Khalil Morrison had exactly three rules for surviving Nexus Academy:
One: Keep your head down.
Two: Don't make eye contact with anyone above C-Rank.
Three: Never, *ever* stand out.
For two years, these rules had kept him alive. Alive and invisible, which in a school full of vampires, werewolves, elves, and system users who could level buildings with a thought, was about as good as it got for an F-Rank human with a system so basic it might as well have been a calculator.
Kal adjusted his backpack as he navigated the crowded hallway of Nexus Academy, keeping his eyes on the scuffed linoleum floor. Around him, the usual chaos of a Friday afternoon swirled—students laughing, admins floating beside their users like luminous companions, the occasional spark of magic as someone showed off.
"Did you see the rankings update?" someone said nearby. "Marcus hit A-Rank. Youngest vampire in the academy to do it."
"Of course he did. Voss family probably bought him premium dungeon access."
Kal tuned it out. Rankings. Dungeons. Power. None of it mattered when you were at the bottom of the food chain. His system—a pathetic D-Grade support type—had given him exactly one ability in two years: *Enhanced Learning*. Which just meant he absorbed textbook information faster than normal people.
Useful for tests. Useless for everything else.
His admin, a tiny wisp of pale blue light named Glim, floated beside his shoulder. She didn't talk much. Didn't need to. What was there to say when your user was destined for mediocrity?
"Kal! Wait up!"
He turned to see Jamal jogging toward him, his own admin—a pixelated sprite called Byte—doing loops around his head. Jay was one of the few people at Nexus who didn't treat Kal like furniture. Probably because Jay was only C-Rank himself, a Tamer whose biggest achievement was contracting with a particularly aggressive squirrel monster.
"Yo, you heading to the library?" Jay asked, falling into step beside him.
"Yeah. Got that history exam Monday."
"Bro, it's Friday. Live a little." Jay grinned, pushing his glasses up. "Some of us are hitting the arcade in Old Town. You should come."
Kal shook his head. "Can't afford it."
It wasn't entirely true. He had some money saved from his part-time job at a rune shop. But spending it on arcade games felt wasteful when he needed every credit for basic supplies. Potions weren't cheap, and even F-Ranks had to eat.
"Your loss, man. But hey—" Jay's expression shifted, becoming more serious. "You good? You've been extra quiet lately."
"I'm always quiet."
"Yeah, but like... *extra* extra."
Kal forced a smile. "I'm fine. Just tired."
Jay studied him for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright. But if you change your mind about the arcade, hit me up."
They split at the next intersection—Jay heading toward the east exit, Kal continuing to the library. The hallways thinned out as he walked, most students eager to start their weekends. Kal preferred it this way. Fewer people meant fewer chances to accidentally break one of his rules.
He was almost to the library when he heard it.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!"
Kal looked up.
A girl stood in front of him, books scattered across the floor. She was human, dark hair pulled into a ponytail, wearing the standard Nexus uniform. Her admin—a soft, motherly light wisp—hovered nearby, radiating concern.
"I wasn't watching where I was going," the girl said, kneeling to gather her books. "Are you okay?"
Kal blinked. She was talking to *him*. Actually looking at him.
"I'm fine," he said automatically, kneeling to help. His hands moved on autopilot, stacking textbooks—Advanced Dungeon Theory, Support Magic Fundamentals, Healing Applications.
"You're in the support track?" he asked before he could stop himself.
She smiled. It was warm, genuine. "Yeah. B-Rank healer. I know, not very flashy, but someone's gotta keep the fighters alive, right?"
"Support's important," Kal said, handing her the last book.
"Thank you." She stood, and Kal found himself looking into warm brown eyes that actually *saw* him. Not through him. Not past him. At him. "I'm Sienna, by the way. Sienna Park."
"Khalil. Kal."
"Nice to meet you, Kal." She adjusted her books, then tilted her head slightly. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know where Room 3-B is, would you? I'm completely turned around."
"It's, uh, down that hall, third door on the left."
"You're a lifesaver. Thanks!" She started to walk away, then paused, glancing back. "See you around?"
Kal nodded, something warm and unfamiliar settling in his chest.
She smiled again—that same genuine smile—and disappeared around the corner.
For a moment, Kal just stood there, staring at the empty hallway. Someone had talked to him. Not because they needed homework answers or wanted to copy his notes. Just... talked. Like he was a person.
It felt nice.
It felt dangerous.
Rule three: *Never stand out.*
Kal shook his head and continued toward the library. It was nothing. A random encounter. She probably wouldn't even remember his name by Monday.
He made it another twenty feet before a voice stopped him cold.
"Well, well. What do we have here?"
Kal's blood turned to ice.
Marcus Voss leaned against the lockers ahead, arms crossed. The vampire was everything Kal wasn't—tall, confident, powerful. His platinum blond hair was perfectly styled, his uniform tailored to fit like it cost more than Kal made in a month. His admin, a sleek blood-red wisp, coiled around his shoulders like a serpent.
