Chapter 20: Noble Blood, Rebel Heart

A day had passed since the chaos in the classroom. Gabriel opened his eyes slowly, consciousness returning along with a dull, persistent ache in his casted arm and bandaged leg. Fragments of the previous night – fire, screams, Seraphine declaring something absurd about them being boyfriend and girlfriend, and the painful impact of a desk – swirled in his mind. Infirmary. Right. At least he wasn't dead, just painfully aware of his own fragility.

A faint creak caught his attention. Beside the bed, Seraphine sat on a stool, tense as a violin string about to snap. She looked like she hadn't slept; dark circles shadowed the area beneath her ruby eyes, now dull and fixed on the barred window. Her black dress still bore the marks of battle and dried stains of his blood. The anxiety was almost palpable. Her nose… still had that subtle bat-like quality. She was here. And visibly terrified of something.

He cleared his throat, which felt dry. The sound made Seraphine whip her head around abruptly, eyes wide for an instant before the usual mask of disdain (albeit a slightly shaky one) snapped back into place.

"Did the mutt finally decide to wake up?" Her voice came out raspy, tense. "I thought I'd have to drag your useless carcass out of bed, vermin."

Gabriel tried to shift, wincing in pain. "Good morning to you too, Leech." He retorted, his voice hoarse. "Looks like it was a long night. Worried your broken toys can't be fixed?"

Seraphine's eyes flashed. "Shut your mouth, you insolent dog! I'm not worried about you. I am merely… ensuring my property isn't too damaged to be useful. And you make for terrible room decor, I must say."

"Ah, right. Property." Gabriel rolled his eyes, ignoring the twinge of pain. "Is that why you screamed to the entire school that I was your… what was it again? Oh, right. Boyfriend. Real subtle of you."

Seraphine's face flushed violently, a vivid red contrasting with her pallor. She shot up from the stool, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"That was… a slip-up! A tactical error brought on by your incompetence and… and that vulgar succubus! It meant nothing, do you hear me, human?! You are still just my… my…" She stammered, searching for the right insult, fury mixed with palpable embarrassment. "...my own special burden!"

"Right, burden. Noted." Gabriel said, with a crooked smile that didn't reach his eyes. There was a different tension here, something beyond their usual mutual irritation. Her declaration, however much she denied it, hung between them.

Before Seraphine could formulate another angry response or Gabriel could provoke her further, the heavy stone door of the infirmary creaked open slowly, ominously.

The air in the room seemed to freeze instantly. All color drained from Seraphine's face, replaced by a deathly pallor. She turned towards the door, her posture rigid as a statue, hands clenched at her sides.

Two tall, dark figures entered. Impeccably dressed in shades of black and deep wine red, they carried an air of ancient power and aristocratic coldness that made Seraphine seem almost… warm in comparison.

The man, Lord Valerius Noctaria, had black hair silvered at the temples, pulled back severely. His face was angular, marked by an expression of perpetual disdain, and his eyes, an even deeper, darker red than Seraphine's, swept the infirmary with an icy assessment, pausing for an instant on Gabriel with undisguised disgust before settling on his daughter.

Beside him, Lady Carmilla Noctaria was the picture of frigid, deadly beauty. Her hair was a black veil falling over pale shoulders, and her thin lips were curved in an almost imperceptible smile that didn't reach her calculating, equally red eyes. She held a black lace fan, which she used to partially hide her face as she surveyed the room – and Gabriel – as if inspecting a particularly unpleasant stain on an expensive rug.

Greta and Lira, who had returned at some point and were huddled near the door, held their breath, their faces a mixture of fear and apprehension.

Seraphine curtsied, the movement stiff and forced. "Father. Mother."

Lord Valerius ignored the greeting. His gaze was hard as obsidian. "Seraphine." His voice was a deep bass, each syllable cutting like glass. "What is this deplorable spectacle? We were summoned from our urgent affairs because of… this?"

Lady Carmilla fanned herself slightly, the cold smile hidden as her eyes raked Gabriel up and down. "And this… thing…" Her voice was a venomous hiss, sweet and deadly. "Is the reason for your expulsion? A human?" The word was pronounced as if it were a contagious disease. "A player? What unspeakable shame you have brought upon us, Seraphine. A stain on the Noctaria name that will take centuries to cleanse."

Seraphine stiffened, what little color remained in her face vanishing completely.

Lord Valerius took a step forward, his imposing presence seeming to suck the air from the room. His red eyes fixed on Seraphine with a cold, cruel intensity.

"Expulsion." He pronounced the word like a death sentence. "You, a Noctaria, nearly expelled from the most prestigious academy in Faytheria. And because of…" He made a vague, dismissive gesture towards Gabriel, not even looking directly at him. "...a player. An insignificant creature. You haven't just shamed our blood, Seraphine, you have spat on centuries of tradition and power."

Lady Carmilla waved her fan slowly, the cold smile widening slightly. "We always knew you were… different, dear. Prone to… tantrums. This… condition of yours…" She spoke the word "condition" with ill-disguised disgust, clearly referring to the Noctaria Curse. "Is a weakness that blemishes our lineage. But this? Associating publicly with such rabble? It is an unforgivable betrayal."

Seraphine tried to respond, to open her mouth to defend herself, but her parents' words were like physical blows. Each accusation about her curse, her "weakness," her lack of control, struck the rawest points of her insecurity.

"We intervened, of course," Lord Valerius continued, his tone devoid of any warmth. "A Noctaria expelled? Unthinkable. The shame would be unbearable. Your continued enrollment has been… secured." He paused, his gaze growing even colder. "But make no mistake, Seraphine. This is not forgiveness. It is a final chance. You will be under strict observation. Any slip-up, any rumor, any whisper of dishonor… and the consequences will be… definitive. And severe. Do you understand us?"

