Akuma stood in front of the dormitory door, carefully checking the room assignment slip in his hand.
"This should be my room," he murmured.
"Hey, Akuma!"
He turned toward the familiar voice and saw Viel waving as he walked over.
"Viel," Akuma said with a faint smile.
"Is this your room too?" Viel asked.
Akuma nodded.
"What a coincidence! Looks like we're roommates. Come on, let's head inside," Viel said.
The two carried their luggage and opened the door.
Inside, they found two other students already settling in.
"So it looks like it won't just be the two of us sharing this dorm," Viel commented.
A young man holding a guitar stood up and greeted them politely.
"Hello. My name is Mist Voulstridge."
"I'm Viel Serolf," Viel introduced himself. "And this is Akuma Grey."
Mist's eyes widened in surprise. Without hesitation, he knelt before them. "My sincerest apologies, Your Highness. I didn't recognize you immediately."
Viel laughed awkwardly. "That's alright. Please just treat me like any other student."
Mist quickly stood up.
Their attention then shifted to the last occupant, who was lying face-down on one of the beds, seemingly asleep.
"That's Lucas Berkins," Mist explained before nudging him. "Hey, wake up."
Lucas slowly lifted his head, still half-asleep.
He was the youngest among the four of them.
The moment he fully opened his eyes, a bright smile spread across his face.
"Hi! I'm Lucas Berkins! What are your names?"
"I'm Akuma."
"And I'm Viel."
Lucas immediately wrapped an arm around both of their shoulders.
"It's really nice to meet you guys!" he said cheerfully.
Akuma and Viel couldn't help but smile.
Afterward, they unpacked their belongings and arranged their things. The room had four beds, each claiming one as their own.
.
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Elsewhere...
Lilith was quietly reading a book when Arden suddenly appeared.
"Do you need something?" she asked curiously.
"There's a student I met at the academy today..." Arden replied as he took a seat nearby.
"A student?"
"Yes. The moment I saw him... I sensed something unusual."
Lilith closed her book. "I assume you're talking about Akuma."
"Akuma?"
"He's a vampire who lives in a remote village," Lilith explained. "I couldn't gather much information about him, so I decided to admit him to Serolf Academy."
"I see..." Arden muttered thoughtfully.
Lilith changed the subject. "By the way, I've noticed something strange. For the past few nights, His Majesty has been disappearing. You spend the most time with him, don't you? Do you happen to know where he's been going?"
A mysterious smile appeared on Arden's face.
Without answering, he vanished into thin air.
Lilith frowned.
"It seems His Majesty is hiding something from us..."
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.
That evening, Akuma wandered to the academy's open field.
He lay on the soft grass, gazing silently at the countless stars scattered across the night sky.
He missed his older brother.
"I wonder how my brother is doing..." he whispered.
"What are you doing out here?"
Akuma turned toward the familiar voice.
It was Viel.
Viel walked over and sat beside him.
"I got bored staying inside the dorm, so I thought I'd come out here for a while," Akuma answered.
"What a coincidence," Viel smiled faintly. "I came out for the same reason. I've been missing my father... so I decided to take a walk."
Akuma looked back up at the stars. "I guess we're both far away from our families."
Viel let out a quiet laugh. "I think you're luckier than I am."
Akuma looked at him. "Why? Doesn't the King care about you?"
A bitter smile crossed Viel's face. "My father is always busy. He barely has any time for me."
Akuma remained silent before replying softly, "Even so... you're still fortunate. You still have a father. I lost both my parents a long time ago."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Viel slowly lay down beside Akuma, and together they watched the stars in comfortable silence.
"Well, well...It looks like someone's on a date."
The teasing voice made both boys sit up immediately.
Mist stood nearby with Lucas beside him.
"So it was you two," Akuma said.
"You suddenly disappeared, so we came looking for you," Mist replied.
Lucas tilted his head in confusion. "Do you know them, Mist?" he asked.
Akuma and Viel exchanged amused glances.
"They're our roommates, Lucas," Mist reminded him.
