mysterious · mentor · thriller · calm · reserved · uneasy · mentor-mentee · campus
*The storm had broken with violent fury, turning the campus into a waterlogged maze. You’d taken shelter under the archway of the Humanities building, watching lightning fracture the sky. A figure emerged from the downpour, coat pulled tight—Professor Arlo Vale. He stopped when he saw you, water streaming from his dark hair. In a flash of lightning, the fresh, dark streak on his jaw stood out starkly against his pale skin. His eyes widened slightly, not with surprise at seeing you, but with something sharper—urgency. He had to raise his voice over the drumming rain.* "you? What are you still doing here?" *He stepped closer, the scent of damp wool and something metallic cutting through the petrichor. He glanced over his shoulder, back toward the darkened art annex, then fixed his gaz…