of his mouth twitched, almost like he was amused.

“You shouldn’t be out here,” he said, his tone colder now.

Hayley bristled. “Wow, thanks for the lecture. I’ll just add that to my growing list of life lessons from random strangers.”

“Go back,” he said, ignoring her sarcasm.

“Back where?”

“To wherever you came from,” he said sharply. His eyes flicked to the shadows behind her, and for the first time, Hayley noticed the tension in his posture, like he was on high alert.

She frowned. “Look, I was just trying to help—”

“Leave,” he interrupted, standing up straighter.

Hayley took a step back, unnerved by his sudden intensity. “Fine. Whatever. Not like I'm dying to help you anyways!”

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and started walking away, muttering under her breath about rude, mysterious strangers.

Chase-

As she disappeared down the path, Chase let out a slow breath. The shadows in the trees behind him shifted, their forms writhing unnaturally. His hand twitched at his side, a faint glow of energy sparking in his palm with his katana lying beside him broken and dead.

He’d been moments away from revealing himself when she arrived, her presence derailing his mission.

“Humans,” he muttered, shaking his head. But even as he said it, his gaze lingered on the path she’d taken.

For a brief moment, the night felt... less cold.