Succubi Chapter 1. Archeline Battle Academy

"Eva Drakos?"

I blinked. 'Did I hear that right?'

Sitting across from me at Archeline Battle Academy's grand registration desk, the administrator, an older man with half-moon glasses and the enthusiasm of a dead fish, squinted at his screen like I was some cryptic puzzle he couldn't be bothered to solve. The massive marble hall was packed with students checking in for the year, voices echoing off the high ceilings. Gold banners bearing the academy's crest—an intricate sigil of swords and wings—hung from the towering pillars, adding an air of prestige that was absolutely wasted on the absolute hell I was going through right now.

I leaned forward, hands braced against the mahogany desk. "It's Evan. E-V-A-N. Not Eva."

The old man barely acknowledged me, just sighed like I'd personally offended him. "System says Eva Drakos. Female. Scarlet Rose Estate."

Scarlet. Rose. Estate.

I felt my soul leave my body.

"That's the female dorm." My voice cracked slightly.

"Yep."

"…There has to be a mistake."

He just gestured at his screen, fingers tapping lazily against the desk, clearly not making an effort to fix it.

[FINALIZED ASSIGNMENT. ERROR CANNOT BE OVERRIDDEN.]

I stared at the glowing text, my brain short-circuiting.

"You have GOT to be kidding me."

"Look, kid," the administrator said in the flattest tone possible, "if the System says you're Eva, then congrats. You're Eva now."

I jerked my head up. "No, I am NOT—"

"You're Eva."

"I'm Evan!"

He sighed again, rubbing his temples like he dealt with one idiot per day and I was today's lucky winner. "Names are tied to System integration. Once assigned, I can't change them manually before I can get the principal's permission."

I dragged my hands down my face. "Then at least move me to the male dorm!"

He tilted his monitor slightly.

[ ALL MALE DORMS FULL. NO AVAILABLE BEDS. ]

"You were saying?"

I froze. "…You're joking."

"I don't joke about paperwork."

A weird silence fell over the room.

Behind me, I could feel the stares of other students waiting in line. Dozens of amused, judgmental gazes pressed against my back.

"Damn. That's rough."

I whipped around.

Standing behind me, with all the smugness of a man who lived for my suffering, was Leon Duskbane—my best friend, my supposed brother-in-arms, and right now, a total asshole.

He had blue eyes and half messy brown hair. He was a bit taller than me and a bit muscular. His signature smirk was firmly in place as he eyed my situation like it was the highlight of his day.

"You think?!" I snapped.

He shrugged, clearly enjoying himself. "Could be worse. At least you get to live in a mansion full of girls."

My eye twitched. "That is NOT the point!" Yeah, it would be a jackpot if all of them acted nice to me, but what if they're all as annoying as my evil step sister? Not to mention, we're talking about the female dorm at a battle academy here, not a normal school.

"Sounds like a win to me."

I turned back to the administrator, barely resisting the urge to slam my forehead against the desk. "Okay, just—just fix the error!"

"Can't."

"You literally work here!"

"Yeah, and I can't override a system placement." He tapped a few buttons like he was doing something important, but I knew he wasn't. "Your dorm is set. Your name is set. That's it."

I stared at him. "So you're telling me that because of a typo, I have to live in a dorm full of girls for the rest of my academy year?!"

"Yup."

"And no one can do anything about it?"

"Nope."

I felt my soul crumble into dust.

"This is insane," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "There has to be some kind of protocol for this—"

"There is," the administrator said, deadpan. "It's called 'suck it up and move in.' Next!"

"Are you serious—"

"Next."

"Oh c'mon!"

Leon actually patted my shoulder, grinning. "Look at it this way, bro. This could be a life-changing experience."

"Yeah, because I'm going to die!"

And then, as if the universe itself wanted to punish me further, a soft chuckle came from behind me.

The sound was silky, amused, and just a little bit dangerous.

I turned my head and immediately locked eyes with her.

She was ridiculously beautiful.

Long platinum-blonde hair cascaded down her back, framing a face that was both delicate and sharp, with violet eyes that held an almost playful cruelty. She was tall—elegantly so—and her fitted black uniform, adorned with silver accents, made it abundantly clear that she wasn't just another student.

No.

This woman was important.

And worst of all—she was amused.

"What's going on here?" she asked, her voice smooth as silk but carrying the undeniable weight of authority.

I opened my mouth, then immediately shut it. 'Why did she make me nervous?'

Leon, being the true bro he was, elbowed me in the ribs. "Oh, this? Just a hilarious little mix-up. My man Eva here got assigned to the girls' dorm."

