"What should we do, Naam? He’s going to kill him!" Ji grabbed Naam by the elbow, pointing at Niran who was falling to the grass. "We won’t even need the Marked one if P’Niran dies!"

"Do you really think just one punch could kill him? Even a normal human is unlikely to die from one hit to the jaw," Naam pulled her arm free, lowering her voice immediately. "Let’s think of something and…"

"How dare you punch P’Niran?!"

A familiar voice rang across the area. The sisters turned toward its source, and couldn’t hold back groans of disappointment and Naam even let out a frustrated exhale. San stood beside the guy who had punched the vampire, jabbing his chest with her finger. Maybe, next time, she wouldn't pull Niran away from the sister.

"You little worm, I’ll curse you so badly that even Buddha won’t figure it out instantly," San went for the high stakes. Among the trio, she was the expert in curses, and to both sisters’ amazement, she was really good at it. "You, bamboo stick, how much height do you have in you? Are you ever going to stop growing? You didn't skip breakfasts in the morning, did you?"

"What if he beats up girls too? Let’s grab this dumbass faster" Naam gestured to Ji and they ran towards their sister. –“You're a fool”.

They grabbed San under the arms and started dragging her away under the uncomprehending stares of all people. Even the guy who had punched Niran didn't even have the time to react to what was happening, watching Sun was dragging away. Meanwhile, the student on his knees coughed loudly and was about to stand trying to run away. But the tall stranger, who was quickly nicknamed "Bamboo stick", had no intention of letting him go.

"Where do you think you’re going, roadside dust?" he ran up to the unfortunate guy and punched him in the ribs with his fist one more time. "I’ll teach you to stop taking pictures up girls’ skirts. I warned you before, scumbag, there’d be consequences. Take them."

He raised his fist again to knock some sense into the jerk, when he felt a strong grip on his forearm. The attempt of wrenching his arm free failed, so he had to turn around. There was a stranger with bloody face and mad as demon who Bamboo Stick had been struck in the jaw. The punch had been hard, but he found only a scratch on his chin.  His dark hair, well-styled earlier, was tangled, and there were grass and blood marks on his beige shirt. For an insult like this, someone could die. Bamboo Stick didn't quickly realize that he had messed not with an ordinary student, but some professor or someone from the administration.  But it was unlikely that any of the university employees with an animalistic roar would try to knock his teeth out. Such a severe hit his left cheekbone had never been felt before. Not even after numerous fights. Now it was his turn to lay on the grass. While he was counting clouds and probing his teeth with his tongue, the guy he’d been beating earlier grabbed Niran`s pant leg, pointing toward Bamboo Stick.

"Khun, it's all a misunderstanding! Dao, he—"

 Niran kicked him, forcing him rolling a few of meters away.

"You think I’m an idiot?" Niran growled. "That girl’s sitting over there on the grass and crying. Damn pig, I’d chop you up into kebabs and sell them on the beach to some tourists. Get out of my sight before I actually do it. I still need something to deal with Bamboo Stick."

The scum fled.

"You little bastard… Who the hell do your turkey head think you’re messing with? Shall I break your neck and hang you on a hook?" Niran growled and walked towards Dao, who was staring up at the sky and almost recovered. "How dare you fight with me when I'm older than you and even dare to treat me without a respectful tone? Who raised you?"

"Go to hell, P…” Dao only growled in satisfaction and pulled himself up on his elbows.

Niran walked to him and stepped over so that Dao was lying between his legs. He stared at the skinny guy with undisguised anger and didn't know what to do with him. Killing him in front of so many people couldn't be done. He leaned lower and grabbed the jerk by the collar of his shirt with one hand and raised other fist. But there was no fear in Dao’s eyes. Usually people trembled in front of him. He had fought many people in his long life, but he had never seen such fearless eyes. They seemed insane to him. Niran froze for a moment, and that was the deciding factor for him.  And in that moment, several students sprang into action, jumping on him, gripping his arms and legs to pull him off Dao. The vampire was fine with this outcome of the conflict, indeed. It let him look not weak without actually breaking someone’s nose. Yet, he couldn’t shake the image of Dao’s crazy eyes from his mind, stuck like a snapshot behind his eyes, so he didn`t hear Naam’s voice at once.

"P’Niran, please, wake up," she touched him and goosebumps ran down his skin, causing Niran to open his eyes and glanced at Naam. "Apologies… I didn’t mean to bring you back to your senses like that."

"I don`t care".

Naam was an empath, capable of forcing any creature to feel any emotion just through a touch. She had forced Niran to feel fear because it like nothing else reminded him what it meant to be alive. Though Niran was not known for being compliant and peaceful, he hadn't been involved in fights in a long time, much less ones where human blood was spilled. It acted as the most powerful stimulant to Niran. He could smell it from a few kilometers away. And the closer the person got to him, the more thirsty he became. He had learned to control it a long, long time ago, and he didn't want to face the animal instinct because of his own weakness. Even though any vampire could increase his speed and strength many times over when he hunted, he had to lose his mind. Many of his kinsmen had died for that reason - they couldn't pick up the thirst. Now a vampire could easily get blood from a hospital for a few tens of thousands of baht, but back then it was hunting and only hunting. The sense of fear that Naam had instilled in him was necessary for mind control.

"Let’s get out of here before we all get expelled on the first day of stuying," Niran stood up and glanced at the stunned crowd of students. "What’re you all staring at?"

"P, did you just say you’re studying here? I didn’t hear wrong, did I?" one the most brave girl from the crowd stepped forward.

"No, your hearing’s perfectly fine," Niran glanced down at his shirt and angrily concluded that now it would have to be thrown away. "Damn kids."

"We thought you were one of our new professors. I’m sorry!" her cheeks flushing pink for Niran`s surprise. "What faculty are you in?"

"Architecture," Niran answered shortly, glancing at Naam. "Let’s go."

"Wait, so that jerk was taking upskirt pictures, and that’s why Bamboo Stick beat him up?" San was talking somewhere near Niran and she drew his attention. "So I scolded him for nothing? Oh no, I better go apologize."

"You move an inch and this place will be chalked," Niran said coldly and San froze, it seemed like just a little more and she would fall like a possum pretending to be dead. "When I say we’re leaving, we’re leaving. I’m hungry."

"Understood, P’Niran," Naam opened her eyes widely, motioning for her sisters with head to follow him at once. "Hurry up, you two, before…."