Kan stood atop the rooftop, eyes shut in deep concentration, as he reached out to sense the energy around him. He sensed a distinct aura and knew whose it was. He opened his eyes and gracefully sunk into his own shadow, swiftly traversing the distance until he reached the entrance gate below.
"Open the gates!" his voice commanded, firm and authoritative.
Without hesitation, the guards complied, and as the gate opened, Kan dashed out. He hastened towards the figure sprawled on the ground, recognizing it as Rebeus.
"Rebeus, what happened?" Kan asked, his concern evident in his voice.
Yet, Rebeus remained unresponsive, eyes wide open, seemingly in a daze. Kan shook him gently, hoping to rouse him from his trance.
"Rebeus, can you hear me?" Kan persisted, but still, there was no answer, only the haunting stillness of Rebeus's stare.
With a decisive movement, Kan enveloped both himself and Rebeus in his shadow, vanishing from sight.
Within the mansion, everyone was surprised when Kan emerged from the shadows, carrying Rebeus.
"Kan, what has happened to him?" Maddison's voice was laced with concern as she knelt beside Rebeus.
"I discovered him outside the gates in this state," Kan replied, his tone grave.
Maddison reached out, grasping Rebeus's hand in hers, her brow furrowed in worry.
"What could have caused this? I fear someone may have placed a curse upon him," she pondered aloud.
"It is highly likely that the Chimera are involved," Yvess interjected, his voice echoing a sense of foreboding.
"Perhaps Rebeus escaped from them and managed to return here to the Academy," Blake said.
"He requires rest. I'll prepare a remedy to bring him back to his usual self," Maddison declared, determination evident in her words.
With Kan and Xenon lending their support, they guided Rebeus up to his room.
.
....
Aria enveloped Cedrick in a tight embrace.
"I'll return soon," Aria assured.
Cedrick held her hand firmly.
"I'll wait for you, my love," he vowed.
He tenderly kissed her on the lips.
As Aria boarded the bus bound for the Academy, Cedrick stood watching, his gaze lingering on the departing vehicle, filled with longing.
.
....
Jade woke up with Xylon still beside her.
"Good morning, babe," Xylon greeted with a smile.
Jade couldn't help but smile in return.
"Good morning, I thought you had left," she said, sitting up.
"I don't want to leave your side," he replied.
Jade hugged him.
Xylon's heart suddenly beat faster. He gazed at Jade's lips. Unable to resist, he kissed her immediately.
Surprised, Jade responded to his kiss.
The kiss became passionate, and Xylon's lips trailed down Jade's neck. Jade moaned as Xylon left a kiss mark on her neck. Xylon kissed Jade again on the lips, while his hands explored her body. Slowly, he unbuttoned her pajamas. Once unbuttoned, he immediately began massaging her breasts, causing her to moan again.
Jade lay back on the bed as Xylon's kisses descended towards her breasts.
.
....
Finally, Sheryl arrived at Serolf Academy. She began walking through the forest.
"This school is crazy, you have to go through the forest before reaching the actual gate," Sheryl complained.
As she walked, the distant howls sent shivers down her spine, causing her hair to stand on end.
"What on earth was that?!" she exclaimed, halting her steps abruptly.
A flurry of bats swooped overhead, startling Sheryl and adding to her unease.
"Ahh!!!" she shrieked, breaking into a panicked sprint.
But she stumbled over an exposed tree root, eliciting a pained whimper.
"Ouch, huhu," she whimpered.
Sheryl recoiled in terror as she found herself face to face with a formidable wolf, its imposing presence sending a chill down her spine.
"D-Don't you dare come any closer," she stuttered, her voice trembling with fear.
But the wolf seemed not to hear and continued approaching her, causing Sheryl to faint from overwhelming terror.
The wolf was about to attack the unconscious Sheryl when suddenly Heberlin appeared. He quickly buried his long claws into the wolf's belly, removed its innards, and cast it aside with a forceful toss.
With a discerning gaze, Heberlin surveyed the unconscious lady, sensing an inexplicable connection.
Picking her up gently, he made his way back to the Academy, his thoughts consumed by the mysterious aura surrounding the lady he now cradled in his arms.
.
.
Xylon quickly made his way to the mansion, where he found Kan watching over Rebeus.
"How is he?" Xylon asked.
"He's still unconscious," Blake replied.
"It's strange that I can't read his mind," Aria remarked.
"Do you think they did something to Rebeus?" Xylon questioned.
"That's what I'm thinking too," Kan replied.
Blake noticed that Xylon's clothes were wrinkled, his buttons undone, and his hair unkempt.
"Wait, why do you look like that?" Blake asked, puzzled.
Xylon was taken aback, blushing slightly and averting his gaze.
