Classes

Our werewolf roommate came out to be a nerd, a full time one. He never left his bed after he came back from his classes, he didn't even talk much with us, which was a relief to some extend. I was flabbergast how a werewolf could be so shy of communication. To top it off he also wore round glasses, all demure and timid.

He introduced himself as Yuho to us, in a meek voice which we could barely hear above the breeze. Sian tried asking him questions about the classes, but the guy just told us the classes were great. Way to shut down the conversation.

Though I was sure that he would speak to us in his own time, so there was no need to poke him. Until then both Sian and I unpacked our bags and kept everything around, leaving out the weapons which we had already kept aside before Yuho came into the picture.

"We didn't get any schedule did we?" I was curios as to what the time-table could be.

"We did get it, I just forgot to show it to you," Sian told me, getting up from his bed to look around in his drawers, "The reception lady was kind enough to hand it over, I think you must have seen it."

"My memory is vague."

He snorted, finally finding the form. "Here it is, says the classes start from 8:45 AM and would end by 4:00 PM in the evening. The subjects we chose would be two hours each, three subject in one day and two on Monday and Thursday, so we have free time during those vacancies. The combat classes would be held on Saturdays, full day."

"Oh man, they have six day working?"

Sian also didn't seem to like it, "Yeah, seems like we only get free on the Sundays."

"Um," we heard a nervous sound coming from Yuho, he seems to have something to say. So when we gave him our full attention he shyly scratched his neck, "Even on Sundays we have to volunteer in cleaning the Academy, you know, they don't have staffs for it, so whatever dirt you might throw on the streets out of habit, don't, because they- they make us clean the stuff anyway. So y-you might find the students being neat freaks about it."

I groaned, falling back on the bed with fatigue, "The hell, why don't they have staff for that manual labor? I am sure they can afford it."

"T-They can, but y-you know how our chairman is, he said we wouldn't understand the value of cleanliness and labor if we don't do it ourselves. So he says w-we need to respect all the people, doesn't matter who."

"And this is why I don't like people with morals," Sian muttered, "They tend to go overboard."

"So then we are going to enjoy our Sundays with a bin?" I asked to no one in particular.

Yuho chuckled slightly, warming up to us, which came out more like a wheeze of air, "The system here isn't like other Academies, you don't have holidays like that," he managed, "we have two weeks working and one week holiday system."

My eyes popped open, as I sat up straight, staring at the roommate to make sense of it. "Two weeks of hectic classes and cleaning and one week full of holidays, is that what you said?"

He nodded, adjusting his glasses up with his hands, in a true nerd fashion, "The system is better than others according to me, personally I even prefer it."

I did think so as well, the resting periods in between were always welcomed.

"So when we going for dinner?" Sian asked us both, reading something on his phone.

"We can go in a minute," Yuho said, getting up from his bed, "I will catch up though if you want to go early." We watched as he went to the attached washroom, to do his business.

I sighed, playing with my black phone, making it flip on the bed. I was still in my travel clothes, too lazy to change and take a good shower, I probably smelled, but hadn't gotten any complains from any of my roommates yet. So I was cool.

Sian on the other hand was all showered and ready in his black PJs. His hair combed back graciously.

In the house I was a neat freak, always keeping myself clean, but I had a big problem of being the lazy one too, I was surely moody.

"Your father called me earlier," Sian plopped down next to me, speaking in a whisper, for we were staying with a werewolf, they had sharp hearing range when they wanted their senses to work, we could never know who maybe spying, though Mark had somewhat assured us during lunch that the dorm had thick walls and doors chanted to prevent noise and such from leaking, "I canceled it, saying it wasn't safe to talk via a message, but he would want to hear from you, call him."

"I don't want to talk to him."

"But you have to, just update him about the Academy, tell him what you saw and such, it would keep him satisfied and out of your hair."

"Will you just tell him that I am sleeping or something, I would talk to him tomorrow."

Sian pressed his lips to a thin line, "You have to talk to him now Ruya, I have his orders."

