Klein froze, his body trembling, eyes dilated—but he obeyed. His struggle ceased instantly, leaving only ragged, animal-like breaths.
Alex's jaw tightened. He hated this. Hated Arthur for forcing it. Hated Klein's hungry eyes. But there was no other way. Slowly, he raised his wrist, pressing it against Klein's mouth.
"Drink it," he ordered coldly.
Klein didn't hesitate. His fangs sank deep, drawing Alex's blood in desperate gulps. Power coursed back into him; his eyes dimmed from glowing red to their normal color, his hands steadying. When the last drop was taken, his fangs receded. He looked up to thank Alex—only to see him collapse, unconscious.
"Alex!" Klein cried, panic breaking through the feral hunger. He scooped him into his arms, trembling.
Raphael, weak but standing, limped toward them. "We need to get him back to the dorms," he said. His voice was steady but carried a shadow of fear—fear of what Alex was becoming.
Klein nodded. Together, they carried him from the hall.
But in the debris-strewn shadows, another pair of eyes watched. Senior Matt, bloodied and broken, lay half-buried in rubble. He had seen it all—the monsters' defeat, Klein's feeding, Alex's powers. His face was pale with both awe and dread.
"They… they aren't normal students…" he rasped. His voice was barely a whisper, but determination glinted in his eyes. "The Dean… I must tell the Dean…"
His eyelids sank closed.
And then a figure appeared silently before him. Cloaked in darkness, faceless. A hand pressed against Matt's forehead.
"You will not utter a word of what you saw tonight."
Light flared, searing into Matt's skin before vanishing. His breath hitched as he collapsed into unconsciousness.
The figure lingered, watching Alex's retreating form with cold interest.
"Things are moving faster than expected," it murmured, before dissolving back into the shadows.
--------------
Early the next morning, the Dean's office was filled with tension. Every teacher had assembled, their faces grim, the silence heavy as though the walls themselves were listening.
Kelvin was the first to break it. His voice was sharp, cutting through the room.
"I think this was all planned."
The Dean's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, Kelvin?"
Kelvin leaned forward, his tone deliberate. "The monsters knew the exact moment we would be absent. That's not coincidence—that's surveillance. They've been watching us, waiting for an opening. And when they struck… we found nails in the ashes of two corpses. Three-inch control spikes. Those monsters weren't wild. They were manipulated."
The Dean's chair creaked as he rose, fury radiating off him. "Are you saying someone deliberately sent high-grade monsters to kill my students?"
"Yes," Kelvin answered, unflinching.
The Dean's fist came down on the desk like thunder, splintering wood, sending shards scattering across the floor. His voice boomed.
"If I find the traitor responsible, I'll drag him and his entire family into the deepest pit of suffering."
Some of the teachers flinched at his rage. Colt, a senior instructor with sharp eyes and a smug expression, stepped forward. "Dean, with respect—you're letting anger cloud your judgment. Kelvin is new. He knows nothing of how things work here." He shot Kelvin a disdainful glance. "Monsters attack schools. That is nothing new. The only difference is these were high-grade beasts. Bad luck, nothing more."
The Dean opened his mouth, but Colt pressed on. "If we chase shadows, we'll lose focus on what matters: recovery. Speculation helps no one."
Kelvin's jaw tightened. "So you'd have us ignore the signs? Pretend those nails mean nothing?"
Colt sneered. "And you'd have us panic at every theory? You don't have the right to lecture us, boy."
"Colt, enough!" the Dean snapped, his voice echoing with restrained fury. "You will hold your tongue."
The room fell quiet again. Finally, the Dean exhaled. "Return to your bases. I need time to think."
One by one, the teachers left. When Derek reached the door, the Dean's voice stopped him. "Stay."
Derek returned, his expression steady.
"What do you think?" the Dean asked.
"I agree with Kelvin," Derek said without hesitation. "It wasn't coincidence. The attack was calculated."
