The next evening, a carriage made of obsidian glass carried Lumiel, Daniel, Luminous, and Cartethyia's softly pulsing crystal toward the high spires that pierced the red clouds.At their destination floated the Academy of Fallen Angels — a city in the sky, built from broken halos and gilded ruin.The gates shimmered with light that bent like silk in the wind.
It wasn't just a school. It was a monument to everything Heaven had exiled.
The Academy of Fallen Angels
When they entered, Daniel could feel the hum of divinity — restrained, disciplined, repurposed.Fallen angels with blackened halos drifted through the halls, their wings folded like ceremonial veils.Vampires studied beside them, mixing faith with hunger.
Changli walked ahead gracefully, her red hair glowing in the candlelight.
"The Academy of Fallen Angels exists where heaven's rules cannot reach," she said."Here, angels learn to sin intelligently — and vampires learn to believe strategically."
Daniel blinked. "This is… allowed?"Changli smiled faintly. "Allowed? No. Profitable? Very."
Lord Valin's influence had bought their entrance — the official records said they were "visiting researchers sponsored by House Valin."But everyone in the academy whispered a simpler truth:The Rats of the Red Vein had joined the gods' rejects.
The Offer Revealed
That night, beneath an arch of black marble carved with burning runes, Changli gathered them in a private chamber.
On a table lay ancient diagrams — wings, veins, hearts, halos — all drawn with unnerving precision.
"You see," she began, "Heaven and Hell share one truth: they both rely on blood.""Celestial ichor for grace, mortal blood for life. Both carry power.""But when they mix—"She touched the parchment, and the ink pulsed crimson."—you get something new. Something limitless."
Lumiel crossed his arms. "You're not just talking about merging species. You're rewriting divinity."
"No," Changli said softly. "I'm liberating it."
Daniel swallowed. "And what do you need from us?"
"Your courage," she said. "And your consent."
She gestured toward the chalice at the center of the room — golden, engraved with Red Code markings.Inside shimmered a liquid that seemed to breathe.
"Drink this," Changli said, "and you will ascend beyond life and death. You'll become what Heaven fears most — angels who feed on blood and memory."
Daniel's Dilemma
Daniel hesitated. "And if I refuse?"
"You'll still have my respect," she said, smiling sadly. "But not my protection. The Academy only shields those who belong to it."
Cartethyia whispered urgently in Lumiel's mind.
[Warning: celestial corruption detected. High probability of irreversible mutation.]"Mutation's just evolution with bad publicity," Lumiel murmured.
He looked at his brother.
"Daniel… we've been rats, ghosts, monsters. Why not gods for once?"
Daniel closed his eyes. He could feel his pulse echoing inside the chalice — like the drink was already calling to him.
Changli stepped closer. Her voice softened.
"You're not just a husband, Daniel. You're a bridge. Between hunger and heaven. Between me and the world."
Her wings unfurled — black feathers glowing at the edges, each one pulsing with divine heat.
"Drink, and I'll make sure no one ever looks down on you again."
The Choice
He took the chalice. The moment his fingers touched it, red code symbols danced across the walls.Lumiel reached forward instinctively, his own power reacting to the energy.
"Don't!" Luminous cried.But it was too late.
Daniel drank.
The world convulsed.His veins lit up like molten gold.Feathers burst from his back — white at first, then bleeding black at the tips.The air trembled.
[ALERT: transformation irreversible. Subject transcending mortal parameters.]
Changli smiled — serene, proud, and a little sad.
"Welcome, my fallen seraph."
Aftermath
When it was over, Daniel knelt — breathing hard, but alive.His wings shimmered between light and shadow, constantly changing form.
"How… do you feel?" Lumiel asked quietly.Daniel's voice trembled. "Hungry."
Changli took his hand gently.
"Then I'll feed you eternity."
Closing Scene
As they left the chamber, Lumiel lingered behind, staring at the chalice.The residue inside shimmered faintly — an invitation, a temptation, a prophecy.
Cartethyia's voice cut through the silence.
[Do not.]"Why?"[Because once you drink, the world will never be able to forget you.]Lumiel smiled faintly."Good."
He turned away as distant bells rang across the Academy — heralding the arrival of the world's first blood-drinking fallen angel.