Chapter 2 (2/2)

- LUCIFER BUILDING -

| V-ZONE |

Though the place was officially known as the Lucifer Building, or more commonly among students as The Devil's Tower, not all types of demons mingled freely here—especially during school breaks.

The V-Zone, for instance, was strictly reserved for vampires. The grand hall within was elegantly furnished with lavish sofas, ornate tables, and every kind of luxury to ensure comfort. It was a favorite hangout for vampires of all ranks, including the most revered elder—an ancient being who wielded the greatest influence among the vampires of Devil Academy.

"Jasper!!"

The booming voice echoed through the room just as a broad-shouldered vampire stormed in. Heads turned at once, all eyes locked onto him—except for the elder himself, who remained comfortably sprawled across a velvet sofa. One hand held a book, the other a glass of crimson-red liquid that swirled lazily in his grip.

"It's serious this time!"

Jasper exhaled slowly, eyes closing in mild exasperation. He shut his book and placed the wineglass down on the ornate table beside him.

"What could possibly be so urgent... that you'd dare interrupt me?"

His deep voice held a lazy edge as his golden gaze lifted to meet the intruder's.

"I... I found a human. A human with powers."

Jasper's sharp eyes narrowed ever so slightly, clearly perplexed. He echoed the words, voice low and skeptical.

"A human... with powers?"

"I know it sounds crazy—humans shouldn't have magical abilities unless they're part demon. But these girls were definitely human. Look!"

He thrust out his hand, palm red and scorched.

"She summoned fire—real fire—from her bare hands. Her entire body was burning hot. That's how my hand ended up like this."

Jasper stared at the injured hand in silence, expression unreadable, before sighing heavily once again.

"I'm not in the mood for games."

"We're not joking," the other vampire snapped, uncharacteristically serious, which made Jasper pause.

"If what you're saying is true, then you deal with it," Jasper muttered darkly. "Not Zero."

A flicker of something passed through his gaze at the mention of that name. Slowly, he rose to his full height and added in a low growl,

"If it's not true... we'll find out soon enough."

- ADAM & EVE BUILDING -

At first, I assumed this was just one of the human school buildings—and I was right. This was their territory, known as the Adam & Eve Building.

It was currently break time, judging by the way humans were lounging beneath the massive tree at the building's heart. That enchanted-looking tree stood tall, surrounded by the school's walls, making it the central hub of the entire wing.

"Excuse me, do you know where the infirmary is?"

I had been darting about, trying to ask for directions, but most people avoided me like I carried the plague. Some didn't even let me finish before turning away.

Maybe it was fear—fear that demons might catch the scent of blood and cause chaos. A valid concern.

"Excuse me, where's the infirmary?" I asked again. This time, the girl I approached didn't walk away. She hesitated, looked unsure, but finally spoke.

"Take the stairs there to the second floor. First door on the right."

"Thank you so much!" I bowed deeply in gratitude and rushed back to Chalice, who had been asking around on the other side.

We followed the directions and reached the infirmary at last.

"Lay her down and leave," the woman inside ordered, utterly unbothered, as if being bitten by a vampire was a daily occurrence.

Chalice gently placed the unconscious girl on the bed and we turned to leave.

"Wait."

We froze just as we reached the door. The nurse stepped toward us, her voice cold.

"New students shouldn't be wandering during school hours. Return to your dorm before I report this to Madame Gretel."

With that, she slammed the door shut behind us.

"Let's go," Chalice sighed. "If Madame Gretel finds out, we'll be on her hit list before the semester even starts."

"Yeah... let's just go set up our room," I muttered. "This is all my fault. I was too impulsive and now everything's a mess."

"Don't be silly—it's not your fault. Honestly, it's kind of good we saw this. Now we know just how bad things are around here."

"AHHHHH!"

"!!!"

A sudden scream from below made us jolt. Without a word, we bolted down the stairs and saw the once-calm students scattering in every direction, pure panic etched on their faces.

Demons.

"They really don't know how to behave, do they..." I muttered, clenching my fists.

This place was supposed to be safe. Sacred, even. But they couldn't even respect that.

"Let's go back. We need to regroup," Chalice said, grabbing my wrist to hold me back. "Don't forget why we're here. We're here to build bridges—not declare war."

"But they—!"

"Do you want things to end like last time?"

That stopped me cold. My body refused to move as the memories clawed their way back—scars that still hadn't healed.

I came back to fix what I had broken. To use this power only when absolutely necessary.

And most importantly... to find a way to make peace.

"...Yeah. Let's go."

SWOOSH!

"!!"

Before I could take a step, someone grabbed both me and Chalice, separating us without warning. I whipped around—my heart pounding—only to find the same vampire whose hand I had burned earlier.

"How's the hand?" I asked. It might've sounded sarcastic, but I meant it. Truly.

"Still got that sharp tongue, huh?"

"I was just being concerned."

"Right."

His demeanor had changed. Less hostile, more... cautious. I glanced at Chalice and was relieved to see she wasn't panicking anymore either.

"Don't act tough with me," he warned.

I was just about to respond when—

CRACK!

"AARGH!"

Chalice had snapped the arm of another vampire nearby like it was a twig.

"Looks like your friend made the first move this time," the vampire next to me said darkly, releasing me as he spread his arms wide. The ground began to rumble beneath my feet.

A personal power? I'd heard that demons had begun developing unique abilities in recent centuries. Judging by how slow the quake was coming, he must still be mastering his.

"...Your power is... an earthquake?"

"Nope," he said simply. Then he slammed his right hand onto the ground.

"My power... is this!"

Suddenly, my body felt impossibly heavy. I couldn't move—I was being dragged toward the floor like gravity itself had turned against me.

Kneel.

I collapsed to my knees, straining against the invisible force. I tried to lift my hand, to call on my fire—but I couldn't fight it.

"ALICE!"

I could still see Chalice. She was glaring at the vampire, furious.

CRACK!

She broke the second vampire's arm without a second thought and began marching toward us.

Looks like he could only use that power on one person at a time.

SWOOSH!

He glanced at me, hesitating, before redirecting his ability toward Chalice instead. She froze. And I finally had my chance.

I raised my hand to strike—until...

"W-Watch out!"

Chalice's voice was frantic. I spun around, eyes wide, just in time to see—

The ancient tree. The one at the center of the building.

Its roots had come alive.

One thick root swung down toward me like a serpent ready to strike.

"ALICE!!"

THUD!

The root stopped mid-air. Then—snap—it fell to the ground, cleanly severed.

I didn't need to look far to know who had done it.

My eyes scanned the area until they landed on a familiar figure, standing not far from me, watching calmly.

"...Gina!"