The room was dimly lit, shadows dancing on the walls as Zach, the vampire, sat at his desk in the empty classroom after hours. His reflective eyes scanned the tattered textbook, a relic of a time long past, its pages full of knowledge he could never fully grasp. With a heavy sigh, he traced his pale fingers along the dusty cover, feeling the weight of eternity bearing down on him. The silence enveloped him, broken only by the distant hoot of an owl outside, a reminder of the world he could never truly be a part of.

As Zach made his way through the crowded school halls, his keen senses catching snippets of conversations and the rapid heartbeat of the living, he felt invisible amongst the vibrant human students. That is until a girl, Emma, whispered a cruel remark to her friends, her words like poison in the air. Zach's grip on his books tightened as he tried to push down the hurt and anger that bubbled within him. Despite the sting of her words, he couldn't shake the feeling of curiosity about the girl who seemed so determined to make him feel small. Who was she to judge him for what he was?

One fateful day, during a chemistry class project, Zach found himself paired with Emma. Her...