"Then… do you know whose soul it is?" Alex asked, his voice low but firm, though his chest tightened with unease.
The young man sighed as if the question were a burden and slid his glasses back over his unsettling eyes.
"I don't," he said simply.
Relief washed over Alex like a cool breeze. He exhaled heavily, though he tried to mask it with a faint smirk.
"Then your ability isn't all that great after all," he said, forcing confidence into his voice. "If there's nothing else, I'll like to take my leave. My friends are waiting."
Without giving the man a chance to respond, Alex turned sharply and walked out of the office. He could feel the man's gaze boring into his back until the heavy door closed behind him.
Outside, Kelvin and Raphael were waiting, both wearing anxious looks. Kelvin stepped forward the instant Alex appeared.
"What did he say to you?" he pressed.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," Alex replied too quickly. His tone was flat, meant to close the subject, though a faint trace of tension lingered in his expression.
Kelvin and Raphael exchanged a glance. They clearly didn't believe him, but neither of them pushed the matter.
"Where are we going next, Derek?" Alex asked, trying to change the subject.
Derek raised a brow. "It's Sir Derek whenever we're in public."
Alex rolled his eyes but corrected himself. "Fine. Where are we going next, Sir Derek?"
"Well—"
"Listen up, everyone!" A mechanical voice suddenly rang through the halls, booming and metallic, cutting Derek short. "There will be a welcome party for all the Year One students in the next fifteen minutes. All Year One students are required to gather in the auditorium immediately. I repeat—Year One students, report to the auditorium for the welcome party!"
The announcement ended with a harsh crackle of static.
Derek chuckled under his breath. His lips curled into an odd smile that didn't suit his normally calm demeanor.
"What's funny?" Kelvin asked warily.
"It's nothing," Derek replied, though the gleam in his eyes suggested otherwise. "I just feel… excited about the welcome party." His chuckles grew louder until he covered his mouth with a hand, but the tremor of suppressed laughter still vibrated in his chest.
Alex frowned but ignored him. "Can you take us to the auditorium?"
"Of course. Follow me," Derek said smoothly and began walking.
The boys followed him down winding paths until a large, looming building came into view. Other first-year students were filing inside through wide double doors.
"That's the auditorium," Derek said, gesturing toward it. "Go ahead."
Alex and Raphael nodded and joined the stream of students.
Kelvin lingered beside Derek, his brows furrowed. "I don't feel good about this," he murmured, his voice low.
Derek's expression turned calm again, almost too calm. "I don't feel good either. But don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to them," he said, patting Kelvin's shoulder with unnerving confidence. "Come on. I need to introduce you to the other teachers." Without giving Kelvin time to protest, he pulled him away.
---
Inside, the auditorium was pitch dark. No chandeliers, no torches, not even a candle flickered to give relief. The air was heavy with dust and silence. The faint shuffle of students' shoes echoed eerily in the emptiness.
"This place is huge… but why is it so dark?" one student whispered nervously.
"I can barely see anyone. Where's the light?" another voice called out, trembling.
A ripple of uneasy murmurs spread.
Alex and Raphael kept their distance from the crowd, their instincts screaming at them to remain alert.
"We should be careful," Alex muttered.
Raphael nodded, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the oppressive darkness.
More students poured in until finally the entrance slammed shut behind them with a resounding boom. Gasps filled the air. A few students rushed to the doors, pulling, banging, scratching—nothing. The door wouldn't budge.
Then the mechanical voice returned, colder than before.
"Now that everyone is present, the party will commence. The rules are simple: the party lasts one hour. Do whatever you must… but you must survive. If you die, it is your loss, not ours. Good luck, Nightfall Academy!"
The voice cut out, and at once, the room lit up with an ominous red glow.
On the stage stood a small group of upper-year students. They weren't smiling like hosts at a celebration—they were smirking like predators before a hunt.
One stepped forward, his voice dripping with mockery. "Welcome, everyone. You heard the announcement. This isn't a normal party. This is your first trial. Fight, hide, struggle—do what you must. Survive, or die here. It's that simple."
Before anyone could react, he blurred forward. In less than a blink, he appeared beside a trembling girl in the crowd. With one casual motion, he conjured a sword from nowhere and drove it through her stomach.
The girl's eyes widened in shock, a strangled cry escaping her lips as blood poured down her uniform. She collapsed lifelessly to the floor.
The entire hall froze. A chorus of horrified gasps and screams broke out.
"What are you waiting for?" the boy roared, yanking his blade free, his face split by a mad grin. "The party has started!"
At his signal, the others on stage leapt down into the crowd, descending like wolves into a pen of sheep. They struck without hesitation, cutting down the first-years one by one. Blood spattered across the walls. The terrified screams of children filled the hall.
Panic consumed the new students. Some tried to fight back with clumsy, untrained abilities. Most were slaughtered before they could even resist. The hall was painted in chaos and crimson.
Alex stood frozen, his heart pounding, his mind struggling to process the brutality before his eyes. What is this place…? This isn't a school… this is a slaughterhouse.
He might have stayed frozen if not for Raphael.
"Die!" Raphael's voice rang out with eerie calm. Alex spun around just in time to see one of the predators collapse, his chest pierced by invisible force.
The attacker's body hit the ground with a dull thud.
Alex turned to his friend, eyes wide. "Thank you."
Raphael only raised a thumb, his eerie smile plastered across his face.
But there was no time to waste. More of the new students were dying by the second. The floor was littered with bodies. If nothing was done, they would all be wiped out.
Alex's teeth clenched. He couldn't watch Raphael be torn apart. He couldn't let himself die here.
'Arthur…'
The demon stirred within him. 'What do you want, boy?'
'Lend me your power,' Alex demanded.
'For what?' Arthur asked slyly.
'To kill.'
The demon's laughter echoed in his head, sharp and thrilled. 'To kill? At last, you speak my language. Take it. Take it all!'
A surge of energy rushed through Alex's veins. His knees buckled as his vision blurred. Then his eyes snapped open—briefly glowing crimson before fading back. A strange smile stretched across his face.
He flexed his fingers, and claws shimmered at his fingertips. He looked down at his own bloodied hands with exhilaration.
"Bro," Alex said to Raphael, his voice darker, heavier. "Let the party begin."
Before Raphael could reply, Alex dashed forward, a blur of movement faster than any first-year should be. His claws ripped through the first opponent that came near, blood spraying across the floor. Another attacker lunged—Alex spun, his strike tearing into the student's throat with brutal efficiency.
Raphael watched for a moment, then grinned wide. 'Got it, bro.' He lunged after Alex, joining the slaughter.
The remaining predators stopped their assault on the weaker first-years and turned their focus to Alex. They surrounded him, forming a circle, their weapons raised.
But Alex only stood there, drenched in blood, his smile wide and genuine. His chest rose and fell with exhilarated breaths.
How do you feel now? Arthur whispered inside him, reveling in the carnage.
Alex licked blood from his lips and chuckled. "Good… This is great, fuck!" He flexed his claws again, sparks of red energy dancing across them.
He raised his voice, challenging the circle of killers. "Come on!"
The students roared in fury and rushed him all at once.
And Alex leapt to meet them, laughing as the real party began.