Dorian
I had just arrived at school, and I was already ready to leave. Whether it was the bad energy of the place or just my own, I couldn't say, and I wasn't about to admit it either.
The school gates loomed in front of me, and all around were people who looked like they had better places to be than this miserable institution everyone kept calling "the best years of your life." Yeah, right.
I stepped through the gates, and I swear it felt like the weight of the building's energy landed squarely on my shoulders.
I took a deep breath, a long one, and that's when I smelled it.
Familiar.
There were others like me here.
I scanned the crowd, searching for anything out of place. At first, it was the usual chaos: couples glued together at the mouth, groups gossiping way too loud, phones lighting up like fireflies. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Until I saw them.
A group of students standing off to the side, looking "normal" at first glance, except for their long black hair and the way their eyes seemed too deep, too reflective. I could've sworn I saw a flicker of red behind one of their irises.
Then one of them locked eyes with me.
He was tall, pale-skinned, with a serious expression and brows drawn tight, like someone who didn't like being surprised. His eyes were darker than the night sky, and they didn't look away.
He parted his lips just enough to flash a pair of fangs.
Vampire.
Not a threat. A signal.
A quiet reminder that I wasn't alone here.
I gave a small nod in return and kept walking, slow, calm, measured, toward them.
Maybe, just maybe... this place wouldn't be total hell after all.
"It seems this school has more and more creatures out of the ordinary," said the only girl in the vampire group, locking eyes with me. She had her bangs swept to the side and a smirk that reeked of mockery. Dressed in all black, her gothic aesthetic stood out, two piercings, one on her nose and one on her lip, catching the light with every word.
"Easy, Emma. Why don't you try being nicer to the newbie, hmm?" The same guy who'd flashed his fangs earlier spoke up. He had the air of a leader, calm, confident, and clearly older than the rest.
I stood there, silent, watching them. The way they interacted, like they'd known each other for decades... maybe even centuries. I didn't move. Didn't smile. Just observed.
Then he looked at me again, eyebrow raised, like he was asking what the hell I was still doing standing there.
"I'm Agnos. This is Emma, Kiev, and Cedrick," he said, gesturing lazily to each one. None of them bothered to speak. Instead, they kept staring, right into my eyes.
God, what a bad habit we have. Vampires always love staring contests we never announce.
"And you are?" His eyebrow stayed raised, like I'd broken some unspoken rule by not introducing myself sooner. Maybe I had. I've never been good at this kind of thing.
"Dorian." My voice was flat, clipped. Hands in my pockets, my backpack slipping off one shoulder, I made it clear I wasn't here to make best friends.
"Well, Dorian..." My name rolled off his tongue like syrup, too smooth, too smug. It made my jaw twitch. Calm down.
"...we're not the only..." He hesitated like the next word might be forbidden.
Say it, I urged him silently. Vampires.
But he didn't. I didn't blame him. I wouldn't risk it either, not in the open like this.
"Anyway, there are more like us at school. And not just us, fairies, elves, witches, sorcerers..." He trailed off again. Whatever he was about to say next was cut off by Emma elbowing him hard in the ribs.
"He'll find out. We don't have to tell him everything." Her voice was sharp. Defensive.
What's her problem? It was written all over her face, she didn't like me. I didn't lose sleep over that, though. I'd just met her.
Still, it was good to know. A school filled with supernatural creatures meant safety, at least more than usual. Most of my old schools had barely one or two. This? This was something else.
"You'll know who they are when you see them. Humans are too dumb to notice, but we can spot our own." His tone had a smugness to it, but I didn't exactly disagree.
"They usually always walk in groups." He glanced at his friends, and they gave proud little nods. Like they were something special.
"Is that an invitation?" I raised a brow. I wasn't used to rolling with a group, but maybe there was a benefit to it. Still... not really my thing.
"Maybe. It's up to you." That same damn smirk stayed on his face, and the others mirrored it. Their expressions were driving me insane.
I scoffed. They might've been vampires, might've looked like my kind, but they weren't my kind of people. Without a word, I walked past them, bumping my shoulder hard into Agnos's.
I heard a few indignant noises behind me, but honestly?
