And that's when it happened.
Lucas didn't remember hearing the window shatter—maybe it had shattered before he even woke up. All he remembered was the smell: death
The world had blurred into a mess of screams, claws, broken furniture, and blood. So much blood.
Lucas was covered in it; he didn't know if it was his or his mother's anymore. It soaked through his hair, dripped down the sides of his face. His hands shook uncontrollably. Tears ran down his face, cutting thin clean lines through the grime and crimson.
"Mom, mom... wake up please." He shook her, hoping that she was still alive.
Her body didn't move. Her head lolled to the side. Her eyes were half-open, staring at nothing.
The room felt too small, too tight, like the walls were closing in. The buzzing in his ears was so loud he could even hear himself breathing.
He let out an agonising scream, not from the pain in his neck—the bite burned, but nothing compared to the hollow ache inside him. It terrified him more than the monster itself, his legs threatened to collapse under the weight of grief and adrenaline. He grabbed her under the shoulders and pulled her toward him, cradling her against his chest
His sister, Kim, was taken by it; The monster. Its shadow still felt like it was standing behind him. His neck was still bleeding from the bite. The blood stained his white T-shirt, turning patches of it a dark maroon.
Lucas opened the front door.
"Help us please, anyone!!"
His scream tore into the quiet suburban street. Early dawn had only begun to rise, and the sky was still tinted with deep purple. The fog drifted across the pavement, almost hiding the shadows between the houses.
A neighbor was outside, trying to find the origins of the screams. Her slippers slapped against the pavement as she ran toward him. She dropped to her knees beside him and pulled out her phone to call 911.
"What happened here, son?"
"It was human... and it killed my mother... and took my sister..." He couldn't contain himself.
The neighbor tried to cover his mother's body with her coat, but Lucas pulled it back, refusing to let anything hide her face. He felt like if he uncovered her, maybe she would breathe again.
The streets were still dark. Only the streetlights painted direction.
…
"And that's why I want become join the Night Agents."
Lucas spoke with the emptiness of someone who had repeated this story too many times.
"Very touching story Mr. Heathcliff, but I asked you what qualifies you to join our team? Have you had any prior training for this position."
Lucas's jaw tightened.
"No, but I can still learn."
"I'm sorry, vampire hunting is not for the unexperienced."
The rejection hit him. His knuckles turned white as he clenched the edges of the chair. This was his shot—his only path toward becoming strong enough to avenge his mother, to find out what happened to Kim.
"Wait, wait, isn't there anything else you can do."
"There is one thing."
Lucas Heathcliff was applying for a job at the Night Agents Main Offices. He was only 16 years old, and the Night Agency hired agents 12 years and older.
How was this even legal?
Well, it is a government-funded organisation. The public didn't know what hid in the dark corners of Noctaris. Didn't know what prowled the alleys after midnight.
"There is an opening at the Hallowcrest Night Academy, just 10 kilometers outside of Noctaris."
…
Hallowcrest Night Academy. The only institution in Notaris that trained, conditioned, and prepared students for the work of vampire hunting—or commonly known as Night Ops (Night Operations). Usually only the gifted were allowed to join, making it the hardest school to get into. But this year was different; something had forced the academy to open its doors to a wider range of applicants. Rumors whispered of rising vampire numbers. Of disappearances.
"So what is your gift?" asked a girl sitting next to Lucas on the bus.
"Uhhh... I make a mean Egg sandwich."
She blinked at him. For a moment, she looked like she couldn't tell if he was joking or just painfully honest. Her mouth twitched in a barely-there smile.
Lucas smiled weakly back. He hadn't slept for days.
Lucas and the other first years were on the way to this prestigious school on a company-owned bus. He was sitting next to an interesting character named Kim Ha-Joon. She was from South Korea; most people called her June. She had long braided hair with ribbons on the ends of it—deep red ribbons.
"And this ribbon was given by my eomma... she says it will bring me luck."
Lucas just nodded.
