A sliver of moonlight flashed across the blood on her shaky hands. She looked up at Roman, breathless. Helpless. Motionless on the damp floor of the lair.

Roman backed up against the dry wall, rocking the ladder he'd just slid down, muttering inaudible words of caution. Above, the moonlight shone like a beacon behind Roman's head- the only way out- and the halo of light glowed bright enough for you to see the full length of Roman's fangs.

"Roman- it's okay, I'm fine, it's just a little-"

"You need to go, you need to leave-" Roman interrupted, jerking his head around. "No. We need to... get you...
out of here."

Instinctively you backed up, twisting your head behind you only to find a corridor of endless black. When your eyes shot forward, Roman was gripping the ladder, his shoulders expanding with ragged breath. His eyes burned into yours.

"Everything is going to be... absolutely fine," you said. Another step back. "I'm just going to... head back to the dorm, and we'll talk later, okay?"

"Y/n."

Roman snapped a leg off the ladder.

"Yes?"

"Run."

You stifled your scream with your bloody hand as Roman plunged the chunk of ladder deep in his thigh. You ran.

Barreling through the void, hands up, narrowly dodging sharp corners, was not something Jack or Maurice prepared you for. You weren't trained to see in the dark, and the last time you were here, Roman lit the way. This was the same lair, only there was no music. And this was the same Roman. Only now, nothing was in either of your heads except for the shallow sound of your breathing. Both only listening for the other.

The thud of your hand against the door shook you awake. You frantically struck the wood, feeling for a handle and praying it wasn't locked.

"Y/n......"

Turn already!

You blew through the doors, into broader darkness. The light. There had to be a light somewhere. A light and an exit.

Holding your breath with every inch of your lungs, you combed the area, desperate for your memory to recall the layout of the space. The floor was stone. There were definitely lights on the walls... but none were on. You thought you were prepared for this, but if Roman couldn't trust himself, you definitely couldn't trust him.

Right when your eyes started adjusting to the darkness, making out the shadowy figure of the corner booths and tables, you were forced to recall just how short the walk from the forest entrance to the lair itself was. Roman was already here.

"Y/n... I really don't want to hurt you," he said as a flame erupted from his open palm and lit his deranged face.

"I don't want you to hurt me either," you replied, backing away.

"Not just because I want my memory back," he said, taking a long step forward. "I've enjoyed your company."

The bloody wound on his school uniform had already begun to heal. Why were you so terrified? Wasn't this the way to help him?

"It's not your fault... just like it's not my fault," he said calmly. "It's just a shame there's so little I can do about it."

"Roman... you're not like the others, you have self-control," you said, backing into something hard. Your eyes flung to the bar counter and back at Roman. "Look... I'm sure there's something to drink here!"

Roman stepped close enough for the flame to illuminate the gap between you. He shook his head.

"Y/n... I don't want anything else. I've wanted this for a long time."

You used the vial today, everything would be fine, you'd get his memories even sooner than you thought.

"Don't you want your memories back?"

His eyes gently trailed down your uniform, landing on the blood.

"It would have been someone else if not me," Roman thought aloud. "Forgive me my weakness."

"Rom-"

The flame went out and darkness consumed you as Roman's lips met yours in an embrace that captured you in the vignette of a waltz. Hair pouring low, almost to the floor. Bare neck exposed. Gripping the back of your uniform. The long fingers from his other hand slowly gliding up the back of your neck, before making a fist, and pulling your head down. He whispered in your ear.

"I had to do it, if only once."

Before you could make a sound, his fangs sunk into the hollow of your neck. His hold on your hair tightened when a scream threatened to escape, only to dissolve into the sensation of having your blood drawn. Your heart beat louder and louder, exponentially- dangerously, slowing down.

Roman lifted his head for a second, only noticed by you in the dark because it gave you a second to breathe. Your arm twisted out of his grip and reached for the stability of the counter behind you, but Roman wasn't finished. And you couldn't see him, but he was smiling.

"It's okay Y/n... don't be afraid." A thumb caressed the side of your cheek, before trailing over your lips.

The initial pain was subsiding, making room for waves of drowsiness. Against all disbelief, the boy leaned in again, so close your foreheads touched. Whether or not he was going to kiss you again didnt matter, because you knew you were edging towards your limit. And if you let this go on, there would be no 'pure blood' to save you.

