Tessa's Return
It was late in the evening. The dormitory lay quiet. Marion sat at his desk, the candlelight flickering, his eyes burning with exhaustion. For days he had dragged himself through classes, through breaks, through the noise of others. Everything had felt hollow since Tamara was gone.
He stared into the flame, half lost in thought—when suddenly he felt the air in the room grow colder. His heart skipped.
A shadow peeled itself from the wall.
"Tessa…"
She stood there as effortlessly as before: her red hair glowed in the dim light, her golden eyes shimmered like twin flames. Her smile was gentle, seductive—and yet there was something in her that both soothed and frightened him at once.
"Marion." Her voice was warm honey. "Did you miss me?"
He jumped to his feet, almost stumbling. "Tessa! You're back!" Relief flooded him, nearly euphoric, making him tremble. Weeks, months he had waited for this moment.
Then a flicker of courage sparked within him. He clenched his fists, stepped closer, his voice shaking. "Why were you gone so long? Why did you leave me alone?"
Tessa laughed softly, as if it were the sweetest question in the world. She stepped so close he felt her cold breath, placed a hand against his cheek. "I just wanted to see how you would manage without me. And look—you're still alive."
Marion swallowed and met her eyes. "Was it you?" His voice was barely a whisper, but it held steady. "Was it you who killed Tamara's family? Was it you who forced her to be with me?"
For a moment, silence.
Tessa's smile widened, a spark lighting her eyes. Not surprised. Not offended. Amused. She stroked his cheek lightly, her voice coaxing:
"Oh, my little Marion… I left her with you as a replacement."
He froze. "Replacement?"
"Of course." Her gaze drifted toward the shadows of the room, as if she could see someone else there. "But how was I supposed to know that a few other vampires would be so ill-mannered… and wipe out the entire noble family?"
She laughed softly, like at a clever joke. No trace of grief. No hint of regret—only naked amusement, as if recounting a small anecdote.
Marion's heart pounded wildly. Something inside him screamed that it wasn't true. That she was lying. That she herself had done it. That Tamara had never stood a chance.
But his heart—his foolish, desperate heart—clung to her words. To the warmth in her voice. To the hand on his cheek.
"So… it wasn't you?" His voice sounded weak. Pleading.
Tessa tilted her head, her smile enigmatic. "Why do you ask so many questions, Marion? What matters is that you belong to me."
He nodded faintly, unable to question her further. His chest tightened; his heart smothered its doubts, even as his mind sensed something was wrong.
For him, she was back—and in that moment, that was all that mattered.
Tessa herself had destroyed Tamara's family.
Not out of necessity.Not out of revenge.But out of sheer boredom, on her way back from Noctyris.
And now she stood before Marion again, the smile of a ruler on her lips—as if nothing had happened.
Marion Believes in Love
The room was silent. Only the trembling candle flame cast shadows on the wall. Tessa stood close before him, her golden gaze burning, her smile like a promise.
Marion looked at her with longing, with desperation—as if in that single second he had forgotten everything that had happened. The tears, the knife, Tamara's death—all faded before the certainty that Tessa now stood before him again.
"I knew you'd come back," he whispered hoarsely.
To him, every word she spoke was proof that she truly loved him. Every touch, every smile—a confirmation that she belonged to him.
A young man blind to the truth, ensnared in the web of a vampire who had long since claimed him entirely.
Tessa curled her fingers beneath his chin, lifting his face gently, her lips close to his ear. "You really are sweet, my little Marion."
She pulled him closer, her grip both tender and inescapable. Then she lowered her voice, as if mentioning something trivial:
"Shall I speak to that girl? Vania, isn't it? So she'll finally leave you alone?"
Marion froze. All blood drained from his face. "No!" he burst out, his voice cracking. "Please, don't hurt her!"
Tessa laughed softly, a throaty, amused sound. "How charming. You worry about her. Truly, you are delightful."
Marion's heart raced. He knew she meant it—that in a single instant she could destroy Vania if she wished. Fear gnawed at him, yet at the same time… he was enthralled, trapped in her gaze, her smile.
"I only need you," he whispered weakly, almost pleading.
Tessa stroked his hair, her hand cold and full of power. "Of course. Only me."
Then she pulled him into a passionate kiss. For a moment he felt alive, lifted, almost happy. As if this were proof that she truly loved him.