"Why are you even loyal to him," I snapped, "he's nothing but evil, a pure greedy man."

Sian didn't look happy to hear it, since he raised his voice, "That is my business, your relation with your father is yours, call him, or I am going to call him myself."

"Then do it." I dared him.

"I will, don't test me, but you should know he doesn't likes to be ignored."

These were the only time when I hated Sian. His obsession to follow father always chilled my spine. It was an unhealthy relation.

"Just call him," Sian finally said with a tired smile, "I know you don't like this, but this is how it is going to be. You can't do anything about it, not yet."

"If I became a the next leader, will you be this loyal to me too?"

Sian smirked, "Of course, I am a man of my words, but you will have to leave a lasting impression on me if you need my respect."

I absently wondered what lasting impression my father could possibly have had on Sian, but it only soured my mood, so I kept the thought aside, just holding my phone out. "I will call him after dinner, we could take a walk outside."

Sian understood, nowhere was safe but at least outside we would be more free to talk. If the Academy somehow knew I was a Mafia's son, I do not know what they would do, because then even the government couldn't save my ass.

Mafia weren't good people, that much was clear. Even if I wasn't directly involved with them, I was still around.

"Is something wrong?" we heard Yuho asking, looking at our faces, while instinctively closing the washroom door behind him.

"We were just discussing a few things, no big deal," Sian explained quickly.

Yuho wasn't satisfied with the answer, but shrugged anyway, getting back to do his own stuff. Getting ready for dinner.

I wondered if all the werewolves looked this human, there was no trace of his origin on him. If we hadn't have heard of his werewolf gene, I was sure we would have passed him as human.

"Now I am more than hungry, let's go," Sian called out, getting up from my bed, distracting me from my musings.

"Yeah, let's go."

--

The talk with my father had went as smoothly as it could, since I had called him after dinner and told him about my day and stuff, like a son would normally do. It didn't attract attention of any, and it wouldn't since the night was upon us and no soul was in sight. And to think the night crawlers lived here.

Sian walked next to me, taking in the silent old structures around us, it was daunting. And so was the heavy night.

"What did he say?" Sian asked me, although he must have heard what we were talking about.

"He told me to take it easy and work hard," there was another innuendo in his sweet talk and I knew where he wanted me to work hard. "And for once I am also thinking of taking it easy," I could be the rebel too, if only for a little bit.

"Then shall we go back?" I asked feeling tired again, the unpacking and the journey took out a lot from me. I was used to fighting but not sitting still in cars for long hours.

"I feel like it is going to rain, we better move now," Sian said as he licked the tip of his finger and raised the finger above, trying to see from which direction the wind was coming. "And it will be the north rain, it falls heavy in this region."

"So what, you are a weather expert now?"

He chuckled, "No, but I was taught this when I was younger, I only ever use this trick though."

"You make me feel lacking with those skills."

Sian snorted, "You are lacking."

I rushed after him as he took off making fun of me. He was going to regret it, I thought with a smile.

--

The next day came in soon and it had rained like Sian's forecast, and I was rushing through my wardrobe to pick out newer combinations of clothes other than black and grey. Seriously I needed to lay low on those colors, Sian had been right.

"Why did I buy all black, it feels like I only have black." I complained to my roommates, taking note that Sian was already ready and Yuho was also almost there.

"Just wear anything, with that pretty face of yours I doubt anyone is going to throw you disgusted looks over the choice of your wardrobe."

I scowled at Sian, "You are telling me. When you actually take a lot of time to come up with your own choice of clothing."

"I am saying all that because you don't have standards, while I do," he grinned smugly.

I chucked a pillow at his perfect face, glaring at him menacingly. "I do have standards," I said bitterly, taking a glace down at his outfit. Which was a flashy black jacket above white mesh top, with dark black jeans and boots. At least he din't look like a mafia today. Which was a relief.

"Fine, I am just choosing my clothes at random." I grumbled, and finally picked out my casuals. The standards can go screw it.