Roman sighed.

"It's a shame... I wouldn't have minded... but you won't remember this anyway..."

His lips grazed over yours, straight towards your neck, and that's when you slid your weak upper arm across the counter and just barely hit the switch that flashed the club with multicoloured strobe lights.

Roman instinctively jerked his head away from the sudden light with an irritated groan, still gripping your weakened form. Roman swore in pain, hissing as you dug your wooden heel into his foot- mostly scraping his shin on the way down.

Roman dropped his hold and you stumbled to your feet. Off came your other shoe, gripped in your fist like a weapon, wooden heel as your blade.

Roman turned towards you in shock, pain, and anger. You watched your blood turn different colours on his jaw with each strobe of light.

But there was no time to waste- you had to get out of there, the further from vampires the better... your eyes scanned the room for the exit, rave light mixed with blood loss stifling your speed.

"What- why did you do that?" Roman huffed. "I wasn't going to hurt you!!"

You slowly backed away, shoe raised. Roman stood to his frighteningly full height, and shook his head.

"Oh no no no, you can't go anywhere." His threat was laced with fear.

"You told me to run, and I don't see an alternative."

"Y/n!" He cried as you bolted towards the archway.

No sooner had you reached it than Roman wrapped himself around you, dragging you from behind into the pulsating Lair, kicking your feet. You shoved the shoe into Roman's back from behind, the sharp wood digging through his spine, forcing him to free you from his grasp. Too confident for your own good, he caught your kick in mid air, stopping your other heel from striking his gut, before spinning you to the floor. He seethed in pain, but couldn't reach the heel with his other arm, forcing him to release your leg.

You shuffled back, wanting to bolt to the exit but Roman was in the way. He yanked the shoe out of his back with a painful groan, turning it in his hands for a second before letting it fall to the floor with a thud. Now, both of your blood was on eachother.

Your eyes frantically shot around the lair. A lighter caught your eye below the counter shelf. Roman breathed heavily, staring at you, horrified and confused. For some reason, he looked more hurt than angry.

"Hey, don't-"

It didn't last long as a bottle of liquor flew at Roman and barely missed his head, smashing the floor, spraying tequila everywhere.

He raced up to you; behind the bar, a fresh bottle leaving your hand and narrowly missing as Roman dodged to the side, placing his hands on the counter for support only for another switch to be pressed as slow dance blues began playing. A disco ball twinkled down from the ceiling.

Roman propelled himself to the left of the bar, and you shuffled to the left. He crossed to the right, and you sped to the right, mirroring the dance you'd done just earlier that day. With an exasperated growl, Roman finally threw himself over the counter. You reached into your pockets as the predator began to pace towards you.

"Enough!" He yelled. "Stop trying to fight me, I just couldn't help my-"

But he'd walked right into the pencil you pulled out of your pocket. His fiery eyes looked down in shock at the wood sticking out of his stomach, then back to you as he fell to his knees behind the bar, and with all the energy you had, you sprinted away.

"Y/n!" He choked.

You swept up your shoes before fleeing through the archway, the love song getting quieter and quieter until you couldn't hear it any more. You were long gone before any smoke from the flames could gather your attention.

Still checking back, you flicked the lighter on that you swiped from the bar, barely illuminating two feet in front you a weak amber glow. You needed to move fast. Even if Roman meant what he said, that he didn't want to hurt you, you had a gut feeling that if you'd just done nothing, he wouldn't have been able to stop himself.

For a second, you worried how closely your makeshift stake came to his heart. It made yours miss a beat. But then you remembered he was going to get his memories back, possibly help save Theo, and it would all be worth it.

No time for speculation. Your free hand felt your neck, now burning up with pain. You turned it over in the light of the flame, but couldn't tell whether the blood was from your fall, or from the bite marks you'd just touched. Roman- he could be here any second.

You raced ahead. Just when you felt the liberation of progress wash over you, it disappeared. There wasn't just one path, there were two. And you didn't remember how you got home the last time you were in the lair. In fact, you didn't remember how you got home at all.

On the left were a set of filthy ascending stairs. On the right, the corridor of stone continued. Your head flicked between the two as your heart raced and the light danced between your eyes. You took a step towards the ongoing corridor, then jumped back to the other one.