But the next instant, her fangs sank into his neck.
A sharp pain shot through him, hot and icy at once. His body convulsed, blood roaring in his ears, strength draining from his limbs.
He tried to speak, to call her name—but his voice failed.
Darkness reached for him, dragging him down, deeper and deeper.
And the last thing he saw was Tessa's smile—sweet, cruel, eternal.
Then he died again.
The Distance from Vania
The days after that night felt muffled to Marion. He had awakened again—pale, exhausted, with a dull throbbing in his throat no bandage could explain. No one asked questions. No one knew Tessa had returned.
But Vania noticed something was wrong.
During break she came to him, as she had so often in recent weeks. With a small smile she sat beside him, holding an apple. "Here. You haven't eaten anything today, have you?"
Marion shook his head. "Thanks… but I'm not hungry."
"You look pale." She frowned and leaned a little closer. "Even paler than usual. Everything okay?"
He forced a smile. "Everything's fine."
Inside, though, his pulse pounded. If Tessa senses even a hint of closeness… if she thinks Vania matters to me…
He straightened and shifted slightly away. "Vania… maybe you should sit with the others. With Jenny, or the girls from your group. I… I need a little quiet."
She looked surprised. "Quiet? But you were always glad when—"
"It's better this way," he interrupted softly but firmly.
Vania blinked, her fingers nervously playing with the apple. "Did I… do something wrong?"
"No." His voice was gentle, though he kept his gaze lowered. "Not you. But sometimes… distance is best."
She fell silent. For a moment there was only the noise of the other students. Jenny laughed somewhere, Tobia and Manuel loudly argued about some spell, Lukas and Basti giggled their "heh-heh-heh." Everyday life—and yet the moment felt heavy as lead.
Finally she nodded slowly. "If you think so…"
She stood and walked toward the others with slow steps. The apple remained on the bench beside him.
Marion stared at the red fruit for a long time, as if it were a sign.
It's better this way, he thought. If Tessa comes back, she must not believe Vania matters to me. Otherwise…
He couldn't finish the thought.
He took a deep breath, hands clenched into fists. "It's better this way."
Yet in his chest another feeling gnawed at him—guilt. Guilt for pushing away the girl who only wanted to help.
Xin and Tessa
The evening was cool, the academy courtyard nearly empty. Marion had found a quiet spot on a low wall, wanting a few minutes alone. The past days weighed heavily on him—Tessa's return, her kiss, the bite, that dark mixture of happiness and pain.
He sensed the shadows shift before he saw her.
"Marion?"
He turned. Xin stepped out of the darkness, her blue hair almost silver in the moonlight. But this time there was no naive smile on her face. Her eyes were wide, shining with unshed tears, her lips trembling.
"What… is it?" he asked cautiously.
She stepped closer, wringing her hands. "That woman. The one with the red hair. I felt her." Her voice broke. "She's so strong, Marion. So much stronger than me. I… I'm afraid."
Marion stiffened. Tessa. She means Tessa.
"I wanted to protect you," Xin continued, tears running down her cheeks. "But… I don't stand a chance against her. I can't save you. Not from her."
She sobbed softly, fists clenched. "I'm sorry…"
Marion stared at her, his heart beating unevenly. How does she know about Tessa? he wondered. Then he shook the thought away. Of course. She's a goblin turned human. She's stalked me, followed me everywhere. It makes sense she would notice something like that.
He took a deep breath, forcing his voice to sound firm. "Xin… listen to me. You don't have to do anything. I don't need help with Tessa."
"But—"
"No." He raised a hand, a little harsher than he intended. "Drop it. I'll handle it myself."
Xin stood still, tears still on her face. For a moment she looked as though she wanted to argue—but then she lowered her head.
"If that is your wish…" she whispered.
She wiped her face roughly, stepped back, and vanished as silently as she had come.
Marion remained alone. He pressed his hands against his temples, heart racing.
Why is she crying over Tessa? Why does she act like she wants to protect me?
He shook the thought away. Nonsense. She's just a goblin. A strange, dangerous stalker. And against Tessa… no one could do anything anyway.
He stood and turned toward the dormitory. "I don't need help," he muttered—to himself more than anyone else.
And the shadows behind him were empty once more.