The Dean's shoulders slumped slightly. "I don't want to believe it… but perhaps you're right. Still, what matters most is the safety of the living." His voice cracked faintly. "Ten gone. The rest unconscious. This is the heaviest toll we've ever suffered."
"And Alex?" the Dean asked, his gaze sharp.
Derek shook his head. "He wasn't among the wounded. I'll find him."
The Dean nodded. "Do it."
---
Outside, Derek found Kelvin waiting.
"Well?" Kelvin asked immediately.
"The Dean doesn't believe us. Not yet."
Kelvin's lips pressed into a thin line. "As expected. But I'm certain someone inside the school is leaking information. Either a mole… or one of us."
Derek's face darkened. "Both possibilities are poison. If the enemy has an informant, we can root them out. But if the enemy is one of us… then the school is already compromised."
"Exactly." Kelvin lowered his voice. "And unless we act, the next strike will come. Stronger. Deadlier."
Derek sighed. "For now, let's speak with Alex. There are whispers he was seen in the hall, unharmed. I want to hear his version."
Kelvin said nothing, but his unease deepened.
---
The two men made their way to the dorms. At Alex's door, Raphael answered, his eyes weary but watchful.
"Where is he?" Derek asked, brushing past him without waiting for an answer. Kelvin followed reluctantly.
Inside, Alex sat propped on the bed. His face was pale, but his eyes were sharp. "Teacher Derek. Teacher Kelvin."
Derek immediately approached, pressing two fingers to Alex's wrist, reading his pulse. "You're stable, but weak. Tell me everything. Leave nothing out."
Alex glanced at Raphael, then Klein, then back to Derek. His lips thinned. "I'll tell you… but in return, it must remain secret."
Derek's eyes locked on his, unwavering. After a long silence, he nodded. "You have my word. It will never leave this room."
Alex exhaled slowly. "During dinner, the monsters came. Seniors fled. Only a few stayed, but they were powerless. Raphael and I… we combined our abilities. That was the only reason we survived. Klein held them off, but without us, everyone would have died."
His explanation was neat, polished, careful.
Kelvin studied his face, searching for cracks, but found none.
"Did you notice anything unusual about the monsters?" Kelvin asked.
"Blind," Alex replied. "Beyond that, no."
"We found nails in their remains," Kelvin said gravely. "Control nails. They weren't acting of their own will."
Alex frowned, feigning confusion. "If that's true… then someone orchestrated the attack. But how could they bypass the school's security?"
Derek folded his arms. "They knew we'd be gone. Someone fed them the information. Which means…" His gaze swept across the room, lingering on Klein. "There's a traitor among us."
Klein stiffened. "Someone here? Who?"
"We don't know yet," Derek said. His eyes hardened. "But my instincts say they'll strike again. And when they do—we must be ready to strike back."
---
Far away, in a room draped with blue curtains and painted a dull, oppressive grey, a man sat on a throne. His beauty was sharp, almost inhuman, but his expression was dark as thunder.
His voice shattered the silence.
"Tell me. Who destroyed my toys?"
A servant knelt at his feet, trembling. "M-master… it was students. Two of them. They… they killed all six."
The man's eyes widened, then narrowed to slits. "Students? Do you take me for a fool? Those were high-grade beasts. No mere children could—"
"It's the truth," the servant whispered.
The man rose suddenly, his fists clenched, the air vibrating with his anger. "Two brats! Two insignificant children!" His voice roared, shaking the walls.
"Master," the servant dared to say, "today was only a test. We still have our moles inside. If we strike again, they'll fail."
The man raised his brows. Slowly, his lips curled into a cruel smile. "Then do it. Prepare everything, no mistakes this time."
The servant bowed low. "Yes, Master."
When he was gone, the man on the throne pressed a hand to his temple, muttering through clenched teeth. "Brother… you're always one step ahead, aren't you? But this time… this time I'll break you. I'll see your smug smile burn to ash."