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Lukas shot Aiden another look, his scowl growing.

“Later, man.” Aiden rolled his eyes at the attitude Lukas gave, muttering about how this was going to be as fun as a root canal. He exited the dorm, closing the door behind him.

Blaire took the opportunity to inspect the room in more detail, trying to distract herself from the guy who continued to watch her without offering conversation.

The room had bare walls, the design simplistic and plain. From the entrance, a small foyer led to a private ensuite bathroom from what she could see through an open door to the right of the entrance, and then opened into the main area of the shared room. The twin-sized bed she sat on stood against the left wall, dressed in soft black sheets and pillow slips with a burgundy duvet cover accented in ornate, black flourishes along the edges.

Positioned parallel to hers, sat Lukas’s bed, with matching linens, just a few feet away against the other wall, with a plush area rug between them. A wide nightstand stood between the beds, divided into six drawers to split between the room’s occupants. A small lamp sat on each side. A large window overlooked the courtyard behind the nightstand with a perfect view of the hedge maze and flower beds. Burgundy curtains, with the same ornate design that accented the beds, tied back with black cords to allow light to fill the room.

At the foot of Lukas’s bed sat a simple wooden desk and chair with various books on top. Another stack of books sat on the hardwood floor near the foot of his bed, in the middle of the room. His side of the room lacked a personal touch, holding no pictures or decorative accents. She found it strange. Didn’t most college students have things like pictures of family and friends, or something like posters… or, well, anything? The barren space seemed sad.

A matching desk abutted her bed at the foot. Beyond that, an open door led into a walk-in closet opposite the bathroom. The right side looked empty, but the left side appeared occupied with what must be Lukas’s clothing.

Blaire looked at her suitcases sitting between the closet and foyer. She needed to unpack, but she didn’t feel like it. She needed to figure out what was going on; this was all too surreal to be happening.

She got off the bed, and Lukas immediately stiffened. She glanced over at him. It made no sense to her that he acted afraid of her when he was the one who had the ability to drain her of life. She shook her head and crossed to her duffel to retrieve the folder the professor gave her before she passed out. Grabbing it up, she walked back to the bed and plopped down, sitting cross-legged.

She shuffled through the papers, trying to make sense of the information. Points made in the early pages had been explained to her, but as she delved deeper, she started asking questions aloud, talking to herself.

The guidebook confirmed her perception of the Korrena in the Vasirian’s world being essentially a soulmate.

Each Vasirian born into this world is predestined to be linked with another through this bond.

She scrunched her nose at that. “So, wait… I was born already bound to this guy?”

As long as the Vasirian youth are in proximity to one another, pairs typically manifest themselves by the late teens, generally seventeen to eighteen, but it is possible for a pairing to not discover one another until later. Vasirian are advised to be aware that in rare cases, they may not find their pair at all.

“Wait… how old is Lukas?” Blaire fit the age bracket, but the professor specifically said Lukas was late in finding his pair. She flopped back on the bed and ran her hands over her face with a heavy sigh.

“I’m nineteen.” Lukas’s deep timbre broke through her musings.

She grimaced; she’d forgotten he was in the room; he’d been so silent. It was the first time he spoke directly to her since the day they met. She lowered her hands and turned her head on the bed to stare at him. “Excuse me?”

He sighed. “You asked how old I am.”

Blaire’s cheeks warmed. She didn’t realize she’d ask the question aloud. She sat up and turned toward him, twisting the ends of her long hair. “So, you’re not a vampire…”

“No.”

“But you have fangs?”

“Yes.”

Blaire studied him. “How does that work?” Other than the professor at the end of their meeting, she hadn’t seen anyone with fangs.

Lukas raked his fingers through his long hair and licked his lips. “They… grow? I dunno.”

Blaire blinked at him; her mouth parted as she stared blankly.

“What?” He spoke softly, but the intensity of his unwavering gaze flustered her.

“How do teeth grow? I’ve never heard of anything like that.”

Lukas shifted uncomfortably before sighing. “It’s like an itch in your gums. Then it just sort of happens. I don’t know how to explain it. I’ve never had to.”

Blaire took a deep breath. “Do you drink blood like vampires do?” A loud swallow followed her question.

“I do… we all do. We need it to survive.”