The ride to Hallowcrest Night Academy was long. The road cut through forests and hills, through abandoned tunnels and bridges.
A few hours past and they finally got there…
"I got to the school. I'll send pictures, Bye... Love you too." He hung up the phone with his aunt.
The school did not look like the rest of the city. No neon signs, no sleek metal, no holographic interfaces. Instead, heavy stone walls and dark wood framed every building. Lantern-style lights along the pathways, casting gold patches across the courtyard.
He took a few pictures as he walked through the big gate. The fence surrounding the campus was massive, made from old brown brick that looked hand-carved. The school was built around a Dangsan Zelkova Tree to ward off evil; you could spot it immediately upon entering.
...
"Hi, I'm Akimbo Jones. I'll be your tour guide."
Akimbo looked slightly older than the other students, maybe seventeen or eighteen. His uniform hung loosely around his tall frame, and his smile suggested he'd seen enough for one lifetime. Everyone stared at the massive buildings around them. The main hall had spires like a medieval cathedral. Gargoyle-like statues lined the rooftops, though whether they were decorations or guardians was unclear.
The campus was split into four different sections: Classes, Training, R&R (Rest and Recovery), and The Forbidden Area.
Classes: Where all the students learned. There were 11 classrooms at Hallowcrest, each supposedly protected with different wards.
Training: This included the gym, combat arenas, special training rooms, and weapon vaults. Rumors said students had access to silver weapons, ultraviolet daggers, and enchanted tools.
R&R: Where students slept, ate, and recovered. Dorms, restrooms, showers, lounges, libraries, meditation rooms.
The Forbidden Area:
"Do not go into the forbidden area, ever... And that concludes our tour of the school. Any questions?"
One of the first years raised their hand.
"And when do we eat?"
The group laughed lightly, tension breaking for the first time since arrival.
…
After a long bus ride, Lucas felt sweaty and uncomfortable. He unpacked his bag and slid his suitcase under the dorm bed. The room was small but clean—two beds, two desks, two lockers. A large poster on the wall showed the academy's emblem: a crescent moon wrapped around a spear.
Another student entered the room.
"So you going to be my roomy for the year, name's Kell Anderson."
"I'm Lucas, are we in the same class?"
"All first years are in the same class. Well, I'm heading to the showers."
Kell tossed a towel over his shoulder and walked out.
...
Lucas was overweight; he had been for many years. Every mirror reminded him. He couldn't shake the thought that maybe he could've protected his mother, maybe he could've grabbed Kim, if he had been stronger.
The changing room smelled of soap, steam, and disinfectant. Lucas undressed quickly, avoiding the mirrors entirely. The changing room led either to the showers or a big communal bath. He chose the showers—less crowded. Safer. Less judgement.
Afterward, he made his way to the cafeteria.
"What is on the menu today? Pork... Ribs... Chicken wings... oooor how about Curry and Rice." Kell thought long.
"I'll have what your having, Kell."
The food was surprisingly good. Flavorful. Spicy. Comforting. The cafeteria buzzed with first years, older students staring down newcomers.
Lucas ate quietly, observing. Some students looked athletic. Some looked magical—strange eyes, tattooed arms, hair with bold colors. Others looked completely ordinary, making him wonder what hidden talents they held.
…
First night at Hallowcrest.
[Dream]
The forest smelled of blood and smoke. Moonlight barely pierced the canopy, and the ground was slick with mud, blood, and shattered leaves. Night Agents moved through the shadows like predators themselves, boots sinking into damp earth.
Lucas watched from behind a ridge, hidden by the undergrowth. This was his first real observation of the agents in the field, not simulations or classroom lessons. Not demonstrations. Real vampires, real hunting, real blood.
...
"Rise and shine, Lucas!! It's a wonderful day to be awake."
It was 04:53. Class started at 08:00. Lucas checked his phone for new messages. The school had its own messaging app where teachers and students could communicate. It was usually used for school-related stuff.
Lucas had one unread message.
User unknown.
Meet me @ the roof 2nite.
Why would someone message him, out of all people?