The words were clear: she was on a leash, saved from expulsion only by her family's wounded pride. Humiliation burned in her chest, and tears, previously held back, began to stream down her face – tears of anger, shame, and helplessness. She clenched her fists so tightly her short nails dug into her palms.

It was the sound of Seraphine's choked sob that made something snap inside Gabriel. The pain in his body seemed to vanish, replaced by a cold, protective fury. He couldn't stand seeing her like this, broken and humiliated.

With a painful effort, ignoring his injured body's protests, Gabriel pushed himself up with his good arm and managed to sit up in bed, then swing his feet onto the cold floor, each movement an agony. He stood, staggering, leaning on the edge of the bed, but his eyes were fixed on Lord Valerius.

"Stop it!" Gabriel's voice came out louder and firmer than he expected, surprising everyone in the room, including himself. "Leave her alone!"

Lord Valerius turned his head slowly, as if only now noticing the insignificant presence that had dared to speak. His red eyes narrowed. "What did you say, vermin?"

"I said leave her alone!" Gabriel repeated, taking a hesitant step forward, despite the shooting pain in his leg. "She might be… complicated…" He shot a quick glance at Seraphine, who stared back at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. "But she doesn't deserve to be treated like trash by her own parents! What happened wasn't just her fault!"

Lady Carmilla let out a thin, cruel laugh, like the tinkle of shattering glass. "Well now, Valerius. The thing speaks. And defends its owner. How touching… and pathetic. Have you truly sunk to this level, Seraphine? Training pets?"

"Silence, filth!" Lord Valerius snarled, taking a menacing step towards Gabriel. "You don't have the right to breathe the same air as us, let alone address a Noctaria! Your existence is an insult."

Fear shot through Gabriel, but the image of Seraphine crying spurred him on. He didn't back down. "Maybe. But at least I don't treat someone I'm supposed to love like a broken trophy!"

The slap came fast as lightning. Lord Valerius's hand cracked across Gabriel's face with force, sending him stumbling back onto the bed with a painful thud. The taste of blood filled his mouth again.

"GABRIEL!" Seraphine's scream was sharp, desperate.

Seeing Gabriel struck because of her, defending her… something inside Seraphine finally broke. The dam of fear, shame, and pride gave way to a wave of defiant fury. She straightened up, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand, her ruby eyes blazing with renewed intensity, not of fear, but of pure rebellion.

"Don't touch him!" She hissed at her father, her voice trembling but firm.

Lord Valerius turned to her, surprised by her audacity. "You defend him? You defend this creature? After everything?"

"Yes!" Seraphine shouted, taking a step forward, placing herself between her father and Gabriel. She was shaking, but she kept her gaze locked on his. "He's not a thing. He's not vermin. He… he defended me. And you… all you know how to do is humiliate!"

"Seraphine, control yourself!" Lady Carmilla warned, her tone icy.

But Seraphine ignored her. Her gaze met Gabriel's for an instant – a whirlwind of emotions passing between them – before turning back to challenge her father.

"You asked what my relationship is with him? You want to know the truth that shames you so much?" She took a deep breath, her chest heaving. "He is my boyfriend! Did you hear me, Father?! Gabriel is my boyfriend! And I don't care what you or any other stupid vampire thinks about it!"

The silence that followed was heavy, thick with shock and disbelief. Lady Carmilla let her fan drop to the floor with a soft thud. Greta and Lira stood wide-eyed, mouths agape. Gabriel felt the world spin, her declaration echoing in his ears like thunder.

Lord Valerius remained motionless for a long moment, his face an unreadable mask. Then, slowly, an expression of profound, absolute contempt settled over his features. His eyes, previously red with anger, became dull, cold, distant. He didn't shout. He didn't curse. He simply looked at her as if she were a complete stranger, an irredeemable disappointment.

"I see." His voice was low, almost a whisper, but heavy with a terrible finality, devoid of any apparent emotion. "The dishonor… is complete."

He turned, presenting his back to Seraphine, to Gabriel, to the entire scene.

"Valerius…?" Lady Carmilla called out, hesitantly. Silent tears, held back with effort, now streamed down her pale face, a rare display of emotion contrasting sharply with her husband's coldness. The shock, and perhaps the sorrow of the rift, were visible in her red eyes.

He didn't stop, ignoring his wife's call and her tears. He walked towards the door, his regal posture now seeming only… stiffer, if possible, like armor against any feeling. At the threshold, he paused for an instant, without turning around.

"I no longer have a daughter."

And he was gone, disappearing into the dark hallway.

Lady Carmilla looked at Seraphine one last time, the uncontrolled tears now tracing paths down her pale face – a rare, painful break in her aristocratic facade. Her gaze was a whirlwind of pity for her daughter, disappointment in her actions, but above all, the sharp pain of a mother watching her own blood be disowned by her husband.

She retrieved her fan from the floor with trembling hands, a tremor that betrayed the inner storm behind the cold mask. She wiped her face quickly, almost violently, a gesture of someone trying to erase their own exposed weakness, and turned. Without another word, she hurried after Valerius, vanishing down the corridor.

Seraphine stood frozen, her entire body trembling violently. Her father's words echoed in the deafening silence. I no longer have a daughter. The final rejection. Abandonment. It was too much.

Her ruby eyes lost focus, rolling back in their sockets. Her legs buckled.

"Sera!" Greta cried out, rushing towards her.

But Gabriel, acting on pure instinct despite the pain and shock, managed to push himself up just enough to catch her as she collapsed, her cold, inert body falling into his injured arms. Seraphine had fainted.