It was Jane's first day at her new school, and she felt… worried.
Worried because it was unfamiliar - new hallways, new faces, new everything.
But not that scared because adaptability was never her problem. She knew how to put on a dumb face that let her slip under the radar. Her mother had blessed her with this ability.
Jane adjusted her uniform.
The outer layer was a tailored burgundy blazer, worn over the softest blouse she had ever touched. A black ribbon sat neatly at her collar, at least for now, paired with a three-leaf-shaped brooch.
It was undeniably pretty, but Jane wasn't particularly fond of the red gemstones on the pin. Wearing red made her uncomfortable.
With one last breath, she stepped through the gate. The academy appeared before her - a huge castle made of piles of towers, weathered by centuries, untouched by decay. Trees and walls of trimmed grass carved the vast courtyard into smaller areas, softening the emptiness of the grounds.
The chairs were empty, and not a single student stood in the wide playground. The only person she had seen was the guard who pointed her toward the dorms.
Jane was confused until she remembered the odd timing of this place.
Dragging her luggage toward her new house wasn't supposed to be hard, if only her mom hadn't overpacked like she was never gonna come back.
The dormitory sat at a far corner of the academy, right across from a dense patch of forest. Jane was already imagining all the things she could do in nature, take short walks, and get actual fresh air.
By the time she reached the room, she saw a big lump on the sofa. She tiptoed inside, hoping not to wake her roommate, but the effort was pointless; a head peeked out from the pink blanket, then retreated into the pillow like nothing happened.
Well, introductions could wait.
Each of them had their own bedroom and bathroom with a shared living room, which exceeded Jane's expectations, considering she was getting all this for free.
After unpacking and filling in the new room, Jane headed toward the school's main hall.
Tonight was North Wing Academy's welcoming night, or more accurately, a speech by an old man.
Even here, speeches were boring. Jane sighed, her but was getting numb.
"The President of the Student Council will now have a few words."
The principal clapped as he made the announcement. His eyes almost disappeared under the folds of his cheek.
She could feel the energy shift to something more exciting. Students perked up like a garden after a rainstorm.
He moved toward the podium with the precision of a soldier whose sharpness was hidden under a pair of glasses. The white uniform, embroidered with gold threads, set him apart from the sea of red.
The room, loud just a moment ago, went quiet under his influence.
"Good evening, new and old students of North Wing. I hope this year brings you both growth and accomplishment. As tradition stands, the Student Council will host a ball tonight to welcome the new term. We look forward to your presence — and curfew begins at 12 a.m."
A ball?! Great. She had brought nothing to her new school except a few T-shirts and pants. Maybe a couple of extravagant blouses, but nothing close to a ball gown.
She was walking back to her room when she saw her roommate already awake.
"You didn't go to the ceremony?" Jane asked.
"No. Everybody knows the main event starts at 12." She giggled while standing in a sea of fabrics. Sunlight poured through the window, turning her hair into threads of golden pink.
"What about you? What are you gonna wear?"
"I don't know …. probably nothing? I didn't even know there was going to be a ball."
Her roommate raised both eyebrows, clearly surprised by this new information. Those wide, amber eyes made it easy for Jane to catch even the slightest expression, from the glance on Jane's chest to the squint that followed.
Before Jane could say anything else, her roommate shoved a dress in her arms.
"Here, try this on. I'm not gonna wear this anyway."
Layer after layer of soft blue and green formed a delicate ombre across the corset, while the lower half unfolded into a darker blue skirt. A matching lace veil covered Jane's hair, turning her into an offering to a merman.
"Just as I expected," her eyes sparkled. "This suits you way more than I."
She wasn't wrong. Blue was Jane's color.
"Thanks …" Jane let the word hang in the air just long enough to signal that it was time for a proper introduction.
"It's Amelia. Amelia Rosenberg." She said loud and clear while fixing Jane's dress.
***
They arrived at the ball on time. Amelia had already slipped away to find her friends, so it was Jane all alone.
The ball was part of the castle that Jane hadn't had the chance to explore yet. High ceiling, heavy curtains, and carved patterns down to the floor. Like every other student, her outfit matched the setting, thanks to Amelia.
She quickly spotted the refreshment table lined along the wall. Jane hadn't eaten anything since she said goodbye to her mom at the school's gate.
With a plate in her hand, she retreated to an empty table in a corner where no one really cared.
Jane took the first bite. The creaminess of the butter paired nicely with the saltiness of the cold meat on the bread. Then came the main dish
Something was off.
The scallops, despite their glistening appearance, tasted like nothing. The duck wasn't too bad, just slightly cold, and they hadn't quite gotten rid of the duck smell. Maybe she had expected too much. Or maybe some people enjoyed the freshness of the ingredients.
Just when Jane thought tonight would end with another cup of chocolate mousse, her table was joined by a student. Tall, well-put together. This school really didn't seem to have anyone with a bad appearance.
He gave Jane a polite nod before sitting next to her.
"It is a slow night, isn't it?" He started the conversation.
"I guess so." Not like she would know what a fast night looked like.
"Would I be wrong to guess you enjoy dessert?" He asked, probably just trying to find a topic.
