On the same night..
Kai, stretched out on one of the beds, let out a content sigh. "Man, finally... a moment of peace."
Yukio sat on the floor, leaning against the bed frame, still replaying the confrontation with Dorian in his mind. "Yeah, but I can't help but feel like that peace isn't gonna last long."
Asiha was lying on her bed, scrolling through her notebook and half-listening the conversation. She was about to say something when the door suddenly opened, and there was our Alya, her expression somewhere between confusion and exasperation.
"For heaven's sake, Asiha, why the fk did you change our dorm without telling me?!"
Yukio and Kai looked up, startled, while Asiha sat up, blinking at Alya with an expression so innocent it could've fooled anyone who didn't know her.
"Change the dorm?" Asiha asked, eyes wide with mock confusion. "Did we?"
Alya let out a loud, exaggerated groan, planting her hands on her hips. "Don't you play dumb with me, Princess? I was all comfy in the old room, and then suddenly, boom—' Please move to your new dorm,' they say. What gives?"
Asiha blinked again, doing her best impression of someone completely clueless. "Oh, that. Well..." She paused for dramatic effect, then grinned. "I figured after yesterday's little disaster, it was better for us to relocate, you know? New vibes."
Yukio snorted, trying to suppress a laugh. "Yeah, nothing like changing dorms to avoid the aftermath of a near-catastrophic ancient ritual."
Asiha shot him a playful look, then turned back to Alya. "See? Yukio gets it."
Alya rolled her eyes and dramatically flopped onto one of the chairs. "Of course he does, he's the one you enslaved! Now we're on the other side of the campus because someone couldn't keep ancient magic in check."
Asiha grinned mischievously. "Hey, I prefer to think of it as... a strategic retreat. Plus, this dorm is way cozier."
"Strategic retreat?" Alya echoed, clearly amused. "Girl, you ran away from Dorian's temper tantrum and moved me without even asking! You're lucky I didn't bring all my plants to the old room yet!"
Yukio and Kai burst into laughter at the idea of Alya angrily hauling a forest of potted plants across campus because of Asiha's spur-of-the-moment decision.
"Well," Asiha said with a mock-sheepish smile, "I guess we're here now, and look at the view! We can see the moon perfectly from here."
Kai, who had been chuckling the whole time, gave Asiha a pointed look. "Sure, the view's great. But didn't you lose half your stuff in the move? Like your uniform this morning?"
Asiha crossed her arms, pouting in mock indignation. "That's because I had to rush packing after last night's... event."
Alya rolled her eyes, then sighed dramatically. "You're lucky I like you, Asiha. But seriously, I don't know how you talked them into moving us all so quickly."
Asiha shrugged, giving Alya a playful smile. "It's all about female charm."
Yukio raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the banter. "Charm? Or the fact that you pulled the princess card? or slavement?"
Asiha feigned offense. "Hey, I may have mentioned my royal status, but only for safety reasons!"
Alya let out a loud laugh, shaking her head. "I knew it! You pulled the royal card! Now I get it."
Asiha made a face of pure innocence. "Would you rather be next door to Dorian? Didn't think so."
"Fair enough," Alya muttered, glancing at her watch. "It's late, though. How are we supposed to sleep with all this 'strategic retreat' talk?"
Yukio smirked, leaning back against the bed. "Well, at least we're safe here. Dorian won't find us right away."
Alya shot Yukio a quick look. "Speaking of which, what was that back there with you and Dorian? I mean, I knew you were strong, but... you kinda went full vampire mode on him."
Yukio scratched his head awkwardly. "Yeah, about that... I really don't know what happened. It just kicked in when I saw him bothering Asiha."
"Talk about protective instincts," Kai chimed in, giving Yukio a nudge. "You went all 'don't mess with my people' on him."
Asiha nodded, a playful grin tugging at her lips. "Yukio, my knight in shining armor."
Yukio turned bright red at that, waving his hands defensively. "I'm not a knight! I just... didn't want him bothering you, that's all."
Alya smirked. "Well, whatever it was, it was impressive. Just don't make a habit of it—Dorian's got friends."
Asiha sighed, leaning back against her pillow. "Yeah, we need to keep our heads down for now. No more drama."
Kai glanced at the clock, yawning. "Right. Less drama, more sleep. It's been a long day."
Alya stood up and stretched. "I guess I'll unpack my stuff in the morning... assuming someone doesn't change our dorm again overnight."
Asiha giggled, pretending to look guilty. "No promises."
Later that evening,
Dorian, Vincent, and Lucian met again in the quiet courtyard near the academy's library. The shadows were long, and most students were either in their dorms or busy studying, making it the perfect time for the trio to discuss their plans without being overheard.
Dorian's eyes scanned the courtyard, making sure no one was around before he spoke. "I've been watching them. Kai's always with Yukio during class, but he's on his own in between. That's when we'll strike."
Vincent cracked his knuckles, eager for action. "You want to do it tomorrow?"
Dorian smirked. "Tomorrow sounds good. We'll catch him during lunch. He usually heads out to the courtyard alone. That's when we move."
Lucian nodded, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "It's perfect. He won't have anyone to help him."
Dorian's expression darkened as he imagined the scene playing out. "Once we're done with him, Yukio will know his place. And if he tries to come after us, we'll make sure the whole academy knows just how weak his friends really are."
Vincent and Lucian exchanged wicked grins, clearly looking forward to what was about to unfold. They would make sure Yukio and his friends learned a lesson—one they wouldn't forget.