In the morning, I grudgingly roused myself from sleep. The morning sun peered down from the window placed in the middle of the room's wall.
"Wakey, wakey, you two!" Emily shouted, continuously knocking on the door, causing rapid thuds to pierce through our ears.
"We're up, we're up…" I said with annoyance.
Kallon had been waking up throughout the entirety of her knocking, slowly putting on a pair of skinny jeans and a black t-shirt, putting on his Vans last.
I, on the other hand, slept with my pants and shirt on, so all I had to do was put on my shoes, an average pair of Nike running shoes.
We left our room and saw Daniel and Emily leaning against the wall, scrolling through their phone, slight noise leaking through the speaker occasionally.
He looked up at us, shifting his lips into a grin. "Great… Took y'all long enough."
"Oh, can it, douche," Kallon said, getting up in his face aggressively. Daniel didn't back down, returning the same belligerent energy.
"Alright ladies, you're both adorable…," Emily started, getting interrupted by her own yawn. "I'm hungry, let's go." She walked away from us, going down to the lounge room. We followed shortly after.
By the time I had gotten down the stairs, Emily had already taken a seat in a stool hanging before a counter, a small kitchen behind it. Kallon and Daniel joined her. I followed.
After our meal, we climbed into Daniel's car, assuming the same seating arrangement we had when we initially arrived in Loopenick. I remained blissfully unaware of the events that unfolded during our journey back to Umbra, having fallen into a deep sleep.
I woke up to being tapped on the face with someone's palm. Their hands were frigid, seeming like it was causing my cheek to change temperatures rapidly. It was Kallon, a smirk creeping across his lips.
We engaged in a brief exchange before disembarking from Daniel's car and heading back to the Boys Dormitory. Upon entering, a noxious odor assaulted my senses, reminiscent of a nauseating blend of vomit and cat urine.
"Fight me, Wolf-boy!" echoed a masculine voice, accompanied by the sudden manifestation of a fiery lightning orb in the speaker's hand. "Unca!"
He hurled the magical sphere toward a seemingly indifferent man standing nearby, who I quickly identified as Arian Gigamona.
A sly smirk graced Arian's lips as he effortlessly evaded the incoming spell, causing it to collide with a wall and create a substantial hole in the structure. In a swift maneuver, Arian charged at the spellcaster, skillfully sidestepping each attempted retaliation.
The skirmish concluded within moments, with Arian's unparalleled speed rendering his opponent incapable of keeping pace. A decisive punch to the face left the man unconscious, concluding the altercation.
"Easy~," Arian mocked, standing over the man's unconscious body. "Next time, don't blame me for a prank I didn't do."
"What the hell is going on here?!" A teacher ran into where we were, staring upon the scene that had just unfolded. He saw Arian casually walking away with his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner, while the student who had originally thrown the ball of magic laid flat on the floor, completely unconscious.
Before Arian could escape, the teacher grabbed him by the collar, yanking him hastily out the dormitory.
"Another day, another fight," Kallon said under his breath. "You enjoy the show? Lord Gigamona himself fights a commoner like Yuk."
"How was he so quick…?" I pointed toward the body, "He was knocked out in less than five seconds!"
"That's Werewolves for you, man." Kallon started walking down the hallways. I joined him, walking at his side. "That's what sucks about being a zombie. I'll never get fast like them, nor will I get as strong as Vampires like yourself… I'm essentially human, but slightly stronger."
He seemed dissatisfied. Compared to all the races in Umbra Academy, Zombies were the weakest. Even Slimes were superior.
"At least you won't be targeted by people like the Apostles of Wrath," I joked, trying to cheer him up.
"True, true." It didn't work, still leaving the mood sour. "Go back to your dorm room, following me won't get you any closer."
"Alright. Have a good afternoon, Kallon." I walked off as he said his farewells.
"Jacob, you have a good trip to Loopenick?" Ivan said to me, his eyes bloodshot. His pupils were dilated. The scent oozing from him smelling like a mix of skunk spray and Cleome.
"Yup," I said with a yawn. I looked over to the clock hanging on the wall, its time stating sixteen-thirty. "Isn't it a lil' early to be smoking?"
"Never early enough to not smoke," he casually said.
Ivan was a heavy smoker, not that I minded. He mainly smoked Marijuana to help deal with his anxiety.
Moving on, he didn't mess with me, I didn't mess with him. We kept our boundaries, and I didn't intend to invade on his.
