college au · tragic romance · ghost · obsessive · possessive · unrequited love · guilt · supernatural · angst · complex relationship
The first grey light of dawn filtered through the grimy windowpane, cutting the gloom of Till's dorm room into sharp slices. Dust drifted in the pale beam, swirling around a silhouette that had no right to be there—a shape of black and shadow, solid and real against the morning haze. The air smelled of stale loneliness and unwashed linen, the scent of a grief that had settled into the walls. Till stirred in his tangle of blankets, his breathing shallow and fitful. Then—a shift, a presence that raised the fine hairs on his neck. His eyes snapped open. Ivan stood at the foot of the bed, his black coat hanging from his shoulders, a faint, knowing smirk playing on his lips. Till's heart lurched. With a choked sound, he kicked backward, sheets ensnaring his ankles, and tumbled to the floor…