"What's beyond those walls?" Sebastian asked, his voice soft as we both leaned on the balcony railing. Midnight had settled over the world, and neither of us felt like sleeping. The cool breeze carried the faint scent of the forest, and the stars above were scattered like tiny shards of glass. For the first time in days, Sebastian was well enough to stand beside me.
His complexion had regained some color—at least, I hoped it had—and his wound had healed enough for him to finally remove the bandages.
"Hm? Oh, well, the city, I suppose. That's where the normal people are," I replied, glancing at him.
Sebastian's eyes widened slightly. "The city? There's magic beyond those walls, right? Like an illusion spell or something?"
I nodded, smiling at his curiosity. "Exactly. The walls are enchanted. They hide what's really out there. But it's not just magic. Navee's greenhouse is beyond the walls, too," I added.
"So, you can't go beyond?" he asked, his brows furrowing in thought.
"Not exactly," I said with a shrug. "There's a good few miles before you hit the border. But yeah, it's not like we're free to just wander out there. Anyway, I heard you've been helping Navee with her plants?" I nudged him playfully, grinning.
Sebastian groaned, chuckling under his breath. "It's not like that. I just… I don't want to sit around doing nothing all day. I mean, I'm here now, so I might as well be useful, right?"
I tilted my head, a small laugh escaping my lips. "The day just ended, and you're already worried about being useless?"
Sebastian stammered, his face coloring slightly. "Ah, no—I mean, yeah, kind of. This place is just… amazing. It feels like a waste to not do something, you know?" He rubbed the back of his neck, looking away as if embarrassed.
For a moment, I watched him in silence. It was rare to see him like this—shy, unsure. His hands gripped the cool stone of the railing, and he leaned forward, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
"I suppose all of this must feel incredible to you, huh?" I said teasingly, trying to lighten the mood.
Sebastian turned to me, his expression curious. "And it doesn't to you?"
I shrugged, waving a hand dismissively. "It does, but… I grew up with all of this. It's normal for me. I guess I just got used to it."
He studied me for a moment, then looked away, his voice quieter. "Hn. I see."
Ah, did I say something wrong? I frowned, suddenly worried. Maybe he really loved it here, and I'd just offended him by acting like it wasn't a big deal. Was I making it sound like he shouldn't like it because I didn't appreciate it as much?
Sebastian broke the silence with a sigh. "I guess it's the same for me in the normal world. It's… boring."
I leaned over the railing, peering up at his face with a small grin. "I like the games," I said lightly.
Sebastian snorted. "You suck at Tekken."
I gasped, feigning offense. "I do NOT suck at Tekken! I just need more time to get used to it!"
His smirk widened, his teasing tone unmistakable. "Sure you do."
I pouted, crossing my arms. Sebastian loved teasing me, but the minute I turned the tables on him, he'd get all huffy about it. What a strange guy.
The playful mood faded as my thoughts drifted back to what had happened before. I dropped my gaze, leaning on my arms and resting my head on them. "I still feel bad, you know. About what happened to you. I didn't think things would get that bad," I mumbled.
Sebastian was quiet for a moment. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed his hand hovering hesitantly over my arm before he finally patted my shoulder. "It was an accident," he said, his voice careful. "I don't agree with how Rosemary handled it, but… I think she has her reasons. Maybe some kind of trauma she hasn't talked about. Still, I'd really appreciate it if I didn't end up getting hurt again." He chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.
I snorted, straightening up. "I won't let that happen to you ever again," I said firmly, crossing my arms for emphasis.
Sebastian let out a surprised, embarrassed choking noise, and I couldn't help but grin.
"That—That's… What are you? My knight?" Sebastian teased, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm. His eyes flickered with amusement, but I simply smirked, unfazed.
"Sure," I shot back, puffing up my chest as if it were some grand declaration. "If you want me to be your knight, I'll gladly accept the role. You can be the princess since you're so lazy," I added, tossing in a haughty little huff for good measure.
Sebastian froze, staring at me with an expression I couldn't quite place. His lips twitched, like he was suppressing either laughter or judgment—or maybe both.
Somehow... I couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that he now thought I was an absolute idiot.
I shut my mouth.
The silence stretched for a beat too long before he finally spoke, his tone as deadpan as ever.