A while later, we walked out of our dorm rooms and Yuho took to another route. We were lucky that it had stopped raining, thought the place was all drippy and wet.

I pouted at myself, I didn't look that great, but maybe my pretty face could score me some good points. I sighed, I didn't even care, as long as people weren't repulsed by me.

And I certainly did not want any night crawlers getting attracted to me either, it was not in my bucket list of things.

"Why are you like this, all moody," Sian commented, glancing at me as we walked by narrower streets, a lot of other students chattering here and there, all discussing something or the other.

I folded my arms when he stopped to check directions on his phone, a map Yuho had been kind enough to transfer to us. But we barely understood the dots.

Only that the entire campus was divided into four sections, wings. The east, west and south wings were cluttered, but the north one was very well established.

"It is Rynderg's map alright, but pretty old and not very visible. Although I think we are somewhere in the south block and one of the four dots is our building." Sian murmured to himself, zooming in on the picture to take a clearer look.

"What are those gigantic dots over the north, one in combat and one in... north block?" the dots were visibly scaring me, seems like combat was a big deal around here.

"Yuho said we had to take the route towards the third red, maybe the third dot is our destination."

"But which third dot, from the left or the right."

"I think he said right."

So with that we navigated our way towards the third dot, we did cross many hoardings which had stuff written on them with arrowheads, but since both me and Sian couldn't read night language, we both ignored it.

We crossed many streets to reach an even narrower space. The low rise clustered buildings shadowing our walk.

"Are you sure Sian that we are going in the right direction?"

"We can ask someone."

"Who?"

"Someone?"

I sighed, looking in front of us where a bunch of students were walking in a group. "We can ask those students, they look from around here."

Sian frowned, "How do you even know that."

"I don't."

Despite being in Mafia, Sian rarely looked his shadowy self, but as soon as we reached that group, he started to tug me away from them, a deep scowl set on his face.

I was confused as to why he suddenly started to pull me along, but I did see a beautiful girl between the group of students. She was laughing along with the rest and busy talking about something with her girlfriends.

But by chance, our eyes met and I felt myself stiffen, even if Sian was doing his best guiding me out.

She smiled a big smile and actually ran to catch up with us. And Sian obviously wasn't happy at being stopped, her group suddenly getting closer to us, as if spectators.

"Hi!" she greeted me with an excited kick, her dark brown eyes sparkling in the sun. "I haven't seen you around here, are you a fresher?"

I was entranced with her beauty, her pale skin soft and glowing, her lips red and supple. "I am... I am a fresher."

She smiled wide, which was pretty, "I am Luer, what's your name handsome."

I shyly glanced around to notice the slowly gathering crowd, absently wondering where were they even coming from. "I am Ruya."

"What a cute name, you can call me Liz if you want, though I would like to know you better, which course?"

I felt Sian tighten his palm around mine, since he had been tugging me forward, so we were still holding hands. He was warning me about something, but as it had distracted me, it also didn't go unnoticed by her.

She blinked at Sian, with a cold indifference I actually didn't find cute, what a sudden turn, "And you?"

I felt Sian's anger directed at her, and I went on full alert, noticing how we were surrounded with her friend circle, as she stood in front of us with a very dominating pose. Suddenly I felt like getting away from her, something didn't feel right.

"He is Sian, my best friend, and we are getting late for the classes, so see you around," I said with a tight smile, moving to get around her. But she seemed to know my intentions, since she stepped in my way, looking positively sad, a big pout forming on her lips. It would have been charming if she wasn't looking at me like I was some piece of meat.

"Where do you think you are going Ruya~ leaving me here all alone." Her tone caught in the end, as if she was going to be sad.

To normal people it would seem harmless, but I had seen those eyes she had, my father often gave me the same stare when he was trying to fool me into submission, though of course she wanted my submission for other reasons.

Something told me she wasn't human, and since her eyes weren't weird, she was either a werewolf, witch or fairy. Or maybe something else entirely.

"Luer!" I heard someone female calling her name, the voice as pleasant as her's.

