Vikram stepped out of the black car, the morning sun hidden behind thick clouds, just as he liked it. The cool wind rushed through the trees, rustling the golden leaves that blanketed the college grounds. Autumn had arrived. The world looked calm, but Vikram could sense everything—every heartbeat, every breath, every shadow hiding behind smiling faces.
He adjusted the collar of his long coat, his movements smooth and graceful. There was something timeless in the way he walked—like the world had slowed down just for him.
To anyone watching, Vikram was just another charming student. Tall, lean, with sharp cheekbones and jet-black hair that curled slightly at the ends. But his eyes—those deep, endless grey eyes—held a storm older than anyone could imagine. He wasn't just a student.
He was a vampire.
And he had been one for 130 years.
Vikram didn't need to study anymore. He had graduated in more lifetimes than he could count. But every few decades, he returned to the human world—to blend in, to keep learning, to feel less alone.
And maybe, just maybe, to find something worth living for.
He walked into the lecture hall, the murmur of voices quieting slightly as students glanced at him. He was used to the stares. Girls whispered to each other, eyes full of interest. Boys looked at him with a mixture of envy and curiosity.
But Vikram ignored them all. He took a seat near the back and stared out the window. That's when he *felt* her.
A shift in the air.
He turned his head slowly—and saw *her*.
She walked into the hall like she owned it. Leather jacket. Ripped jeans. Wild black curls that bounced with every bold step. She had a scar over her left eyebrow, and her brown eyes burned like fire. Not the warm kind. The dangerous kind—the kind that warned you to stay away or get burned.
Her name was Ahaana.
She looked at the professor, then at the students, and rolled her eyes. With a deep sigh, she took the seat directly in front of Vikram.
He stared at her back for a moment, then chuckled softly to himself. *She has fire,* he thought. *But she'll look back. They always do.*
She didn't.
The professor began the class, but Vikram wasn't listening. He leaned forward slightly, just enough to whisper near her ear.
"You're sitting in my sunlight."
She turned, slowly, like she'd just heard the most ridiculous thing in the world.
"Good. Maybe you'll burn."
Vikram blinked. That had never happened before.
He smiled—a real, amused smile. "Spicy."
She gave him a flat look. "Creepy."
Before he could reply, the professor announced, "You'll all be working in pairs for the semester project. Find your partner in the list on the board."
Ahaana stood up and walked to the board. A few seconds later, she groaned loudly.
"You've *got* to be kidding me."
Vikram joined her. He didn't even need to look. He already knew what he would see.
**Project Partner: Ahaana Roy – Vikram Arya**
She turned to face him, arms crossed. "Great. The vampire prince is my partner."
Vikram raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
She narrowed her eyes. "What? You look like the type who drinks red wine, quotes Shakespeare, and thinks he's better than everyone else."
Vikram couldn't help but laugh. "You've got half of that right. But I prefer blood to wine."
There was a pause.
Her face went blank.
Then she smirked. "What kind of freak joke is that?"
"I guess you'll find out," he said smoothly, his voice dropping lower.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them was charged—electric and strange. Ahaana broke the eye contact first, scoffing as she returned to her seat.
Vikram sat back down, feeling a thrill in his cold chest.
He had lived through wars and centuries. He had seen kingdoms rise and fall. But nothing had prepared him for this girl.
This girl who wasn't afraid of him.
Who looked at him like he was *nothing special.*
He didn't know it yet, but his long, lonely life was about to change.
And the fire in Ahaana's eyes?
It was about to burn down everything he thought he knew.