"Libra 1…" Checking the number on the door one more time Jaylen confirmed he was at the right place.
'Can't they make this place easier to navigate' he thought as he remembered all the twists and turns he had to take to get here.
'Bam!'
The door burst open with a resounding bang just as Jaylen's hand was about to grasp the handle, surprising him.
"Jaylen," a girl with hair as white as snow and eyes redder than rubies called out.
Jaylen shot her a blank stare, the words hanging between them like mist. Without another glance, he brushed past her, his steps purposeful as he made his way to the boy he'd seen earlier.
Jaylen's eyes took on a deadly tint as he glared at the boy, his voice full of hostility. "Don't you know it's rude to interrupt someone's meditation?"
"Oh wait I guess your parents wouldn't have told a weak heir like you something so important" With a derisive chuckle, he paused for a moment, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Look who's talking do your parents even know you exist, I guess they don't, seeing they let a sorry excuse for an Orpheus walk around" He retorted back with a smirk of his own.
Jaylen's voice darkened. "Wanna say that again Astro boy"
"It's Astros, " Brandon rose to his feet, his intensity palpable as he stepped right into Jaylen's personal space, his eyes locked onto Jaylen's before he pressed on with his words.
"And Sure thing you overgrown Lizard… I said they should've left this sorry excuse for an Orpheus at home and skipped over him as heir again"
He took his time, each word carefully enunciated, ensuring that Jaylen absorbed every syllable. A mischievous grin spread across his face, growing more pronounced with each passing moment.
Jaylen's jaw clenched, his fists trembling at his sides as he took a step closer, closing the last bit of space between them. His voice dropped to a low, dangerous growl.
"You really wanna see what this 'overgrown lizard' can do, don't you?"
Brandon leaned in, unfazed, his smirk sharpening. "Go ahead," he sneered, his eyes gleaming with defiance. "Make me the youngest Dragon Slayer."
"That's enough you two!" the white-haired girl from earlier yelled as she jumped in between them.
In unison, they whipped around to face her, their voices rising in a chorus of surprise and urgency. "Stay out of this you Bloodsucking Gorilla"
The words struck like a match, and the world seemed to freeze around Sarah for a split second.
A vein visibly throbbed on her forehead, pulsing with an almost comedic rhythm, as her eyes narrowed dangerously. Her jaw clenched, and her fingers curled into fists, trembling with the effort to restrain herself.
"Oh… Bloodsucking Gorilla, huh?" she said, her voice deceptively calm, laced with barely contained fury.
"Yeah, it's the perfect thing to describe you bloodsucking menaces as" Brandon's voice cut through the air, sharp and unyielding, as he delivered his words with little regard for Sarah.
"Don't you agree Jaylen?" Brandon called out, glancing back at Jaylen, but to his surprise, there was no sign of him anywhere.
Looking around the room Brandon found Jaylen already seated in the middle of the last row of the classroom.
Brandon ground his teeth in frustration, silently cursing Jaylen as a wave of irritation washed over him. 'What mighty dragon, all I see is a garden snake'
Jaylen noticed Brandon's gaze pointed behind him and pretended to be busy by activating his index.
Feeling a slight trace of bloodlust in the air Brandon turned toward the angry vampire behind him, a scowl crossed his face.
Sarah, cracking her knuckles, noticed the expression on his face. She halted, her voice came out sounding much colder than she had intended.
"Don't give me your whole spiel again, I don't care anymore" Sarah waved him off as she took her seat next to where he had sat, opening an index of her own.
Brandon slammed his fist onto the table, his expression clouded with frustration as he sank back into his seat. The tension in the air was palpable, reflecting the storm brewing inside him.
Looking away from his index Jaylen looked back at Brandon, he felt a little bad for running away but revenge is revenge and Brandon shouldn't have disrupted his meditation.
Moving his gaze away from those two, Jaylen looked at the person he had overlooked when he entered the classroom.
Yuki Heartfall, his fiancée, he had noticed her sitting in the front row but decided against approaching her while still in the classroom.
As he thinks this, the door swooshes open as the teacher walks in, setting some books down on her desk she turns to face everyone.
"Hello everyone, my name is Xirenia Saris. I will be your teacher for the next three years."
"During your time here, you may address me as; teacher, sensei, or Miss Xirenia. Anything else will be seen as disrespectful" She greeted with an expression colder than the vibrant hues of her hair.
"Now I want everyone to introduce themselves, so who's first?" Miss Xirenia's question is met with silence, no one wanted to be first and potentially embarrass themselves.
"No volunteers, alright then" Her gaze swept across the room, absorbing every intricate detail of her students as if they were vibrant brushstrokes on a canvas, each one telling a unique story waiting to be discovered.
"You go," She said pointing at a random student.
"Ah okay um I'm…" the chosen student began his voice a little shaky.
As the introductions continued Jaylen began to contemplate what he should share in his own introduction. He also found himself curious about what Yuki, Sarah, or Brandon might choose to say.
This was all disrupted Upon the next student's turn, as a cold melodious voice filled the classroom waking Jaylen.
"Hello everyone my name is Yuki Heartfall," She said briefly before taking a seat again.
"Is that it?" Miss Xirenia, confused by the short introduction, asked only to be met with a nod from Yuki. "Alright then next."
Sarah raised her hand enthusiastically, her voice bubbling with energy. "Hi, everyone I'm Sarah Eliodoro, As you probably already know, I'm part of one of the ancient families, just like Yuki."
I'm looking forward to enjoying my time with all of you, but be warned, if you cross my bottom line, you might become my snack."
A wicked grin spread across Sarah's face, showcasing her sharp fangs, and an uneasy hush fell over the classroom as her classmates exchanged nervous glances, their gulps echoing in the tense silence.
"Okay, then I guess I'll go after her," another student spoke up after Sarah.
"Ahem, nice to meet everyone. My name is Brandon Astros. And I regret to inform you I'm this foolish vampire's fiancé… unfortunately."
"If anyone needs help with any of the main elements, I would be more than willing to assist as long as you're human. Also, I will become first and show all of you lower beings the power of humans" He declared sternly earning quite a few looks of ire.
'We'll see about that, Brandon I won't give it away without a fight' Jaylen retorts in his mind as he stands up to introduce himself.
"I'm Jaylen Orpheus, this year's top transcendent. Challenge me if you like—one, two, or twenty of you—it won't make a difference."
Jaylen's words sent ripples throughout the class as many were eager to challenge him as the rewards for being the top transcendent of the year are very tempting for everyone.
"What a remarkable introduction from four of this year's transcendent students. I hope they will ponder the meaning of their words and consider competing with them. However, as that concludes the introductions, let's move on to the lesson,"
Miss Xirenia advised, encouraging everyone to take the transcendent's words seriously and to embrace the challenge.