"Y/n!" You thought you heard faintly in the distance.

The flame went out and the darkness consumed you. Hyperventilating, you shakily flicked the ignition, desperate for light. You exhaled as it weakly returned again, swaying towards you. Wait a minute- the light! It had to have gone out because of a draft! And a draft meant the outside.
An escape.

No time to waste, you raced up the steps, nearly tripping, until the winding corridor brought you to another room of stone. Only this didn't look like just any room. This was a dungeon.

Rusty shackles lay on the floor, fragments of mossy brick pulled out along with them crumbling to dust. You wanted to get out of this "room" as quickly as possible, and thank God it was connected by another narrow path. You dove towards it, not noticing something stuck to your shoes.

Eager to get back above ground at the very least, and, to Eleanor or Maurice or the infirmary or anywhere, you shot through the narrow passage, needing to duck along the way, only to stop in your tracks.

"No no no!"

An iron gate was a dead end.

This couldn't be happening. Your arm zigzagged across the mesh, illuminating every corner with the lighter.

Would you have time to go back and try the other route? Maybe if you could just wash some of the blood off.

It didn't occur to you until then that the passage was not only more narrow than the corridors, it was squishy. You lowered your gaze and hoped the brown floor was mud. Water must have run through here at some point...

Ready to give up, you turned around weighing your odds, only to fall back as the mesh completely spun around, having been loose the whole time. In dumbstruck awe you dove through the passage, towards the light that you knew was coming from the same outdoors that snuffed the life of your flame.

But when the moonlight from above replaced the flame from your lighter, your stomach sank. A cylindrical stone prison held but one captive in the wisp of blue light... one, old wooden bucket, strangled with rope.

An abandoned well.

You glanced behind you, and back towards your escape. The moon, three quarters full, gazed down at you from your microscopic lens.

Suddenly, you heard your name again, but it wasn't Roman.

"Y/n?"

...

"Simone?"

Your roommate's fearful blue eyes were all you could see poking out of the face covered by a thick black scarf and mountain of hair.

"Y/n, what are you you doing down there!? Are you okay?" She called down, leaning over the well. Her questions echoed, almost making the walls reverberate with worry.

"I will be, can you... can you pull me up?" You asked, inspecting the bucket.

"Did you fall down? Do you want me to get a teacher? Are- is anything broken-"

"I didn't fall in, I came from the lair and I- just- I'll explain later." You stepped into the bucket one leg at a time. "See if you can get me out this way. Quickly!"

Simone flitted around the well, hastily grabbing the rope, testing it with a pull, and landing both her hands on the pulley attached to it.

"Okay!" She yelled back. "I can try to spin this to pull you up but..."

"Just do it!"

With gritted teeth Simone turned the wheel using all her strength. Within seconds the wheel slipped, her fingers sweaty. She took another deep breath and heaved like a sailor on the deck of the flying Dutchman.

"That's it!" You encouraged as the bucket once again lifted into the air. "Keep going!"

You were about halfway up, when you could see Simone's shoulders shake, clearly struggling to sustain your weight. You thought you could try climbing the rope, but your hands were scratched up and the drowsiness was getting worse. Your mind was a hive of drunk bees.

"I- I don't... I can't..." Simone's arms began to give way. "I'm sorry y/n..."

But then, something inexplicable happened. When Simone felt one of her hands slip, the bucket remained suspended in the air. She quickly put her hands back on the wheel and pulled, but it felt like the wheel was pulling itself.

Hugging the rope, watching the bottom of the well get smaller and smaller, you rose towards the moon, audibly laughing in shock with your friend. Simone barely noticed that the wheel didn't move as she grabbed you with both arms and pulled you out, causing you to topple onto her, chuckling.

Simone sat up. "What's happened to you Y/n?? We need to take you to the infirmary, to a teacher! What... why are you bleeding!??"

Long strands of cool grass tickled your neck. Simone was like an angel.

"Can... can you find Theo?" You asked softly. "Or Eleanor... and what are you doing here anyway?"

"They let me out early," Simone said, pushing her hair out of her face. "I went home but you weren't there, and I ran to patrol hoping to see catch you, but you weren't there either, and... and someone said they saw you go through the woods and I- I was worried. What on earth happened to you? I'm scared..."

