"Last night, I received a letter from my long-distance girlfriend asking me to meet her in the forest behind our college. After months of waiting, I will finally get to see her." I overheard a conversation between Ankush and Abhimanyu. I will admit it- I love gossip. Ever since I was a child, I've had a curiosity not for science or history, but for people's stories-something I probably inherited from my mother.

I looked at advika, who was focusing on the teacher.

"When are you meeting her?" Abhimanyu asked, pulling my attention back.

"Today at ten, at night."

Abhimanyu frowned. "At night? In the forest? You know how shady that place is. There are stories about."

Shady? Stories? I'd been here over a week and hadn't heard a thing. What the hell was he talking about?

"That's what I thought," Ankush said. "I texted her to confirm, but she hasn't replied yet. Maybe she's busy."

Abhimanyu just nodded, though I caught the unease flickering across his face.

"Hey, sorry to disturb you guys, but what are shady stories?" I muttered in a low tone, making sure the teacher didn't look at me. This caught advika's attention. She looked at me and then behind. Her eyes stayed on Abhimanyu longer than necessary.

"It's said that many deaths have happened in there. And the college receives a painting of the way a person died. "

"Oh- fuck." Advika muttered.

"And that too of blood."

"Is anyone suspected?'

"Students say it's Professor Asher, as he is the only artist in the college and many have seen him going to the forest," Ankush muttered in a lower tone.

A chilling sensation traveled through my body, and goosebumps erupted. The dangerously handsome face, now tattooed in my mind... could he really be behind this?

I looked outside the window of my class, only to see him. Standing tall and handsome. As if sensing my gaze, his eyes directly met mine, and a faint smirk played on his face.

Could he really be behind all this?

⋆.˚༄

I entered the classroom, and no one was present except me. Now will that bastard be happy? I am the first one in the class. I sat on the last bench, scrolling through my phone.

Footsteps echoed, and I looked up. There he was, standing near the door, a smirk playing on his lips. He walked toward me, and the air shifted as if charged.

"Early today, Vixi?" he whispered. His voice, low, smooth, and somehow dangerous, sent a shiver through me, igniting a spark inside me.

Did I ever tell you how the way he says Vixi drives me crazy? My eyes drifted to his black ones, piercing right through me, then down to his mouth-those pink lips... how would they feel on mine?

He groaned, pulling me out of thoughts- thoughts that no one should know about.

"Lost, Vixi?" He spoke, my eyes darting to his face, a clear, big smirk played on his face.

That damn smirk.

"Maybe," I muttered without realizing.

What the actual hell am I blabbering? Before I could amend my words, his laughter echoed in the empty room- I looked at him. He was laughing. So beautiful. so hot. That's what he was. My heart throbbed - so did my clit at the voice of his laughter.

I forgot everything-him as my teacher, the early morning lecture, his infuriating attitude. All I saw was the man before me, laughing at my words, and I couldn't look away.

He stopped laughing and leaned just slightly closer, so close I could feel the faint warmth radiating from him. His black eyes held mine.

"Today, you haven't worn any of those printed t-shirts?" he asked, changing the topic, as he didn't laugh at something stupid I said.

"I didn't know you loved them, professor," I replied, my tone dripping with mockery.

Footsteps echoed in the empty room as he straightened, the faint smirk still tugging at his lips. Slowly, deliberately, he walked back to the front, every step echoing across the floor.

I stared at his perfect ass- that I would love to smack. I shook my head- what kind of filthy thoughts was I having?

He started teaching, explaining the intricacies of criminology, but I couldn't focus on the lesson. All my attention was on him-how he moved, how he spoke, the way he occasionally let his gaze flick toward me. Every time our eyes met, a shiver ran down my spine.

My thoughts wandered. Is he really behind all this?

⋆.˚༄

It's ten at night, and here I am with Advika and Abhimanyu, following Ankush- though he doesn't know we are following him. Our steps are quiet, making sure he doesn't notice.

"It's so creepy of his girlfriend."

"I know, right?" I whispered back.

We crept through the quiet corridor, the kind of silence that made every small sound feel louder. When we finally stepped out of the college gate, the night swallowed us whole-dark, still, not a single soul in sight.

"We'll have to go from the other side," Abhimanyu muttered, taking the lead. We followed without a word.

A part of me was euphoric-the thrill of the unknown pulsing through my veins-but beneath that rush lurked fear. And God, it was exhilarating.

