I woke up to pain.
My whole body ached like I had been run over by a truck… then dragged for a mile. My head was heavy, and my mouth was dry. The air around me smelled strange—like cold metal and old stone.
I sat up slowly.
I wasn't in my bedroom.
I wasn't even in a hospital.
The ceiling above me was high, covered in dark wood and carvings. The walls were stone, old and cracked in places, like some ancient church or castle. There were candles on the walls. Real candles, not electric lights.
"Where… am I?" I whispered.
I looked around. I was lying on a big bed with black sheets. The room had no windows. Only one heavy door. My backpack was on the floor, neatly placed against the wall.
That's when the door creaked open.
She walked in.
The girl from last night.
The one with the white hair.
The one who saved me.
She was still wearing the same uniform: a black skirt, silver-trimmed jacket, tall boots. Her long white hair flowed like silk, and her eyes—sharp and gray—watched me closely.
"You're awake," she said.
"No thanks to you!" I said, trying to sit up straighter. "What the hell happened? Where am I? What was that thing?! And why the hell did you kiss me?!"
She didn't flinch.
"You were marked," she said simply. "You would have died if I hadn't sealed it."
"Sealed it? You kissed me!"
"That was the seal."
I blinked. "Are you saying your lips are magical?"
She narrowed her eyes. "You think this is funny?"
"No," I said quickly. "I think I'm insane. That's different."
She walked toward the bed and stopped just in front of me. "You were attacked by a Night Demon. You survived. That means something inside you is… different."
"Different how?"
She didn't answer.
Instead, she reached into her coat and pulled out a small silver chain. At the end of it was a black card.
She handed it to me.
It had no writing, no symbol. Just a strange shimmer on its surface, like smoke trapped in glass.
"What's this?" I asked.
"Your invitation."
"To what? A secret vampire club?"
"To Nightfall Academy," she said. "You're being transferred."
I stared at her.
"Nightfall what?"
"Nightfall Academy. It's a school. For people like you."
I looked at the card again. "People like me?"
"Marked. Chosen. Cursed. Whatever you want to call it."
I took a deep breath. My chest still hurt. I remembered the red glowing mark. The demon. The kiss.
"Okay," I said slowly. "Let's say I believe you. Just for fun. Why would I want to go to some creepy magic school?"
She looked at me like I was the stupidest person alive.
"Because if you don't, you'll die."
"Oh."
Yeah, that made sense.
She turned and walked back toward the door.
"Get dressed. You start today."
---
Turns out, Nightfall Academy wasn't far. It was hidden deep behind the hills outside town, surrounded by woods and covered by what she called "veil magic." Normal people couldn't see it. The whole place looked like a gothic castle out of a horror movie.
Gargoyles. Towers. Iron gates.
And students.
Lots of them.
They looked normal at first—teenagers in uniforms, walking across stone paths, carrying books, talking, laughing.
But the longer I watched, the weirder it got.
Some had glowing eyes.
Some floated.
Some whispered to shadows that moved.
"This is insane," I muttered.
The girl beside me didn't respond.
"What's your name, by the way?" I asked.
She gave me a glance. "Aria."
"That's a pretty name. You always act like a grumpy vampire, Aria?"
"No," she said. "Only when I'm babysitting idiots."
Ouch.
---
We entered the main hall. It was massive—taller than a church, with stained glass windows showing strange scenes: battles, demons, glowing weapons, symbols I didn't recognize.
A tall man stood waiting in the center. He wore a long coat and had sharp glasses. His eyes were gold.
"You must be Agla," he said.
I nodded.
"I'm Headmaster Kael. Welcome to Nightfall Academy. Your survival last night has already caused quite a stir."
"Thanks, I think."
He looked at Aria. "You brought him in yourself?"
"He was marked by the Abyss."
The Headmaster's face turned serious. "I see. Then he's more dangerous than we thought."
"Hey!" I raised my hand. "I'm right here."
He ignored me.
"You'll be staying in the south wing," he said. "There are rules. You'll learn them. Classes start at dusk. And you'll be assigned a guide."
"A guide?"
Someone tapped my shoulder from behind.
I turned.
And my jaw almost dropped.
She was tall, blonde, and smiling. Her uniform barely followed the rules—her skirt was short, and her shirt was tight.
"Hi there!" she said. "I'm Mira. I'm your guide. And lucky you, I'm also the hottest girl on campus."
"Uh—hi," I said, trying not to stare.
Aria rolled her eyes and walked off.
"Don't mind her," Mira whispered, looping her arm around mine. "She's always like that. Cold, serious, and totally no fun."
"She saved my life last night."
"Yeah, she does that. But don't expect her to smile."
Mira pulled me along through the academy. The halls were filled with students, some normal-looking, others very much not. One guy had horns. A girl passed through a wall like a ghost.
"This place is…" I couldn't find the right word.
"Crazy?" Mira said. "Scary? A total freakshow?"
"Yeah."
She laughed. "You'll get used to it. Or die. One of those."
---
She showed me my room. It had stone walls, a small window, and a strange book on the table. The book had my name on it.
"What's that?" I asked.
"Your spell journal," Mira said. "You'll learn how to use it."
"I don't know any spells."
"Not yet," she said with a wink. "But you've got the mark. That means you're going to start changing soon."
"Changing how?"
Mira leaned closer, her lips close to my ear. "You'll see."
Then she stood up straight and tossed me a piece of candy. "Eat this if your chest starts burning. Side effects of the mark. Don't worry, it only hurts a lot."
"Comforting."
---
Later that night, I sat by the window in my room.
I still didn't believe half of what I saw.
But I couldn't deny the truth.
I had seen a demon.
I had been marked.
I had kissed a girl with a glowing scythe.
And now I was stuck in a haunted magic school filled with monsters, curses, and probably more near-death experiences.
The moon was high.
A bell rang in the distance.
Night classes were about to begin.
And somewhere deep in the shadows of Nightfall Academy…
Something was watching me.
Something old.
Something angry.
Something waiting.