When Layla heard from a few gossiping students that the missing students had come back, she tried looking for them in the nurse's place. Since they had come back from a red portal planet of all places, that would be the first place they would've gone to.
At least, so what Layla thought.
Erin and Fex weren't there at all, and Layla couldn't help but want to confirm that Erin was alive, even if the rumors said she was.
She wished she could've done more, and even though she had managed to sneak into a general's office, it didn't feel like it was enough. At least, Pure didn't think it was enough to send someone to help.
Instead, she was sitting at a table next to the window, alone in their dorm room with her thoughts. Layla had her head set on the table wrapped around her arms, waiting for her roommate's return.
—
Erin opened the door to the dorm in that moment. She had returned from the red portal planet, looking tired, beaten and bruised as she did. Not only that, but it had been far too long since she drank blood. Now that she was back safely at the school, there was only one person whom she wanted to see.
Scanning the dorm room, she spotted the brown haired woman she had been longing for this entire time. She was sitting on her desk chair near the window, reading something.
"Layla," Erin said demandingly, albeit with a tiredness to its tone.
Layla was in the middle of reading a vampire romance novel shocked by the sudden appearance of her roommate.
"E-Erin!" Layla stuttered, surprised.
Erin, however, rushed over to Layla, cornering her. Her piercing stare bore into Layla's heart. Layla hadn't realized it before, but there was some kind of magical charm with Erin's appearance. Her golden blonde hair, her beautiful icy blue eyes, her nose was strong, but it didn't look out of place with her soft beautiful face and softer lips.
"Layla… I never thought that there would be someone I'd long to see until I was pushed into that treacherous planet," Erin whispered.
Layla's heart skipped a beat, and she clutched her book tighter, "O-oh!"
"And I never thought I would thirst for your blood as much as I did, but every day the only thing I wanted to taste was you. I starved for you, my dear."
Layla dropped both her book and her jaw, a bright red flushness grew on her face, "Oh— Well— Um— Y-you can have my…. My blood…!"
A wry smile formed in the corners of her mouth. Layla didn't care so much about the consequences of blood loss.
Erin flung her head to the side as she placed the back of her hand on her forehead in woe, "I want to drink you up, but I've hungered for blood far too long. You wouldn't be able to survive it. I'd drink you dry."
"I can handle it, I can handle you," Layla breathily replied.
Erin turned her head back to Layla, and bared her teeth, fangs ready to pierce into her flesh. She was about to feast, mere inches away from sinking her mouth into Layla's skin, when Erin stopped herself.
"No… I shan't, I don't want to hurt you anymore than I have."
"Erin… you hurt me more thinking I don't want this."
Erin smiled that rare smile no one had ever seen, and bit into her roommate sending Layla into a paralyzing drug high. The memory of its effects was almost addictive.
—
Layla was taken out of her daydream as she heard someone enter the dorm room. Quickly, she pretended like she wasn't fantasizing about her girl friend, and faced the window.
'Calm down Layla, it's probably just Cia,' Layla told herself, steadying herself. Cia always returned back to the dorm when it was late.
That was when she turned around, and saw the most gorgeous woman she had ever seen.
Gorgeous strawberry blonde hair, a symmetrical face, flawless skin that seemed untouched by acne, and she was covered dirt and mud that made her look powerful. There was a magnetic pull to her that was hard to ignore, and Layla's conflicting feelings didn't help.
"Layla, no one is using the shower, right?" Erin said, not really paying attention to Layla's dumbfounded expression.
"H-huh?!" Layla stammered, suddenly being reminded of her daydream. This was too similar to it.
That was when Erin noticed that Layla's face was bright red.
"Are you okay, Layla? Do you have a fever?" Erin said, walking up to the flustered girl.
Layla shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She had read enough vampire novels to realize what was happening. Even though she admired Erin, Layla knew that she didn't like that kind of attention.
"Erin, what's going on? do you have some sort of charm spell on?"
That was when Erin realized what was happening. On her way here, she saw several boys and a few girls glance their way towards her. She thought it was because she was covered in beast blood, but now she remembered that there was some sort of charm skill that activated when she became a full vampire.
'Turn this damn charm thing off, system!' Erin yelled in her mind.
"Of course, but I thought you would've liked this?" The system replied.
'You know nothing about me, system. I hate it when people only like me for my looks. I have a great personality!' She bitterly thought.
"Threatening to shove swords up people's rear ends is not a positive personality trait," the system replied.
Erin, however ignored the system's words.
[Charm stat deactivated]
Suddenly, the magnetic charm on Erin was gone, and Layla could think clearly.
"Are you okay? I heard what happened," Layla said, holding a hand up.
"I'm fine, except for the fact that I haven't showered, but…" Erin began heading towards the bathroom before stopping in the door way, "… I'll tell you about it when I'm done."
—
Quinn ran back to his dorm room, fearful of what Erin or Fex might do to Peter. One was a vampire and the other was just a human.
As soon as he went back into his dorm room, Quinn found Peter perfectly safe on his bed, still reading away. That was when Fex left the bathroom with a towel over his head, and was visibly actively ignoring Peter.
Quinn realized that Peter looked anxious, holding his earth ability book tightly as he sat on his bed. He was constantly looking over at Fex, expecting him to do something to him.
"What happened?" Quinn said as he walked over to Peter's side.
Peter didn't respond and covered his face with the book.
Quinn clenched his fists, and faced Fex, determined, "He didn't want to do it."
Fex was in the middle of drying his hair, but slightly turned around in his chair, giving Quinn an annoyed look, "So what? I'm already doing him a favor by not kicking him out for what he tried to do to you."
Quinn was about to retort when Peter suddenly grabbed his hand.
"Quinn, please, you don't have to defend me," Peter whispered behind his book, "Don't make it worse…"
He glanced at his roommate, looking at him with pleading eyes.
"I'm lucky they came back, but I did benefit from this. I deserve to be punished..."
—
As Erin entered the bathroom, about to undress and shower, she had realized something.
'System, you're not going to watch me shower, are you?' Erin thought, already grabbing a spare shirt to use as a blindfold, '…or every time I use the bathroom?'
"Nonsense, I would never do that. I would simply look away."
Erin frowned.
'So you're just going to be here in my mind while I shower, and there's no way I can even guarantee that you aren't observing my actions.' Erin thought, 'I don't care that you're just a system ai. In case you didn't know, I like showering when no one is watching!"
"Fine, if it makes you feel better, I could try occupying the mind of your system companion while you're busy. He is capable of hearing my words somehow. Just direct your thoughts towards me when you're done, and I will return."
She let out a sigh of relief, 'you better mean it, or else I'll figure out a way to shove my swo-'
"Yes, yes, shoving sharp things up rear ends, I've heard you use that same insult plenty of times."
'Get out!' Erin fumed.
Then there was silence, and Erin could think freely again.
"Finally…" Erin almost smiled in relief as she took off her bloodied overcoat.