"Simone, there's something I need to tell you. But I need to see... where's Maurice...?"

Suddenly, both your heads shot towards the crack of a branch in the direction of the distant night dorm. Only it wasn't a crack, it was Julianne. And stepping over her was the same boy you promised to help only hours ago.

"I thought I told you to stay away from Maurice."

Simone let out a scream as you grabbed her by the collar and pulled her protectively towards you.

"What- run Y/n you gotta run!" Simone panicked, ripping herself away from you and facing Roman. "What did you do to her!?"

"She'll be fine," he said matter-of-factly. "She's been dead many times."

Simone stared, aghast, unable to scream a second time, at the cakey blood she saw running down Roman's jaw. And the fangs that her memory had been trained to forget.

"What are... you're... you're a vampire!" Simone choked out. She whispered something else impossible to hear.

You watched now through half closed eyelids, Simone's legs framing your vision as she stood over you in a protective stance. Roman took a slow step forward.

"I'm not going to hurt anyone, and Simone, you're not even going to remember this," he explained. "I need you to step away from Y/n."

She glanced back towards you, horror widening her eyes beyond comprehension.

"Don't do anything to Simone!" You barely propped yourself on an elbow. "Leave her alone! Leave her memory... alone..."

"I- Y/n..." She whispered, shaking. "I can't leave you here but I don't know what to do."

"She needs to forget this Y/n, it's too much for one person to handle. Do you really want her to know everyone's been lying to her?" He asked.

You glared at him.

"If you take away Simone's memories, then you're no different from Helena."

Roman lowered his gaze, flames searing his fingertips. Keeping your eyes open was like lifting the weight of the world. Was his blazer singed?

"Maurice... needs to know. For Theo..."

Simone clenched her eyes shut praying her nightmare would end when she opened them. She gave your hand a quick squeeze. Roman took another step forward, before freezing in horror as Simone bolted towards the school, panting, shoes kicking up dry leaves; the last thing you saw before your eyes finally closed.

Two Arcadia students lay across the cold October floor, one with forest green hair and dark skin, the other, with two fang marks vibrant and red on her bloody neck. A third student, wearing muddy white socks, was sprinting through the forest like a rabbit, about to tell everyone, anyone, that Arcadia was full of vampires.

Roman's bloody mouth was slightly agape. Rage and fear blackened his fingertips with flame. He watched breathlessly as Simone grew smaller and smaller. He turned to Y/n, unconscious. Vulnerable.

If he stayed with Y/n, he didn't know what he'd do, even now that his hunger was subsiding. But he did know what would happen if someone threatened to expose their secret, and that wasn't something Roman ever wanted to go through again. He felt his chest where the wooden pencil pierced, still tender to the touch.

No... there was no easy way out of this situation. It just had to be dealt with quick. Simone cried out as she stumbled over a tree root, hastily catching her footing.

"I'll be right back," he whispered.

Then Roman wiped his mouth on his sleeve, and set out for the girl sprinting towards the castle.
~

The stars twinkled happily, fog slowly subsiding but still delightful to stroll through, barely cloaking the leaves below. The way it wisped around your legs as you walked, like ghosts trying to drag you down to hell's masquerade. Bel had been spending less time outside and more time at home painting recently.

Avery got the idea to ask Bel about the coin after sitting outside Arcadia fountain and noticing the artistry in the statue; that gorgeous woman pouring a basin of water down everybody's favourite smoke spot. It was worth a shot. And Avery missed having someone around whose sole purpose wasn't to debase him for every minor moral infraction.

Bel loved watching Avery transform into different people they knew. His celebrities were good too, but Avery knew he couldn't get away with pretending to be the president with anybody else. And he wasn't really supposed to use his powers either.

The two boys walked side by side past the garden gazebos and into the woods. Bel was encouraging Avery to hunt animals, which was really annoying.

"You know you could just... drink from people. As God intended," he said. "We had a good thing going."

"No no no, I'm taking a page from Luci's book," Bel said as he hopped towards a branch and dangled from it. He swung his feet with enough momentum to soar upwards and land a backflip on the forest floor, arms proudly outstretched.

"Luci's book?" Avery sneered. "Are you dense?'

"What if I am?" Bel asked, still waiting for Avery's applause.

