KAI

The light of the sun leisurely entered through my bedroom windows. The glow made my room look hazy during the morning. Most myths here in school never appreciated the way the sun brightens up the place. I do agree that the light hurts the eyes but the world had never been any clearer and truer in its form than in the day.

Groaning, I got out of bed reluctantly. I messed my already messy red locks while yawning. Normally, my hair would be combed neatly but as perfect as everyone deemed my hair is, it won't be like that while I sleep. I opened the window near my room and the morning breeze gently tousled my hair.

The view of the school is just as mundane as always. For a new comer, the Academy might be an amazing place filled with magic and mystery that they'd never imagine ever being bored of the view but I've studied in this school since 7th grade. The fifteen foot Rose Maze that separates the Academy's forest from the human's forest is just a huge spiral shrubs with fake roses. The forest of illusions that surrounds the Academy might sparkle invitingly but once you know what is inside the place, you'd rather not invite yourself in. Besides, whether it's day or night, the forest is full of fog. Human will no doubt get lost inside it, that is if the Rose maze failed to stop humans from entering the school's parameter but that's rare.

That human that Maverick called as Ms. Luwalhati is one of those rare moments--- But shouldn't she be escorted outside, not inside, of the school?

Just as I walked halfway to the bathroom, a raven flew in with a cry and perched on one of the pillars of my bed. It's a messenger raven, probably from my mother or worse, my father.

My eyes stared at the bird for a long second before sighing.

"Who sent you?"

As I greeted the bird, it tilted its head and blinked a couple of times before opening its mouth and screeching. The screeching died down and is replaced by a flat greeting.

My mother, I groaned in my head.

"Keith Alexander Iah-Draven, the Academy headmasters had informed us that you have been neglecting your duty as a candidate for the Inferno. Are you some kind of delinquent now? Such irresponsible attitude. I'd like to remind you that our reputation--- your Father's reputation is at stake. Do not disappoint us---"

Oh, wonderful. It is from my mother. Her voice reminded me of comfort at the same time dread. All I could remember are the coldness of her red eyes staring at my relatives and her pale face that never smiles at anyone. Fear would be the only feeling I would have for her yet in unexpected times, she shows her caring side.

"Pick yourself up, Keith." Her voice greeted me after my father abandons me in the training room. She picks up my small fatigue body, caressing my cheeks.

Humans passes by her, murmurs follows their trail. Some had the bravery to look at my mother. She towers over them with her height and paid no mind to their chatters. My mother and I are the only monsters in the house which confuses me why she married father.

"The walls have ears, my love." She whispers. She settled me down in my bed and wiped my arms of any dirt. "That man," she meant my father, "will not stop until you are capable of defending yourself. Learn quick."

"Can I not rest for a day, mother?" I ask.

Her gentle touches stopped and her back straightened. My heart thumped in fear. Something was wrong. I looked to my mother to see shadow casting over her face. Her eyes turned cold. I whimpered, unsure of why she's looking coldly.

"Forgive me for saying such grim news even though you are young," her voice is still gentle which confuses me more, "but the people in this house sees you as their prey. Give them a worthy opponent. I'm afraid I cannot stop them from killing you so mother begs you to prove your worth."

And it's not that I don't want her to be proud of me, I can remember my kid self wanting nothing more than that. But lately, I don't feel like I want to meet her expectations and that bothers me more. If I could just put a smile on her face then I could have made her feel like being a Draven is not the worse thing that could ever happen in her life and that having me as her son could be one of the things that she can be grateful for.

"You think finishing one quest is enough to prove your worth as a Draven?" No, mom. I thought it would be enough to prove my worth to you. I answered in my head. "You think one trophy on your wall is enough? Compared to your cousins who have been hunting monsters since they became a teenager, one will never be enough. What would the Draven's think? They prove their worth every time air enters their lungs and exit their noses. Show them that you are a worthy prey."

'Prove to them that they can't hurt you', I hoped for those words to be in one of her messages but I'm deluding myself, aren't I?

