Warmth.
That's the first thing I felt when I woke up.
Then pain. A lot of pain.
My head throbbed like I'd been hit with a truck. My chest burned where the red symbol had been. I opened my eyes slowly and found myself lying in a soft bed with white sheets. A dim orange light glowed above me.
This wasn't my room.
This wasn't even a hospital.
The ceiling was made of smooth black stone, and the walls had strange glowing lines running across them—symbols I couldn't understand. It looked like a mix between an old castle and a sci-fi movie.
I sat up with a groan. My body felt heavy, like I'd run ten marathons and fought a bear.
The door opened.
She walked in.
The white-haired girl.
She was wearing a new outfit now—something between a school uniform and armor. Her skirt was black with silver patterns, and her top had a badge shaped like a sword with wings. Her boots clicked softly against the floor as she moved.
She looked at me like I was some kind of puzzle.
"Good. You're awake."
I blinked. "You… kissed me."
She raised one eyebrow. "Yes."
"You *kissed* me."
"Correct."
I stared at her. "Is that, like, normal around here?"
"No. But it was necessary." She crossed her arms. "The mark would've consumed you. My kiss slowed it down."
"Whoa, whoa—hold on. Consumed? What mark? What's going on? Where am I?"
She looked at me for a long moment, then said, "You're at Nightfall Academy."
"…Nightfall what?"
She sighed. "I suppose you need an explanation. Get dressed and follow me."
I looked down. I was wearing a white shirt and loose pants. Not mine. My face turned red.
"Did you… change my clothes?"
"No. Nurse Eleanor did."
"Oh. Good. I guess."
She turned and walked out.
I stood up carefully. My legs still felt shaky, but I managed to pull on the black uniform that had been left for me. It fit surprisingly well. On the front was the same winged sword badge.
When I stepped out of the room, I was greeted by a long hallway lit with torches. Yes—actual torches. Other students in similar uniforms walked by, some carrying books, others weapons. A tall guy with red hair and a massive axe nodded at me like I was just another dude.
I followed the white-haired girl through twisting halls, up spiral staircases, and past strange doors that buzzed with energy.
Finally, we reached a wide balcony that overlooked the entire campus.
And my jaw dropped.
Nightfall Academy was like Hogwarts if it had been built inside a gothic video game.
Tall towers, glowing runes, massive statues with wings, and a huge floating moon above it all. Below us, the training yard buzzed with life—students fighting shadow creatures, shooting fire, teleporting across platforms. And in the distance, beyond the black fence, I saw a shimmering wall of purple light separating the school from the outside world.
"This is insane," I whispered.
She turned to me. "This is your new home."
"Home?" I laughed nervously. "I didn't even apply!"
"You didn't need to. You were chosen."
I looked at her. "By who? And who *are* you, exactly?"
She faced me fully now. Her voice softened a little.
"My name is **Lyra Vale**. I'm a second-year hunter. You were marked by the Abyss. That means you're cursed. But it also means… you're one of us now."
"One of who?"
"Shadow hunters. Nightfall Academy trains the few people who can see demons and survive their attacks. We fight what hides in the dark. The monsters that feed on fear and sleep."
My stomach twisted. "Wait. So that thing in the school—"
"It was a low-rank demon. A scout. They come before something worse arrives."
I stared at her. "You're telling me demons are real, there's a secret school fighting them, and I'm cursed because one of them marked me?"
She nodded once.
I rubbed my forehead. "Okay. Makes perfect sense. Totally normal night."
"You're taking this better than most," she said.
"I think I'm still half-asleep," I muttered.
She stepped closer. "Listen, Agla. You have power now. That mark—if left unchecked—it'll destroy you. But if trained properly, it might become your greatest weapon."
I looked down at my chest. "And that kiss really slowed it down?"
She looked away. "It's complicated."
"Then maybe you should explain it to me over, I don't know\... *lunch?* Since you already kinda-sorta *kissed me* and dragged me to demon school."
Her cheeks turned pink.
Then she walked off.
"Wait, was that a blush?!" I called after her.
She didn't answer.
---
**Later that night**, I found myself sitting in a classroom with six other students. All of them girls. All of them dangerous-looking. One had glowing blue eyes. Another had a sword strapped to her back and two piercings in her lip. The girl at the corner had horns. Real ones.
Lyra stood in front of us.
"This is the starter group," she said. "You'll train together. Fight together. Live together."
I raised a hand. "Uh, not to be weird, but… why am I the *only guy* here?"
Everyone turned to look at me.
Lyra shrugged. "Boys rarely survive the mark."
"…Cool," I said, sweating.
The girl with the horns smirked. "Hope you don't die in your sleep, new guy."
I laughed nervously.
That night, I couldn't sleep.
Because for the first time in my life…
I was in danger, I was surrounded by strange girls, I had a cursed mark over my heart…
And I *felt alive.*