"Lucian's book has undergone some serious revision." Avery grabbed a branch with one hand and kicked his feet up so that he was sitting on it. Bel did the same, joining his side. "If he's reading minds again, it's not because rabbits are suddenly a superfood."

Bel's legs stopped dangling, and he gazed straight ahead, head resting on the arms propped up against his lap.

"I know that."

"Well, that's not exactly a good example now is it?" Avery hummed. He took the coin out of his pocket. "Any idea what this is?"

Bel took the coin, and let his body fall backwards as he continued to study the coin upside down on the branch. His blonde hair fell downwards as he twisted the coin in his fingers.

"Yeah I think I've seen something like this before, haven't you?" Bel asked.

"I- maybe."

"Come here."

Avery fell backwards with his legs wrapped around the thick branch so that he matched Belmont upside down. The blonde tapped the picture on the coin.

"It's Delwood. Hey!"

Avery snatched the coin back.

"I know it looks like Delwood but it can't be Delwood- there's no building there now. It must be some kind of old local currency then. I don't know, you've been in this country longer than me."

"Maybe you should go to the library in Delwood?" Bel suggested, shrugging upside down. "Wait a minute. See this?" Bel traced his finger around the crescent of horns on the coin. "Satyr horns, the mark of Pan."

"I'm well acquainted with Pan thank you very much," Avery said. "And I've been to a few libraries already."

"Where'd you steal it?" Bel teased.

"I steal hearts, not nickels," Avery replied, swinging back up to sitting.

"You steal identities," Bel said, shaking his head. "Sorry I can't be of more help... even though it seems really familiar. Maybe ask Dimitri, he's old."

"He's probably too busy weaseling info out of 'Luci.'"

The pair snickered in spite of themselves. It had been a while since Avery got along with anyone. Even if he had to play by other people's rules, sometimes, it was nice to not be alone.

After a very, very offensive/ oddly sexual exchange between Avery (as Dimitri) and Bel (as Lucian), the two had to grip the branches hard to stop themselves from laughing out of the tree.

"That should be your next painting," Avery laughed like a wild parrot.

"Listen, I-" Bel began, but Avery had to catch him as his body went limp.

"Hey!" Avery pulled the boy back up. He saw that his eyes were as silver as the moon, and glowing half as bright. Avery strengthened his hold on the boy's shoulders, waiting for him to answer, but was caught off guard by the smell of smoke not far in the distance. Within seconds, he saw the grey cloud of smoke pouring into the black sky, shrouding the stars in darkness. Bel blinked his eyes back to their green and stared at Avery in fear.

"Roman."

~
The two boys sprinted towards the commotion, just missing Roman, who took another route out of the catacombish lair. Bel told Avery he'd seen his friend, and he was in serious trouble. Y/n's roommate, Simone, was in even more trouble.

Avery, truthfully, didn't really feel like helping Roman despite the comradery they once shared. Roman's reluctance to choose anything but apathy was extremely unattractive. And the sense of humor and fun he'd once cherished in his friend seemed to have died long ago.

But Bel insisted Roman needed help, and Simone, being Y/n's roommate, also felt like Avery's responsibility. Anyone close to that girl felt like his responsibility. And Avery was already kicking himself for not knowing that she was getting out of the infirmary a day early. Y/n was going to be heading back to the day dorm sooner than he thought. And after all the trouble he went through to get her there!

So what if Roman killed the girl? Avery thought. Y/n could just stay and grieve in the night dorm. Indefinitely.

"Come on Avery, this is really serious." Bel dragged the boy from his selfishness and towards the scene of arson.

It wasn't as bad as Bel's vision made it out to be, but it could have been much worse had they arrived any later.

When Avery saw the fire consuming the lair, he swallowed. Bel looked even more anxious.

"I need to go after Roman," Bel said. "Can... can you put this out?"

"Roman started it," Avery replied. They had just barely opened the door below, to a billow of smoke. They noticed the alcohol bottles on the floor. Perfect ignition. "Maybe it was-"

"I don't think it was on purpose," Bel said. "But if I don't go after Roman now, he might do something he regrets."

"You can do what you want, and chase after him if you like, but I don't see why I have to be involved."

"You sound like him now- but when push comes to shove, Roman always stands up for his friends. Even if it might get him in trouble," Bel said. The flames roared in his eyes' reflection. "I'm going to need your help, Avery. I need you to take care of this and meet me once I've handled Roman."