I laid on my bed, scrolling through random Youtube videos. I had my earbuds in to not disturb Ivan, but at around eight in the afternoon, I got tapped on the shoulder rapidly.
I took one of my earbuds out and looked over at the now frantic Ivan. "What's wrong?"
"Look," he said as he shoved his phone in my face. The visuals showed that of a burning city, one that seemed familiar. It took me a few moments to realize it was Loopenick.
Reading into the article that followed the image, it stated that Loopenick was under attack by the Apostles of Wrath.
"What the hell?"
My thoughts spilled from my lips without realization. I read further into the article showing mostly nothing besides death count. As it was being written, there were thirty confirmed deaths, with many gravely wounded.
My eyes widened as I read one of the last sentences: "As the Apostles of Wrath departed from the city of Loopenick, there was a message carved in blood throughout the city. 'Kill Jacob Lavua'."
"What the fuck did you do, Jacob?!" came a series of frantic knocks on the door. After being let in, it appeared to be Daniel. He ran up and grabbed me by my collar, reading a ball of grassy thorns. "We were just at Loopenick, and now it's suddenly being attacked? Are you associated with the Apostles of Wrath?!"
"Calm down!" Ivan yelled.
"I'm not a member! I didn't even know this organization existed until yesterday!" I shouted, my hands shaking uncontrollably. I felt sweat slowly drip from my face, as well as my arms.
"Then why do they want to kill you, huh? Why in the name of Typhon would they be targeting you of all people?"
"I don't know!"
"Release him, Mr. Manul," came a sophisticated voice from beyond the dorm door. Sir Valerius came inside the room, radiating the same elegance he always gave. His eyes looked grim, his fangs bared.
Daniel released his grasp of me, seeming terrified of Sir Valerius' mannerisms.
"Mr. Lavua, you are coming to my office. Immediately." Before I could let out a thought, I was inside his office, sitting in a velvet chair, black outlining the rims, while the cushions patterned with baby-pink diamonds.
I thought Vampires couldn't use magic?
"Would you like to explain, Mr. Lavua?" Sir Valerius said, his voice not giving the slightest bit of enthusiasm. He was utterly serious.
"I do not know, Sir," I let out. "As you know, I haven't been part of this world long—how would I be associated with a group like them?"
"Indeed. However, why would they be going after a vampire with no standing, or any semblance of control of his powers? This query needs to be answered."
"As I said, I do not kn—"
"Silence, Mr. Lavua!" His voice echoed throughout the room, holding a power of control and animosity. "You are currently under suspicion of being a member of the AOF. The only way to determine whether you're telling the truth or not is with a fairy."
Sir Valerius clapped, forcing a small girl to appear in the palm of his hand. She was only a few inches tall, barely being the size of his entire hand. She was transparent, looking as if she was a hologram.
"Fairy, scan Mr. Lavua."
The small girl looked in my direction, her eyes glowing a bright hazel light. After thirty seconds of nothing but the sound of a 3D Printer roaring, a ding came from the fairy. A piece of paper curled up into a scroll came from the fairies mouth.
Sir Valerius took the piece of paper and unfolded it. "Innocent," he said, his face returning to its relaxed state. "Sorry to scare you, but I have to be strict when it comes to the Apostles of Wrath."
"It's fine… I understand." They were a terrorist group. No wonder he had to treat me with the just treatment of guilty until proven innocent.
He put his hand up to his chin, rubbing his clean-shaven face. I finally understood why people thought he was so terrifying. He had an undeniable sense of dread and death oozing from the aura he emitted.
"…Do you know why they'd be going after me, of all people?" I decided to ask, breaking his daydream.
"No." He sighed, a red mist leaking from his mouth. "Though, I can say it is quite irritating."
"Yeah, I bet."
"Do you remember anything you might've done to make them have a grudge against you, Mr. Lavua?"
"Not that I know of, no…"
He stayed silent for a few moments before snapping his fingers. "Your parents."
"What about them?"
"I've been holding this back from you, but…"
For the next couple of minutes, Sir Valerius told me a story about my parents. They were unlike the ones I had growing up, and had been well accustomed to the act of killing.
My father, Ashen Lavua, was a Commander in the Apostles of Wrath. He carried out missions, like the assassination in Wales. Every creature around the world knew of the vampire "Ashen", but none knew his last name, nor that he had a human wife named Chas. It was only until after his death that the name Lavua was given to the higher ups.
