An incandescent glow illuminated the back of the library section in an instant.

"AH!" Tristan exclaimed, as he shielded his eyes from the blinding light that suddenly burst from the book.

He dropped the cumbersome corpus, impacting the ground with another resounding thud.

"What the fuck was that?" He murmured to himself, disoriented and vision blurred by the flash of light.

Just as he turned back to head out of the library section, a deep guttural groan, followed by an eerie-sounding giggle penetrated Tristan's eardrums from somewhere behind.

"Dare to turn away, dear?" A foreign voice declared, a provocation exclaimed with a sliver of anticipation.

The tan being's hastily thought out scheme had worked! He was in the mortal realm once more.

Tristan stood aghast, thoughts roaming wildly in his head.

"Flying bag of fucks, what did I just fucking do?" Profanities swirled his head as he sped through negotiating on his next course of action.

"Do I turn around and bear witness to the presence behind me, or do I sprint the heck outta here and not look back?" Against his better judgment, he looked back.

"What- there's nothing, nobody's there... but what was that voice? I could have sworn something was behind me."

He shook his head and rubbed his temples, dread coursing through his veins.

He hurried out of that library section and out of that library in 10 seconds flat. He could've sworn he felt a pair of eyes observing him while skedaddling, he didn't know where he was going, but his feet led him to a quaint little establishment he tended to frequent

The café's coffee and pastries were always delightful treats Tristan munched on whenever he felt peckish or antsy or just all-around bored. The atmosphere felt light and calming, in juxtaposition to the rush of adrenaline that Tristan's body surged with while running away from whatever presence spooked him out.

He entered and ordered a macchiato and two madeleines, his usual order. Sitting down, he looked up and his eyes red ones across the table.

“Oh, sorry, didn't see you there, ha-ha." He chuckled awkwardly, entranced by the man's pronounced features. He slowly got out of his chair in the pursuit of leaving the man alone

This man in front of him had a rather chiseled face, eyes commanding the attention of those caught by their pupils.

His cheekbones and chin could cut through metal, and his hair was styled with a middle part, curls burgeoning from his scalp down to the neck. Some might've said he had a devilish aura about him, his piercing stare sending a chill down Tristan's spine.

He wore a leather coat and a double-breasted jacket with a beige collared shirt, pairing with matching loafers. He looked like the paragon of the dark academia aesthetic.

"Ah, fret not, and I must say, you look rather ravishing in that get up of yours." The man's mouth formed a coy grin, and the compliment highlighted Tristan's already usually ruddy complexion.

“Oh- well, um... thanks, sir. Mind if I sit with you?

"It's quite alright, have a seat." The man uttered oh so smoothly, his saccharine suave soothing Tristan's frazzled nerves.

Tristan sat down once more and munched on a madeleine.

"So... you don't look like you're from here, what brings you to this side of town?"

Here belie Tristan's attempts to make conversation with this mysterious patron.

"Oh, my master summoned me, and I'm waiting for them to arrive here."

"Master?" Tristan looked curiously.

"What are you, a butler or something?"

"I suppose you can say that, but I'd prefer servant." He said in reply.

Tristan's curiosity piqued, he resolved to ask more questions. "Well, what's this master like? He seems like a snotty dude, bringing his ‘servant’ everywhere with him and all."

"Well, I feel like you out of all people would know the answer to that question?"

Tristan was puzzled at the man's exclamation. "Me? What have I got to do with anything?"

"Well... my master is in front of me." The man stated matter-of-factly

"Huh... I don't... get it?"

"You dull-minded twat, Aren't you the one that happened upon the book in the library and read out that incantation? That's how one summons me."

The tanned being laughed heartily on the inside, "Teasing him would surely warrant him to give me a punishment; I wonder want that punishment would entail..." He had a lascivious smirk latched onto his face, but Tristan didn’t catch on.

Tristan's eyes flickered with realization.

"Um... were you the one behind me?"

The man chortled, followed by a satisfied expression shaping the corners of his mouth.

"Right you are! I even spooked you a tad for shits and giggles."

This revelation surprisingly did not faze Tristan. If anything, it only heightened his curiosity towards the figure more and more. "Well, what are you then?"

"That's it? No vehemence, no inclination towards fear of me? I thought you'd be cowering in fear." He slanted his head ever so slightly with a questioning expression in his eyes.

"Well, you don't seem all that threatening.”

Tristan said passively. In actuality, he was irked at having been followed to the cafe, but he didn't show it on his face.

"But y'know, I'm not one to have someone follow me every single solitary day, is what I would assume is your tacit proviso if those movies are anything to come by." He mumbled quickly, taking three gulps of his macchiato and taking one last bite of his madeleine.

"You'd assume right, and I sincerely apologize, but you're stuck with me... indefinitely." The man stated with his ever so aggravatingly resolute and intentionally so matter-of-fact tone.

Tristan grimaced, questioning his life choices as he attempted to map out the events that would follow this fateful rendezvous. However, his mind drew at a blank. He wasn't sure what would happen next, but he did know he wasn't getting out of this easily.

“Well, great." He resigned to mumble, passively giving in to this twist of fate that circles around him and ensnared him in its weaving.

"So if I'm stuck with you indefinitely... might as well get to know you some."

The two figures sitting across one another looked at each other before Tristan sighed resolutely.

The man beamed, having succeeded at figuratively and maybe literally trapping the boy in his clutches.

"I'm surprised you gave in so easily." The man said curiously, pensively grappling at how this chap before him could be so... so sangfroid. Has he no sense of self-preservation? What if he chomped his head off right then and there?

"I sense no animosity or ill will from you, and it can't be helped... I also can't help but feel you're not as intimidating as at first glance."

The tanned man was flabbergasted "Well, color me offended! You're nothing but a twat!" He blurted out, grasping for any verbal smite he could swipe at him with.

"Really? That all you got? I would’ve expected something more hard-hitting from the likes of someone such as yourself" Tristan found this man's attempt at curses half-baked but with a flair of desperation, quite humorous fodder.

The man felt utterly slighted, but in that inconsequential humiliation, he felt the gears of his loins turning. Despite his blip of character, he quickly regained his bearings.

"Well, pathetic display aside... you intrigue me. I feel like our paths intersecting might be the start of a wonderful friendship" The man announced sarcastically.

"The name's Lucere, or Luce for short, what's yours?" The man asked expectantly.

"... Tristan"