"Are you… a dumbass, perhaps?"
His words struck true, like an invisible arrow piercing my heart. I staggered backward dramatically, clutching my chest as if I'd been mortally wounded.
"Ouch!" I yelled into the quiet night.
—
The next morning, I had at least two classes to teach, so getting up early was non-negotiable. Bleary-eyed, I shuffled into the kitchen for a quick breakfast: scrambled eggs, sausages, and some toast. Nothing fancy, just enough to get me moving. I took a seat at the table, absently chewing on a piece of toast as my gaze fell on the sunflower that was left on the table.
"So, you're Sebastian's flower…" I muttered, staring at it as though it might respond. My voice sounded half-hearted, even to me.
"I'm Silas. You must be his new friend… but I was his new friend first," I added, almost accusingly.
The sunflower, unsurprisingly, didn't reply.
I sighed, leaning back in my chair. Talking to a sunflower? I must've officially lost it.
From across the room, I heard a faint noise—Sebastian mumbling something unintelligible in his sleep. My chewing slowed as I instinctively glanced towards the bed. He shifted slightly, turning to his side, but fell still again.
"Wow… he sleeps like the dead," I murmured absentmindedly before freezing. My eyes widened as the realization hit me. Technically, he was dead—or undead, at least.
I grimaced, shaking my head. "Agh, that was really offensive," I whispered to myself. Thankfully, Sebastian was still sound asleep. If he'd heard me, I knew he wouldn't have let me live it down.
By the time I finished breakfast, I still had a couple of hours to spare before my first class. After a quick bath, I changed into my uniform and plopped down on my bed. My gaze drifted back to Sebastian, who was now facing my direction, still deep in slumber. His breathing was slow and steady, almost human-like.
I tilted my head, curious. Vampires didn't need to breathe, so why did he? Was it habit? Something he'd unconsciously carried over from his human life? The thought lingered as I stood and quietly crept over to his bed, kneeling at the edge like a child eagerly waiting for their parent to wake up.
Surely, he wouldn't wake up just yet. Right?
I hesitated, then slowly reached out, hovering my hand just above his nose to check if he was actually breathing.
Before I could confirm anything, his eyes snapped open.
"What are you doing?" Sebastian's voice was groggy but sharp as he blinked at me, his expression blank but curious.
I froze, caught red-handed. Of all times for him to wake up…
"I, uh…" I stood abruptly, rubbing the back of my neck in embarrassment. "I was just… checking if you were breathing," I admitted, my voice small.
Sebastian sat up, ruffling his already messy hair, which now stuck out in every direction. "I think I still breathe when I sleep. It's a habit," he murmured, his tone low and sleepy. He glanced up at me, raising an eyebrow. "Are you heading to class now?"
"Not yet," I said, flopping unceremoniously onto his bed. "I still have an hour or two before it starts."
Sebastian stared at me, his expression somewhere between confusion and disbelief. "Why are you awake so early, then?"
I snorted. "I'm always up early."
He frowned. "But we stayed up really late last night."
I just grinned at him. "Don't worry about it."
Sebastian gave me a tired look, scratching his head again as his gaze shifted towards the balcony. Outside, a chorus of birds chirped loudly, their songs cutting through the quiet morning air.
"You've got class, right?" he asked again, as if confirming.
I nodded.
"Can I come with you?" he asked, his voice quieter now, almost hesitant.
I blinked, surprised. "Really?" My excitement bubbled over as I clenched my fists together in delight.
Sebastian averted his gaze, looking faintly embarrassed. "I'm… curious to see how you teach," he admitted.
For a moment, I just gaped at him. Sebastian, the vampire who usually seemed indifferent to most things, was interested in my job? Who would've thought?
He stood up soon after and headed for a quick bath. In the meantime, I stretched out on his bed, intent on catching a short nap. At some point, I thought I felt gentle fingers running through my hair, but when I stirred awake, Sebastian was still in the bathroom. Maybe I'd dreamed it.
When he finally emerged, he was fastening the clasp of his robe, pulling the hood up over his head. "Do you like it?" I asked, watching him adjust the fabric.
"Yeah, it's comfortable," he said with a small smile.
I grinned as I stretched, shaking off the last remnants of sleep. "Great! Alright, let's go!" I said, bouncing to my feet.