With eerie confidence, Avery walked to the bar, flames quickly devouring, and lifted from within a very hot fire extinguisher.

"I have a feeling you'll need more from me than this," Avery said, pulling the tab to extinguish the flames. But Bel already left.

~
Simone's thoughts raced with her heart. Her focus on getting help, from anyone, Maurice, Eleanor, or Theo, was being pounded from every corner of her mind by petrifying visions of Roman killing one of her closest friends.

She was so relieved to be out of the infirmary and back in school. She was the one who wanted to go home early, even though she felt happier in that cold white room than she'd felt in weeks.

But now, she was back to survival. And Arcadia was several hundred meters away. It was after curfew. Not many students would be out.

The girl had barely reached the outer edge of the forest when Roman sent her backwards by pulling the scarf around her neck. She landed on the floor with a painful thud. Roman covered her scream with his hand, straddling the top of her.

"Sh sh shhhhhh...." He hushed. "I'm not going to hurt you, but I need you to stay quiet. Okay?"

He lifted his hand for a moment, and was surprised when she didn't scream again.

"I'm not as good as... as Bel, but you're going to be fine and you're not going to remember any of this."

Simone shook her head so violently that Roman had to pin her arms down.

"It's for the better," the boy said. "It'll all be over soon."

Simone took that cue to scream, which Roman barely caught, making a few birds flee their nests. Roman yelped as Simone bit down on his hand. He shook it vigorously, growing frustrated. A few tears trailed down the side of Simone's face.

"Stop. Making. Things. So. Difficult," he threatened. "I don't want to do this... I don't... want anyone to feel like I do."

Suddenly, a force with the speed and strength of a truck propelled Roman off of Simone and into the trunk of a tree.

Roman quickly pulled himself up to his feet, before the identity of his attacker rooted him to his spot.

"Bel?" He coughed. "Why... What are you doing here?"

"Stopping you from making the same mistakes as me," he replied. "Because believe me... I don't want anyone to feel the way I do either."
~

"Well well well..." Avery sensed the girl before he saw her. She was a picture of fallen grace, everlasting beauty; head resting on her outstretched arm, cold and alone with no one to keep her warm this terrible October night.

Avery savored each step that took him closer to Y/n. Her delicious fragrance was irresistible and he was suddenly desperately grateful to Bel for suggesting he chase after Roman, leaving him to clean up his mess. And what a fine mess she was.

Of course, she wasn't the only girl blacked out at the party- he shamelessly nudged Julianne's body with his shoe while he walked past. Neck (temporarily) broken... and regrettably, not by him. Had Roman done this? Why? Was it possible they'd had a party at the lair and not invited him? Ha.

Not a chance.

Y/n was becoming too much like Avery... it seemed she couldn't stay out of trouble. He caressed her hair with the back of his hand, and placed his ringed one on top of hers, laying across her chest. He felt her slow, peaceful breathing, and felt bashfully warm. But he knew the girl was cold.

The question was, what to do? Announcing himself in the night dorm with a bloody Y/n in his arms was not going to go well for him no matter whose fault it really was.

And then, the most pressing dilemma of all... Y/n's blood. Miraculously Roman hadn't killed her- assuming that was who did this. Avery leaned in close. It was impossible to resist.

"Step away from the girl."

Avery tilted his head to the command. He smiled, sardonic.

"Don't you have papers to grade?"

Avery barely caught the stake that launched through the air, a fraction of a hair from striking his bemused face.

"This actually isn't what it looks like." He raised his hands in surrender. "See for yourself, there's no blood on me whatsoever. Someone else did this, and my guess is that it was your friend."

Maurice squeezed the second stake in his hand, eyes narrowed at the boy.

"And what about her?" He nodded to Julianne.

"Ask Roman. I'm just here to make sure Y/n is okay..."

"Sure you are," Maurice's breath materialized in the cold. His glasses fogged up from the night frost.

"Still wearing glasses?" Avery teased, standing. "I thought you didn't need them anymore."

"Here's what's going to happen. You're going to leave, and I'm taking Y/n with me."

"You don't get to make demands, have you forgotten who you're dealing with?" Avery laughed, playing with the stake in his hands. "You wouldn't even have that much strength if it wasn't for me."

