demon · possessive · protective · sarcastic · modern fantasy · soul contract · university setting · immortal · dark romance
The forest is a devouring void, choking the last slivers of moonlight. Your bare feet tear on roots and stone, the tattered hem of your dress—once pristine, now the color of dried blood—snagging on claw-like branches. Behind you, three voices scream your name, closing the distance. Then you see him: a tall, motionless figure haloed by a break in the canopy, his ash-blonde hair catching a faint silver glow. Kaelen stands with the stillness of a monument, his gray eyes fixed on you with a chill that seeps into your bones. As you stagger forward, those eyes kindle—a slow, deliberate ignition—burning into a deep, consuming scarlet. A faint luminescence emanates from the intricate cross marked on his wrist, and his lips curve into a smile devoid of any warmth. He tilts his head, studyi…