I didn't give a damn about them from the start.
When I entered the building, I could immediately see what they meant about the groups of creatures. As soon as I laid eyes on them, I felt they were like us, and even if I hadn't, the way they threw sideways glances would've said enough.
But one group stood out. Every hair on my body stood on end. Hazel eyes. Brown, wavy hair, slightly disheveled. Tanned skin. Fangs flashed in crooked, mocking smirks. Vampires?
No.
I didn't think I'd see them so soon. At least not since...
"There are a lot of them around here."
Agnos's voice oozed behind me, too close as he stepped to my side. He slung an arm casually around my shoulders, full of contempt, dragging me out of my thoughts.
"Who are you talking about?" I asked, brushing his arm off. Too close. I could smell his cologne, expensive, no doubt, but I didn't like it.
He raised an eyebrow at my reaction but answered anyway. "Werewolves."
Emma let out a sound of clear disapproval.
"They're everywhere in this city. I'm surprised you only noticed them now."
My eyes drifted, involuntarily, to the werewolf group. There were three of them, tall, broad-shouldered, with boyish energy and a kind of lazy charm, like oversized puppies. Which wasn't far off, I guess.
"They're friendly with most people, humans and creatures alike," Agnos added with a sneer.
One of them turned his head. His gaze landed on us, more specifically, on Emma. She stiffened immediately. I could swear she actually shuddered. I didn't know why she was so shaken, but I decided not to ask. Yet.
"Don't be fooled," Emma hissed through gritted teeth. "It's all an act. They're horrible, despicable creatures."
Cedrick placed a hand gently on her shoulder, like he was grounding her. She didn't move, just kept staring back at the one watching her.
"Be careful," Agnos muttered. "There's a reason our kind doesn't mix with theirs. No matter how civilized they try to act, they're just angry dogs in disguise."
He practically growled the words, and for a second I thought he might bare his fangs, right here, in the middle of a crowded hallway.
I didn't have a solid opinion on werewolves. I'd been raised to hate them. But with so many peace treaties formed, and just as many broken, I wasn't sure what to think anymore. All I knew was that, as a vampire, I was expected to see them as enemies.
Rodrick, though... he had his own opinions.
"There he is..." Kiev muttered, rolling his eyes. Emma crossed her arms with a loud sigh.
Then, another boy stepped out from one of the nearby classrooms. He was tall, maybe my height, clearly athletic, broad shoulders, strong build. His shoulder-length wavy brown hair looked annoyingly good on him. But what really caught my attention were his eyes.
Hazel eyes. Wolf eyes.
I clenched my jaw.
"That's Lucian," Agnos started, his voice laced with something he was trying to hide. "He's, uh—"
"An idiot," Cedrick cut in flatly. "Him and his little pack. Complete idiots."
Honestly? I didn't doubt it.
He looked like an idiot.
The day dragged on, and Agnos and his friends stuck to me like shadows, despite me telling them more than once to leave me alone.
They didn't.
And, if I was being honest... it wasn't quite as unbearable as I'd expected.
At least it was better than listening to my own thoughts.
Not that I had much of a chance for that anyway, Agnos had a talent for talking without taking a breath. Ever.
By the time we were in the canteen, the place was a storm of noise, groups scattered across tables, laughter that was too loud, conversations overlapping into a blur I didn't care to untangle. I sat with my lunch, trying to tune it all out, ignoring Agnos's voice and his friends' snide remarks.
It was hopeless.
With my head propped lazily in the palm of my hand, I let my gaze wander. And that's when I felt it, heat.
Our eyes locked.
They were intense, blazing, nothing like the empty cold of vampire stares. Clear, almost golden, like sunlight that had learned how to burn. Long lashes framed them, and his expression... I couldn't place it.
Lucian.
He didn't look away, and neither did I. My chest felt tight, but I held his gaze, refusing to be the one to break it, until the headache hit.
It struck sharp and sudden, forcing me to tear my eyes from his. I winced, pressing my fingers to my temple.
When I finally looked back, he was no longer watching me.
He was laughing, leaning toward one of his friends, talking as if he hadn't just peeled back my soul with a single look.