Chapter 1 – Just Another Normal Day  

The bell rang, a shrill, tired sound that marked the end of another aura theory class at Obsidian Hill Academy. The hallways buzzed with students, laughter echoing off marble walls etched with glowing runes. Aura lights flickered overhead—dim and warm for now, but soon they'd brighten in time for combat period.

Riven walked in the centre of a crowd, shoulders relaxed, smile effortless. He tossed a wink at a passing girl, earned a flustered grin, and high-fived someone who wasn't even aiming for him. His long black hair was just messy enough to be cool, and his crimson eyes gleamed with lazy charm.

"Bro, if Kale gives us another quiz, I'm transferring to a farming guild," groaned a brown-haired student beside him.

"You? You'd starve in a week," Riven grinned, clapping him on the back. The group laughed.

It was always like this. Everyone liked Riven.

Because he let them.

To them, he was just another student—funny, confident, a little bit lazy, but harmless.

The perfect lie.

Aura theory resumed after lunch. The classroom was wide and lit by floating glyphs that pulsed in time with the teacher's voice.

"Now then," Professor Albright began, "can anyone explain the difference between creatures that emerge from Rift zones and those mutated outside of them?"

A few hands went up. Riven slouched back in his seat, half-listening. His throat burned faintly. Stage two.

The hunger wasn't unbearable yet, but it made it hard to focus. His fingers tapped lightly against the desk.

"Miss Lilly?" the professor said, calling on the quiet girl in the second row.

Lilly—purple-haired, glasses, freckles—adjusted her notes and looked up. "Some say… mutation zones form from unstable aura pockets left behind by ancient monsters. And there are rumours—just theories, though—that some creatures exist outside the Rifts. Like… vampires."

The class burst into laughter.

Riven tilted his head.

"Seriously?" one guy chuckled. "Vampires? What is this, a novel?"

Even the professor gave a patient smile. "That's an old myth, Miss Lilly. There's no proof such creatures ever existed."

Lilly looked down, clearly embarrassed.

But Riven? He just stared at her.

*Interesting.*

The girl didn't even realise how close she was to the truth. None of them did.

*If only you knew,* he thought, eyes narrowing slightly. *They talk about us like we're shadows. Fiction. All while one sits ten feet away.*

He could hear their hearts beating. Smell the blood just under their skin. They were cows—dumb, happy cattle grazing in blissful ignorance.

As class ended, Riven stood slowly, letting the others file out first. On his way through the hallway, he passed two girls chatting by the lockers.

"Lucas Ashington is sooo focused," one whispered.

"I know, right? He's definitely going to surpass his dad. You can just tell," the other replied.

Riven's lips twitched.

*Oh? Really now?*

He stepped into the courtyard, the sun a little lower now, the breeze cool on his face. He walked alone toward the school gate, pretending to check his phone.

*So many students. So much food. So little time.*

His stomach growled faintly. That slow burn in his throat was starting to sharpen.

*It's time.*

His crimson eyes scanned the crowd, hopping from face to face. So many collars. Red. Yellow. Green. All weak. All boring.

*Eeny. Meeny. Miney. Mo...*

His gaze landed on silver.

Lucas Ashington.

Silver meant noble blood. Strong aura. Clean meat. A rare treat.

*If it bites, let it go... by the count of one, two, three...*

He smirked.

*Ahhh... risky. But that's what makes it fun.*

He waited five minutes. Then he followed.

Lucas walked along a winding path into the city, not far from the academy. Street vendors were packing up for the evening. A few workers swept the stone roads. Lights flickered on in windowpanes.

"Yo! Lucas!"

The boy turned. "Riven?"

Riven caught up to him with a grin. "Didn't know you lived around here."

Lucas nodded. "I don't live far. You?"

"Eh. I roam. Just needed some fresh air."

They walked in silence for a moment.

Lucas eventually said, "I saw you in sparring class earlier. You're quick, even when you're holding back."

Riven laughed. "Holding back? Me? Nah, I'm just built different."

Lucas smiled. "You're funny, man."

They walked past a vendor closing up shop. The smell of grilled meat hung in the air.

Lucas looked up at the sky. "You ever wonder what we'll be like in ten years?"

Riven raised an eyebrow. "You thinking that far ahead?"

"Yeah. I want to be like my dad. Or better. A real hero. Help people. Lead raids. Maybe even... I dunno... have a family."

He laughed nervously. "Kinda lame, huh?"

"No," Riven said softly. "Not at all."

Lucas kept talking. "I want to marry someone strong, y'know? Someone I can rely on. Then maybe have kids. Raise them right. Protect them from all this craziness."

Riven nodded, still walking. Still smiling.

His thoughts were far darker.

*You want to be a protector? A hero? A father?*

He glanced at Lucas, at the hope in his voice, the unshakable optimism.

There was something annoying about how genuine he was. It scratched at something buried so deep inside him, it felt... hollow. Not pain. Not regret. Just absence. He didn't miss the warmth. But sometimes, he hated how easy it was to feel nothing at all.

They turned down a quieter alley.

The alley was oddly warm. A soft golden light spilled from a nearby streetlamp, casting long shadows. Somewhere far off, a radio played jazz from an open window. If anyone passed by, they'd think it was two friends walking home.

Lucas slowed. "Hey, man. You okay? You've been real quiet."

Riven stopped.

"I was just thinking about what you said."

"Oh?"

"You want to be a hero. A legend. Grow old, have a family..."

He grinned.

"Well... sorry."

Before Lucas could react, Riven blurred forward, hand slicing through the air.

A wet snap echoed through the alley.

Lucas's head tore free from his shoulders, blood painting the stone wall behind them. His body collapsed to its knees, then fell over with a dull thud.

Riven raised the head slowly, inspecting it like a vintage wine.

"Not bad," he muttered.

His fangs slid down with ease. He bit in.

Hot. Clean. Refined. Pride. Ambition. Legacy.

The blood was beautiful.

*Tastes like the finest wine,* he thought, letting the flavour roll across his tongue.

Then he blinked slowly.

*Lilly.*

The nerdy girl with the theory.

*Maybe she's next... or maybe I'll just toy with her a while. She seems fun.*

When he finished, he dropped the head onto the cobblestone and wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

With a final glance at the lifeless body, Riven turned and walked into the shadows.

The game had just begun.