He didn't respond.
...
Class was about to begin. The bell for the period rang. The first-year homeroom teacher arrived.
"Everyone is here and on time. That's great. Let's begin. I'm your homeroom teacher Mrs. Wineburg."
Mrs. Wineburg had long black hair almost touching the floor. She looked far too young to be a teacher.
"I'll be training you in the art of using weapons and for your first lesson we are going to kill a real vampire."
Most students were shocked; others were excited. Lucas flared up, eager to finally get into some action. He was surprised no one seemed to notice he was… different.
They headed to one of the training rooms, walking in line without breaking formation. Lucas stayed at the very back, just in front of Mrs. Wineburg. She guided students from the rear.
Lucas asked, "So this school… How do we know if vampires have infiltrated the school?"
"Well, vampires won't be able to reach the school grounds anyway. This whole area is covered with oak trees, ones that prevent vampires from coming close. Secondly, our facility is armed with vampire detection systems; cameras with heat signatures that will snuff out those cold-blooded monsters. So there is no way in hell they would ever come near us."
She had a point. Vampires couldn't even enter a building without permission as well.
"We are here."
They entered the training room.
"This is Training Room 0. This is one of the rooms we can use live targets in."
The room was huge—twice the size of a soccer field. Targets were scattered at random. The walls were white to improve focus, and a skylight let the sun shine through. The flooring was concrete. Behind them were weapon crates.
"Each person split into groups of three. You'll be in these groups for the rest of the year."
Lucas, Kell, and another girl were on a team.
Ever since that day, Lucas could see a floating screen appear occasionally—no one else could see it. It appeared again during class:
[Blood Moon Arts]
Strength: Lvl. 1
Speed: Lvl. 1
Defense: Lvl. 1
Agility: Lvl. 1
Blood Moon Art: Blood Manipulation
Lucas didn't know what it meant, but it was time to test it out.
Students lined up in their groups.
"You will all demonstrate your abilities. If you can't use them yet, stand next to me. If you don't have one, grab a weapon from the crate."
Almost the whole class stood next to Mrs. Wineburg. Some grabbed weapons; others stood ready.
Mrs. Wineburg pulled out a list.
"Stefanie, where are you? Are you going to demonstrate for us?"
Stefanie stepped forward. Her Gift was unique: Moon Art—Gravitation Object Mobility. She used telekinesis; her weapon floated rapidly through the air.
"Next up! Kell."
Kell stepped forward. His Gift: Moon Art—Tide Forge. He used water to construct weapons. Lucas heard his ability's strength depended on the moon's position.
"Now everyone gather round. Since not everyone knows their abilities yet, we are not killing any vampires today. Prepare yourselves for the near future."
After Kell and Stephanie demonstrated their abilities, Mrs. Wineburg excused the class—except those who didn't know their abilities.
"I'll call one of the assistant instructors, Mr. Himmich. He will lead all of you to the labs further down the training section. They'll take a blood samples. It will tell us what Gift you have."
Lucas thought: if they test his blood, they'd definitely find out what he really was…
Nighttime came.
Lucas lay in bed scrolling through social media, missing the life of the big city. He glanced at the message sent by the unknown user:
"Meet me @ the roof 2night."
He decided to go up to the roof. Shoes on, phone in hand, he moved silently through the halls. Curfew was 9:00, it was now 10:53. He was not aloud out that late. He climbed five flights of stairs. When he got to the top floor he was out of breath. It was dark. He shined his phone's torch around.
"No one is here."
"Boo!"
Lucas dropped his phone. A dark figure appeared behind him.
"I know what you are, Lucas." a femine voice said.
He picked up his phone, turned around—no one was there. Turning back, she stood before him: school uniform, black shirt, red tie, very short skirt.
"Hi, I'm Sophia Price, Second Year." She held out her hand.
"What do you know about me, Sophia?"
"Many things. Firstly, that you talk in your sleep… and that you're a vampire."
"And how do you know that, Sophie?"
"Because I am one too."