Vampire Assassin: Love and Lies

The final rounds were underway, and the entire arena buzzed with energy. The stands were filled with students, some cheering for their friends, others just here for the drama. But for Damian, his eyes were only on one person—Nadia.

She'd been distant all day, avoiding eye contact and staying to herself. Even now, as she weaved through the crowd, there was something different about her—something off. Her usual confidence was gone, replaced by an almost heavy aura. Damian couldn't shake the feeling that she was struggling with something big, and it was eating at him.

His instincts kicked in. He needed to make sure she was okay. As he pushed through the crowd, he spotted her—walking alone, Cassius trailing a few paces behind. That guy. Damian clenched his jaw. He didn't even need to ask who he was. The way he stalked after Nadia, like she was his property, made Damian's blood boil.

Without thinking, Damian made his move, stepping directly between Nadia and Cassius, effectively blocking the path.

Nadia looked up at him, her eyes flicking to his before darting away. She didn't say anything, but there was something in her expression—something that said she was thankful, but too overwhelmed to respond. She wasn't ready to talk. Not yet.

Cassius, not liking the interruption, scoffed. "Nadia, come on. We're leaving," he said, voice sharp.

Nadia didn't even acknowledge him. Instead, she turned to Damian, then to Cassius, and with a sigh, just walked off, leaving them both in her wake.

Damian stood there for a moment, his mind racing. He'd stepped in, gotten her out of a tense situation, but she didn't even thank him. She didn't say anything. It stung more than he wanted to admit. She was grateful, he could tell, but she wasn't ready to face him. Not today.

As Nadia disappeared into the crowd, Damian's mood darkened. He didn't know what it was, but the feeling of unfinished business gnawed at him. Frustration simmered just beneath the surface as he turned and made his way back to his friends.

Emma, Oliver, and Zoe were all sitting together, the three of them clearly caught in their own little bubble. But as Damian approached, his mood wasn't hard to miss. His jaw was tight, his expression tense.

Emma noticed first. She always did. She looked up at him, her usual bright smile dimming just a little as she shifted uncomfortably. Damian caught the way her eyes softened when they met his, a moment too long, her lips pressing together like she was trying to hold something back. He couldn't help but notice. She had a thing for him.

But what about Zoe?

Zoe, sitting on Emma's other side, was acting... strange. She was fidgeting, her posture stiffer than usual, her gaze darting between him and Emma like she was figuring out some kind of puzzle. And Damian could swear that there was something more—something unspoken hanging between them.

Zoe wasn't just uncomfortable because of Nadia. No, it was deeper than that. It was because of Emma. Damian didn't have to be a mind reader to pick up on it. Emma had a thing for him and Zoe wasn't comfortable with that.

He didn't know what to make of it, but it was impossible to ignore.

He sat down next to them, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Nadia didn't want to talk," he muttered, his voice tense. "I stepped in between her and Cassius, and she just walked away without a word."

Emma barely glanced at him, clearly trying to act like she wasn't affected, though her fingers tapped anxiously against the bleacher. "I see," she said, voice soft.

Zoe, though, wasn't so subtle. She spoke up immediately, her tone sharp. "You should've kept talking to her. You can't just let her walk away like that."

Damian's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm not going to force her to talk if she doesn't want to. I'm not some... other guy in her life," he said, a little too harshly. He didn't mean it that way, but the frustration was boiling over. And maybe he was a bit bitter that Nadia had brushed him off like that.

Oliver, who had been uncharacteristically quiet up until now, finally spoke up, looking at Damian with a mixture of concern and curiosity. "What happened with Nadia?" he asked, his voice serious.

Damian ran a hand through his hair, still agitated. "She walked off. After I stepped in, she didn't want to talk. She just left."

Emma, who had been avoiding Damian's gaze, sighed softly, her posture shrinking a little. It was clear that her mind was elsewhere. Damian couldn't help but notice, but he didn't say anything. Zoe, however, wasn't as good at hiding her emotions.

"You should've kept talking to her," Zoe repeated, her voice a little more insistent this time.

Damian shot her a pointed look. "I did what I could, okay? I'm not gonna chase after her."

Oliver, who had been silently observing the whole exchange, suddenly spoke again, his voice low and thoughtful. "You're both missing something here. It's bigger than you think, but we don't have time to get into it now."

Damian furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about?"

But Oliver was already distracted, his attention on something else—namely, Mr. Saville and Dr. Adrian, who had just walked onto the field. Damian turned his head, following Oliver's gaze. What were they doing here?

"Mr. Saville?" Emma said, sounding confused. "What's he doing here?"

Damian felt his stomach drop. Something didn't sit right with him about this. But before he could think more on it, Oliver spoke again, his voice suddenly a lot more urgent.

"The crest," he muttered, almost to himself.

Damian's eyes snapped to Oliver, narrowing in curiosity. "What?"

Oliver's gaze flickered to the two men, then back to Damian. "I remember now. I made a discovery about the crest at home. Completely forgot to mention it." He looked almost excited, like something had clicked in his brain.

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