Chapter 15: The Seductive Succubus

The corridor was cold and silent, but Gabriel's mind was a tempest. The taste of Seraphine's blood, sweet and metallic, still lingered on his lips, and the sensation of her body against his – first tense and resistant, then briefly yielding – haunted him. He couldn't understand what had happened. A moment of anger, an uncontrollable impulse… and now, everything was different.

Or not.

He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more. Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe the kiss hadn't meant anything. Maybe Seraphine was just toying with him, once again. After all, she was a vampire, and he… what was he?

"Delusional…" Fay's voice sounded in his head, mocking as always. "Do you really think a vampire like her would be interested in an insignificant human like you? It was just an… experiment. Or a mistake. Or… who knows, boredom."

"Shut up, Fay," Gabriel whispered, glancing around to make sure no one was watching. He squeezed the stamp in his hand, wishing the goddess would simply disappear. "You don't understand anything."

Fay, for once, didn't respond immediately. Gabriel felt only a slight tingling in the stamp, as if the goddess were… pensive? Or plotting something new, he thought, with a shiver.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm down. He needed to think. He needed to understand what was happening. With him. With Seraphine. What were the intentions of that over-the-top vampire? Does she… like me? But… why? I'm just a human… He squeezed his biceps, feeling the lack of muscles. Weak and… there's nothing impressive about me.

But the image of her, vulnerable and confused after the kiss, wouldn't leave his head. Had she been embarrassed? Or… regretful?

Gabriel leaned against the wall, closing his eyes. He tried to focus, empty his mind, push away the emotions that assaulted him.

It didn't work.

He could still feel Seraphine's touch, the warmth of her body close to his, the scent of roses and… blood. — She treats me badly, and then it seems like she's going to devour my soul… and my body. Gabriel thought, his chest tight. — Is this what they call falling in love?

He opened his eyes, determined to find Seraphine, to demand answers. But the corridor was empty.

She had disappeared.

And, in the place where she had been, there was only a single black feather, glowing faintly in the gloom. Gabriel picked up the feather, examining it carefully. It was real. Soft and silky, but it had a strange energy, a slight warmth that seemed to pulsate in his fingers.

A day passed. A whole day of silence and uncertainty. A day in which he avoided the corridors, hid in the library, leafed through ancient books about vampires (without finding anything useful), and tried, in vain, to decipher the whirlwind of emotions that Seraphine's kiss had awakened, and that sound… What was that? A threat? A warning?

Fay's voice, of course, didn't help, and every time she appeared, Gabriel became more irritated.

"Still thinking about the vampire?" she mocked, the stamp vibrating in his hand every few hours. "What a waste of time! You should be learning to fight! You're pathetic!"

Gabriel ignored the comments, squeezing the stamp tightly, as if he could silence the goddess. But he knew that Fay was right about one thing: he needed to focus. He needed to get stronger. He needed to be prepared for whatever was to come.

But how? And where to start?

The answer, or at least part of it, came in the form of a new student in Professor Akane Thalorian's Elemental Manipulation class.

Lilith.

Gabriel noticed her as soon as she entered the classroom the next day. It was impossible not to notice. She was… stunning. Short, straight black hair, in a modern bob that framed a face with delicate, yet intense features. Large, expressive violet eyes that seemed to glow with their own light, and that contrasted with her pale skin and the two curved, black horns that projected from her forehead. Full, red lips, which curved into a constant smile, at once gentle and seductive. And the body…

Gabriel gulped, looking away, feeling his face burn.

Lilith wore the Arcane School uniform, but, as always, the standard seemed to mold differently on her. The white shirt was too tight, emphasizing her ample breasts. The skirt, shorter than regulations allowed, rose dangerously up her thighs, revealing long, shapely legs. And the neckline…

"Whoa! This one's not messing around!" Fay exclaimed, with a mental whistle. "Could she be a match for the vampire? Horns, huh? Interesting… I can't wait to see the sparks fly! But if she lays a finger on you… It'll be better than a soap opera!"

Gabriel ignored Fay. He tried to focus on Professor Akane, who, with a somewhat forced smile, interrupted her explanation of elemental constructs.

"It seems we have two new additions to our class today," Akane announced, gesturing toward the door. "Please welcome Lilith…" she indicated the succubus, who waved with a smile that was both sweet and predatory, "…and Fenrir."

Beside Lilith, shrunken and nervous, was a skinny werewolf with thick-rimmed glasses and messy brown hair that tried, in vain, to hide his lupine ears. He seemed the complete opposite of Ulric: shy, scrawny, and visibly uncomfortable with the attention.

"Great… another werewolf…", Gabriel thought, with an internal sigh. "Is he going to want to bite me too?"

"Relax, Player. This one looks harmless," Fay mocked. "Now, the succubus…"

"Lilith and Fenrir were transferred from the Night Academy of ValeAtroz," Akane continued, explaining. "Apparently, there was a… small incident… involving an alchemical experiment that got out of control and… well, let's just say their school will need some renovations."

A murmur of surprise and curiosity rippled through the classroom. Gabriel exchanged a look with Greta, who raised an eyebrow, skeptical. Lira, floating in her aquarium, observed the scene with an enigmatic glint in her eyes.

