"Where is it?" You thought to yourself. No sooner had the sunlight streamed across your sleepy eyes that you remembered what had kept you tossing and turning all night. The Creatures Almanac was gone. And you had no idea where.

"Bout time you got up," Simone said. Those blue eyes remained fixated on the book in front of her. Your heart froze-

But it wasn't the almanac. Just a book you'd been assigned and were already a chapter behind on. Actually, you thought that since you loved reading so much, you'd have gotten through way more chapters. Certainly over thirty six by now. But that's what happens when real life has you by the neck.

"Don't just sit there in silence," Simone said, looking up.

Do I ask her about the almanac or no?

I mean, who else could have been in here?

... It's not like the almanac was ever mine to begin with.

You awkwardly shuffled out of bed, mostly ignoring your roommate, until it dawned on you.

"It's Monday- we have to go to class!"

"It's fall break. Don't be so tense."

"Right..." you muttered, no more relieved. "What about the night patrol?"

"It's way more voluntary during holidays," Simone returned to her book. "I have to go, but you don't... you should though! With less members on patrol, you'll have more time to be with your friends."

You didn't indulge Simone's implications but instead grabbed your bag and headed for the door.

"Oh, y/n?"

"Yeah?" You came to a stop, holding the door.

"Do you think... Theodore's been acting... I don't know, weird?"

This took you by surprise.

"Weird?" You repeated. "I don't know Simone... why?"

She gave an aloof shrug, but something about her face told you she was deep in thought.

"I just- I've known him for a while now, it's our second year. He seems unlike himself. Maybe the school work's finally getting to him or something. I don't know. Just wondering. I'm sure he's fine."

"Yeah, I'll... definitely tell you if I notice anything," you said before leaving.

Your thoughts had gone from the missing almanac to Theodore, and back to the almanac just like that. You were with him in Roman's room when he took it. What did he say? He said it was his, right?

Maybe that's why Theodore seems different, you thought. Was he anxious over his book? Guilt began to eat at you before you realized even if you wanted to apologize, you didn't even have the book.

With your body on autopilot and your mind on books, you found yourself at the library. Breakfast could wait. Maybe you could find some other supernatural books to unravel some secrets. Maybe even something about the history of Arcadia.

"You shouldn't be here." A voice weakly said.

"Lucian?"

You turned to see his slumped figure over his desk just through the narrow crack to his study. A glass of amber liquid danced around its crystal prison as though it'd just been set down.

Unlike previous encounters, nothing in your head told you to stay away. And even if it had, you probably wouldn't,

"You look awful," you said, inviting yourself in.

"Thanks," said the boy, with dangerous sarcasm.

"Sorry," you frowned apologetically. "What's going on?"

Hardly looking up, he finished the rest of his glass, then forcefully set it down. The sound made you flinch.

"I can't be in the dormitory because I want to kill Roman, and I can't be in the library because I want to kill you," he said, his voice like gravel. "Everything is a fucking nightmare. You have no idea y/n, you really have no idea."

"You're drunk," you replied.

"Trust me, it's better this way," he said bitterly.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?"

Two golden eyes met yours as Lucian slowly rose from the desk. His long fingers stayed atop it, inches from the empty glass.

"I'm doing this, for you," he said almost angrily.

With one long stride after another, Lucian's proximity shortened with each word.
"Do you think I'm happy the way I am? Do you think I haven't... tried... to get out? It's either you or this bourbon y/n... and no matter how many drinks it takes," he whispered as you felt your back brush up against the wall, "if I'm sober I have nothing else to blame when I think of how badly I want you."

Your eyes widened. For the first time since the night you discovered the truth about your friends, you were afraid.

"W-what do you mean?"

The intensity of Lucian's gaze lowered as his eyes trailed from yours to your exposed neck.

"Right... here...," he said softly, paralyzingly you with his words as he touched your pulsing neck, "is your carotid artery. And righhht here... just alongside it... is your jugular vein."

Shivers ran down your spine. You wondered if Lucian could hear your thoughts.

"All it takes is just a few minutes," he whispered next to your ear,

"and then you're dead."

You stared at him in horror, utterly aware of your vulnerability before Lucian's eerie laughter brought you back to life. It was unlike anything you'd heard, and seemingly out of nowhere. He looked at you as if he knew what you did- that you were powerless against him.

"You're afraid of me," he said quietly. Lucian's unsettling grin grew, but didn't reach his eyes. The chuckling resumed.

"I almost thought you'd never be... I almost hoped..." he added softly as an afterthought. Just as quickly as his laughter corroded your heart, Lucian turned and went back to his desk, standing with his back to you. "You can go now."

You stood there, still as a statue. Your back against the wall of the room you'd had nothing but pleasant memories of until now.

"No."

The silence was brief but deafening.

"What did you just say?"

Lucian did not move.

"I said... no." you swallowed. "I'm not... I'm not afraid of you. I don't care what you think."

Lucian shook his white head, turning around. The smile hadn't left his stoic face.

"If you're not afraid, make no mistake y/n, I'm not afraid to give you every reason to be," he said.

"You're drunk Lucian, this isn't you," you tried not to choke on your words. "I'm not going to give in to this persona you're trying to have. I'm not stupid."

Almost gleefully, Lucian strode over to you again, his arms behind his back.

"If you're not stupid, you won't come back to the night dormitory," he challenged.

"You're not a monster."

"If I have to make you afraid of me, I will y/n, do you really want that-"

"You won't hurt me..."

"Which will it be y/n?" Lucian asked. Your head suddenly jerked back as Lucian's tall unflinching form pinned you against the wall, a few books falling to the floor.

"Vein, or artery?"

Two white fangs flashed as he spoke, his eyes those of a predator. You could not move. You could not run.

All you could do was hope you weren't wrong.

"Please Lucian..." you pleaded.

"I want to help you."

Those fierce eyes burned through yours. You didn't know what was going to happen. You didn't know what to think.

But Lucian's face disappeared around the corner of your neck before his grip tightened and he opened his mouth.

"Get out."

Lucian growled in your ear before pressing you against the wall and walking back to his desk. He stood, not meeting your eyes.

"Don't... make me tell you again." He said darkly, menace livid in his voice.

You took a breath, tried to regain what little composure you had left, and hurriedly made your way to the door. You wanted to say something. Anything.

But instead, you walked away from his study and away from him, disappearing from the library just before the shattering of glass cut through the air like the broken pieces of Lucian's heart.

~
Fan here. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, merry everything, happy everything. Apologies for the delays again. I'm sorry. It hurts me more not writing than it does you not having a chapter, trust me. But although this one is a bit shorter than usual, I felt it fitting to end here. I love and miss you all. But I'm so happy to be back.

ALSO, thank you for 1000 followers!! That's insane!!! If you want to join the Fanmily and follow someone who frequently disappears but means well, consider following lol <3

Things are heating up in the kitchen. I can assure you. And if you aren't on the Crimson Amino go check it out cuz idk what I'd do without you guys. See you very, very, VERY soon. All the best, thank you for everything,
~ Your number one Fan <3