The crowd parted and I saw another pretty girl standing some ways ahead. Her hair a beautiful shade of purple and pink.

She had been smiling, but as soon as she saw us, her smile started to vanish, replaced with curiosity and something else.

"You found new friends?" she asked, also coming in our direction.

"Why yes," Luer told her with a happy grin, "the handsome one is Ruya and the other one is Sian."

She nodded, her eyes shifting between us, taking us in. "They are cute," she stated as if it was a fact. "But we are busy so we have to leave, queen is calling us for a meeting, check your message."

Luer huffed, her cheeks puffing out like a child, "Fine, I am coming."

Then she turned to look back at us, her gaze calculative, "I will see you around Ruya, later~"

And then as she had came running, she was gone running, the purple haired girl following her closely behind. As did her crowd of people.

What a waste of time, I concluded.

We parted around through a different direction, Sian grumbling angrily with each step we took. "For once Ruya, couldn't you keep your damned eyes to yourself?"

I winced at his tone, "I am sorry, I just was looking for who we were running from. I didn't know who she was."

"Well then you should have taken my warning when I was tugging you," he was close to shouting at me, striding ahead of me sharply. "That girl was a fairy, and we have to stay away from them. Especially you, fairies love to toy with humans, didn't you see how her mood changed when she looked at me? She was interested in you so she flirted, and she wasn't in me so she snapped."

Or maybe she didn't like the fact that Sian was holding my hand, but anyhow, "She was so happy and then suddenly turned cold. She was having mood swings quite fast."

"That is how they are, seduction and manipulation are their arts. They play with a person until they are satisfied, then they torture them, maybe she won't kill, but these fairies are screwed up in the head. And you...." he scowled, "you gave her our names, I hope she won't come looking."

"What will we do if she does comes around," I asked him as the information finally started to sink in and I caught on to what the end result could be. It was dangerous, very dangerous for me with my family record. I could understand now why Sian seemed to be panicking.

I shivered and Sian noticed, "Told you, it is insane how you attract the worst of them. First the mermaid now a fairy. What's next?"

"You forgot a vampire," I recalled Edward.

He sighed, taking us through an even narrower alley, "Right, him too."

"But where are we going? You know the direction now?"

"No, we are running away from those fairies."

It took us some time to finally reach the building we had been looking for, as a few scattered students guided us towards the right direction.

"Why does this looks so off?" I asked him, while simultaneously noticing the arches and the structure. All made of heavy stones and tiles.

It was much like a small castle. With tall cones for roofs and a cylindrical minar at the edge.

"Because the students are not around."

"Are you sure this is the building?"

"From what Yuho said, the Art buildings are total four in number, this one is for the subjects like Painting and theory."

"So the digital one is different?"

Sian shrugged, "Yes.... I think," he later added.

"Are we late." I checked my watch and surely, we were late by 15 minutes straight. Way to leave a good impression on the first day. Not to say, the time to find the classes would also count.

"Don't worry, we will just tell them we were lost, which we were."

I nodded at Sian, and we made our way inside, the gates in the front massive with wood and copper.

In front of us stood a huge lobby with staircase leading up from both sides and a shower of chandelier forged with gold illuminated the space carpeted with browns and yellows. It was nothing special, just all huge and rectangle.

We made through the lobby towards the corridor and I saw the ornamentation that went both sides. Well maybe it wasn't a corridor but rather a hall, and I felt like they used it for exhibition purposes.

"I don't know where we are going, for we both can't read their tongue, they should at least write in a language we can understand."

I agreed with Sian, maybe they hadn't done that because humans... wait-

"Sian, tell me something," I stopped abruptly, "why the hell are Mark and the rest studying from years back when the bill was just passed a year back. Wang has been in Academy from what 5 years? And Mark said that he missed humans... as far as I can tell they have been here for a while, and so have the humans they keep giving hints about. And Edward talked as if he was seeing humans for the first time. Aren't you confused?"

We had stopped to ponder, our voices a whisper but loud in the hallways.

