One Step Closer...

The door swung open and Scarlett wore her socially accepted face that came with a forced smile, it was exhausting holding up this mask.

"Hi! What can I help you with?" Scarlett's words were gentle and kind, which motivated her guest to speak up as Scarlett sensed that she was socially awkward and this predicted conversation was going to be a royal pain in the ass.

"I-I'm Giulia, I live next door. I wanted to introduce myself," Giulia said, her bowl-cut brown hair only made her nerdy appearance even more feasible.

"I'm Scarlett, did you just arrive here too?" Scarlett asked, she barely had time to herself ever since arriving at the dorm. School was more exhausting than she had anticipated as the little social interaction already drained her and now there was another girl.

"N-No, I have been here for a week now and I came here to ask if you would like to be friends," Giulia said. She had a very unique accent, was she a foreigner perhaps?

"Sure! Would you like to come in?" Scarlett's hospitality was admirable as Giulia accepted her offer and entered the dormitory, she noticed that Scarlett was still settling in.

Her bags were not even emptied into the wardrobe, they were all still packed.

"You just moved in?" Giulia asked Scarlett to which she nodded, Giulia had a pleasant smell.

"Yes, there is so much to do, I don't even know where to start," Scarlett complained as she fell back first into her bed, Giulia knew how it could be with moving into college so she understood what Scarlett was saying.

"Hahaha! I can relate," Giulia could relate considering she had just moved in herself a week ago and knew first-hand how strenuous things could be.

"Giulia, that is a unique name, are you from this country?" Scarlett asked, tossing to her side to establish eye contact with Giulia. She tapped the edge of her bed for her new friend to sit down.

Giulia accepted her offer and sat down before answering her question.

"Y-Yes, I come from Italy or at least my father does. I was raised right here." Giulia said.

She could barely look her in the eyes as she averted her gaze every 3-6 seconds when talking to Scarlett, something that didn't go unnoticed by her.

"Are you nervous?" Scarlett asked, derailing from the conversation they were initially having, and the moment she said this, Giulia's head sunk in embarrassment.

She didn't know her subconscious action was this noticeable and immediately tensed up but this only made Scarlett chuckle because she found it cute.

"You don't need to worry! I don't bite, you can be yourself around me!" Scarlett said; she sounded reinvigorated the moment she knew that Giulia was not like the everyday cliche girl trope. Giulia was her type of crowd.

"A-Are you sure? I have been told I'm pretty weird," Giulia muttered under her breath timidly.

"The best people are weirdos!" Scarlett encouraged her new friend, and she noticed Giulia's face light up like weights were lifted off her shoulders.

But before they continued, Isabella stepped into the dormitory but she wasn't alone, she came with Ronnell.

"Oh, you have made a friend?" Isabella asked Scarlett as she saw Giulia seated at the side of her bed. She sounded like her mother with the tone she used.

Giulia wanted to greet but Isabella's attention shifted from them to Ronnell, leaving the bespectacled girl to swallow her words.

"This is my new friend, she is Giulia," Scarlett said, drawing Isabella's attention back to them.

Giulia felt a warm hand on her back and felt all anxiety leave her body but what should have been Isabella's response turned to Ronnells'.

"You're a foreigner?" Ronnell showed interest in Scarlett's new friend, rushing to the side of her bed but Scarlett didn't know what her deal was still so this inevitably put her on guard.

The girls conversed, Ronnell dragging Isabella into the conversation as they all got to know each other just above superficial levels.

-

Heidi was out of breath, panting as she lay naked next to Dante, whose breathing was still the same. This was not only due to his enhanced stamina as an older vampire but his technique when it came to satisfying a woman.

Living that long, it was only fair he knew this much about a woman's body but this was his negotiation with Heidi. He had held up his end of the bargain and now Heidi had no excuse not to hold up hers.

She needed to catch her breath first as she watched Dante get up from the bed, his ripped body sent shivers down her spine but she had to control her lust because she knew she would only be punishing herself if she got too 'excited'.

"Heidi, get up. You can't lay around all day when you have a job to do," Dante said, throwing a towel around his neck and Heidi couldn't peel her eyes away from him.

Dante could tell that she wanted to shower with him, but he knew she was aware that he wouldn't allow her so she didn't bother asking. She knew the rules.

"I don't want you here when I come out, Heidi." Dante's voice lingered in the room, it was a subtle threat and Dante entered the bathroom soon after.

She reluctantly got up from her bed but she was also curious to see just who this girl was. The girl that could push Dante to such an extent, Dante has never shown any sort of interest towards humans in the centuries she has known him.

He was indifferent towards humans and vampires alike, he was easily the strongest vampire in existence as she was yet to see any vampire even touch him in battle and that is why Heidi initially stuck with him but now, she couldn't find a reason to even think about leaving him.

No, it was more accurate to say she couldn't because she wouldn't last out there for even a second, the fact that she had ties with Dante inadvertently made her a target for other vampire factions. Most notably the Behemoth faction, this was the most dangerous faction in terms of threats posed.