Jade carefully examined the number on the door before glancing back at the paper in her hand.
"This must be my room," she murmured to herself.
She was about to open the door when it suddenly swung open, taking her by surprise. A female student with blue highlights in her hair and fair complexion stood at the door, smiling as if she had been expecting Jade's arrival.
"Hi, you're Jade, right?" the female student greeted with a warm smile.
"H-Hi... yes, that's me," Jade responded, her confusion evident as she wondered how this student already knew her.
"Come on in," the girl invited.
Jade lifted her large bag and entered the room. The room was spacious with an old-style design. Another girl was sitting on one of the three beds. She has white highlights in her hair, fair skin, and bears a resemblance to the female student who welcomed her at the door.
"I'm Rain, and this is my sister, Winter. Welcome to the academy," the girl with blue highlights in her hair introduced with genuine warmth.
Winter waved at her, a friendly smile lighting up her face.
A smile graced Jade's face. "Thank you. It's my pleasure to meet you."
"This is your first time in school, and we know that you're still adjusting. Don't worry; we will help you adapt to our school. From now on, you're always going to be with us," Winter reassured with a comforting tone.
Jade's eyes sparkled. "Really? Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, bowing graciously.
The two smiled once again, appearing happy to meet a new student. Rain and Winter assisted Jade in organizing her belongings and explained the necessary details. They were quite talkative, and Jade found joy in their company. Suddenly, thoughts of her cousin Sheryl crossed her mind, and decided to give her a call later to catch up.
.
.
That night, Jade slept soundly unaware that Rain and Winter remained awake. Vampires don't sleep; some mistakenly think they do, but they merely rest with closed eyes while their minds stay alert.
Rain's gaze lingered on Jade, "Dad will surely be pleased to know that the chosen one is here," she softly said.
"We just need to stay close to her, and she'll be safe from other vampires," Winter added.
Rain and Winter, born into the Seasons Family, are nobles as well. Rain, a unique blend of vampire and nymph, boasts the extraordinary skill to traverse water, reaching any location connected to a water source. Meanwhile, Winter, a pure vampire, commands the power to manipulate the wind. The Seasons Family, renowned for their elemental control powers, has all five children enrolled in the academy.
Winter sat near the window, gazing at the moon. They had been waiting for this moment for so long, and they were determined to do everything to make their plans successful. This meant they had to protect this girl.
.
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....
The next morning, an elegant carriage stopped in front of the gates of Serolf Academy. A young man, clad entirely in black attire, stepped out from the carriage. Xylon Vladimir Serolf, the vampire prince and sole heir to the late vampire king Gustav Vladimir Serolf, received a bow from the vigilant guards stationed at the entrance.
"Welcome back, Your Highness," the guards greeted respectfully.
Xylon, lost in his thoughts, walked past them without acknowledging the formalities. He surveyed the entirety of the academy. Though he had been away for a long time, returning to the academy brought back painful memories of the past. He closed his eyes to suppress the emerging emotions.
"How have you been?" a familiar voice interrupted his contemplation.
Xylon opened his eyes, meeting the gaze of Kan, a trusted companion and figurative elder brother.
"I'm happy to see you again," Kan warmly expressed.
"I'm glad to see you too, big brother," Xylon replied.
It had become a habit for Xylon to call Kan his big brother since childhood, as Kan had served as a knight under Xylon's father.
"Xenon and the others are waiting for you," Kan informed, guiding Xylon towards their shared destination.
Inside the academy, a grand mansion owned by Xylon stood, accessible only to their tight-knit group of friends. As Xylon entered, warm greetings echoed from his friends.
"Yo bro! Welcome back!" Blake exclaimed, placing an arm over Xylon's shoulders.
"Haha, we thought you wouldn't show up," Heberlin chimed in.
"How have you been?" Xenon inquired, genuine concern in his eyes.
"I'm fine, thanks. How about you all?" Xylon responded.
"Still handsome," Rebeus replied, wearing a playful smirk on his face.
"Tsk. He uses his good looks to victimize others," Xenon remarked.
"What can I do? I'm just hungry," Rebeus defended himself.
"Hungry?" Zake questioned.
"Nah, Zake, it's nothing. Just drink up," Blake said.
Zake nodded, sipping the blood from the goblet.
"So, are you joining us later?" Phoenix inquired.
"Yes, I will. I'll be bored just moping around in my room all day," Xylon affirmed.
Their collective cheers echoed in the grand halls of the mansion, showing their joy that Xylon will finally join them again in school.
"At last, you'll be joining us in our grand entrance, haha," Yvess said with a laugh.
Xylon simply smiled, thankful for the warmth of friendship that awaited him.
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....
Jade, Rain, and Winter were walking down the hallway when a female voice called out to them.
"Hey, good morning!" Autumn greeted.
Autumn was accompanied by Fall and Snow, the three additional siblings of Rain and Winter.
Autumn, a vampire with the power to control and create fire. Fall, skilled in manipulating the earth and being the eldest, and Snow, capable of turning her surroundings into ice.
"Hi, sisters, this is Jade, the transferee," Rain introduced, pointing to Jade.
"Hi, Jade. So, you're the one," Autumn grinned.
Jade furrowed her brow.
"Uh, what she meant was, you're the transferee, hehe," Snow clarified.
"Ah, hehe, that's me," Jade replied.
"I'm Fall. These are my siblings, Autumn and Snow. We're also siblings with Rain and Winter," Fall introduced.
"Wow, you all have beautiful names," Jade commented.
"Indeed, very beautiful," Rain agreed.
"So, are we going to class now? I heard the prince has returned," Autumn mentioned.
The siblings' eyes widened.
"Really?" Winter exclaimed.
Fall nodded.
Jade looked puzzled. A prince? Is there a prince here? Who?
.
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Jade entered the classroom. Her new classmates' intense gaze sent shivers down her spine. Their eyes glared at her, making her swallow nervously.
"You must be Jade Crisostomo, come here and introduce yourself," their teacher announced.
She walked to the front and scanned her classmates. "H-Hi... my name is Jade Crisostomo. Uh, I didn't expect to study here. I hope we can all be friends," she introduced herself.
However, her classmates continued to stare at her. A silence fell, leaving Jade unsure of what to do.
Their teacher broke the silence, "Okay, thank you, Jade. You may now sit down."
Jade quietly took her seat next to Winter, who flashed her a reassuring smile. As the class began, Jade couldn't help but notice the frequent glances from her classmates. She not only felt a growing discomfort but also a tinge of fear creeping in as their intense gazes lingered on her.