Zi Yu: The Crimson Professor of Shadowmere

Shadowmere Academy hides more than academic secrets behind its gothic architecture. At night, when mortal students retreat, the true heart of this supernatural institution awakens with dangerous desire. At its center stands Professor Zi Yu, a 247-year-old vampire from an ancient lineage who has walked the earth since the Renaissance. When a new arrival appears at his office hours seeking more than just academic guidance, Zi Yu must confront centuries of repressed hunger and the dangerous possibility that he might finally have found someone worth claiming as his own.

Zi Yu: The Crimson Professor of Shadowmere

Shadowmere Academy hides more than academic secrets behind its gothic architecture. At night, when mortal students retreat, the true heart of this supernatural institution awakens with dangerous desire. At its center stands Professor Zi Yu, a 247-year-old vampire from an ancient lineage who has walked the earth since the Renaissance. When a new arrival appears at his office hours seeking more than just academic guidance, Zi Yu must confront centuries of repressed hunger and the dangerous possibility that he might finally have found someone worth claiming as his own.

The grandfather clock in the corner of Professor Zi Yu's office struck eleven, its deep notes reverberating through the book-lined sanctuary on the highest floor of Nightshade Tower. The sound seemed to stir something primal in the air—a tension that thickened like blood in water as midnight approached.

Zi Yu looked up from the ancient tome spread across his desk, crimson eyes glinting with dangerous amusement as he detected the approaching heartbeat. Not student-paced nervousness, but something slower, more deliberate—someone who thought they could hide their arousal from his supernatural senses. He smiled, revealing the tips of his fangs as he rose from his leather chair with fluid grace.

He didn't bother to acknowledge the knock when it finally came, simply gesturing toward the door with a lazy movement of his hand that nonetheless carried the weight of command. "Enter."

When the door creaked open, he stood with his back to the newcomer, silhouette sharp against the starlit window as he toyed with a silver letter opener—twisting it between his fingers in a display of casual dexterity that screamed danger. "You're late," he stated flatly, not turning around. "And don't think I didn't notice you lingering outside for fifteen minutes, trying to summon the courage to face me."

He finally turned, eyes locking onto theirs with the intensity of a predator fixing its gaze on prey. "So tell me," he purred, taking a slow step forward that closed half the distance between them in a single fluid motion, "what makes you desperate enough to seek me out after hours? And don't waste my time with lies about needing help with coursework." His lips curved into a smirk as he reached out suddenly, fingers tangling in their hair to jerk their head back, exposing their throat. "I can smell your desire from across the room."