The chilled wind of the early morning bit at Blazar's exposed skin as she stood at the edge of the academy grounds, staring at the looming towers of Royal Imperium Prestigia High.
Her heart raced, but she remained still, the icy wind sweeping across the courtyard as if to test her resolve.
The admission letter was still clutched tightly in her hand—an official invitation to the prestigious academy, where the future rulers of the five kingdoms were trained. She had been to countless missions before, but nothing had prepared her for the reality of stepping foot into this world.
Behind her, she could feel the weight of her past, the girl sold by a random woman to slavery. Then bought by a young prince, now a king.
The cold ruler of the central kingdom, Hollowall, who had never once treated her as a person. Only a tool.
Now he sent her here on a mission to kill one of the four kings, his rivals. To do so she had to slip into their world, as she continues her act as a boy. No one was to ever know the truth. No one was to ever find out who she really is.
"Orion," she muttered under her breath, the alias she had been given.
She stepped foward towards the gate, and scanned her student ID card. The gates open with a heavy groan, the stone archway revealing the sprawling academy grounds beyond. She was here now. And there was no turning back.
She adjusted the strap of her bag, fingers tightening around the admission letter.
"Just walk in. Don't hesitate. Don't look back. It's just a school full of spoiled royals, nobles and rich kids."
She took a breath—and stepped forward.
Then—hell broke loose.
A deafening CRACK split the air. The ground trembled. From the main school building, students burst out like panicked rats, their screams shredding the once-pristine silence.
"RUN! HE'S LOST IT!"
"CALL THE IMPERIAL ELITE GUARDS! SOMEONE—"
"MOM, PLEASE, I DON'T WANNA DIE HERE—"
Blazar froze.
A storm raged in the courtyard. Not a natural one.
This storm had fury.
Lightning lanced down in jagged forks, splitting marble statues in half. The wind howled like a living thing, ripping banners from the walls. And in the center of it all—
A man wreathed in lightning.
Dante.
The Lycan king's eyes burned molten gold, his body crackling with raw voltage. A student tripped, scrambling backward as Dante slammed him into the ground, fingers sparking.
"DO I LOOK LIKE A JOKE TO YOU?!"
The boy sobbed, snot and blood mixing on his face. "P-please—"
Dante's fist surged with electricity—
Blazar ducked behind a pillar, her pulse hammering against her ribs.
Stupid. Stupid. Why did I think this place would be a normal school?
Around her, the world descended into madness.
A girl clutched her phone, screaming into it. "DAD, PULL ME OUT! I DON'T CARE IF IT'S THE BEST SCHOOL—"
"Mom, get me out of this nightmare!" a guy cried to no one in particular.
A group of nobles barricaded themselves behind thick rose bushes, their pristine uniforms splattered with mud and rain.
"WHERE ARE THE OTHER KINGS?!"
"KAELRIC! VESPER! XEARI! ANYONE—"
"Call the kings! Someone call the fucking kings—"
Then—a body flew.
A boy, limp as a ragdoll, slammed into the ground at her feet. His nose was broken, his lip split. He groaned, reaching for her.
"H-help me…"
Blazar stared.
Why should I?
But then—a shadow blotted out the sky.
The wolf landed before her, buffalo-sized, his fur the color of a volcanic eruption. Lightning licked his fangs. His growl vibrated the earth.
The boy at her feet whimpered.
Blazar's mind raced.
If I save him… he'll owe me. Favors are currency here.
Before she could second-guess, she stepped between them, arms spread.
She took a deep breath. "Stop. This isn't a battlefield."
The effect was instant.
Dante's massive wolf form froze mid-snarl, his lightning fizzling out like a faulty neon sign.
The students who'd been screaming for their lives choked on their own panic, their faces contorting into pure "Is this son of a bitch serious?!" expressions.
A nearby girl clutching a "Kaelric's NO.1 fun" mug dropped it, the ceramic shattering louder than the silence.
Someone in the back whispered, "Ohhh, he's new new."
For a heartbeat, the storm itself seemed to still.
Dante's ear twitched. His glowing eyes slowly narrowed, scanning Blazar up and down like she'd just declared war wearing pajamas. A low, disbelieving growl rumbled in his throat—the Lycan equivalent of "You've gotta be kidding me."
Then—Dante laughed.
A sound like bones breaking.
"I'LL KILL YOU TOO, NOBODY."
His paw lashed out.
Blazar twisted, but not fast enough. The blow slammed into her ribs, sending her skidding across the courtyard. Pain exploded through her side.
Idiot! Should've thought twice!
She rolled to her knees—just as Dante leaped.
His movements were lightning given flesh. No time to dodge. No time to think.
Only react.
Her knife slipped into her palm—a tiny, silver thing.
As Dante's jaws snapped toward her throat, she stabbed upward.
The blade bit into his foreleg.
The wolf HOWLED, the sound splintering the air.
Every student, teacher, and fleeing groundskeeper whipped their heads toward Blazar, their expressions a perfect mix of "Did he just stab a king?!" and "Oh, we're definitely all dying now."
One first-year dropped his phone into a puddle, mouth hanging open like a broken marionette, while a nearby professor watching from a balcony with a worried expression rubbed his hands on his face, whispering, "Well. That's expulsion—and probably execution."
Dante's claws still found her.
A searing tear across her cheek.
Blood dripped into her mouth—hot, metallic.
This is how I die.
Then—
The wolf convulsed.
His fur receded. His bones snapped back.
And suddenly—
A man collapsed onto her lap.
Unconscious.
His fiery orange hair stuck to his forehead, his skin still crackling with residual energy.
Blazar stared, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
…What the hell just happened?