"Leave y/n alone, or you're going to get hurt."

"You'd lose more than just your job here if I decided to let a few unsavory truths slip... especially to your adorable baby brother."

Maurice's eyes were barely visible through the fog, misting his lenses with the glow of the moon. Towering pines cast unfamiliar shadows over the young man.

"You're more guilty in every sense of the word than I'll ever be." He lowered the stake to his hip. "I'm willing to keep this from Petrikov and Cadere- for now- if you just give Y/n to me."

Avery stared at the girl, his blue eyes magnificent, sparkling in the moonlight. He sighed.

"All I've done tonight is put out fires... literally."

The two boys were thrown off guard by the clamour of voices in the distance.

"I know it's kind of rude of me to manipulate you into not freaking out, but, trust me, it's better than not remembering anything!" Bel said to Simone.

While Avery was, of all things, helping Bel help Roman, the two boys battled over Simone. Bel always agreed that memory wiping was not only a grim reality of their kind, but a blessing in disguise for their unfortunate victims.

Bel knew, however, that there was more to Roman's story and the vision of him chasing Simone through the woods than was immediately possible to discern.

And so, Bel played jury and judge to Simone; revealing Roman was a vampire who'd attacked her roommate and chased her through the forest when he got caught.

The two boys listened to the desperation in her voice, the fear, the urgency with which she wanted to go back and get help for Y/n. Bel was aghast at her accusations, but Roman didn't deny any of them.

No matter how Bel felt about Roman potentially biting Y/n, he'd witnessed for himself how tempting her blood was. And if it was an accident, like Roman claimed, then Bel's bias towards his friend would lead to defending both parties as best he could. He quietly suggested they go through with the memory erasure, Bel more skilled than Roman, but to everyone's surprise, Roman put a hand on Bel's shoulder and stopped him from approaching any further.

"No."

Instead, at Roman's suggestion, Bel told the girl that he was a vampire too, and after they made sure Y/n was okay, everything would be 'totally fine.' And it seemed to be going that way, except for Simone screaming when Bel told her that. He compelled her not to scream and instead promised to take her back to Y/n. And against all odds, despite countless other incidents of manipulation and deceit, Simone's memories were, tonight, her own.

"Maurice!" She whisper yelled as soon as she saw him. Roman and Bel let her run to the former student.

When the two saw Avery kneeling with Y/n, they both feared the worst. But before they could do a thing, Avery nodded to Roman.

"There's your man. I think I'm done here." Avery tossed the stake over to Simone where it landed at her feet. "I think you'll need this."

As Avery joined his fellow night students, crossing his arms and watching intently, Maurice ran with Simone to Y/n, kneeling beside her. He took Simone's scarf and wrapped it around the girl's neck, but not before the night students saw the horrific extent of Roman's thirst.

Maurice cradled the girl in his arms and stood up, breath materializing in the cold. He looked at Simone.

"It's going to be okay... my brother will explain everything. You're safe now."

Roman weakly scoffed.

"You shouldn't even be here after everything you did. Everything you got away with."

"The blood on your lips is proof enough as to the contrary," Maurice replied.

"You're the only here who doesn't need it to survive and chooses to drink it anyway."

"You don't understand a thing about me," Maurice spat. "Count your blessings that Cadere doesn't expel you for this. Or worse."

"It should have been you," Roman muttered.

All the while, seeking to ease the tension, Bel granted Simone her mental freedoms (apologizing profusely for making her obey them against her will). Then, it was clear that the night boys were on their own.

They watched in silence as Maurice carried Y/n away while Simone fearfully held onto his sleeve. He turned to Simone, said something, and her black head nodded.

Belmont was equally interested in making sure Roman was okay, suppressing any anger or betrayal in favor of the dangerous kindness he'd so often been shown by Roman. Kindness at his own expense. Split-second action due to inconceivable circumstances. He only hoped he wouldn't regret it.

"I would have carried you like that if you needed me to," Bel said, gesturing to the shrinking figures ahead. "Would you?"

"Bel, I have." Roman sounded exhausted. "You're always rendered unconscious when you need a knight to save you."

He turned around, noticed Julianne, still out cold, and felt his stomach go south. Roman didn't have a thing against Julianne. He must have been desperate.

