The next morning I staggered into class half-asleep, clutching the leather jacket Yuria had thrown at me. Demon History with Lilith Elzevara was about as subtle as a kick in the skull. The lecture hall smelled of brimstone and burnt parchment. Lilith presided from her ornate desk at the front, crossing one leg over the other, a silk-tasseled whip laid casually across her lap.
"Ah, there's our little human," Lilith purred, her crimson eyes narrowing as I slipped into a chair at the back. "Late, as usual. Miss Blitzfang will be thrilled to know her ward has such discipline."
Behind me, Yuria elbowed me softly. She rolled her eyes at Lilith's remark, though I could tell she was just as bleary as I was. Seraphina Glacielle sat at the front, arms folded, her icy gaze flicking at me with obvious disdain. It was clear I'd earned the title of Academy pariah — and it felt strangely cozy.
Lilith's lecture was actually about demon war tactics and council politics — far from bedtime reading. I nodded along, eyes half-closed, as demons with horns and tails danced through my vision.
"So," Lilith concluded, voice dripping menace, "the Archdemon Council has convened about the growing traitor threat. Now, who can summarize the point of their summit?"
A row of tentacled students raised their hands eagerly. One eager demon urchin got it right: the meeting was about an alliance and preparing new defenses against shadow rebels. Lilith then turned and looked straight at me, smile widening.
"You. Kazuki Ren," she said, pulling on one of her gloves. "Explain our council's concern. In detail."
My heart sank. Remembering all that was about as likely as me acing Midterm 1.
The lecture hall lights flickered ominously. I opened my mouth, but only a nervous rasp came out. "Uh, all about, um, demons?"
Lilith's whip cracked against her desk like thunder. The class jolted. "I said in detail, Ren." Her red lips curved into a predatory smile. "Let's see if the human is as useless with words as he is with magic."
Sweat dripped down my spine. I cleared my throat, trying to recall anything. "Well, uh, the Archdemon Council… they, uh… they want to negotiate with the traitors of the void, maybe?" I flailed, remembering something Lilith had hinted at in passing. "I think it's about, um, seal magic? Yeah, something about seal magic?"
Lilith's grin widened, amused. "Interesting answer for someone who knows nothing. Effective use of… careful wording."
My stomach churned. She clearly knew I was bluffing. Who was I kidding — I'd barely passed English in Tokyo.
"Very good," Lilith nodded approvingly, reaching out to pat my head. A mischievous twinkle flickered in her eyes. "You did use your words wisely. We'll discuss this more in private. Enjoy the rest of your class."
The bell rang mercifully. I stumbled to my feet as classmates poured out, bumping into desks. Yuria was already tugging me toward the exit. "You okay? You looked like a demon just stole your last cookie."
"Thrilled to be treated with such dignity," I muttered. Seraphina shot me a final icy glance as we left — as if I were some stinky demon accessory. Humiliated, I followed Yuria down the hall.
By noon, I found myself in the ancient academy library — trying to decipher arcane symbols for my homework. Valmira Nocturne was there, perched upside-down on a high bookshelf like she'd become part of the architecture.
"Studying again, are we?" she purred softly as I approached, hair cascading over the floorboards. The dim lamp lit her pale face. "You and that Codex of yours. Doesn't it ever give you trouble?"
"You again," I grumbled, trying to sound gruff instead of startled. "What do you want?"
She dropped to her feet with unnerving grace. "Curiosity. And maybe to warn you." She tapped the Sigil on my hand lightly. "People are talking about the human who can rewrite gravity on a whim."
I flinched. "They think I'm a magician?"
Valmira's violet eyes gleamed. "Not just a magician. That mark on your palm…it's called the Sigil of the Architect. Created by a forgotten demon king, it lets you rewrite magic's rules themselves. Tell me, Kazuki Ren, how does one rewrite the very laws of reality with a flick of a finger?"
I swallowed hard. "I don't know. It just happens when I get desperate."
She tilted her head. "Desperate, or something stirring inside you. The Architect — my Lady wants you to know that name. Sometimes a sigil chooses its bearer."
Alarm bells rang in my head. "Lady?!"
Valmira's lips quirked. "One more secret you'd like to know? I serve a higher power than any human could begin to comprehend. But your codex… it fits into all of this."
"Yeah, because I'm obviously the chosen one," I muttered, rubbing my palm. "Great. Really great."
Instead of answering, Valmira flicked open a dusty tome with runes on the cover. "Read." I leaned in. Runes and ancient script spilled across the page, glowing faintly.
"Whosoever bears the Architect's mark…" She translated slowly. "'…holds the key to unbinding the world's chains.' Charming." She looked up at me, serious now. "Kazuki Ren, you might be as important as Lilith seems to think. And as dangerous as Seraphina fears."
My blood ran cold. I wished more than ever that I were in Tokyo, chilling with ramen.
"Thanks, I think?" I said flatly. "And why are you telling me this?"
Valmira's grin returned. "Let's say I have personal reasons." With that, she slipped back among the stacks, disappearing behind a pile of dusty grimoires.
Alone, I leaned back in a chair. The library's silence felt suffocating now. My head swam with questions: Who was this "Lady" she served? What exactly could I do with this sigil? And why was a gothic girl in the demon library giving me hints about my destiny?
As I closed the codex, the first rays of morning light filtered through the stone windows. Tomorrow brought another lecture, more chaos, and probably another excuse from Yuria not to train. But at least now I had more questions than answers — and someone mysterious who might just have them.
"So much for burning the midnight oil," I muttered to myself, watching the dust motes dance in the sunlight as I left the library.