Kazuki didn't remember walking.
He remembered Akashi's cold grip on his arm, remembered the sudden chill that wrapped around him as space twisted. One moment he was in the arena. The next, he stood in front of an ironwood door carved with dozens of names—scratched, burned, etched, or hastily painted in.
None of them were famous.
"Welcome," Akashi said, voice distant, "to your new homeroom."
The door creaked open.
Warm golden light spilled into the corridor, along with the sound of mismatched chatter. Kazuki stepped inside, blinking.
It was a lounge—but barely.
Old couches patched with tape and magic glue, mismatched tables pushed together, floating lanterns struggling to stay upright. The walls were covered in photos and graffiti. In one corner, a fireplace crackled beside a stack of board games that hadn't been touched in decades.
In the center of it all stood seven students, mid-conversation.
Every one of them turned to stare as he entered.
A lanky boy with horns growing from his temples raised an eyebrow. "Another stray?"
A girl with wires running down her neck snorted. "Must be glitch season."
Akashi stepped forward. "Everyone, this is Kazuki Tanaka. He will be joining your cohort. Effective immediately."
There were a few groans. One girl rolled her eyes. But before anyone could say more, Akashi was already turning to leave.
"Luna," he said without looking back. "Show him the ropes."
And then he vanished.
The room fell into a thick, awkward silence.
Kazuki stood frozen, unsure whether to wave, bow, or just slowly back out.
Then she stepped forward.
Tall. Pale. Hair black as night and straight as silk. Her uniform was crisp, unbothered by the lounge's chaos. Her eyes—one deep crimson, the other icy silver—regarded him like he was a mildly interesting experiment.
"Luna Blackwood," she said, voice calm and steady. "Don't mind them. Everyone's bitter during their first week."
Kazuki swallowed. "Hi. I'm… Kazuki."
"We know."
She gestured to a couch that looked relatively uninfected.
"Sit before Taro takes it again."
A horned boy grunted. "I heard that."
Kazuki sat, trying not to think about how his legs were still shaking. Luna sat beside him, crossing one leg over the other.
"You're Null-born, right?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"Copied Plasma Thread on your first cast?"
He blinked. "How did you—?"
"News travels fast in a place this small."
She paused, studying him.
"Did it feel like burning?"
He hesitated. "Yeah."
"Good," she said. "Means it worked."
Over the next few minutes, the room began to settle.
The others resumed their conversations—half-hearted jokes about being "defect squad," complaints about midnight-only assignments, debates over which hallway randomly changed shape yesterday. No one asked Kazuki any questions. No one offered a tour.
Only Luna stayed nearby.
Kazuki tried to catch his breath. The events of the last hour still churned in his mind like a fever dream. He looked at his arm again—at the faint, pulsing glyphs under his skin.
"Why are we… here?" he asked quietly.
Luna tapped the side of her teacup. "Midnight Academy is where the unwanted go. People like you. People like me."
He glanced at her. "You don't look unwanted."
She smiled faintly. "That's the point."
He waited.
After a long pause, she added, "I'm a hybrid. Half-human, half vampire. That's taboo in most circles. The day academies don't want 'impure legacies' tarnishing their records."
Kazuki's eyes widened slightly.
"I thought vampires were extinct."
She chuckled. "Not extinct. Just very good at hiding. Like us."
Kazuki sat back, absorbing that.
"So everyone here was rejected?"
"Some were expelled. Others never got a chance. But we all have something… broken. Or dangerous. Or strange."
She looked at him again.
"The real question is what you'll do with your second chance."
Before he could answer, the overhead lanterns flashed blue.
A voice echoed from the intercom:
"Midnight Session – Combat Theory with Professor Kurogane. Five minutes to relocate. Late arrivals will be reassigned to Gravekeeper Study."
Several groans followed.
"Great," Taro muttered. "Another night of dodging lightning bolts and dying in holograms."
Luna stood gracefully. "Come on, Kazuki. If you miss Combat Theory, they send you to necromancy class. And no one comes back from that quite the same."
He rose, legs sore, heart pounding again.
"Wait," he said. "Is this… every night?"
Luna grinned. "Until 3 A.M., sharp."