Over the years, the stress of being in the Draven Mansion have piled up. My mother could not handle it. She couldn't help but force the stress of the Draven family fame on me. She stopped telling me to prove myself by defeating my cousins and started telling me to become their perfect prey.

If that is the only way to make her happy, me being the perfect prey for the next heir to the Draven's name... then I have to come to terms with that fact.

"End speech," I clenched my jaw before relaxing it. Closing my eyes, I walked towards the bathroom door just by sensing my surroundings.

Concentrate on where you are going, my father's stern command echoed in my head.

I hated that memory. My father would often do that to me as a punishment, blindfolding my eyes and letting me walk on floor with shards scattered randomly. A path was made where there are no shards but I have to concentrate on where it is. The lesson calms me down, it thought me how to focus on things and it helps me whenever I get overwhelmed, though I the consequences are horrible.  My feet would bleed everytime I lose my concentration. Every steps makes my tear stream down my face. It helps me centers my attention to my surroundings rather than what I am feeling right now until I got used to it that whenever I do not want to feel anything, I would ignore it by closing my eyes.

I took a deep breath and released it before staring at the raven. I might as well send her a message as an excuse to send this raven away.

After reassuring my mother that I will continue attending my duties as an Inferno candidate, I showered. Fixed my hair and made sure I looked presentable then exited my room and reached the cafeteria just before the bell rung signaling everyone to eat.

Only a few were up early, they entered the dining hall same as me. When I opened the door, a few students are already in line for the food. At this time, the student representatives of the different departments are sitting in their tables up front overseeing the other students.

"Kai!" A voice called out to me. I turned to see a bundle of messy red-hair making it's way towards me.

Of course Seraphina has a body, it's just that her messy hair is the first thing that I always notice from her. It's big and all over the place. Everyone thinks that it's hot and that is a given, seeing as Seraphina could rock any look she wants.

She locked her arms around one of mine, "where have you been? The whole vampire clan had been worried sick when we got informed that you haven't been attending your Inferno practice. I mean, you show up to class but not to the practice? We've been worried."

"I'm fine, Seraphina," I assured her. "Just been doing some spying around the borders of the school." That was a lie.

She stared at me in all seriousness, "don't do that again."

I can't promise her that I won't. It's not that I don't want to be the Inferno, an omen of good and bad, it's just that everyone expects me to become the Inferno that it feels like my goal is more like a burden now. I wanted to do it for myself to make mother smile but if I failed them, not only will I feel disappointed but they will as well, making my disappoint turn into guilt.

After all, I am not the only one vying for the position. There are three others from different departments of the Academy who are also competing for the prophecy.

I have done all I can to prove to the Headmasters and the Principal that I am the Inferno that the prophecy is talking about but they still insist that the other's could possibly have a chance as well. What more could they be looking for?

"Another candidate had entered the competition but you don't need to worry about her," Seraphina informed. "She's just a weak human. Not even a worthy competition."

My ears perked and my brows furrowed in curiosity.

Human? I thought. There's a human in our Academy? That's impossible. Or at least, it is until yesterday evening.

"I know what you're thinking," she emphasized the 'know' part. "I couldn't believe it either!" That's not what I'm thinking.

"A headmistress suddenly comes back after months of going rogue with an heiress that emits no aura of being a myth and then suddenly, she becomes one of the candidate for the Inferno? What is the prophecy all about anyways that they would even consider a human?"

"Totally unbelievable," Seraphina's two friends backed her up.

The three of them kept ranting about it while we walked to the food line. However, my mind wanders to a different side of their conversation.

A headmistress who had an heiress that emits no aura of being a myth... could it be the very same human that I tried to suck the blood out of yesterday? Oh darn. What if they think I'm trying to eliminate my competition? I wasn't, Maverick knows that. He was there! Or maybe it's a different person and the human I met in the forest yesterday is just a nobody. I have to, at least, make sure.

"And who might that heiress be?" I asked with an uninterested tone.

If I didn't, Seraphina would be pestering me the whole day with: 'Don't tell me you like this person?' Or 'Are you interested with those kinds of people?' Or 'Seriously? How could you ask that in front of me?!'