Aria chuckled, having read his thoughts.
Xenon grinned and tapped Xylon on the shoulder.
"Did you enjoy it?" Xenon teased.
"W-What are you saying?" Xylon stammered.
"Enjoy what?" Blake asked, furrowing his brows.
"Haha, looks like he had a good time earlier, bro," Yvess joked.
"Stop teasing me!" Xylon exclaimed.
Maddison and the others burst into laughter.
"Who had a good time? Enjoy what? I don't get it," Blake asked, confused.
"DON'T ASK!" they all said simultaneously.
Blake scratched his head in confusion.
.
.
Sheryl woke up in a large and luxurious room. She was immediately impressed by the design and furnishings, which appeared to be antique and expensive.
"Wow, this room is so luxurious... Where am I?" she wondered aloud.
She stood up and admired a large painting of a man.
"Oh my, he's so handsome," she gushed as she read the inscription below the painting.
"Lord Heberlin Serolf," she read aloud.
Suddenly, the door opened, and she turned to look. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw the man from the painting enter the room.
"You're awake," the young man said.
He was incredibly handsome and charming, leaving Sheryl speechless.
"Hey, you're staring at me so intently," he teased.
That snapped Sheryl out of her reverie, and she quickly looked away.
"How did I end up here?" Sheryl asked.
"I found you unconscious in the forest. What were you doing there?" the young man inquired.
Sheryl remembered everything.
"I was looking for my cousin, Jade Crisostomo. She studies here, but we lost contact with her, so I decided to come here to find her," she explained.
"Jade? I know her," the young man said.
Sheryl's face lit up with hope.
"Really? Can you take me to her?" she asked eagerly.
The young man nodded.
"Sure. We'll go see her later. By the way, I'm Heberlin," he introduced himself, extending his hand.
"I'm Sheryl," she replied, shaking his hand.
She couldn't help but blush as she saw Heberlin's smile, and she was even more surprised when he kissed her hand.
.
.
Maddison kept watch over the sleeping Rebeus, holding his hand.
"They will pay for what they did to you," she whispered, her voice carrying a mix of determination and sorrow.
A reassuring hand rested on Maddison's shoulder, drawing her attention. Zake stood beside her, offering a comforting presence in the dimly lit room.
"H-He'll wake up eventually," he reassured her.
With a forced smile, Maddison acknowledged his words, though her thoughts remained consumed by worry.
Meanwhile, Kan was in his office, busy signing school documents when Aria entered.
"Do you need something?" Kan asked without looking at her.
Aria's gaze bore into Kan, her expression reflecting her curiosity.
"Tell me, why do you conceal your true identity?" Aria questioned, her voice soft but insistent.
Kan paused and glanced at her.
"Have you been reading my mind?" Kan's question was laced with a hint of suspicion.
Aria's lips curved into a knowing smile, her demeanor calm and composed.
"I've known for a long time that you're an ancient vampire, Kan. But why do you choose to keep it hidden?" Aria's inquiry held genuine curiosity.
Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Kan sighed softly.
It's true. He was an ancient vampire, having lived in the world for centuries. During a time before civilization and conquests, he served under ancient vampire kings, witnessing wars and the establishment of monarchies. He had an agreement with the first vampire King, which was the reason he kept his true identity hidden.
Aria read his mind and decided not to ask any more questions out of respect.
"I understand why you don't want to reveal the reason... Protect him, Kan, just like how you've protected the past Kings," Aria said before leaving the office.
As she departed, leaving Kan to contemplate the weight of his hidden past, he removed his gloves, revealing the intricate mark on his palm—the symbol of his promise and agreement with the first king.
.
.
"Waahhh, Sheryl!" Jade exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement as she rushed to embrace Sheryl. "I've missed you," she expressed warmly.
"I missed you too. I was worried when you stopped calling," Sheryl replied, her concern evident in her voice.
"Sorry, I had a bit of trouble with the signal here," Jade apologized.
"It's okay. How are you doing here?" Sheryl inquired, her curiosity tinged with care.
Jade's smiled sweetly as she replied, "I've been doing well."
As they conversed and caught up with each other, Sheryl decided to stay in Jade's dorm since Rain and her sisters hadn't returned. Though Jade felt a pang of sadness at their sudden disappearance, she had grown accustomed to their unpredictable comings and goings.
.
....
Cedrick was sweeping outside the bakery when he noticed people screaming and running.
"Why are they shouting and running?" he wondered to himself.
He stopped sweeping and his eyes widened as he saw undead creatures approaching.
Someone suddenly pulled him, and when he looked, it was Stephen.
"Bro, what's happening?" he asked anxiously.
"I'll explain later. We need to escape now," Stephen said urgently.
They ran quickly, and Cedrick saw the undead attacking people.