DEPARTMENT OF ART: THEATER & MUSIC CLASS
"Silence, everyone!"
A beautiful lady wearing glasses slapped the ruler in her hand against the desk, commanding the room. Instantly, the chatter died and the attention of the entire class shifted toward her.
"We have two new students. Let's welcome them," she announced.
Polite claps echoed as everyone stared at the entrance.
Zamel stepped in first. His presence alone brought an icy chill over the class room. His expression was unreadable—no smile, no warmth—yet his beauty was undeniable. No one dared to look at him twice. Even the teacher felt the air tighten around her, and hurriedly adjusted her glasses to compose herself.
Then Riel walked in.
The tension dispersed as though it never existed. Her soft smile radiated warmth, and the aura surrounding her felt comforting, enchanting—otherworldly. She didn't just enter the room; she captivated it.
"Which family is this beauty from? She's stunning!"
"Is she real? She's too beautiful!"
"Look at her eyes… strange, but mesmerizing! I'm falling in love with it!"
Hearing the hushed whispers, Riel chuckled inwardly.
"So these are humans… We almost resemble each other, head, eyes, hands, legs, all parts of the body is complete but how fragile they are. Can these beings even live three thousand years? No power, no strength… How do they even survive?" She scan the crowd as if looking for something that could catch her interest but found nothing.
"Interesting. No spiritual powers yet they survive umm, this human world may not be boring after all". She smiled warmly.
She reached back and took Zamel's hand, guiding him to stand beside the teacher.
"Ahem… Attention everyone," the teacher's voice quivered, and the class instantly focused.
"Let's hear our new students introduce themselves," she instructed.
Riel stepped forward with that same gentle smile.
"Hello everyone, I'm Riel. I'm here to make human friends. I hope I'm welcome. If not—don't worry—I'll try my best not to devour you all." She chuckled lightly.
The classroom turned dead silent.
Zamel rubbed his forehead in silent resignation.
Seeing their stunned expressions, Riel didn't seem bothered. Her smile only brightened.
"So, I take it I'm not welcome?"
"N-No! You're welcome!" A girl suddenly rose from her seat. She flashed Riel a warm smile. "My name is Mira. It would be wonderful to have you as a friend."
Mira's sincerity broke the tension.
"Exactly! You're beautiful and friendly. I'm Bella," another girl voiced happily.
One after another, students eagerly introduced themselves.
"Riel… the male student with you… is he your brother?" a girl asked shyly, cheeks pink.
Zamel turned his gaze on her. Cold. Intimidating. The girl flinched as though her soul was exposed before he finally looked away.
Riel chuckled softly.
"Yes, he's my brother. His name is Zamel. What do you think of him? Handsome, right?" she teased.
The girl's face turned crimson as she nodded feeling the tensed air loosing, finally having the chance to breath properly.
"There's a lot of entertainment in this human world," Riel mused privately, staring at the girl who was stealing glances at Zamel.
"Both of you may take the front seats," the teacher suggested gently.
Riel pulled Zamel along and sat down.
"What do you think of the human world?" she whispered.
"Boring," Zamel responded calmly. "But since you're here, it won't stay boring I guess."
Riel laughed quietly.
"True."
She stared at the board for a moment.
"Tsk… I don't understand a single thing she's teaching," she murmured before yawning.
"No humans with long life either… Guess I'll just play instead of making friends."
She rested her head and fell asleep almost immediately.
Zamel glanced at her and pressed her palm lightly to her forehead confirming whether she's asleep.
"Seriously…" he muttered in disbelief.
---
Drrriiinnnggg…
"What's with that annoying sound that cut short my good lovely sleep!" Riel grumbled, sitting up.
"Keep it down. Class is over," Zamel responded.
Riel's eyes widened as she looked around the now-empty classroom.
"Does that mean I can go and find my husband now?"
Zamel nodded.
"Great! I miss him already!" She snatched her bag and headed outside.
"Hold on, why are you so eager, it's not like you've not meet him this morning!" Zamel gritted his teeth in annoyance, running after her.
....
Just as they were about to get into the car, a voice called out loudly:
"Classmate Riel!"
Riel paused and turned. A girl ran toward her, slightly out of breath. Her hair short and brown in colour, smooth but with closer look, it look a bit dirty, she adjusted her glasses and smiled politely.
"My name is Lora. I wasn't in class when you arrived, I just heard about you so I came to introduce myself," she explained softly.
"I… I'd really like to be your friend. I don't have any friends… but I feel drawn to you," she admitted nervously.
Riel's brows lowered slightly. Her eyes examined Lora closely—too closely as is she's trying to see through her and yes, she's scanning her and realized that her whole body is covered in scars thanks to her heavy dress it's nearly impossible to notice.
"Who beat you?" Riel inquired bluntly.
Lora froze. "H-Huh? I… no one beat me," she stammered, taking a shaky step back.
"If you want to be my friend, you must be honest. I don't tolerate double-hearted people." Riel's tone sharpened.
Lora's eyes filled with tears.
"She… she's willing to be my friend…" she whispered to herself.
"Again," Riel continued, her expression darkening into something cold, ruthless, dangerous.
"Who beat you?"
"I… I was at fault… I deserved it…" Lora murmured weakly.
A mocking laugh echoed behind them.
"Look at this crazy girl. Still running around making friends? Seems the beating wasn't enough," a male voice taunted.
Riel's eyes glittered with lethal intent.
Three boys approached—uniforms messy, posture arrogant… obvious school thugs.
Lora stumbled backward in fear.
"D-Don't come closer…"
The boys only smirked.
"Interesting," Riel's voice flowed through the air, smooth and melodic. "The human world has truly opened my eyes. Is there a rule here that allows males to bully females?" she commented, catching their attention
"So the beauty speaks," the leader remarked, looking Riel up and down with a lustful gaze.
"Hey gorgeous… be my girlfriend."
Riel's smile vanished.
And the air grew dangerous.