That is why I had been with my "parents"—or foster parents, I should call them now—after my biological parents had been executed by the government.
"I think that's why they might be going after you, as they found out that you are attending school here," he said, finishing his explanation.
***
A field of plains stretched as far as Kallon could see, a pit of smoke piercing through the sky. It had been a few hours since the Apostles of Wrath departed from the city of Loopenick.
How does this even happen…? he thought to himself, positioning himself atop the ground. He stretched his legs forward in an attempt to pop his knees.
"What are you doing?" A voice familiar to him called out. Kallon turned around to see Daniel and his green hair flowing in the wind. "I felt sadness in the grass."
"Weird joke, man," Kallon said as he chuckled. "Sit with me, I need someone to talk to."
Daniel complied and sat beside him. He plucked a few pieces of grass and made them into makeshift arrows using his magic. He had a look of guilt and sorrow as he did it, which Kallon caught on to.
"I heard of what happened between you and Jacob."
"Who hasn't? I lowkey went overboard."
The small fight between the Drus and the Vampire was talked about throughout the boys dormitory. Two friends, split apart by a simple misunderstanding involving the greatest threat to ever face monster-kind.
In Daniel's eyes, he knew Jacob couldn't have been part of the Apostles of Wrath. He didn't sense the hostility that the cult walked around with. Even though he knew, emotions took control. It was an emotion he wasn't used to: Anger.
He thought creatures that caught that feeling were less than him. Like they weren't worth his time. However, after feeling it firsthand toward someone he classified as a friend, he felt dumb to even think of that being the case.
"It's alright, man." A hand placed upon his shoulder. Kallon tried to comfort him by allowing Daniel a shoulder to cry on.
"You think he'll forgive me if I say sorry?"
"Maybe…"
***
"We have located Jacob Lauva," said a masculine voice cloaked in black robes. "He is currently under the influence of Umbra Academy's Count Valerius, the supposed King of Vampires."
"Silence," said a man enveloped in a similar robe. Instead of black, it was pure white. "I do not need for you to go into further detail. If he is under guardianship of Valerius himself, we will never stand a chance, even with our use of black magic."
"Then what do we do, sir? We've been searching for the offspring of Ashen for almost two decades, and now we've found him!"
"Bakur, do you doubt the thinking of me, Yumiar?"
"N-No, sir! Just tell me what our next act will be and I will relay it to my peers."
"We wait."
Bakur was bewildered at the conclusion that Yumiar came to. "If you say so, sir."
Bakur walked away from him, leaving the dignified man in white to his lonesome.
"I swear to the saint god of Typhon, I will hunt you down, Jacob Lavua," Yumiar said under his breath, turning toward a table littered with documents.
***
"I think, Mr. Lavua, it's time to learn more about your abilities as a vampire from myself, instead of getting slowly educated," Count Valerius stated, looking at me with a look of intent.
"Wouldn't that affect you and your work ethic?" I knew his role in this world was an important one, even outside of Umbra. People held him with high regret in and outside the school, from all of the information I had gathered. He surely had a lot of paperwork and jobs he needed to fulfill.
"Let me tell you one thing about Vampires, Mr. Lavua." He snapped, transporting us into a room made entirely of snowy walls. "Vampires can use magic, however very slim. That is what makes us one of the most powerful species."
"But how? Kallon said only Drus, Druids,
Elves, and a handfull humans could."
"You see how we just teleported, right? That in itself is a form of magic vampires can use called Translocate. All you have to do is think of a place you want to go, and chant "Translocate"— however, there is another way to. You have to make a habit of chanting it while making a hand sign or signal, like with how I snapped my fingers. Eventually, your body will get used to that being the sign to cast the spell."
"All I have to do is say Translocate, right?"
"Yes and no," he sighed. "Take a deep breath and try to feel the blood coursing through your veins. You already learned basic techniques, so you should be able to."
"Alright."
I took a deep and heavy breath, allowing the surrounding oxygen to flow through my respiratory tract. I felt my blood pumping from my fingertips to my toes.
"Now, do you feel the chilled feeling inside your blood?"
"Yes, sir." The cold feeling was slight, but noticeable enough for me to notice. Taking note of it, I let out the fateful chant: "Translocate."
A bright light flashed, covering the world in a blinding white.
Opening my eyes was hazy, taking a moment to adjust. When I could see, I saw a familiar-looking door, one I had opened dozens, if not hundreds of times.
It was the front door of my childhood home.