The door shut as Liora and her companions left the room, leaving Yukio, Asiha, Alya, and Kai in a tense silence. The gravity of the situation weighed on them all, and it wasn't long before Alya and Kai started to feel the exhaustion from the previous night catching up with them.
"I'm exhausted," Alya muttered, stretching her arms above her head. She gave Yukio a sleepy smile. "Guess being royal secret-keepers really takes it out of you."
Kai slumped back onto his bed, already half-asleep. "Wake me up when all this crazy stuff is over," he mumbled, his voice trailing off as he drifted into sleep.
Within moments, both Alya and Kai were out cold, their soft snores filling the room. Yukio glanced at Asiha, who was still sitting on the edge of the bed, looking both relieved and lost in thought.
"You okay?" Yukio asked softly, not wanting to wake the others.
Asiha looked up at him and smiled, though it was tinged with exhaustion. "I should be asking you that. You're the one stuck with me now."
Yukio chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, I guess if I have to be stuck with someone, it could be worse. At least you're not making me do anything too weird... yet."
Asiha laughed softly. "Don't tempt me, Yukio. I might start getting ideas."
Yukio grinned. "I'll keep that in mind. But seriously, I think we'll be okay. We've got good friends, and as long as we stick together, we'll figure this out."
Asiha nodded, her eyes softening. "Thanks, Yukio. I know this isn't easy for you, but... I'm glad you're handling it so well."
Yukio shrugged. "What can I say? I'm adaptable. Plus, I've got to keep up my reputation as the most laid-back guy at Valewood, right?"
Asiha smiled at his attempt to be casual, but she could sense the underlying tension. "You know, Yukio, you're pretty strong. Not just physically, but... well, you're handling all this better than I would."
Yukio felt warmth spread through his chest at her words. "Thanks, Asiha. But you're strong too. We'll get through this—one day at a time."
They shared a quiet moment, both feeling a little more at peace despite everything that had happened. But the peace was short-lived.
The next morning, Yukio was jolted awake by the obnoxious blaring of his alarm. He groaned, rolling over to check the time, and his eyes widened in horror.
"Ah, crap!" he yelled, scrambling out of bed. "We're late!"
Kai sat up in his bed, groggy and confused. "Late? What time is it?"
"Too late!" Yukio said as he frantically pulled on his uniform. "Asiha! Alya! Get up, we're going to miss our first class!"
Alya stirred awake, her eyes widening as she realized what Yukio had said. "No, no, no!" she groaned, quickly jumping out of bed. "This is so bad! We can't be late on the second day!"
Asiha bolted upright, trying to smooth out her tangled hair. "Of all the days to oversleep, it had to be today!"
Yukio couldn't help but laugh at the chaos in the room as they all frantically tried to get ready. "This is what we get for staying up too late with ancient rituals and secret vampires."
Kai, now fully awake and equally panicked, struggled with his tie. "Why didn't you set more alarms, Yukio?"
"Like I knew this was going to happen!" Yukio shot back, hopping on one foot as he tried to put on his shoes.
Finally, they managed to get dressed, looking disheveled but somewhat presentable. They raced out of the dorm, sprinting down the hallways that were already empty. All the other students had made it to their classes on time.
"We're so dead," Alya groaned as they dashed down the corridor.
Yukio glanced at Asiha, who was trying to keep pace with him, her expression a mix of frustration and determination. "Hey, if anyone asks, let's just say we were up late... studying."
Asiha shot him a sideways look. "Studying what? Forbidden magic?"
"Exactly!" Yukio grinned, and Asiha couldn't help but laugh as they rounded the corner to their classroom.
They burst into the room, panting and out of breath. The instructor, who had just started the lesson, paused mid-sentence and turned to look at them with a raised eyebrow.
"Nice of you to join us," the instructor said dryly, clearly unimpressed.
"Sorry, sir," Yukio panted, trying to catch his breath. "We... uh, overslept."
The instructor's gaze lingered on them for a moment before he sighed. "Take your seats. Try not to make a habit of it."
They quickly shuffled to their seats, relieved that they hadn't gotten into more trouble. Yukio glanced at Asiha, who shot him a sheepish smile. Despite the embarrassment, they both felt a strange sense of camaraderie in their shared misfortune.