The last question might be a stretched but Seraphina is my childhood friend, I can tell how the way she looks at me have change. She's the same clingy redhead from back when we were kids but she always gets jealous whenever I show interest to other girls. Which annoys me because, I don't belong to her and I have the right to fall for anyone I choose to fall in love with.

"Didn't bother knowing," Seraphina shrugged, continuing to chat with her friends. It kinda had an underlying tone saying, 'you should not as well'.

But it was too late for that. I'm already bothered about that mysterious heiress.

Just as I took a sandwich from the cafeteria and thanked the cafeteria lady, a familiar scent invaded my sense of smell.

I snapped my head to the entrance of the dining hall to see, Ms. Luwalhati looking a bit wary of her surroundings but I guess that's logical seeing it's her first week at school as well as being a human surrounded by myths.

Something about her is... out of place. Heck! A human in this academy already screams 'out of place'. But my mind couldn't focus on that, I'm still bothered by the fact that I might've attack another candidate. My spot would be in danger if she tells anyone about what happened.

Memory of what happened last night flashes in my head. Not the part where I almost tried to suck her blood without consent but the part where I scared her in the corridor as a prank. She was walking listlessly and I couldn't help but be mischievous as a way to befriend her but it made her uncomfortable and now I'm wondering if she thought bad of what I did--- I am such a huge idiot, aren't I?

Attempting to assault her then scaring her? I might as well say goodbye to my candidacy if she really is the heiress that is vying for the position of Inferno.

"Urgh. It's that human again. That's the annoying heiress that I told you about," Seraphina grumbled as she takes her tray of food. My face paled as my worry grew.  "Kai, I'm going to eat with the student council up front."

If I thought about going to talk to Ms. Luwalhati a few seconds ago, I'd rather not do it now that Seraphina will be watching from her seat up front, it's tiresome to have her nag at me later---She's a great childhood friend really. Very supportive but whenever her emotions gets involve, I get troubled by it. I should probably tell her that,.. maybe later.

I took another glance at Ms. Luwalhati before finding a seat.

I really am curious as to what her name is though... how could I ask for it without being spotted by Seraphina?

A small smile crept to my face as I lowered my head as an idea popped up--- but then I decided that was the stupidest idea ever. Some students who were passing by noticed me smiling to myself and began squealing. I don't think it's a natural reaction for girls to have when they see someone smile.

It would be narcissistic of me if I say that my smile had caused this but I know better that it is indeed my smile's fault. It never failed to let any lady falling and fainting with just a glance. I even stopped smiling with my teeth showing because once it blinded the girls, figuratively but still.

»※«

First period finally ended, I stood up and fixed my stuff and not a second after the teacher left the class, some of my classmates are already crowding in on me. I just politely smiled as some girls and guys squealed at the gesture. Some guys scoffed at the background but I ignored it. I just continued to leave but that didn't happen.

"Kai," One of the girls cornered me. Her name is Lisa, she's a werewolf that took the Shapeshifting department as a secondary skill and the Earthbound department as her main. "Where are you going? We heard that you haven't been going to the Inferno practice."

I smiled a response, "I apologize about disappearing. The last quest was tough. I just wanted to make sure that the hero from the quest did not try to track us down."

The class overheard and they nodded their head in understanding and began murmuring to each other about how considerate I am. How thoughtful I was for the safety of the academy and all those response that made me sound responsible.

It sounded nice but it doesn't feel right. The fame that accompanies my success, it's too heavy. I felt fake with all their praises. If I could scream at them to stop, I could but I stopped myself. That's not me. That's not the Kai they know. I have a reputation to uphold.

Speaking of upholding reputations, I shouldn't be late for 2nd period.

"Excuse me but I need to be elsewhere." I exited to the door, this time no one stopped me.

The usual blinding golden pillars of the academy comforted me. It feels like it's talking to me, saying that I could never shine as bright as they are shining when the sun shine against their surface. That my fame meant nothing and I am nothing to them. The shadow they are casting towards me feels comforting.