"You are right, Mark was telling us that it is good for Hunters, they are respected? What was he telling us again?"

"That doesn't really matter but he was saying something along the lines. And remember how the gate took your blood sample, while it didn't do the same for me?"

Sian's eyes widened, "The academy does makes a name off of hunter's work. And true hunter who had have the advanced training do know the night language, unlike me, I hadn't had the full training."

"So they actually don't consider the hunters as humans?"

Sian shook his head, "No they do, as Mark kept calling himself human, but it seems like the Academy accepted hunters from long before, and hunters are different than normal humans, they have skills even the night crawlers are jealous of."

"And Edward didn't react to Mark like he did towards me, it was like he didn't even bat an eye."

"Means that you are actually the normal one, the hunters have become a part of them, that is why they took so much interest in you."

"But they don't know you are a hunter."

"No, but I do spray scents all over me, which is kind of repulsive, also, I wear The locket."

"Okay, so what did we get with all this half assed theorizing."

Sian shrugged, "We managed to waste time again, but now also learned that hunters have been here from a long time. And the Academy doesn't really seems to think much about it. But normal humans are something new."

"So shall we go?"

Sian nodded and we moved towards the second hallway, which was much smaller and a lot more cozy. Three arched windows facing the parallel empty wall as we heard loud noises coming from the only doorway.

"I think that is a classroom."

Sian quirked his eyes at me, "Why you sound so nervous suddenly."

"I don't like crowd."

He rolled his eyes, "I am getting in first then, follow me."

While I was getting a cold feet, Sian barged in like he owned the place and I actually had to decide if following him in would make my reputation worse or even worse.

To my small satisfaction, the classroom wasn't huge like I had predicted, it was smaller compared to my imagination and there was no teacher around.

The students who had been chattering among themselves, paused to look at the object of interruption, the handsome right hand man of the mafia boss. Sian.

I groaned, when I felt their eyes move from him to me, all of them judging. Great, that is why I never liked first day of anything.

"Is this the Painting class? We are kinda lost here." The loud question from Sian actually echoed in the classroom, yes, echoed.

And I cowards back, just ready to escape. I was confident in many thing... but only after I was familiar with the atmosphere and people. New things scared me.

After a long pause, out of the 34 students, yes I counted, a girl helpfully told Sian that it was indeed the same class. "But the professor is late today for some reason, you two are lucky, cuz he is strict."

Bravo.

"And he throws out anyone who even dares to whisper," she added, as her friends chuckled with her, "your loudness will have you suspended."

The rest of the class grinned along, all of them enjoying the show, even though it was just looking like a childish bullying scenario.

It was one thing to joke around, but it was another to sneer, which she was doing.

"So, I guess the whole class gets suspended occasionally. Since I could hear you all from outside the door."

The words silenced the whole room, and I panicked, realizing too late that it was my voice that I heard speaking those words.

Talkative much?

The girl had the decency to blush, but not with embarrassment, just annoyance. "You humans speak too much."

And I assumed she wasn't on Wang's side of things, for he was also supposedly human. Maybe.

"Why are we even fighting, aren't we here to learn things?" I asked with a stiff smile, I was sure it came out wrong.

"Who does he thinks-"

"What is going on here?" a stern voice from behind me barked, and I stepped aside to see a dark haired middle aged man standing there, his face clean shaved.

The girl who had been flapping her lips apologized quickly and settled down like the rest. All of them taking a seat. Three people in one bench.

"And you two, are you freshers?" he asked us, his sternness sliding back an inch.

"Yes sir." Sian replied with a smile, not even afraid of setting off the man.

The said man nodded, "Then take a seat wherever, catch things along as I go, there isn't a set pattern here, I teach separate topics each class, anyone can join in whenever, since we learn about painting. You will find people of even seventh year in my class. But the theory of arts will be taught to you with other freshers, since you learn it from scratch."

So that meant that the people in this class could be of any year, it was an open course. Nice.

"Everyone, we are going to do abstract today, be creative, I will be evaluating it next week."