"Alchemical incident, huh? I bet it was her!" Fay whispered, referring to Lilith. "Succubi love chaos!"

Seraphine, who until then had been sitting silently with her friends, straightened up and stared at Lilith and Gabriel with narrowed eyes.

"I hope you both adapt well to our school," Akane concluded, casting a meaningful look at Lilith. "And that you avoid causing… unnecessary trouble."

Lilith smiled broadly, a smile that didn't reach her violet eyes.

"Don't worry, Professor," she said, her voice melodious and slightly husky. "I love a… challenging environment."

A shiver ran down Gabriel's spine. He knew, instinctively, that Lilith's arrival would further complicate his life.

"Very well," Akane said, resuming the class. "As I was saying, today we're going to form groups of four students to create elemental constructs…"

Before Akane could finish, Lilith turned to Gabriel, completely ignoring the other students. She glided between the desks with a hypnotizing grace, stopping right in front of him.

"Hello, Player," she whispered, her voice husky and seductive, stopping right in front of Gabriel. The sweet and exotic scent of the succubus invaded Gabriel's senses, mixing with the familiar smell of roses and blood that he now associated with Seraphine. "I'm Lilith. And apparently, you're Gabriel. The famous Gabriel."

Gabriel felt his face burn even more. He looked around nervously, searching for Seraphine. She was at the back of the room, talking to Greta and Lira, but her eyes… Her ruby eyes were fixed on him, burning into him as if she could incinerate him with her gaze. Jealousy, Gabriel thought, with a mixture of fear and… satisfaction? Is it possible?

"Uh… hi…" Gabriel stammered, not knowing what to say or how to act. Why is she talking to me? And how does she know my name?

"I've heard about you," Lilith continued, with a mischievous smile that showed the tips of her canines, surprisingly similar to Seraphine's, but less threatening, more… inviting. "They say you're strong. Brave. And that you're not afraid to challenge the rules. I admire those qualities."

She moved closer, brushing her arm against his on purpose. Gabriel felt a shiver run through his body, a mixture of excitement and danger.

"How about we team up?" Lilith suggested, her voice low and promising, almost a purr, leaning slightly toward Gabriel. "I'd love to see what a Player like you is capable of. And… perhaps… teach you a few things… in return."

"Damn it! I'm screwed!", Gabriel thought to himself, when he heard a growl coming from the back of the room.

"Grrr…" Gabriel hears the sound of anger in Seraphine's voice from across the room.

Before Gabriel could react or come up with an excuse, Professor Akane announced:

"Alright, students! Since you're almost in groups, let's get started! Let your creativity flow and experiment with the elements. But be careful! Elemental manipulation can be… unstable." She cast a meaningful look at the class, as a warning. "And please, try not to blow up the classroom today. I have to go to the principal's office to deal with an urgent matter. Feel free, but be responsible."

With a final smile (which didn't convey much confidence), Akane left the room, leaving behind a tense silence and a group of teenagers with magical powers in their hands.

The silence didn't last long.

"Uh-oh…" Fay whispered, in Gabriel's mind. "This smells like trouble… I love it!"

Gabriel mentally agreed. Without Akane's supervision, the classroom quickly turned into magical chaos.

Sparks flew, puddles of water formed on the floor, small tremors shook the desks, and gusts of wind messed up the students' hair (and dresses). The elemental constructs, still unstable and malformed, wandered around the room, colliding with each other and causing minor accidents.

Lilith, oblivious to the chaos (or perhaps taking advantage of it), continued her advance on Gabriel. She moved even closer, brushing her body against his, playing with a lock of his hair, whispering provocative words in his ear.

"Don't worry about the others, Player," she said, with a mischievous smile. "I'll protect you. And I guarantee we'll make sparks together."

Gabriel felt his face burn. He tried to move away, but Lilith grabbed his hand, intertwining her fingers with his.

"How about we start with a little… fire?" She suggested, her violet eyes shining with a dangerous light.

It was at that moment that Seraphine lost her patience.

"That's enough!" She shouted, her voice echoing through the room, silencing (almost) everyone.

A runaway water construct exploded near Greta, soaking her completely. A small fire demon started to set fire to Lira's tail, who hissed in pain and anger. And, in the middle of the room, a clumsy earth golem tripped and fell on top of… Seraphine's desk.

It was the last straw.

The vampire, already furious with Lilith's presence and her approach to Gabriel, exploded.

"I said… THAT'S ENOUGH!" She snarled, her ruby eyes glowing intensely, her fangs lengthening, bat ears appearing and a bat-like nose appeared, and miniature wings also sprouting from her back. The Noctaria curse activated, a terrible moment, but Seraphine doesn't care.

A cold wind swept through the room, extinguishing the flames of the fire demon, scattering the water from the construct, and making the students shiver.

Seraphine marched toward Lilith and Gabriel, her pale face contorted in a mask of fury.

"Let go of him," she ordered, her voice low and threatening. "Now."

Lilith, showing her fangs, with her violet eyes now glowing, stared at Seraphine face to face, as the two of them confront each other.

But before the two could start a fight, the ground shook. A strong, rhythmic tremor, a sound of beating and whispering and… a strong, nauseating, rotten smell…