The morning sunlight streamed through gauzy curtains as Hazel and Stel stepped onto the campus grounds.

  Hazel moved with her usual poised grace, dressed today in a ste-gray cardigan over a crisp white blouse and fitted trousers—comfortable, but still elegant in that way only she could manage.

  Stel walked at her side, their hands brushing once or twice, their pace synchronized without thought.

  Their morning csses passed uneventfully, though Hazel noticed Stel checking her phone every so often—likely waiting for a message that never came.

  When lunchtime arrived, they found a quiet patch of grass beneath one of the older trees near the quad, shaded just enough to escape the growing heat.

  Stel peeled open her lunch container, but her eyes flicked toward Hazel’s untouched seat beside her. Hazel was adjusting the cuff of her sleeve, her attention tilted toward the horizon, though she spoke without turning.

  “I’ll be heading over to Alex’s after this,” Hazel said gently. “She’s packing up her things. I thought I’d help.”

  Stel paused mid-bite, her expression caught between surprise and something almost shy. “Oh?”

  Hazel turned, meeting her eyes with a faint smile, something wry behind her amber gaze. “You seem happier about that than you mean to.”

  “I’m not—” Stel’s voice rose, then faltered. “I’m not happy about it, I just—she shouldn’t be alone, that’s all.”

  “Of course,” Hazel replied, her grin soft but amused. “That’s all.”

  Stel looked away, cheeks pink, chewing more forcefully than necessary.

  Before Hazel could push the teasing any further, a familiar voice drifted into the clearing.

  “Excuse me—Hazel, right?”

  She turned, eyes narrowing slightly in recognition as Alyssa approached. The same composed confidence radiated from her, though her expression was more focused today—serious curiosity repcing her usual flippant charm.

  “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Alyssa said, gncing briefly at Stel before settling her gaze back on Hazel. “But… I wanted to ask you something. If that’s alright.”

  Hazel gave a gracious nod, rising with a smooth motion that barely disturbed the folds of her clothing. “Of course. Walk with me?”

  Alyssa hesitated, but then followed as Hazel moved toward the path that skirted the edge of the quad. The murmuring of students filled the distance, but in the space between them, things felt unusually quiet.

  “I’ve been reading up on the virus,” Alyssa began, her tone carefully measured. “Hemotropis luxura. They say it’s extremely rare… but also that it changes everything.”

  Hazel didn’t answer immediately, instead allowing Alyssa to fill the silence with her own thoughts.

  “You don’t have to tell me anything you’re uncomfortable with,” Alyssa added quickly. “I’m just… curious. You seem so—together. Like it didn’t destroy your life. Like maybe it made it better?”

  Hazel let out a quiet breath, her smile returning—warmer this time, but tinged with something unreadable. “It did destroy it,” she said softly. “And then… something else was built from the wreckage.”

  Alyssa stopped walking. “But do you feel human still?”

  Hazel turned to face her, golden eyes gleaming under the midday light. “Does anyone?”

  That made Alyssa blink, caught off guard.

  “Most people,” Hazel continued, “live their lives without ever questioning what they are. They never look closely at their instincts or their fws. But I’ve been forced to. I think that’s more human than most care to admit.”

  Alyssa gave a slow nod, her brows still slightly drawn. “So… it’s not just blood and beauty.”

  “No,” Hazel said, a touch of sadness in her voice. “But those are the parts people always notice first.”

  A moment passed in silence before Alyssa said, “Thanks. For not brushing me off.”

  “You asked sincerely,” Hazel replied. “That’s more than most.”

  Alyssa smiled slightly. “You’re hard to ignore, you know.”

  “I’ve heard that once or twice.”

  ...

  Hazel was carefully folding a soft sweater at Alex's house when the front door suddenly banged open with a loud crash.

  Five men stormed inside, faces twisted in anger and scorn. Their eyes locked onto Hazel and Alex instantly.

  “You can’t hide her here,” one growled. “She’s a demon, and this ends now.”

  Hazel’s calm golden gaze flickered, a cold spark igniting beneath her composed exterior.

  Alex stepped forward, fists clenched, ready to protect her new friend. “You’re not welcome here.”

  The tallest of the men sneered, pushing past Alex as if she were air. “We’re doing God’s work. You’re harboring evil.”

  Without warning, he lunged at Alex.

  But Hazel was faster.

  With a sharp step forward, Hazel caught the man’s wrist mid-lunge, her grip like iron. She twisted his arm with precision and smmed him hard into the wall, the sound of impact echoing through the room.

  Before the others could react, Alex charged at the nearest attacker. Her movements fluid, she ducked under a wild punch and delivered a crushing blow to his ribs. The man gasped, staggering back, clutching his side.

  Two men moved in tandem, trying to fnk Hazel. One swung a heavy fist toward her face, but Hazel ducked smoothly, grabbing his wrist and wrenching it sharply.

  The attacker’s eyes widened in shock as she threw him across the room. He crashed into a shelf, knocking over a mp that shattered on the floor.

  The fifth man charged at Alex with a desperate roar. Alex sidestepped, catching his arm and flipping him over her shoulder with practiced skill. He hit the ground hard, winded.

  Hazel and Alex moved as a seamless unit — swift, powerful, yet controlled. Their breaths steady, their eyes sharp, every motion precise.

  Hazel’s voice cut through the chaos, chilling and low: “Leave. Now.”

  The men groaned, beaten but unwilling to admit defeat. Their hatred burned, but their bodies betrayed them. Bruised, winded, and outmatched, they staggered back toward the door.