Bel leaned on Roman's arm as he kneeled down to examine the girl. When it became clear Bel had noticed Y/n's blood on the sleeve, he shoved the boy off. Bel went much further than anyone anticipated.

While Roman began to sweat over what to do with his jacket, Avery suggesting he gift it to him, Bel had more troubles on his mind. He hadn't forgotten his earlier visions.

Roman slipped off his black Arcadia jacket and let it fall to a pile on the leafy forest floor. The flames that erupted from Roman's hands overshot the blazer, but got the job done. The three boys stared at the crackling fire, warmly lighting up their faces from below.

"How do we know Maurice won't go back and immediately report this to Petrikov?" Bel asked Avery more than anyone else.

"If my threats against Maurice's friends mean anything, he won't say a word. He'd do anything for some people," Avery replied. "I'd be more worried about... how you can be so sure I won't go back and report this to Cadere once he returns?"

Bel's green eyes flicked to mania, bulging, violent, his mouth an unbroken line.

"I'll kill you."

Avery slapped an arm around both boys, playfully pulling them into him.

"Ignoring the impossibility of that threat, I've gone above and beyond for you two troublemakers tonight. And if you think I'd do that -especially for you Roman- for FREE, then you're as stupid as your threats are hollow."

Bel jerked his head away from Avery's attempt to ruffle his hair. Roman simply slapped his hand away.

"Besides," Avery continued darkly. "Don't you think Dimitri and Lucian will notice that Y/n isn't around? Or the girls? Or anyone else for that matter? Do you really think a 'sick note' is going to cut it?"

Bel and Roman exchanged worried glances. That wasn't even considering the lair toasting like a marshmallow. Avery continued.

"I have an idea that will guarantee our pureblood slash vampire hunting friends have no idea what happened."

"What do you want us to do?"
~

The fog was almost entirely one with the wind now, absent from the stone steps leading out of the forest and back to the illusion of Arcadia Castle.

"Are you sure you don't want to go back to the infirmary tonight?"

Simone nodded.

About halfway through their quiet walk, Y/n stirred in Maurice's arms. It was a relief that she appeared to be asleep more than anything else.

"Ohh... there's something stuck to her shoe there," Simone said. Maurice craned his head and peeled off a patch of wet orange fur from the bottom of Y/n's shoe. He almost let it fall to the ground, noticing the streaks of crimson, but instead, steadied his breath and shoved it into his coat pocket.

"I still think I'm dreaming," Simone whispered, staring at the dorm.

Maurice insisted the girl go straight to Theodore to tell him and El what happened. He wished he could stay with them, but he knew that he couldn't.

After carefully watching Simone disappear behind the massive front doors, Maurice tore through the shadows of Arcadia plaza with Y/n in his arms. It was well beyond curfew now. Night patrol would have ended. And Maurice, despite a few scratches on his lenses, considered himself lucky to have escaped with both girls alive. Especially against the unpredictable nature of Avery along with two blood-lusting vampires.

But it wasn't just to get Y/n away from the vampires tonight that Maurice was taking this route. He waited, listening to the sound of his and Y/n's breath as another light from the day dorm went out. The light-posts were dim. The plaza was empty. And they needed to plant Roman's seed as soon as possible.

His coin splashed quietly as Maurice pulled the girl in tight and dove into Arcadia fountain.

Now that was a splash, thought Avery. With delirious inner laughter, he bit the twin coin he'd just taken out of his pocket, tongue twisting around his fangs, savouring the revelation of its cold metallic secrets.
~

Happy New Year! Fan here! Thank you for reading. Longest chapter yet, decided to keep it as one instead of two. Your comments, likes, and messages really mean a lot! Don't be a stranger. I don't bite..... all that hard.

If you haven't heard, the new Arcadia Discord server for all things Crimson is insanely fun and we'd love to have you join:

https://discord.gg/YZMH7DwbFa

I also made a TikTok account. Not sure what will be up there but maybe you make tiktoks you'd like to share?

TIKTOK- https://www.tiktok.com/@fanfunctional?_t=8YsQoNhFfQz&_r=1

INSTAGRAM- https://www.instagram.com/fanfunctional/

Thanks everyone, and thank you for being so gracious to eachother! It really warms my heart ❤️

Love,
~ Your Number One Fan