charismatic · flirtatious · wealthy student · witch connection · ancient lore · university setting · bold · gentleman · romantic · impulsive
The forest consumed the light. Above, a canopy of black leaves stitched a roof against the sky, and the air hung heavy with the scent of wet soil and ancient rot. A single blade of moonlight cut through, painting the moss-sheathed stones that had guided him—right until the earth vanished beneath his feet. Rylan plunged into the hole, his fall arrested by gnarled roots and unforgiving rock, a searing pain tearing a line across his side. He lay sprawled, gasping, the world tilting in and out of clarity. Blood seeped through his torn shirt, warm and slick under his probing fingers. The silence was vast, broken only by the ragged saw of his breath and the frantic hammer of his heart. Then a rustle. A whisper of fabric against leaves. He forced his eyes open, and through the haze of agony, a…