Chapter 11: Shadows Don’t Bow
1007 Words
Adrian's Point of View
Adrian Valerius walked through the human campus with the effortless grace of someone born into power.
Every whisper, every stare, every breath around him shifted when he passed not because he demanded attention, but because his kind naturally drew it.
Tall, refined, dark-haired, and impossibly composed, Adrian carried centuries of royal training in every quiet step he took.
Humans… reacted.
Some stole shy glances.
Some stared openly.
Some stopped mid-sentence, suddenly forgetting what they were saying.
But Adrian barely saw them.
He was here for a mission too dangerous for humans to comprehend, too secret for the supernatural councils to reveal:
vampire artifact capable of commanding supernatural creatures was rumored to be somewhere in the human world.
Adrian had been sent to find the trail.
blending into human life.
Or at least… pretending to blend.
That was the plan.
Until he noticed her.
It wasn’t dramatic.
She didn’t glow, didn’t fall, didn’t collide with him like humans in cheesy dramas.
She simply walked past him outside the library, carrying a stack of books.
Long Red hair tied loosely.
Soft, careful eyes.
Gentle steps, as if she didn’t want to disturb the ground she walked on.
A modest outfit that didn’t scream for attention.
She looked like the type of girl humans called “pretty” in a soft, delicate way.
But that wasn’t what made Adrian pause.
It was the lack of reaction.
Every other human froze when he appeared.
Clarice Silver glanced at him…
…and continued walking as though he were simply another student.
No heartbeat stutter.
No shy stare.
No flushed cheeks.
No fluttering nervousness.
Just a polite, completely neutral look.
Adrian turned his head slightly.
Curious.
He wasn’t offended merely intrigued.
A Valerius prince’s natural charm worked on everyone except other supernatural creatures… and extremely rare exceptions.
But she didn’t feel supernatural.
Her scent was human.
Her heartbeat was steady.
Her aura was quiet and soft, with no spikes of hidden power.
Unremarkable.
Except for the fact she was utterly unaffected by him.
A puzzle.
Adrian liked puzzles.
Over the next days, he saw her again always going about her business with an air of quietness that didn’t match the loud excitement of her peers.
She was kind, but reserved.
She smiled often, but always gently.
She listened more than she spoke.
She blended into groups easily but never fully opened up.
She didn’t crave attention.
She avoided crowds when possible.
Her friends adored her.
Humans found her approachable and warm.
To everyone else, she looked perfectly ordinary.
He didn’t judge.
He didn’t pry.
He simply watched silently, from the distance of someone with no intention of interfering.
It happened in their shared literature class.
Adrian had taken a seat near the window, flipping through a worn book that hid vampire scripts behind its English cover.
Students whispered in excitement as usual.
But Clarice Silver sat several rows away, doodling quietly in her notebook, completely uninterested in the small commotion around him.
When class ended, she gathered her notes and stood.
Her friends waved at Adrian nervously.
Clarice didn’t.
She simply smiled politely and stepped around the crowd.
Adrian closed his book.
He didn’t plan to start a friendship.
He didn’t plan to attract attention.
But something in her calmness made him curious.
He moved toward her, keeping his tone neutral.
“Excuse me.”
She paused, turning to him with the same gentle composure she had for everyone.
“Yes?”
Her voice was soft, genuinely soft, not timid.
“We share this class. I thought it would be proper to introduce myself,” he said lightly. “I’m Adrian. Adrian Valerius.”
Her friends froze behind her.
Clarice just nodded. “Clarice Silver. Nice to meet you.”
No starstruck expression.
No flushed cheeks.
Just normal politeness.
It was almost refreshing.
“I’ve noticed we read similar material,” he added, gesturing to her notebook. “Are you studying the Romantic-era authors too?”
She blinked, surprised he noticed her work. “Oh. Yes. I like their style.”
“Interesting taste.”
She gave a modest shrug. “I don’t know much about literature, but I enjoy reading.”
Her smile was small, but real.
Adrian found himself studying her quietly trying to understand why she stood out despite seeming so ordinary.
When she walked away, her friends instantly began whispering excitedly:
“You talked to him!”
“Clarice, he literally approached you!”
“Why didn’t you freak out?!”
Clarice just laughed awkwardly.
Adrian watched her go, hands in his pockets.
Unaffected.
That was new.
That was interesting.
It wasn’t destiny.
It wasn’t a supernatural pull.
It wasn’t attraction.
It was curiosity plain and simple.
Someone who saw him as nothing special was rare.
Someone immune to his presence was unusual.
Someone who carried quiet sadness under a soft smile… was familiar.
Adrian understood people who hid pain well.
So, slowly and without forcing anything, he began approaching her in small moments:
A shared walk after class
A short conversation in the library
A group assignment where he offered help
A casual greeting near the campus café
He never pushed.
Never hovered.
Never used his supernatural charm.
He behaved like a normal student.
And Clarice Silver, gentle and cautious, allowed him into the edges of her new life.
Not close.
Not deeply.
But enough to acknowledge him with genuine, warm politeness.
A simple friendship.
For now.
But something in Adrian’s chest tightened the more he observed her not romantically, not possessively, but protectively.
Something about her didn’t match this world.
Something she hid.
Something delicate and breakable.
Adrian didn’t know what it was yet.
He didn’t know her origins.
He didn’t know she had a wolf.
He didn’t know she was running from anything.
He didn’t know Dimitri was on his way.
He only knew one thing:
Clarice Silver was becoming part of his world…
just as he was becoming part of hers.
And neither of them understood how dangerous that would eventually be.
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