Chapter 8: Faine

 In the beginning, the campus architect envisioned a grand domed cathedral of a structure, a monumental feat of engineering mimicking the far cry of what was once possible. Underneath the dome, there would be enough room to encompass a small town inside. Sheltered by the rain, the compound would've been the center of educational learning, a beacon of hope to inspire each generation of students with thoughts of a better future. 

 He failed, almost miserably. 

 The exterior walls were finished, along with the gatehouse, but when he tried to build the dome that would shroud the entire campus grounds, he failed to secure the proper welding materials, hire the appropriate guild engineers, or acquire magical charms to support his grand design. So instead, he rushed to create a shrewd patchwork of iron and steel, hoping it would be but a temporary setback until he acquired the funds to properly finish his grand design. 

 He never did. And over time, the acid rain ate through the iron, forcing the campus to remove most of the crude overlay. Now when Theo looked up, he saw mostly open sky, with a moderate amount of iron beams, most of which sprouted from the edges of what would've been the bowl of the dome.

 The city was built beneath it though, establishing the campus grounds for Voxsturm. That single achievement was at least something. It wasn't enough to carve his name in history, though.

 Under the exposed dome of this tortured sky, Theo Serrano found himself face to face with another student who seemed hell bent on getting his attention. He had just left class and was admiring the sky above while walking back to the dorm when he suddenly ran into them.

 Actually, it was more like she had run into him. Or more likely, pursued him.

 "Hey you! Theo! I've been looking everywhere for you! I tried calling out this morning, but did you not see me? Anyway, I'm just glad I finally ran into you again, so please, can you do me a solid?" Her voice was shaky and overly excited.

 "I have literally no idea who you are, or what you're talking about," Theo Serrano mumbled to the vampire provoking him.

 It was getting annoying, trying to ignore the woman while standing in the rain without an umbrella in hand. He was at least thankful it wasn't acidic. Still, it was shockingly cold. Clutching onto his school jacket, Theo wondered if the rain would ever stop.

 "I'm Faine! Faine! You know me, we sit next to each other in the same exotic literature course." The ginger haired vampire shouted with her fangs barred, they were long and sharp. The woman was a head shorter than himself with glaring red eyes and deathly pale skin, the hallmarks of a true blood sucker. Despite that, she was beautiful in her own way. The woman wasn't even wearing her school uniform, choosing instead a dark black tank top and skirt which exposed her stomach. Her pale skin was rather firm, taught with muscle, betraying the vampire's attempt at an elegant facade. If only her hair wasn't so messy, as if she just crawled out of bed.

 I really need to get better about remembering names. Theo sighed to himself, trying to reflect on seeing her in class. Now that he really thought about it, she did sit next to him. He thought it strange; he usually kept his distance from vampires. 

 Theo reached back, scratching his chestnut colored hair, while trying to figure out why she was so adamant to talk to him. 

 Suddenly, a memory surfaced, the image of someone's hair on fire was first among them. "Oh wait, you're the chick who lit her book on fire!" 

 "Shut it! Not so loud—" Faine shushed him. "Look, I really need to borrow your textbook, so please?"

 "Just get another one yourself." Theo instinctively reached to protect his belongings.

 The vampire seemed frantic. "They're expensive! Can you just lend me yours."

 "I need it too. Why mine anyway?"

 "C'mon, give a girl a hand pleeeease." Faine dodged his question, pleading with her hands pressed close to her chest and her eyes full of hope. Even when she was giving him praise, a single fang poked through her lips. 

 "No chance." Theo scratched the back of his neck, growing frustrated.

 "You meanie." She stomped her foot on the ground, splashing a puddle of water.

 "Sorry, can't help you." Theo tried to wave her off, not interested in loaning his textbook to a mad pyromancer who was prone to 'accidentally' setting her stuff on fire.

 Faine continued to follow him, ignoring his attempts to disregard her, and tugging at his sleeve every couple of steps.

 "Will you please just stop," Theo groaned.

 "Please, I don't want to fail." 

