Knock knock.
Alina gently rapped her knuckles against the tall door, her heart quietly thudding beneath her ribs.
No answer.
She waited a moment, then knocked again, a little firmer.
Still silence.
"Maybe he didn't hear—" she whispered to herself.
She glanced back down the hallway. Still no one.
Taking a breath, she knocked once more...this time with more force.
The heavy door creaked open under the pressure with sound.
Her hand froze mid-air.
"Oh…"
The office was… stunning.
She stepped inside slowly, her shoes barely making a sound against the marble floor. The air smelled faintly of dark wood, aged books, and something like… ash and rain.
The room was cast in soft shadows, lit only by warm golden chandeliers above and a massive stained-glass window behind the desk.
Every piece of furniture was elegant and imposing, deep mahogany carved with ancient runes and sharp black detailing. The shelves along the walls reached the ceiling, filled with thick, leather-bound books, scrolls tied in silver string, and crystal artifacts that pulsed faintly with magic.
At the center of it all was a grand obsidian desk, gleaming like glass, and behind it—
An empty chair.
Alina blinked. Her voice caught in her throat.
Was she early? Was this the wrong office?
The room felt alive… but deserted.
She stepped in further, drawn by the strange calm of it all.
The books. The order. The dark elegance.
It didn't look like a kindergarten office.
It looked like a throne room for someone who ruled more than just children.
And just as she took another step forward—
A deep voice echoed from behind her.
"You're early."
Alina nearly jumped out of her skin. "Ahh—!" She spun around in a panic—only to smack straight into what felt like a solid wall.
"Oof!"
She stumbled back a step, eyes wide as she clutched her bag to her chest.
But it wasn't a wall.
It was a man.
A tall, broad-shouldered figure standing impossibly still like he had been carved from stone and shadow. His presence sucked the air from the room. She hadn't even heard him approach.
Not a single footstep. Not even a breath.
She looked up… and kept looking.
He towered over her.
His body was wrapped in a high-collared black coat that clung to his sculpted frame like it was made just for him. Smooth obsidian armor peeked from beneath the edges, gleaming faintly under the light.
And then his face.
Sharp. Perfect.
High cheekbones.
A strong, chiseled jaw.
Smooth pale skin that looked like moonlight poured over marble.
But it was his eyes that stole her breath.
Deep crimson, glowing faintly like fire trapped behind glass-
Eyes that were cold, unreadable, and far too intense for a normal man.
No. He wasn't normal.
There was nothing human about him.
His inky-black hair was swept back, one long strand falling over his forehead, and small curved horns peeked through just above his temples—subtle, but unmistakably demonic.
He looked mature. Powerful. Ageless.
Like a dark prince who had stepped out of an ancient painting.
And annoyingly hot.
Alina blinked up at him, still pressed to his chest, her heart pounding in her ears.
"You—! You scared me!" she blurted.
He didn't move. Didn't blink.
"Then learn to listen better."
His voice was deep, low, like thunder rolling through a cave...calm but heavy.
Alina took a shaky step back, frowning.
"Well, maybe you shouldn't sneak up on people like a shadow demon!"
His lips quirked very slightly...almost a smirk. Almost. "You're not entirely wrong."
Her eyes widened.
Wait. He… wasn't denying it?
And just like that, Alina realized with a sinking flutter in her chest—
She had just called her new boss a shadow demon.
Oh no..
"Sorry, sir! I—I didn't mean to be rude. I just called you that because... well, because of your outfit. Is this for the kids? Like a costume or something? You know, to make them feel safe? Or to make things more fun?"
The man didn't even blink.
Instead, he turned and walked toward the massive obsidian desk with slow, elegant steps like he owned the world and didn't need to rush for anyone.
"You speak too much," he said, voice like ice sliding over stone.
He sat down smoothly, his black coat falling into perfect lines around him as he leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, fingers steepled before his chin.
Alina froze in place, like a puppy caught knocking over a vase.
"Oh..." she breathed, suddenly aware that every word she just said was a potential reason to be thrown out.
Then his eyes narrowed, glowing faintly again.
"How should I offer you this job," he said coldly, "when you didn't even read the full email?"
His gaze sharpened.
"Did you open the attached PDF?"
Alina's heart sank.
PDF?? What PDF??
She bit her lower lip, eyes darting nervously..her mind racing for excuses.
But her mouth betrayed her first.
"Y-Yes! Of course!" she lied, nodding far too quickly. "I read all of it. Thoroughly."
The man stared at her for two seconds. Maybe three.
Then, softly, like a blade laced in silk, he said..
"Lie."
Alina's spine went stiff.
His crimson eyes glinted, dark amusement flickering behind them as he leaned forward slightly.
"If you had read it," he murmured, "you'd already know…" He paused. Gave her a long, unreadable look.
And then he smirked.
It was small. Subtle.
But devastating.
"You'd know exactly what kind of children you'll be teaching."
Alina's mouth opened. Then closed.
She had no idea what he meant.
But before she could ask—
"Sit," he said, his voice smooth again, leaning back in his chair like a shadowed king on his throne.
Alina nodded quickly and sat down, trying to appear composed, even as her mind screamed:
He's scary.
He's beautiful.
He's dangerous.
And those fake horns should not look this hot.
Her gaze flickered once toward the curved black horns resting above his temples.
"Stop staring."
He said it without looking at her.
She nearly choked.