"Oh!" Lucas's face instantly lit up. "That's right! Hi! I'm Lucas!"
Mist sighed helplessly. "Please excuse him. Lucas is very forgetful. There are times when he forgets almost everything..."
He scratched the back of his head before adding with a helpless smile, "Sometimes he even forgets who I am."
"I see..." Viel said quietly.
Lucas simply smiled as if nothing unusual had been said.
.
.
.
The audience erupted into thunderous applause as a spotlight illuminated a young man standing alone on the stage.
He wore a black masquerade mask that concealed only the upper half of his face, leaving his lips and jaw visible.
He gently strummed the strings of his guitar.
The moment his voice echoed through the venue, the cheers grew even louder.
He began to sing.
He sang with all his heart, as if every lyric carried emotions he could never bring himself to say aloud.
The audience screamed and applauded even louder, completely captivated by his performance.
As soon as the mysterious young man finished singing, he quietly left the stage.
Once he reached the empty hallway backstage, he removed his mask.
"You haven't changed at all," Arden said as he suddenly appeared beside him.
Xylon smiled and handed him the mask.
"I guess... I really did miss doing this," he admitted.
The two walked side by side through the brightly lit streets. Although it was already night, the rows of streetlights illuminated the road, making the city glow peacefully.
.
.
.....
The following morning...
Viel walked through the academy hallway with his new friends.
Mist walked beside them with a book in his hands, reading as he walked, while Lucas cheerfully waved and smiled at every student they passed.
Akuma and Viel led the group.
"I heard from the Dukes that their teachers were incredibly boring," Viel said.
"Really?" Akuma asked. "Do you think our teachers will be the same?"
Viel scratched the back of his head. "I hope not. But I guess it depends on whether we'll have the same professors they had."
Akuma smiled faintly. "You know... this is the first time I've ever felt this excited. This is my first time attending a real school."
"Same here," Viel replied. "I had a private tutor back home. I studied inside the palace because my father rarely allowed me to leave."
"Your father sounds pretty strict," Mist commented without looking up from his book.
Viel simply smiled. "That's just the way Father is."
"Oh, we're here!" Lucas announced excitedly.
The four stopped in front of a classroom.
Akuma peeked inside.
The room was already filled with students.
Everyone exchanged nervous glances before taking a deep breath and walking inside together.
"Kyaaaah! They're here!"
The classroom suddenly erupted into excited screams.
The four of them froze in surprise.
Before they could even react, they were instantly surrounded by their classmates.
"Your Highness! It's an honor to finally meet you!" one girl exclaimed excitedly.
"We're so happy you're our classmate!" another added.
"Waaah! Akuma Grey is even cuter up close!"
Akuma awkwardly scratched his head.
How do they even know my name? he wondered.
"Mist! You're so cool! Go out with me please!" another girl shouted.
"Lucas, you're so adorable! Let's play together sometime!" someone else yelled.
The crowd became so overwhelming that the four of them couldn't even move.
Mist suddenly smiled.
"I have an idea."
The shadows beneath their feet expanded.
In an instant, all four of them sank into the darkness.
Viel and Akuma stared in shock.
A second later, they emerged from the shadows beside the seats assigned to them.
"Whoa!" Lucas' eyes sparkled. "That was awesome!"
Viel looked at Mist in amazement. "So you're a Shadow User?"
Mist nodded. "I inherited the ability from my father."
Akuma blinked. "You all have special powers?"
"Not everyone," Viel explained. "Only certain vampires are blessed with unique abilities. Ordinary vampires—or humans who later become vampires—don't receive special powers. But if you're born into a noble vampire family...you're almost always blessed with one."
Lucas clapped excitedly. "That's so cool!"
Akuma smiled, though his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
I wonder...
Do I have a special power too?
Just then, their teacher entered the classroom.
The noisy chatter immediately died down as everyone returned to their seats.
Akuma sat beside Viel, while Mist and Lucas took the seats directly behind them, ready for their first class at Serolf Academy.