I shot him a glare.

She arched a single, perfect brow. "Eva Drakos?"

"No, Evan Drakos—" I started, but she was already scanning the paperwork the admin had shoved forward.

"Hm," she hummed, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Scarlet Rose Estate, hm?"

I immediately shook my head. "That's a mistake. A huge mistake. The girls there won't agree, right? They're not just gonna be okay with some random guy suddenly invading their private space."

She tapped a finger against the desk, her eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "The girls won't mind as long as you don't."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. I frowned. "Really? I mean… they—"

"They won't mind," she repeated smoothly. "As long as you behave."

Leon whistled. "Damn. You're doomed, bro."

I exhaled through my nose, trying so hard to process this. But since they agreed, it should be okay, right?

"I guess… it's better than the streets?" I muttered, feeling like I had just signed my own death warrant.

The administrator barely glanced at me, already moving on to the next poor soul in line. "So it's okay then?"

I exhaled a long, defeated sigh, shoulders slumping. "Yeah."

No point fighting it anymore. The system had spoken. And who was I to argue with?

I ran a hand through my hair and added, "I don't want to hear any complaints though. I'm not a pervert, just saying. I made my statement."

A soft chuckle interrupted my misery.

"Oh, don't worry about that," the woman said, amusement dancing in her voice. "My girls know exactly how to handle perverts."

Wait. What?!

I turned to her, suddenly very concerned. "...Are you…?"

She smiled, the kind of knowing, amused smile that made my stomach drop. "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Lilith Avarosa, Mother House of Scarlet Rose Estate. You'll be under my care now."

I gave her a cautious look, taking in the way she held herself—elegant, graceful, but definitely not harmless.

"Don't worry," she added, smiling as if I wasn't currently having an existential crisis. "My girls will behave well."

That was… not reassuring.

At all.

I stared at her outstretched hand for a second before shaking it hesitantly. To my surprise, her hand was soft—way softer than I expected.

Lilith's expression didn't change, but I swear I saw her wink at me.

No one commented.

Except Leon, who was gawking like an idiot.

My best friend—traitor that he was—looked absolutely love-struck.

I nudged him hard. "Dude."

He snapped out of it, blinking. "What? I—nothing! Just… wow."

I frowned at him before glancing back at Lilith, only to find her smile fading, replaced by a weird smirk.

She tilted her head, muttering just loud enough for me to hear. "Interesting…"

I had no idea what that meant, but I was pretty sure I didn't want to find out.

The administrator cleared his throat loudly, snapping me back to reality. He stamped the form in front of me and slid it across the desk. "Alright, now sign it."

I looked at the official document, my real name already printed at the top.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I picked up the pen and read the fine print.

"I, Evan Drakos, willingly accept my placement in Scarlet Rose Estate. The academy will correct my name in official records, but I will not file complaints regarding dormitory arrangements."

Somehow, this looked super fishy.

I glanced at the administrator, who was already ignoring me, and then at Lilith, who was still watching me with that strange little smile.

The students behind me in line grumbled in protest.

"Why is he taking so long? Is he getting special treatment or what?!"

"C'mon, dude! Move it!"

"I shouldn't pick this line!"

I sighed and, against my better judgment, signed the damn thing.

The pen scratched against the paper, sealing my fate.

"Nice," the administrator said flatly, snatching the form away before I could second-guess my life choices. "Now move out."

I moved. Of course.

Lilith patted my shoulder as I stepped away, her nails barely grazing my shirt.

"Ah… glad to see you joining us," she said, her voice syrupy sweet but laced with something else.

I didn't trust it.

I gave her a dry look. "Yeah. Super excited."

She just smiled. "I'll see you later then, Evan."

Her voice lingered on my name, almost like she was tasting it.

Then, with a graceful turn, she disappeared into the crowd, walking way too elegantly for someone who had just orchestrated my downfall.

I watched her go before turning back to Leon, who still looked like he'd been struck by divine lightning. I snapped my fingers in front of his face. "Dude. Earth to Leon."

"That woman is gorgeous," he whispered, in awe.

I rolled my eyes. "Glad you're finally catching up."

Leon shook his head, shoving his hands in his pockets. "No, like… that wasn't normal. Did you see her eyes?"

I frowned. "Yeah?"

"They—" He hesitated, then shook his head again. "Never mind. Just be careful, man."

Be careful?

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Whatever. Let's just go."

Leon nodded, but I could tell he was still thinking about it as we left the registration hall.

As we stepped outside into the sprawling campus of Archeline Battle Academy, one thought kept repeating in my head.

What the hell did I just get myself into?