Red.

The stranger’s eyes are a deep crimson—a color so stark against his milk-white skin that the intensity behind them is all the more prominent. There’s an unreadable emotion in the stranger’s eyes, and Aloe knows that all its intensity is directed squarely at him.

And it’s not just Aloe that recognizes the man’s intensity. 

All at once, his dogs line up in front of him, seemingly shielding Aloe from the unnerving stranger. They growl and snarl, ready to attack if the stranger makes even one wrong move.

But when the stranger moves back, clearly frightened, Aloe feels guilt well up. 

Not like he did anything bad.

“Down boys,” Aloe commands the three. 

Though they still show signs of wariness, unwilling to make way for the stranger to get any closer, they do listen. They stop their growling and just eye the stranger with caution.

Aloe gives him an apologetic smile. The stranger does so as well. 

“Sorry for startling you when you’re resting, but I’m kind of lost,” the stranger tells him.

“No, it’s alright! Sorry about my dogs. They can be a little intense with strangers.”

“No worries,” the stranger says, tilting his head as he smiles sweetly at him.

Suddenly, it hits Aloe. 

The stranger is really, really, beautiful. Despite all the edge in his clothing, there’s a delicate beauty to him that’s not always present in the more eye-catching men Aloe knows. It’s such a sweetly alluring beauty.

“Is something the matter?”

“Ah! It’s nothing!” Aloe furiously shakes his head, praying to whatever deity out there that the heat in his cheeks doesn’t show that much. “Um, hey, you said you were lost right? Where are you off to? Maybe I can show you there.”

If the stranger saw anything embarrassing about Aloe, he did well in hiding it in his expression. He doesn’t point out how strange it is that Aloe just stared at him like that, and just smiles that sweet smile of his.

“Thanks! I’m headed to Helios Residence Hall. Do you know where that is?”

Fortunately, Aloe did. Unfortunately, it’s a place that he doesn’t want to be around right now. Because it’s the dormitory Basil stays at, and if he had already gone back there, then there’s a high chance he might run into him. 

But Aloe would feel too guilty letting this stranger just wander around aimlessly.

He nods. “Yeah, I can take you there.”

I’ll just go in and out quickly.

The stranger follows him quietly, just a few steps behind. Despite being rather cordial throughout their interaction, Aloe’s dogs never really let up around him, and they remain glued to Aloe’s side, keeping the stranger at a distance.

Aloe can feel the stranger’s eyes on the back of his head, but in fairness, the man is likely just anxious about being lost. However, he still can’t flick away the uneasiness this stranger gives him, and he doesn’t really know why.

There are all sorts of colorful personalities on their campus, so people like him aren’t strangers to the university. But the fact that he doesn’t know where Helios Residence Hall is, one of the most recognizable locations of their campus, means that he’s not from around here.

Is he perhaps visiting a friend? A relative? A partner?

Whatever purposes this stranger may have, Aloe will never get to know. They’ll never cross paths again, so it doesn’t concern him all that much. He’s probably anxious for no reason.

They arrive at the entrance of the hall, and the stranger looks up at the historic building with awe.

“This place is really something, huh?”

“I know right? I don’t know how this thing stays so well-maintained.”

The stranger turns to him, smiling. Only this time, it’s a bit different. 

If before, he noted how intense the stranger’s ruby red eyes were, now, they were openly staring him down with a manic emotion in them. Aloe can’t pinpoint what kind of feeling he gets from it—Off-put? Malicious? Frightened?—but he does know that it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

When the stranger walks forward, he nearly backs away.

His dogs, fortunately, keep the stranger at bay. But despite being barred by growling hounds, the stranger doesn’t look the least bit frightened.

“Thank you, Aloe. I hope I can pay you back.”

There are many things Aloe wants to ask the man, but because he is the way he is—cowardly and pathetic—he can’t form the words to verbalize them. 

The stranger doesn’t wait for him to say what he wants to say, and just walks inside the lobby.

How did he know Aloe’s name?