I felt better in an instance.

Normally, other people wouldn't want to feel like a nobody but those are the people who had never been in the light. It's a chain of expectation and acting. Sometimes it's nice to be in the light but most of the time it's tiring, especially when you didn't ask for it. But the fame is what I am after, as contradictory as it is to how I feel. All emotions are irrelevant at this point since my feelings will not bring a smile on my mother's face but my accomplishments could.

"Kai, what are you doing wandering around the corridor?" Maverick pulled me out of my thoughts.

He came out of nowhere, shocking me because I haven't sensed him. Or, at least, I didn't because my head is caught inside a thought.

"I'm about to head to second period," I answered all for the sake of answering but then quickly raised a brow seeing him inside the school, "what are you doing at this part of the academy?"

The Earthbound Department had set-up a new facility by the woods, he should be inspecting it as part of the Strike team. Why's he here?

"I was asked by the Principal, something about a missing Headmaster." He scratched the back of his head as if telling me how confused he was with the news.

I was as well. A Headmaster gone missing? Which department? Doesn't matter, I can never really tell which Headmaster is that department's Headmaster unless I see what they look like.

"Okay." I shrugged and began walking but Maverick held my shoulders to stop me.

"The Principal also asked me to come and get you." Why? I'm visibly confused. "Beats me, man. I was just told to do so."

"Well, we should be heading to the auditorium now. We shouldn't be late."

»※«

It was the most unbelievable turn of event. We were the first one to arrive at the auditorium. Nothing much was going to happen anytime soon so it was a wonder how a vampire and a wolf is heavily panting on the floor, naked. Then, Ms. Luwalhati walked in on us and now Maverick became a stuttering mess trying to clear up the misunderstanding.

"Dude, stop." Ms. Luwalhati said. "I couldn't careless about what you two did."

Maverick desperately explained his side, "but that's the problem! We didn't do anything!"

"You clearly did something," she smirked and raised an eyebrow towards our disheveled look.

"Kai, explain yourself! Why are you quiet?" Maverick demanded.

I turned my head towards Maverick and creased my brows in confusion. "Why should I? We did not do anything weird nor do I see the need to defend something so baselessly misunderstood."

"Oh, my gosh! Nose bleed!" Tala commented made me wary.

I instinctively covered my nose as to not be tempted to suck any of her blood like last time. It was a really sweet scent. A scent that I have not smelled in any human. I'm still not sure whether she is or she's not, it made sense that her blood smelled different than others but the rumors about her makes me question if what I thought really made sense.

"Huh?" Maverick looked at her in confusion.

"Don't worry," Ms. Luwalhati chuckled, "it's just an expression we have for when there is someone who speaks English."

"But... you're speaking English," I asked in confusion.

Ms. Luwalhati looked like she was about to retort but bit her lips and decided against whatever she wanted to say.

"Shouldn't you two be explaining to me why you were panting on the floor?" She changed the topic.

And then Maverick began rambling about how it happened. I feel like we just repeated the cycle. Ms. Luwalhati looked amused as she watched Maverick.

In regards to what happened with the two of us panting on the floor, I do believe it's about time to clarify it.

For some reason my shifting became unstable after the last quest I had. I can't control my bat form and unfortunately, whenever I try to transform into my bat form, I would shift constantly into my human form then back to my bat form until I lose energy that I can't transform anymore. However, this is the first time that I involuntarily transformed though.

The loud sound of the door closing behind us startled me and that's when I my shifting started going haywire.

"Man, what the hell?" Maverick groaned as I shifted back into me and landed on top of his back before shifting into a bat again.

"I... I don't... I c-can't control my... shifting!" I exclaimed.

Maverick groaned, "I get that but can you stop falling on top of me?"

"Why don't... you try with a... malfunctioning... shifting?" I groaned back.

Though panicking with the lack of control I have over my own body, I closed my eyes and focused on my surroundings. Every time I concentrated at my human form, my bat form would break that concentration so I decided to do the opposite and concentrate on my bat form instead.

