Rowan walked through the academy halls after leaving Professor Myrren's class.
"That girl was really persistent."
"And what did she mean by that race stuff? Am I supposed to have one?"
He kept wondering as he looked at the people around him. Many of the students shared similar traits, like horns, tails, wings, or skin in unusual colors.
It was like they all belonged to specific, well-defined races within that school.
"What am I supposed to say if someone asks me again?"
Hi, nice to meet you... I'm human. Pure-blooded... if you're a vampire maybe you'd like a taste…
"You've got to be kidding me."
He'd managed to avoid Nina that morning, but he knew questions like that would come back eventually.
And he didn't have an answer.
Saying he was human? Not an option.
He didn't want to find out what would happen if someone knew.
"..."
THUMP!...
Rowan, distracted while looking at the floor, ended up bumping into someone.
"Ah... I'm so sorry."
When he looked up, he recognized the face.
It was a short boy with grayish skin and two small horns barely sticking out of his hair. He wore big crooked glasses, and his expression always looked tense.
"This kid again?"
It was the same mini bully he'd run into on the first day... the one who had suddenly backed off in fear.
The boy quickly raised one hand in a rushed apology gesture.
"N-no... I'm the one who's sorry. I didn't mean to bump into you again."
Rowan glanced at the boy's hand. It was trembling slightly.
"Same as before. Why does he look so scared? Was it because of what Nina said?"
The boy tried to step away, keeping a forced smile on his face.
"Crap... I bumped into him again. He's gonna kill me this time..."
Rowan thought maybe he should ease the tension. Show that he wasn't dangerous. That there was no reason for suspicion.
So he forced a light, friendly smile.
"...Alright, just be nice. I can't afford to make enemies."
"Hey... are you okay?"
It was a simple question. Genuine.
But the effect was the opposite.
For Rowan, it was just a small gesture of connection.
For the boy, it felt like a predator testing its next prey.
"He's pretending to be nice even though he could kill me...?!"
"I-I'M SORRY!!"
The boy practically yelled and ran down the hallway.
Rowan stood in the middle of the hall, completely confused.
It was his first attempt at being friendly... and it had clearly backfired.
"What did I do wrong...?"
"..."
A bit farther away, near the end of the hallway...
A student watched Rowan in silence.
He leaned casually against the wall like just another distracted student... but his eyes were locked on Rowan.
Restless.
Intense.
His lips parted in a quiet whisper, barely audible.
"His scent... it really is different."
A long tongue slid slowly across his lips, tasting something invisible in the air.
"It's the same scent as hers... no... actually, it's even better..."
His gaze remained fixed on Rowan like a predator admiring a rare prey — not out of need, but pure fascination.
====
3:33 p.m.
Rowan was walking back from the transformation class.
Why did someone like him have to attend crazy classes like that?
"What were my parents thinking, trusting that old lunatic?"
The teacher in today's class had turned her own arm into a tentacle with shimmering scales to demonstrate partial mutation control.
He almost threw up when the creature in the classroom aquarium mimicked the gesture.
As he walked absentmindedly, his head full of pointless questions about his supposed "race," someone approached.
"Rowan! There you are!"
The voice came like they were old friends.
But that was the first time he had seen that face.
The guy walking up was tall and lean, with a laid-back posture like he didn't take anything seriously. His uniform was wrinkled, buttons undone, and a yellow armband made it look like he was part of some club...
"Man, I've been trying to find you. Figured you were the quiet type, but not this quiet."
'His eyes look kind of like Nina's… like an animal's…'
He gave Rowan a friendly smile.
Rowan stopped.
"Do I know you?"
"Technically, no. But we're in the same class. That counts as almost-friends, doesn't it?"
The guy moved a bit ahead, walking beside Rowan like they'd known each other for weeks.
"I'm Gael. People call me Gael too. Simple name, straight to the point. Just like me."
Rowan gave him a sideways glance, hoping he'd just give up.
But Gael didn't seem like the type to give up easily.
"You look like the kind of guy with some good ideas. People who overthink usually have interesting stuff in their heads."
He talked like he was just musing out loud, but it was clear he expected a reaction.
"I was thinking of showing you something. There are some things around here that newbies need to see. Thought you might like it."
"Like what?"
"Nothing too crazy. Just something that might help you understand how things work around here."
The vague answer and crooked smile didn't help much.
'Where is this guy trying to take me...?'
The two kept walking until they turned onto one of the paths that led to the academy's side courtyard. The sun hit from the side, giving everything a golden, almost melancholic vibe.
...
Under the shade of a tree, a girl was resting.
A book covered part of her face. Her uniform was slightly messy, one arm resting over her stomach, and her silver hair was spread across the grass.
She slowly pulled the book down, revealing calm, red eyes. She looked at them for a second, expression unchanged.
"...Not my problem."
The words slipped out like a thought spoken aloud, and she covered her face again.
Gael glanced her way but didn't say anything. He just kept walking, that same curious smile on his face.
"Come on. What I want to show you is further ahead."
Rowan didn't really know where he was being dragged to. But for some reason, he felt like Gael wanted something from him...
====
◆ Character Profile – Gael ◆
➤ Age: 17
➤ Height: 1.80 m
➤ Race: ??? (partially human appearance with animal-like features)
➤ Class: Student of Class B
➤ Appearance: Slim, messy hair, sharp gaze with eyes like a predator's. Wears his uniform in a relaxed, sloppy way, with a yellow band on his arm.
➤ Likes: Teasing others, exploring restricted areas, watching in silence before acting.
➤ Hates: Strict rules, formalities, people who think they're better than everyone.
➤ Personality: Gael has a mocking and confident vibe, like he's always testing the people around him. Talks a lot when he wants to confuse someone, but rarely shows his true intentions.
➤ Trivia: ?