"For a very long time?" Arav's voice was trembling. "I mean... you came to class two weeks ago—"
"Before that," Kayen interrupted. A strange intensity in his eyes. "From Chiang Mai."
Arav remembered that night. The jungle. Red eyes. That voice.
"You..." his lips went dry. "Are you—"
"Leave this party," Kayen suddenly said, his voice soft but commanding. "You don't fit here. Come with me."
"Where?"
"Outside. I want to show you something."
Arav shouldn't have agreed. This mysterious boy, who had just entered his life two weeks ago, whose words were strange, whose touch was cold—going outside alone with him at night was not a smart decision.
But Arav heard himself say, "Okay."
They left the party, following behind Kayen. Min was looking for him, but Arav sent a text: "Going out for a bit. Will be back."
Outside the building, Kayen's motorcycle was parked. Matte black, sports model.
"You ride a bike?" Arav was surprised.
Kayen extended a helmet toward him. "Are you afraid?"
"No... I mean, a little—"
"Hold on to me." Kayen put on his own helmet, then got on the bike. The engine started with a deep roar.
Arav put on the helmet and sat behind Kayen. He didn't know where to put his hands.
"Hold my waist," Kayen said, turning back. "Tightly. I drive fast."
Arav hesitantly held Kayen's waist. His body was firm, muscular. And cold—how could it be so cold?
The bike took off.
They raced through Bangkok's streets. Neon lights, traffic, the late-night crowd. Kayen was driving skillfully, changing lanes, increasing speed.
Arav held him tightly, his chest pressed against Kayen's back. The wind was hitting his face, but strangely... he liked it.
Like freedom.
They left the city, took a road along the Chao Phraya River. Less traffic, more trees. Kayen increased the speed even more.
"Where are we going?" Arav shouted from inside the helmet.
"Wait a bit!" Kayen replied.
After about twenty minutes, they reached a small hill. Kayen took a narrow road upward, stopped at a viewpoint.
Arav got off, his legs shaking. He removed the helmet.
In front of him was the entire city of Bangkok. Thousands of lights glittering, the river sparkling in the moonlight. The sky was black, filled with stars.
"This..." Arav breathed. "This is beautiful."
Kayen stood beside him, hands in pockets. "I come here when... when the city becomes too much."
"Too much?"
"Noise. People." Kayen looked at the sky. "It's peaceful here."
They stood in silence for a while. Arav was thinking to himself—this was so strange. He was with a boy he barely knew, on a deserted hill, at midnight.
But he wasn't afraid. Rather... he felt safe.
"Kayen," Arav whispered, "you said before... you've been watching me from Chiang Mai. What does that mean?"
Kayen turned to him. In the moonlight, his face looked even sharper. Almost inhuman.
"What did you see that night in the jungle?" he asked in response.
Arav's body tensed. "I... I don't know. I thought it was a dream—"
"Not a dream," Kayen said, his voice completely grave. "You saw me."
Arav's face went pale. "What?"
Kayen took a step closer. Only a few inches between them. His eyes... in the moonlight, they flashed red.
"I'm not human, Arav," he whispered.
Arav wanted to step back, but his feet wouldn't move. His heartbeat was so loud he could hear it.
"What are you?" his voice broke.
Kayen smiled—a sad, mysterious smile. "I'm... part of the forest. Ancient. In your language, a 'vampire'."
"But... but you're here now. In human form—"
"I can change form, I'm 1050 years old, but I look 25," Kayen said.
Arav's head was spinning.
"Why... why are you telling me?" he asked.
Kayen raised his hand to his face, gently touching his cheek. Cold fingers, but soft.
"Because you're mine," he whispered, his eyes gleaming. "Since that night. When you fell before me, trembling with fear, but still looked at me—I knew."
"Knew what?" Arav's breathing quickened.
"That I won't let you go."
Kayen came even closer, his face right next to Arav's. Their lips were almost touching.
"Are you afraid?" he whispered.
Arav thought. He should be afraid. He should run away. Should scream.
But he only whispered, "No."
Kayen's lips touched his lips.
Then he pulled back, a shadow of satisfaction in his eyes.
"Come. Let me show you more places."
Arav stood there, his heart pounding, his head spinning.
Kayen was a vampire. Not human.
And he... he was calling Arav "his."
How was this possible?
But Arav took Kayen's hand, and they got on the bike again.
The rest of the night they roamed around. A small temple by the river, where only the two of them were. A 24-hour noodle stall, where Kayen didn't eat anything, just watched Arav eat. An old market, now closed, but Kayen got inside—how, Arav couldn't understand—and showed him old Thai artwork.
At each place, Kayen told him stories. Ancient tales, ghost stories, forest mysteries.
And Arav listened, mesmerized.
Before dawn, Kayen dropped him at his dorm.
"Thank you for tonight," Arav whispered, removing his helmet.
Kayen remained sitting on the bike, his eyes on Arav. "Don't thank me. I'm selfish. I want to keep you near me."
Arav smiled, his face red. "You're honest."
Kayen rode off, disappearing into the darkness of night.
Arav entered his dorm, his whole body trembling—not from fear, but from excitement.
He was falling in love with a spirit.
And the most terrifying thing?
He didn't want to stop.