Behind Marcus stood his usual crew: Trey, a hulking werewolf with a perpetual scowl; Celeste, an elf girl whose beauty was matched only by her cruelty; and some human hanger-on whose name Kal never bothered learning.
"Morrison," Marcus said, pushing off the lockers. "Interesting seeing you here."
Kal's throat went dry. "Just heading to the library."
"Is that so?" Marcus's smile didn't reach his eyes. They were cold, predatory. "You know what I just saw? I saw my girlfriend having a very friendly conversation with you."
"It was nothing," Kal said quickly. "She dropped her books. I helped her pick them up."
"She *dropped* her books." Marcus took a step closer. "And you, being the *gentleman* you are, just *had* to help."
"It wasn't like that—"
"Do you know what it looked like to me?" Marcus's voice dropped, losing its casual tone. "It looked like some F-Rank *nobody* was getting a little too comfortable with what's *mine*."
"I wasn't—" Kal started backing up. "Look, I don't want any trouble."
"Too late for that." Marcus nodded to Trey. "Grab him."
Kal ran.
He didn't think, didn't plan—just turned and bolted down the hallway. Behind him, he heard laughter and the pounding of footsteps. His heart hammered against his ribs as he took a corner too fast, nearly slamming into the wall.
*Stupid. So stupid. Should've just apologized. Should've—*
The back exit. If he could make it outside, into the streets, maybe they'd give up. Too many witnesses. Too public.
Kal burst through the doors into the late afternoon sun, into the alley behind the academy where students sometimes came to smoke or skip class. Empty. Of course it was empty.
He made it five more steps before something slammed into his back.
Kal hit the ground hard, asphalt scraping his palms. Before he could recover, rough hands grabbed him, hauling him upright. Trey's grip was iron, pinning his arms behind his back.
"Going somewhere?" Marcus walked into the alley, Celeste beside him. The elf's hands glowed with soft violet light—a barrier spell, shimmering into existence around them. Soundproof. Invisible from outside.
"Please," Kal gasped. "I didn't do anything. I swear—"
"You talked to her." Marcus's fist caught him in the stomach. The air exploded from Kal's lungs. "You *looked* at her."
Another punch. Then another.
"You think you're someone?" Marcus's voice was almost conversational now, detached. "You think because you exist in the same school as us, that makes you *equal*?"
Kal tried to speak, tried to explain, but pain was all there was now. His ribs screamed. Something warm and wet trickled down his chin—blood from his split lip.
"You're nothing," Marcus continued. "An F-Rank *human* with a trash system. You should be grateful we even *notice* you."
Trey let him drop. Kal crumpled to the ground, curling instinctively around his broken ribs. Through blurred vision, he saw Marcus kneel down, saw the flash of fangs.
"Let me make this clear," the vampire said softly.
Then he bit down.
The pain was liquid fire, flooding through Kal's veins. He tried to scream, but nothing came out. Marcus drank deep, pulling life itself from Kal's body, and when he finally pulled back, his lips were stained red.
"Stay away from her," Marcus whispered. "Stay in your lane. Or next time, I won't stop."
Footsteps retreated. The barrier dissolved. Kal lay on the cold asphalt, staring up at the darkening sky. His body felt wrong—too light, too empty. Blood pooled beneath him, mixing with the dirt and grime of the alley.
*This is it,* he thought distantly. *This is how I die.*
Not in a dungeon. Not fighting monsters. Not for anything that mattered.
Just because a girl smiled at him.
The sky above blurred, colors bleeding together. Kal's breathing came in shallow, painful gasps. Each one weaker than the last.
*I just wanted to live.*
That was all. Just... live. Maybe make a friend or two. Maybe find something worth existing for.
*I just wanted to matter.*
But he didn't. He was F-Rank. Nobody. Nothing.
The world faded, darkness creeping in from the edges of his vision.
And then, in that space between life and death, Kal heard a voice.
Smooth. Amused. Impossibly familiar.
"Well," it said, "this wasn't supposed to happen."
A figure appeared above him—golden, radiant, wearing a crown that seemed both ancient and modern. The face was sharper, older, but undeniably *his*.
The figure smiled Kal's smile.
"Apologies for the intrusion," it said, kneeling beside his broken body. "But we have work to do. You wanted to live, didn't you?"
Kal tried to respond. Couldn't. Everything hurt and felt nothing all at once.
"Perfect." The figure reached out, pressing a hand to Kal's chest. Golden light erupted from the touch, warm and terrible. "Let's make sure you get that chance. And this time..."
The smile widened.
"...let's make it *interesting*."
The light consumed everything.
Khalil Morrison died on a Friday afternoon, beaten and drained in a dirty alley behind Nexus Academy.
And in that death, something far more dangerous was born.