The classroom felt heavy with expectation. At the front stood a towering man, his muscles rippling beneath his uniform, declaring himself their instructor. He was to guide them for three years, teaching not only the use of Gifts and Curses but also the harmony of teamwork. His voice echoed across the room, yet one student barely heard a word.
Connor McCloud's gaze lingered on the girl seated beside him—Myael Astaroth, noble daughter of the Empire. Her presence among commoners was baffling, and her subtle smile pressed an invisible weight upon him. He prayed she would not drag him into needless trouble.
The introductions began.
First was Lug, a boy with unruly hair and torn clothing, his canine teeth glinting faintly. His appearance hinted at what he truly was—a werewolf. Shackles of silver clasped his wrists and ankles, restraining the beast within. Yet when he revealed his Gift, the restraints seemed meaningless. His arm shifted seamlessly into that of a wolf, a transformation unhindered by moonlight or silver. Unlike ordinary werewolves, cursed to lose reason under the full moon, Lug could control the change freely. A rational werewolf—an anomaly and a dangerous foe.
When asked to greet his peers, Lug's words were blunt: he sought no friendship, only coexistence.
But before the tension could settle, another presence rose. Anastasia Draco Aldhibaine, draped in ornate black, introduced herself with pride bordering on delusion. She claimed to be a vampire princess awakened after a thousand years, heir to lost kingdoms and bloodlines. Her dramatic words drew silence, until she displayed her Gift. Blood welled from her finger, lifted into the air, and ignited in scarlet flame. Burning blood—an art that could melt steel and, in the wrong hands, ignite the very lifeblood of her enemies.
Yet her arrogance faltered when their professor silenced her rambling. Reduced to tears, she retreated into her coffin, only to be scolded again. The grand vampire princess wept like a scolded child.
Next came Lanius Halfwing. Metal scraped against the floor as a figure armored in iron approached. One wing of feathers stretched from his back, the other severed. His voice was low, rasping, inhuman. He revealed only the barest details: his name, race, rank, and Gift—the power to remain untouched by the wind. No more. No less. Rumors whispered that he was a fallen Winged One, exiled for embracing machinery over nature. He returned to his seat without a glance.
After him, Whipney Somnia staggered forward, sleeves drooping, pillow in hand. She seemed barely awake, her words trailing into slumber. Her Hall Rank was the lowest—only one. Yet even standing, she drifted into dreams, as if sleep itself was her domain. Too tired to finish, she floated back to her seat and collapsed in peace, snores filling the hall.
Finally, Connor himself was called. With reluctance, he stood before his peers. Surrounded by the strangest assembly—an arrogant vampire, a sleepless dreamer, a silent outcast, a reckless werewolf, and a noble who shadowed his every step—his chest tightened. He longed for the mercenary life he had left behind.
He introduced himself simply: a human, ranked nineteen, gifted with a forehead tingling when danger approached. But his peace was shattered when Myael raised a question—how he had defeated Whispy Whisling during the earlier trial. Her curiosity cut too close to secrets he could never reveal. He evaded her probing words, yet she pressed further, almost drawing her sword before the professor stopped her.
Then it was Myael's turn.
She walked with elegance unmatched, her uniform pristine, her noble lineage plain. Daughter of the famed Duke Astaroth, bearer of the Gift of Rapid Learning, she stood as the sole aristocrat among commoners. Her words were calm, polished, and full of grace.
Connor, weary of unanswered questions, asked directly why a noble of her stature would join such a group. Her reply was simple yet shattering.
She had requested this placement herself. Not for the academy's design, nor for chance. But because of him.
Connor McCloud.