And as he got into a routine speech, Sian found an empty seat next to the same girl who had been bitching at him, and the scowl she sent him was worth it. Why was Sian like this.

I grinned, moving fast as the professor was already on the board, drawing stuff into charts.

I studied the classroom and found only one space left vacant, actually two, a single guy sat on one bench, the space on his sides empty. But he sat on the front bench, all immersed in whatever the professor was teaching.

I made my way down the steps, since the class was elevated towards the door. And it felt weird as people watched, only a few taking note of the professor's words.

Sian winked at me taking out his own notebook and pen, writing down a few words he found strange, and I quickly went to the bench in front, looking at the guy with blond hair and red blazer.

The amount of rings on his fingers and that jewel collection decorating his body made me uncomfortable, since I noticed the quality of the metal, all of them were dull but I could tell they were all Brenzin, the metal was hard to find. I knew because father smuggled those from Genverin and Desterk. It fetched a lot. I had seen them shipped with my own two eyes, was even gifted a ring on my fifteenth birthday, though I never wore it.

"Can I sit here?" I asked him, even though he was not really complaining or even looking at me wrong.

He simply sat there staring at the board. Kind of like ignoring me.

So I took it as his consent and sat next to him. One would think the guy would shift, but he didn't move even an inch. The space on his right side left completely empty.

I wasn't sure if it was just me, but he felt warm as if his body was giving off waves of heat.

The professor was now talking about color wheels used with different kinds of abstracts and he was drawing a few concepts with hurried pace.

I took that as a leeway to actually observe the guy next to me, he was pretty, his blue eyes cute and the skin color a soft pinkish white. There was a seriousness about him which I rarely saw in people. He must be my senior.

And the way he stared at the board sent a chill down my spine. He kind of gave a scary vibe, but harmless. He was calm and concentrated just like a an ocean. One would never even know when the waves would wash them off shore into the depth of hell.

I took out my own notebook as the professor started throwing out his theories, although it wasn't a theory class, I concurred he was just briefing before the actual work for better understanding.

"Now bring along your canvases, paint me something new."

So that is how the whole class stood from their seats and made their way towards the door, maybe to go outside.

The professor took in my confusion since he was so close by, "We paint in the halls, this classroom is for lecture purposes before any project starts."

I nodded, he didn't seem like a bad man, just strict, which wasn't any different from the situation back home. At least he didn't carry guns and threatened my brother.

I was a bit late in moving due to my confusion, and that delayed the guy sitting next to me, since the way to get out of the bench was from the left, my side.

"Sorry, I lack tact," I told him, hastily closing my bag.

He simply nodded, staring at me now, with that burning gaze of his, all sharp and mighty. The hell.

I shuffled out from my seat and started to tag along with the rest of the people, since almost all of them were out, even Sian, though I did see a shadow of his shoes.

Yes, that's how familiar I was with his habits and presence.

And for some reason, the guy who had been siting next to me had most of my attention on him. I felt the wooden stairs squeak beneath his shoes as he climbed up after me, his footsteps sounding measured. If that was even possible.

I stopped just by the door, my feet having their own mind and I turned my attention to him. The blonde stopping short before me, looking at me with a blank face, although I felt something flicker in his eyes... amusement? I don't know. He was shorter than me so it was easy to feel secure, but his eyes and bearing were so intimidating, I felt as if my height made me more prominent to the attack.

I opened my mouth to say something to him, but what? So shrugging mentally I opened the door wide for him, gesturing for him to go first.

He didn't react much but an amused tilt of his lips did form on his face as he exited. And a strong sweet scent filtered my nose, which I assumed must be his cologne.

How come I hadn't focused on that when I had been sitting next to him?

Since the door was open, I saw Sian raise his eyes at me form outside, watching me still holding the door, clearly wondering why I was being a gentleman to another gentleman. Yeah... same.

I looked away, not even knowing why I did it. What was the reason anyway.

And my gut told me, I was being plain stupid again. I couldn't agree with it more.