The forest was hauntingly beautiful, the moon creeping into the sky as the crown of the tree, as we stepped ahead. A voice echoed. My heart raced. Oh God, this was scary. Advika looked at me- fear in her eyes, I tried to smile. I held her hand in mine, "It's okay. It's nothing." She nodded.

"Guys, I have a plan."

"What's it?" Abhimanyu whispered in a low tone.

"Let's split. I will go to the place from where the sound came. You follow Ankush?"

"Pagl ho gyi kya?" was the first thing I heard from Advika.

"Exactly, we can't split." Abhimanyu agreed.

"Please, guys, let's follow it- You both follow Ankush and message me if anything happens, okay?"

"But-"

"Ika, no buts- we need to look. Please." Advika nodded.

"Take care of yourself, and shout if something happens," Abhimanyu warned me. I gave him a nod and went to the other side from where the voice came.

I looked around - fear lacing my chest. The cold wind brushed against my skin, sending shivers down my spine. I kept moving, careful not to make a sound.

Ten minutes passed in eerie silence until a shadow caught my eye. I moved my eyes toward the figure- A shirtless guy stood a few meters away, painting on a canvas under the pale moonlight. His back faced me, muscles flexing with every stroke. A small star tattoo gleamed on his shoulder blade. My eyes wandered down to his ass, which exactly looked like Professor Asher's.

No way-

My breath hitched when he looked back, and my eyes met with his.

My pulse stuttered, breath uneven, every nerve in my body alive.

For a second, neither of us moved. The only sound was the whisper of the wind and the faint rustle of leaves beneath my shoes.

"Vixi?" His voice was low, smooth, almost sinful.

"Professor?" I muttered back. My eyes trailed from his handsome face down to his chest -built, tattooed, gleaming under the moonlight. A single droplet of water slid down the center, and my throat went dry. The sight was tempting.

"Vixi, look at me."

His voice was calm but commanding. I loved breaking rules, yet here I was, obeying him without question - his eyes shimmering with something dark, a smirk played on his face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, taking slow, deliberate steps toward me.

"I was just... wandering around. I couldn't sleep."

His lips curved slightly - not quite a smile, not quite a threat. "You shouldn't be here at this hour, Vixi. The forest isn't safe."

"You shouldn't be too."

"Oh, Vixi, how much time have I told you to keep your attitude in check?"

"What would you do?" I whispered, almost giving him a challenge.

His eyes darkened as he looked at me-"You wouldn't wanna know."

I rolled my eyes and looked at his canvas- a devil painted on it- blood oozing from its body.

The painting was hauntingly beautiful.

"Liked it?"

"It's beautiful."

His eyes flickered on me. Butterflies erupted inside me at the way he looked at me.

I moved forward, sitting on the bench that was situated there, his eyes following each movement.

"So, you love drawing at night?" I asked.

"Yes, it ignites my spark." He said, moving towards me. The faint scent of paint and something darker-his cologne, maybe-wrapped around me as he sat down.. A calm silence settled between us. I was going to lie if I said he didn't affect me; he was dauntingly handsome, and something about him pulled me towards him.

I looked at his chest, which he was now covering by wearing his shirt. After he wore it, he looked at me,

"NEED HEELS." He read the words on my crop top. I would lie if I said I am not embarrassed. Oh gosh, what the hell was I wearing?

"I haven't seen you in heels?" his question caught me off guard.

"Yeah, i don't wear, but I want to, but I am already tall- I don't wanna look giant." I sighed. It's true, from my teenage years I always wanted to wear heels, but my mom never let me buy them, saying I am already tall, I don't need them.

"My mom never allowed me to buy them." I continued.

"Why is that?"

"She believed I wouldn't look good infront of other girls, instead I would look clown."

"That's nonsense." He muttered.

I nodded.

Who would have expected that I was going to have a conversation with my professor- and that too in which he would ask me a random question about me not wearing heels?

I looked at him and found him staring at the stars in the sky- he looked so beautiful. Completely different from the man I know.

"You love stars?"

"I like staring at them." He said as his eyes found mine.

Those words did something inside me- as if he was telling me.

"You should go now, vixi." He said as he stood up. But I wanted to stay.

"Good night, professor." I stood up, ignoring every urge to sit beside him.

"Night, Vixi." He muttered.

Realization hit me, oh god, I was so lost, I didn't think about my friends. Fuck.

I opened my phone and texted Advika, "Ika, where are you guys at?"

I moved towards that way. Around ten minutes late, I got the text, "We are coming towards the gate. Go there. Go fast, I will tell you everything."

I replied to her with a simple okay and made my way towards the gate.