  The tallest snarled, blood dripping from his lip. “You haven’t seen the st of us.”

  Hazel’s smile was razor-thin, her voice icy. “We’ll be ready.”

  The door smmed shut behind them.

  Alex exhaled, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “Thanks,” she said quietly.

  Hazel’s amber eyes softened just a touch. “You’re not alone. We protect each other.”

  Alex lounged back on the couch, a sly grin pying on her lips. “You know, when they said, ‘You haven’t seen the st of us,’ it sounded like they were reading from some bad horror movie script.”

  Hazel leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, a soft chuckle escaping her. “Yeah, I almost expected a spooky soundtrack to start up right after.”

  Alex smirked and nudged Hazel pyfully. “Maybe they should stick to choir instead of trying to be tough guys.”

  Hazel’s smile widened. “If they come back, they’ll learn real quick not to mess with us.”

  Alex ughed lightly. “You always have to be the star, huh?”

  “Someone’s gotta keep things interesting,” Hazel teased, stepping closer. “And protect you while I’m at it.”

  They shared a quiet moment, the room calm but charged with the promise that Hazel would be ready if those fools returned.

  Alex gnced around the room, folding the st of her clothes with careful precision. “Alright, almost done. I called a moving company earlier — managed to borrow a smaller truck. Should make hauling everything a bit easier.”

  Hazel nodded, sliding a box closed and sealing it with tape. “Smart move. Big trucks are a hassle for quick moves.”

  Alex smiled, pulling out her phone to confirm the pickup time. “They’ll be here in about an hour. Plenty of time to finish up.”

  Hazel stretched, her eyes scanning the neatly packed boxes. “You really pnned all this out. Impressive.”

  Alex shrugged pyfully. “When you have people breathing down your neck, you learn to stay organized.”

  Hazel grinned. “Guess that means no more surprise visits from ‘well-meaning’ church guys for a while?”

  “Hopefully,” Alex said, locking the st box. “But if they come back, they’ll have to deal with both of us.”

  Hazel smiled warmly. “Together, then.”

  ...

  The borrowed moving truck rumbled to a stop in front of Hazel and Stel’s modest but well-kept home.

  The te afternoon light cast long shadows across the sidewalk, painting warm streaks across the exterior as Hazel hopped down from the passenger side. Alex exited her side more slowly, eyes scanning the neighborhood with a cautious curiosity.

  “This feels… calmer than I expected,” she said.

  Hazel chuckled, reaching into the back to grab one of the lighter boxes. “The drama starts inside. Trust me.”

  They moved in practiced rhythm, unloading and carrying boxes up the front steps. The front door clicked open easily under Hazel’s hand, and the soft interior light spilled onto the floor as they stepped into the living room.

  Alex paused, taking in the space — simple but inviting, with clean furniture, a faint scent of coffee and cedar, and a few subtle touches that felt distinctly Hazel: a folded bck jacket on a hook by the door, a half-finished novel face down on the coffee table.

  Hazel gestured down the hall. “You can take the guest room, second door on the right. It’s already made up — just toss your stuff in there and we’ll unpack bit by bit.”

  “Homey,” Alex said with a small smile, brushing a strand of dark hair behind her ear before hauling her first load down the hallway.

  They made several trips, ughing lightly between boxes, dodging corners and trying not to bang into the walls.

  Alex, despite her grace, still managed to stub her toe against the doorframe with a muffled curse that had Hazel biting back ughter.

  A little while ter, Hazel was halfway through unpacking a stack of books when the front door opened with a familiar creak.

  “Hazel?” came Stel’s voice — light, but ced with a slight edge.

  Hazel turned toward the door just as Stel stepped in, her backpack slung over one shoulder. She blinked at the sight of open boxes in the hallway, her gaze narrowing slightly.

  “I thought you were going to pick me up,” she said, voice just shy of a pout.

  Hazel set the book down. “I got caught up helping Alex move her stuff.”

  Stel raised an eyebrow. “Right… I walked all the way home wondering if you got eaten or something.”

  Before Hazel could reply, a voice called from down the hall.

  “I didn’t eat her!” Alex poked her head out from the guest room doorway, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips. “Though she looked deliciously stressed while carrying my bookshelf.”

  Stel’s expression shifted from annoyed to surprised in an instant. “You’re staying here?”

  “For a little while,” Alex said. “Until I find my own pce.”

  There was a pause. Then, with only the faintest grumble, Stel walked forward and dropped her backpack onto the couch. “Well... I guess I can help too. If you're moving in, you’re family now, whether I like it or not.”

  Alex tilted her head. “Aw, already adopted? I feel so loved.”

  Hazel suppressed a grin, watching Stel try to maintain a scowl while already kneeling to open a box. “It’s fine,” Stel muttered. “As long as you don’t rearrange my cereal shelf.”

  “No promises,” Alex said, crouching beside her and flicking her hair off her shoulder in exaggerated elegance. “But I’ll make it up to you with my devastating charm.”

  Stel looked to Hazel in mock horror. “She’s like you, but worse.”

  Hazel just smirked, leaning against the wall with her arms folded. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  The three of them fell into a rhythm — unpacking, ughing, teasing. The earlier conflict and tension from the day began to fade, repced with a tentative warmth.

  Though the air still held the aftertaste of confrontation, it was countered by something stronger: connection, trust, and the quiet understanding that, going forward, none of them would have to face things alone.

  As the sun dipped below the horizon and the sky darkened to dusky violet, the house glowed with soft mplight and easy conversation.

  And for the first time in a long while, it felt like things were falling into pce — not perfectly, but meaningfully.