Page 12 of Lured By Shadows

The word “brother” froze me completely, halting everything for a second as I tried to make sense of how these two fit together.

“Wait,” I said, stepping back and looking between them. “He’s your brother?”

They didn’t look alike at first glance, but there was something there beneath the surface. A shared stillness. Even the way they dressed seemed to echo each other.

I pulled my vape into my hand, needing something to steady myself. “Is there anything else I should know?” I asked, straightening my posture.

Culver covered his mouth, but the curve of his smile was unmistakable. “You will have your opportunities to uncover more in due time, little lamb.”

“Stop calling me that,” I said, crossing my arms. “It makes it sound like you’re making fun of me.”

My ears burned, and I hated that it wasn’t just irritation behind it.

Culver’s expression shifted, genuine surprise softening his features. “I apologize,” he said quietly. “It was not meant as mockery. I find you… precious.”

Oh, absolutely not. My face heating up over the word "precious" was humiliating.

He glanced toward Rupert. “Would you not agree?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Rupert grinned, throwing an arm over Culver’s shoulder. “Cute as a button.”

Was I being adopted by rich gothic people right now?

Then his tone shifted just enough to send a faint prickle along the back of my neck.

“Though Sor is far more to my liking."

“Sor?” I echoed. “Who’s that?”

Rupert lit up, stars practically glowing in his eyes. “Soroush is my lover,” he said, clearly pleased. “You’ll adore him. Once you meet—”

A door slammed nearby, making me flinch. I glanced down at my schedule, panic spiking as I realized my next class was about to start.

Without thinking, I reached out and tugged on Culver’s sleeve.

The movement came far too easily.

“Brother,” Culver said to Rupert, his tone warm but firm. “We must go.”

Rupert let out an exaggerated sigh before turning back to me, his expression sharpening. “See you soon, Ira.”

There was something in the way he said it that lingered, unsettling and curious all at once, clinging to me like a quiet warning beneath that easy smile.

“Sure,” I murmured.

As Culver guided me away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted. An uneasy thought settled in my chest, whispering that getting lost here might not be the worst thing that could happen to me.

4

As we walked through the empty halls, the rest of the world seemed to fall away until all I could hear was the steady rhythm of our footsteps and feel the presence of the man beside me. The silence between us wasn’t awkward, but it carried a strange sensation through me. It felt ridiculous, honestly, to be this affected by someone I barely knew.

My gaze drifted to the walls, tracing the geometric patterns carved into the stone, repeating in perfect symmetry. Everything about it felt hypnotic in its structure, a stark contrast to the disarray building in my own thoughts.

It wasn’t just attraction, either. Something about him unsettled me in a way I couldn’t fully explain, as though part of me was leaning toward him without permission. It left me uneasy, realizing how quickly my instincts shifted around him.

Still, I could feel the more outgoing part of me stirring, the side that built connections without overthinking every step. Sooner or later, this place would settle into something recognizable. I’d discover my rhythm and find people who fit into it.

Maybe Culver would be one of them.