During the break between classes, the vampire boy from the previous day—Dorian—approached Asiha. He wore a smug smile, clearly feeling important. Yukio noticed him immediately and tensed up, ready for another confrontation.
"Good morning, Princess Asiha Valeria," Dorian said smoothly, bowing slightly. "It's an honor to see you again."
Asiha stiffened at the use of her full title, feeling uncomfortable with his overly formal tone. "Dorian," she replied, trying to keep her voice neutral. "What do you want?"
Dorian smiled charmingly, ignoring her cold tone. "I just wanted to introduce myself properly, Princess. I am Dorian Graves, from the House of Graves. A noble family, of course. I understand that we had a little... misunderstanding with one of your friends yesterday." He glanced at Kai with a smirk. "I trust there are no hard feelings?"
Kai, who had been watching the exchange with growing annoyance, clenched his fists. "Hard feelings? You tried to start a fight with us for no reason."
Dorian shrugged dismissively. "Just a bit of harmless fun. I'm sure the Princess understands."
Asiha's discomfort grew as Dorian continued to talk, his eyes lingering on her in a way that made her skin crawl. "I'm fine, Dorian," she said, trying to end the conversation. "There's no need to worry about me."
But Dorian wasn't ready to leave. He leaned in closer, lowering his voice as if trying to be seductive. "You know, Princess, someone of your stature shouldn't have to associate with commoners like them. You deserve to be with someone who understands your worth. Perhaps someone like me?"
Yukio, who had been listening from a few steps away, felt a surge of anger rise within him. The way Dorian was speaking to Asiha, the arrogance in his voice, made Yukio's blood boil. He couldn't stand by and watch this any longer.
Stepping forward, Yukio inserted himself between Dorian and Asiha, his eyes blazing with determination. "She said she's fine, Dorian. Back off."
Dorian straightened up, his smirk fading as he sized Yukio up. "And who do you think you are, human? This is a conversation between nobles. You're out of your depth."
Yukio's fists clenched at his sides, and he felt that strange connection to Asiha pulse through him, filling him with an unexpected strength. "I'm her sl... I mean Friend, and I won't let you harass her."
Dorian sneered, clearly unimpressed. "You think you can challenge me? Know your place, human."
But Yukio didn't back down. In fact, something in him snapped. He stepped closer to Dorian, his posture straightening as he met the vampire's gaze head-on. "My place is right here, making sure you don't overstep."
Dorian's eyes flashed with anger, and he lunged at Yukio, clearly expecting to overpower him. But Yukio was ready. As Dorian came at him, Yukio dodged to the side with surprising speed. Before Dorian could react, Yukio grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the wall, holding him there with a strength he didn't know he had.
"Back off," Yukio growled, his voice low and dangerous.
Dorian struggled, shock and humiliation flashing across his face. "What the—how are you this strong?"
Asiha and Alya stared in disbelief, and even Kai looked stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Dorian, realizing he was beaten, sneered one last time before pushing Yukio off and straightening his clothes. "This isn't over, human," he spat, before turning and stalking away, his pride clearly wounded.
Yukio stood there, breathing heavily, his hands still clenched into fists. The adrenaline was still coursing through his veins, and he could feel the connection with Asiha pulsing stronger than ever.
Asiha stepped forward, her eyes wide with surprise. "Yukio... how did you do that?"
Yukio blinked, the reality of what just happened slowly sinking in. "I... I don't know. It just happened. I couldn't let him treat you like that."
Kai let out a low whistle. "Man, that was intense. I didn't know you had it in you, Yukio."
Alya grinned, clearly impressed. "Looks like the bond isn't just about serving Asiha's needs. You've got some serious strength now."
Yukio looked down at his hands, still feeling the lingering power that had surged through him. "I guess so... But what does that mean?"
Asiha smiled softly, her eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and concern. "It means we're in this together, Yukio. Whatever this bond is doing to us, we'll figure it out. And if anyone tries to mess with us, well... I guess they'll have to deal with you."
Yukio couldn't help but smile back, feeling a strange sense of pride and responsibility. "Yeah, I guess so."
As they headed back to their class, the tension from earlier was replaced with a renewed sense of determination. Whatever challenges lay ahead, they knew they could face them together. And with Yukio's newfound strength, they were more prepared than ever.