I didn't sleep that night.
Even though my new room was quiet, my heart wouldn't calm down. I kept thinking about everything—about the demon, the mark, the kiss, the glowing eyes, the strange students, and the girl named Aria who didn't smile once.
This place was dangerous.
But somehow, it felt more like home than anywhere else I'd ever been.
---
The next morning, I was late.
I ran down the hallway, hair still messy, shirt only half buttoned. Mira was waiting by the classroom door with her arms crossed.
"Really?" she said, grinning. "First full day and you're already a mess. I'm impressed."
"I overslept," I said, panting.
"Bad dreams?"
"Something like that."
She walked up and fixed my collar with her fingers. Her perfume was sweet and sharp, like cherries and smoke. "You should take this school seriously. It might be the only thing that keeps you alive."
"Thanks for the pep talk."
"Don't mention it." She leaned closer. "Besides… I like messy boys."
She winked and pushed open the classroom door.
Inside, the class was already in session. The room looked like a regular lecture hall—blackboards, desks, even textbooks—but the chalk glowed slightly, and the air smelled faintly of ashes.
The teacher turned toward us. She looked about twenty, but her eyes were cold and ancient.
"You're late," she said.
"Sorry," I mumbled.
She looked at Mira. "And you are not a good influence."
Mira gave her a small bow. "I try my best."
---
I sat next to Mira at the back. She slid me a book.
"Demonology 101," I read out loud.
"Don't worry," she said. "We start with the easy ones. The ones that only bite."
"Comforting."
I opened the book and saw drawings of monsters. Real ones. Fanged, horned, smoky, dripping with fire and shadow.
I wasn't dreaming.
This was my life now.
"Class," the teacher said, "today's topic is basic Night Demons—their shapes, behaviors, and how to survive a first encounter."
My stomach turned.
I had already survived one.
Barely.
I raised my hand.
The teacher blinked at me, surprised. "Yes… Agla, isn't it?"
"Yes. Um. What kind of demon attacks someone who's never even heard of them?"
The room went quiet.
Some students looked at me strangely.
Others… with pity.
The teacher walked toward me, her heels clicking like clock hands.
"You were marked by the Abyss," she said softly. "They come for the marked ones. They smell you in your sleep. They crawl through shadows. The more you fear them, the closer they get."
I swallowed.
"They feed on fear," she continued. "But the mark makes you taste better."
Mira nudged me. "So try to be brave. Or at least fake it."
---
After class, Mira dragged me through more halls.
We visited the arena (a training ground shaped like a broken circle), the spell room (which smelled like cinnamon and lightning), and the library (bigger than five malls, and full of floating books).
I saw Aria from a distance.
She stood alone near a window, her eyes distant.
I waved.
She didn't see me—or maybe she did and just ignored me.
Mira leaned on my shoulder. "Don't bother. She doesn't play well with others."
"She doesn't seem like she plays at all."
"She used to," Mira said quietly. "Before… well, never mind."
---
That evening, we had combat training.
A teacher named Fen took us outside into the woods behind the academy. The air was cold. The trees were too quiet.
Fen threw a stick at me.
"Catch."
I fumbled it.
It was actually a short wooden staff, polished and smooth.
"You're going to fight with this," he said.
"Against what?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he stepped back and whistled.
The ground shook.
Something crawled out from beneath the trees.
A shape made of ash and bone. It had no eyes. Just a mouth full of teeth and a long, black tongue.
"A shadow beast," Mira whispered. "They use them for training."
"That's not a training dummy," I said.
"Nope. Good luck."
---
The fight was fast.
I swung the staff.
The shadow beast dodged.
I tripped.
It lunged.
Mira stepped in front of me and slammed her foot down.
The earth cracked.
Vines shot up and wrapped around the beast, pulling it into the ground.
She turned to me, breathing hard.
"You okay?" she asked.
I stared at her, wide-eyed. "What was that?!"
She grinned. "Just a little earth magic. I got top marks last year."
"You saved me."
"Don't get used to it," she teased. "But hey… I don't let cute boys die on the first day."
She helped me up, her hand soft and warm.
I didn't know why, but for the first time in days… I smiled.
---
That night, I sat in the dorm hallway, thinking.
About demons.
About Aria.
About Mira's laugh.
And about the thing deep inside me.
The mark.
It hadn't glowed again since the night I was attacked.
But I could feel it.
Like it was waking up.
Changing me.
"Hey."
I turned.
It was Mira again, wearing her academy hoodie and loose shorts. Her hair was tied up, and she held two cups of something warm.
"Couldn't sleep?" she asked.
"Not really."
She sat beside me, close enough that our shoulders touched.
"I figured. First week's always the hardest."
She handed me one cup. "Hot bloodroot tea. Helps with pain… and nightmares."
I took a sip. It was spicy and bitter, but oddly calming.
"Thanks," I said.
We sat in silence for a while.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked.
She smiled, softer now. "Because I know what it feels like. To wake up in a world you don't understand. To have something inside you that scares you. And because…"
She looked at me, her eyes serious.
"…I think you're going to be important."
"Important how?"
"Not sure yet. But I've got a good feeling."
She leaned her head on my shoulder.
And for a moment, the shadows didn't feel so heavy.