Every tiny flapping of my wings, I concentrated on it. Slowly, I tried to maintain the sounds and the feeling of wings flapping up and down as I balance myself in the air. I concentrated hard until I could sustain one small form.

"Kai? Kai? Where are you?" Maverick called out but all I could reply is a flap and high screeching noises.

I could see him not far from where I was but he couldn't see me so I tried finding the switch for the lights of the auditorium. But that didn't lasted long because I just heard a low growl inside the auditorium, I looked down to the auditorium ground to see Maverick shifting into his wolf form and looking directly at me.

I'm doomed, my head thought.

Maverick growled at me and chased me all around the room as if saying, quit flying and let me pin you down!

I screeched telling him to back off but we are not understanding one another.

Clearly, he cannot understand screeches and I cannot understand growls.

Maverick kept jumping just to pull me back into the ground and I couldn't help but retaliate by scratching the back of his neck.

I flew close to the walls. With Maverick's big body, he couldn't dodge and crashed against it. That happened for a couple more times until we were on the floor with barely enough energy to keep our transformed form. We shifted back to our human form. Since our shifting doesn't affect our clothes, shifting back into a human means we'll be shifting back naked.

We were naked inside the gymnasium. Panting and sweaty.

"Man, I... told you to shift back." Maverick said while catching his breath.

I answered, equally exhausted, "do I look like I understood growls?"

The door opened but we weren't hit by the light entering from the outside so it wasn't after the light from the inside got turned on that Ms. Luwalhati noticed us. We were adjusting our eyes from the light when she screamed. Me and Maverick became panicked-driven, stood really fast--- regretted that part--- and scrambled to look for our clothes.

"Potek. What kind of shitty scene did I just walk into?" Tala mumbled to herself and that's when Maverick started to ramble on clarifying the whole ordeal.

He's failing though. I had to step in.

"Oh, I get it." Ms. Luwalhati said. "You're one of those Active Vampires that Moira had been talking about." Who's Moira? Nevermind.

Maverick finally calmed down when Ms. Luwalhati paid no more attention to the scene that welcomed her. She look, rather, unfazed after we had put our clothes on and thought nothing more of it.

"So, what are you doing here, Ms. Luwalhati?" I asked, smiling.

"It's Tala," she clarified and I'm glad that I would no longer address her as Ms. Luwalhati, "and Hana told me to come here after second period. I don't know why though."

"Us too." Maverick chimed. "Though, the Principal called me and Kai got dragged here because the Principal asked me to. A Headmaster is missing so that's why we're here."

"Why, the fuck, should I care about a missing headmaster?" Tala grumbled.

"Or it could be about the Inferno Prophecy," I gave my suggestion.

Tala is here and Seraphina said she's also vying for the position. I have no idea why Maverick would be here but it could just be for the missing Headmaster issue.

Albeit a big one, the Principal would not have asked for the candidates to be here if it was just about that and nothing more.

"Again with that prophecy," She grumbled. "What's the big deal about it?"

"You tell us, you're here so you must be vying for the title." I said in pure assumption.

Tala doesn't seem to be the type to be interested in the position. It's just that her whole aura screams of wanting to get out of this place. I understood that feeling. I mean, I want to get out of this academy too. After everything that I've been through. Barely surviving my first quest, living with the memory of the darkness, having my shifting become uncontrollable. I crave the feeling of leaving.

"Not really." Tala hummed. "Are you both vying for the title?"

"Me, yes. Maverick, no," I answered honestly.

Maverick shook his head, "I already have too much responsibility with the Strike team. I think I'mma just be the muscle for the quest or something like that, man."

We were just talking about anything else in mind when the door of the auditorium opened and the Principal was walking with 4 other headmasters of each department.

They were talking about something with a serious look on their face. The Headmistress of the Earthbound Department looked especially grim while the usual air of the Headmaster of the Shifter Department suddenly became colder than usual.

It didn't take long before they recognize our presence. The Principal didn't even have to look but her forehead creased.

"Where's the other three?"