 "Then you shouldn't have lit your stuff on fire." In truth, he couldn't even remember how the incident even started, he was barely paying attention himself.

 "It was an accident."

 "You were fooling around instead of listening to the lecture." He guessed.

 "So, you do remember me!" Faine's voice spiked.

 "Vaguely, I guess?" He lied, sort of.

 "Then you will help me?" Real hope highlighted her voice.

 "Why should I?" Theo asked pensively.

 "Because I'll owe you a favor." The vampire levitated in midair, hovering to block his path. "Please please please please, I'm begging you."

 "Fine, here just take it and go away." Instantly regretting his decision, Theo took out the small textbook and threw it to her.

 "Thank you! You won't regret this!" She caught the book like a desperate lover. And with that she spirited away, hovering three inches off the ground and gliding away as if about to be chased.

 Theo stopped dead in his tracks, grumbling to himself for several seconds. "Why did I just do that? Did she bewitch me?" It wouldn't have been the first time a vampire charmed a fellow student.

He sighed, feeling the weight of his impulsive decision beginning to tug at his mind. He supposed he could always just borrow his roommates' stuff if needed. Purchasing a new one was out of the question, at least for now. He cursed to himself; all his notes were in that book.

 "Stupid vampire," Theo scoffed. 

 Each footstep splashed against the cobblestone sidewalk as he resumed his march back to his dormitory. He walked slowly, appreciating the elvish garden nearby. There were dandelions growing alongside the roses. His mind wandered while staring at them. Protected from the rain by overhead glass panels, the small garden's soil was further purified with elvish magics. It wasn't the only one on campus, and just about every open space was utilized. 

 There were gardens all over campus, and other things besides. There were recreation areas, statues and monuments, and essentials for other demi-human species as well. Tauren and Auser milk pens were installed alongside the cafeteria. The Lamia were given a spawning pool somewhere on campus, but that enclosure was closed to everyone but them. Cubi set up relief stations in secluded spots all over, with more than a few in the dorms. Across the street, Theo noticed the Harpy's tree park was thick with red and green leaves, several Harpy's were lounging amongst themselves while cussing out Dragonkin who flew nearby. Their rivalries were the stuff of legend.

 Without thinking, he bent over and plucked one of the dandelions from the damp earth and then continued on his way. A stray bolt of lightning lit up the sky above as he neared the building, and the earth shook from its impact. He hoped the rain wouldn't suddenly turn more acidic. 

 Just as Theo reached the front entrance, he couldn't help but notice a tall succubus exiting the dorm, likely having just spent time with someone inside. It wasn't the only dormitory on campus, so Theo wasn't surprised that he hadn't seen her before. He definitely paid more attention to the Cubi on campus and felt like he would've known if she lived on one of his floors. Her uniform greatly exposed her breasts, and her pink skin was rather flustered. He looked at her for a brief second, noticing her short horns and lengthy black hair. 

 She eyed him with a mischievous grin as he passed her by.

 "Definitely not her." Lorelei's smile was forever carved in his memory, and it was nothing like hers. 

 Theo walked up the steps to the front door and strolled inside. Just as soon as he entered, the sound of a melancholic tune caught him by surprise.

 Sophia's approach came like a cool breeze on an otherwise warm and sunny day. She was walking casually toward the door, her school uniform clinging firmly to her warm skin. Her blouse was parted low to expose the elegant curve of her breasts, while the school tie neatly laid in between the valley of those supple mounds. She noticed him instantly and arched forward so that her breasts dangled in midair, the fabric straining to keep them from spilling freely. 

 "Good morning, you silly man." Her smirk sent a shiver down Theo's spine. She hopped up, causing a little bounce, and strolled past him. She seemed pleased letting him wonder just why she was so keen on singling him out.

 "What is it with all the strange women on this campus?" He quietly asked himself. 

 It would be about an hour later when another fire spontaneously erupted in one of the smaller dorms across campus. Theo swore out loud when he noticed campus security rushing to put it out.