The classroom was nothing like Adeline expected.
Instead of ordinary desks, there were long black tables carved with glowing symbols. Floating candles hovered beneath the ceiling, casting a strange violet light over the room. Tall windows lined one wall, showing the mist-covered mountains surrounding Vampire de Witch.
At the front stood a woman with silver hair and sharp golden eyes.
She looked terrifying.
Adeline liked her immediately.
"Class," the woman said, tapping a book against her palm. "We have a new student."
Every conversation stopped.
Adeline stood beside the teacher, hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket.
Thirty pairs of supernatural eyes turned toward her.
Some were curious.
Some suspicious.
A few were openly hostile.
Wonderful.
The teacher looked at her.
"Introduce yourself."
Adeline sighed.
"My name is Adeline."
Silence.
The teacher waited.
Adeline stared back.
"What?"
"That's all?"
"You asked for my name."
A few students laughed.
The teacher's lips twitched.
"Very well. Adeline, you may take any available seat."
Adeline looked around.
Most of the seats were occupied.
Then she spotted an empty chair near the back.
Unfortunately, it wasn't empty by itself.
Five boys occupied the table around it.
The first one immediately caught her attention.
He sat with one arm resting lazily against the back of his chair, his dark eyes fixed on her. There was something unsettling about him. Not because he looked frightening.
Because he looked like someone who wasn't easily surprised.
The boy beside him had messy dark hair and a mischievous grin.
Another was flipping a silver coin between his fingers.
The fourth had pale hair and an expression of complete disinterest.
And the last one was leaning back with his arms crossed, watching the entire classroom like he was waiting for something entertaining to happen.
The teacher pointed toward them.
"There's a seat beside Azreal."
Adeline's eyes moved to the dark-haired boy.
Of course there is.
She walked toward the back.
The boy with the silver coin smiled.
"Looks like we're getting company."
"Looks like it," the messy-haired boy replied.
Adeline stopped beside the empty chair.
"Is this seat taken?"
The five boys looked at one another.
Then the messy-haired one grinned.
"No."
"Good."
She sat.
The boy immediately leaned toward her.
"Ezekiel."
Adeline glanced at him.
"Did I ask?"
He laughed.
"No. But you'll eventually want to know."
Adeline almost smiled.
Almost.
He pointed around the table.
"That's Remy."
The boy with the silver coin lifted two fingers in greeting.
"Pierre."
The pale-haired boy gave her a brief nod.
"And Drake."
Drake raised an eyebrow.
"And the brooding one is Azreal."
Azreal looked at Ezekiel.
"I can introduce myself."
Ezekiel shrugged.
"Could've fooled me."
Adeline looked at Azreal.
He was still watching her.
Not staring at her the way the other students had.
Studying her.
There was a difference.
She didn't like it.
"So," Ezekiel said, "what are you?"
Adeline looked at him.
"A student."
Remy chuckled.
"Smart answer."
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I accepted it as one."
Pierre laughed quietly.
Even Drake's mouth twitched.
Azreal didn't react.
His eyes remained on her.
Adeline turned toward the front of the classroom.
She could feel his gaze burning into the side of her face.
"Does he always stare?" she whispered to Ezekiel.
"Who?"
"Your friend."
Ezekiel glanced at Azreal.
Then back at her.
"He's curious."
"About?"
"You."
Adeline frowned.
"Why?"
Ezekiel's grin widened.
"That's the interesting part."
Before she could respond, the teacher slammed her book onto the desk.
"Enough talking."
Everyone fell silent.
The teacher turned toward the blackboard.
"Today we begin with magical bloodlines."
Adeline's stomach dropped.
Bloodlines.
Of all subjects.
She lowered her eyes.
The teacher began writing names across the board.
Vampires.
Witches.
Werewolves.
Demons.
Mutants.
Adeline froze.
The word stared back at her.
Mutants.
Her heartbeat quickened.
She forced herself to breathe.
No one noticed.
Except Azreal.
His eyes shifted toward her.
For the briefest moment, Adeline's eyes flashed an unnatural crimson.
She blinked.
They returned to normal.
Azreal's expression changed.
Barely.
But Adeline saw it.
He had noticed.
She turned toward him.
"Problem?"
"No."
"Then stop looking at me."
He leaned closer, his voice low enough that only she could hear.
"Your eyes just changed."
Adeline's heart stopped.
For one terrifying second, she couldn't breathe.
Then she smiled.
"Maybe you need glasses."
Azreal didn't smile.
"I don't."
"Then maybe you need a hobby."
His eyes narrowed.
Adeline turned back toward the board.
But beneath the table, her hands had begun to shake.
She clenched them into fists.
She couldn't let him find out.
Not Azreal.
Not anyone.
Because if the people at Vampire de Witch discovered that the new girl sitting among them wasn't merely a witch—
If they discovered she was a mutant vampire-witch—
She wouldn't get another chance to run.
And somehow, Adeline already knew that Azreal wasn't the kind of person who stopped searching once he found a mystery.
Especially one sitting directly beside him.