"Yeah, somehow it is better than most of the dishes today."
Talking about food with someone who didn't seem to eat anything wasn't exactly delightful. He sat there, swirling his wine glass, the liquid traced a perfect circle up to the rim before sliding back down again.
They got into another moment of silence. People were starting to leave, yet every time Jane considered excusing herself, he managed to find topics about all sorts of things in the world. Eventually, the conversation was held long enough to when the lights dimmed, and music filled the hall.
He stood up and offered her his hand.
"Shall we?"
It shouldn't hurt to accept, right? It was just a dance. Except for one small thing …
"I don't know how to dance ... or waltz." Jane awkwardly said.
"Please, don't worry. I will guide you."
One hand grabbed hers, the other was around her waist. He hadn't lied when he said he would do the dancing.
Jane kept spinning to the rhythm with her whole body weight resting in his lead. Even when she tried to follow on her own, she couldn't. The music grew faster and sharper like they were in the middle of a workout instead of something from a movie.
"Was I ....on.... a battlefield," Jane muttered between her breaths. She had been trying to keep up with his pace, including getting dragged around like a doll.
"This is only the first part."
Jane's mouth opened in disbelief. In front of her was already another student. Before she could gather her thoughts, he caught her hands and pulled her into a group dance. Her body was moving to cues she didn't understand.
Faces came and went as abruptly as they began, each time with something entertaining. Throughout the dizzying rotations, her gaze stayed fixed on one detail: the pins on their chests. After all, with Jane's height, looking at their faces would cause her neck pain.
Most wore the same one as Jane, or a star variation that seemed to be embedded with diamonds. She could count maybe one with a lightning shape, but none of the students wore the glass pin. Odd, considering she'd seen a few of them earlier.
With one last spin, everything stayed still, and she found herself back in the arms of her original partner. From somewhere above her head, his voice came down.
"You are tired, aren't you?" He said, looking as fine as ever.
She stared back at him with her mouth forming a stiff line. What she really wanted was to faint right here and magically be teleported back to her bed.
She shouldn't have let his good appearance affect her decision hours ago.
The lights deepened to a warm glow while a slow classical melody began to fill the air. It could've been romantic if they weren't strangers.
Leaving right now would be unnecessary, so she was using him like a resting pole until her strength returned.
Jane could do was straighten her back, quietly making some room between them.
Suddenly, without a sound or warning, he leaned in. Something brushed against her neck, like an ant crawling on the skin, except when she glanced, there was nothing.
Her back arched instinctively, forming a stiff 45-degree angle to the floor.
She hoped he would pick up on the signal she was sending, but he didn't move.
She tried again, more obvious this time.
"You're a bit too close. Can you…move back a little?"
The boy, whose name she forgot to ask, didn't answer. He just stared at her. There was a hint of surprise and annoyance on his face, though the faint glow in his eyes made it impossible to tell if he was angry or amused.
Just when Jane thought something would happen, he stepped back.
"My sincere apology. I got a little caught up," he said.
The peace didn't last for too long. Right at the point where he was supposed to draw her back, his grip faltered. Jane's heel caught the smooth floor; the pull she expected never came in time.
"Sorry, I couldn't see the—"
Oops, a very passionate couple.
She stood across from the boy, who was hiding his face in the girl's neck so she couldn't see what he was doing. His hand, tense and abnormal, was gripping the girl tightly, like he wanted to crush her.
That detail caught Jane's eye and made them wander longer than they should have. If she had turned away just a second sooner, she might have spared herself a lot of trouble. Stay naive, but ultimately the same outcome.
The light swung through where they stood, lifting the veil that had been hiding all the filth.
His mouth was stretching unnaturally wide as it clamped onto the girl's neck. Veins rose like red worms beneath his pale skin, pulsating with the movement of his throat. His cheeks flushed pink, either from the thrill or the blood rushing through his body. His pointy ears twitched with each swallow, flicking up and down like they were picking up some signal.
Jane quickly looked away, trying not to "awake the lion". The scene kept replaying in her head until it was replaced by something even worse.
The whole room was submerged in waves of blue and purple, like a castle underwater. It might've been beautiful, even hypnotic, if Jane could ignore the horror unfolding in front of her.
Everywhere, they climbed onto each other like wild animals. Some fed alone while others formed into herds. Their eyes glowed like the pins on their chests while their teeth dove deeper and deeper into flesh. Thick streams of blood ran from the corners of their mouths, dripping onto the marble floor.
Jane gasped for air, but with each breath, she felt like she was inhaling the particles in the air. She could taste something in her mouth – damp and rusty.
"Calm down."
His voice brought Jane back to reality, but it wasn't meant for her.
"Shut up and drop your stupid role-playing already!" The other boy raised his head and went back right away to his meal. His prey had already closed her eyes, enjoying the shared moment between them.
The focus shifted back to Jane.
"How about I give you a fifteen-minute head start?" He smiled – the realest, no, the biggest mouth she had ever witnessed. His fully-grown canine flashed under the swinging lights, threatening her to start the game that she had no intention of participating.
Her body decided for her. Jane turned away in terror and ran as fast as she could.