The Vampire Of Aetherveil | Kobiz

2

"Watch where you're walking! Didn't anyone ever teach you that?" complained a young man with black hair.

"I'll be more careful, sorry!" Koko bowed respectfully to her senior.

The day wasn't even over, and she was already in trouble. After apologizing, the chestnut-haired girl made her way to her room. After a long, seemingly endless day, she placed her suitcase next to the wardrobe and finally settled on her bed. She let out a sigh of satisfaction and took a moment to admire her surroundings. She hadn't expected such a spacious and impeccably clean room. Her AetherNav began to vibrate, and Koko jumped to check the notification. It was from Mai. She opened the message and read it carefully.

"A curfew...? Seriously?" Koko sighed in disappointment.

"Looks like I won't be able to go out at night."

Koko flopped onto her bed and closed her eyes. She savored the calm, the serenity, and the gentle silence that filled the room. At the same time, she pondered and muttered to herself.

"I thought I'd make friends in one day, like in those Wattpad stories."

It was now 8 p.m., dinner time for all the students. Koko headed to the cafeteria, guided by her AetherNav. Suddenly, she felt someone place a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to find Mai.

"Damn, you scared me!" Koko complained.

"Hey, take it easy; don't be so grumpy!" Mai laughed.

"Wanna eat together?" Mai suggested.

"Oh, yes, I'd like that."

The two girls sat at a table, placed their trays down, and finally took their seats. The older one started the conversation.

"So? You didn't get into trouble when I left you alone."

"No, I just bump into a senior from my house."

"Wow, looks like your day is ending well," Mai replied sarcastically.

"Yeah... by the way, what's with the curfew?"

"Because of the Stormcliffs, it's always their fault... In short, they set up a casino here. The problem was that everyone would go there to get drunk, do drugs, and make risky bets," Mai responded with a serious expression.

"Wow, I never would have imagined all that."

"Mai, don't scare the new students with this story."

"HEY! Don't scare me like that," Mai choked while the girl behind her laughed.

"Are you okay, Mai?" Koko asked.

"I'm fine," she coughed and then continued, "This is Yoon Jiyoon; she's also a second-year student like you."

"Nice to meet you; I'm Koko!"

"Nice to meet you too, Koko," replied the blonde.

Jiyoon joined us at the table, and we talked about various topics, each more interesting than the last. Everything was going well until, suddenly, two girls started arguing.

"For goodness' sake, what's she doing, Jeemin!" exclaimed the blonde.

"She fighting with her again."

"Who's Jeemin?" Koko asked.

"She's my best friend," Jiyoon replied. "She's the tall one with long black hair."

"Sarang, I swear you'll regret this one day!" shouted Jeemin angrily.

"And what are you going to do? Complain to your parents." Sarang mocked, clearly not taking the brunette seriously.

"Do you want your parents to get fired? Shall I remind you that they work for my family?" Sarang gave a smirk, which only infuriated Jeemin more.

"Don't play with me."

Jeemin grabbed Sarang by the collar; their eyes met with nothing but animosity and hatred. The tension rose, and no one reacted. To the students, seeing them argue was routine, or even entertainment for some. The two were at war with each other. Why? It's a long story, but their friendship was ruined by two events that neither of them will ever forget. Jiyoon decided to step in and separate them, exchanging dark looks. She took Jeemin by the hand and whispered.

"Let's go..." Jiyoon led Jeemin out of the cafeteria.

"That's right, run away; that's all you're good at!" Sarang yelled.

Mai and Koko watched the scene from afar, wondering what might have happened if Jiyoon hadn't intervened. Mai looked at Koko and explained seriously.

"That's why I'm forbidding you from going near Sarang, Jungeun, or Saebi. They'll ruin your life or your academic career."

"Won't it be difficult if I end up with one of them?"

"I hadn't thought of that, but even if they're in your class, don't talk to them. Unless it's absolutely necessary for a group project."

"I might follow your advice." Koko wanted to know more about these girls before making up her mind, but if Mai insisted so much, there had to be a reason to listen and follow her advice to the letter.

It was now bedtime, and Koko could finally enjoy the peace. Tonight was a full moon, and Koko took the opportunity to admire it. It was now 11 p.m., curfew time, and time to sleep as well. But she saw a light in the distance—it was coming from the library. She noticed a silhouette; it looked like a girl from afar. Koko was intrigued and, for some reason, felt compelled to take a closer look. She decided to leave her room and head to the library, wondering what someone could be doing there at such an hour. After stealthily making her way there, she stood in front of the door and admired the imposing beauty of the building. She opened the door and explored the place, filled with hundreds of thousands of books. Not seeing a librarian, she continued on. She climbed the stairs to the upper floor and heard strange noises. She walked further and saw a blonde girl on the verge of collapsing. She ran over to check if she was okay.

"Are you alright?"

The blonde noticed Koko's presence, looked at her for a moment, and whispered.

"G-give me your..." the girl could no longer speak.

"Your what? I'm going to call for help," Koko said, slightly panicked.

Koko was about to go find help, but the blonde blocked her, grabbing her wrist. She got up abruptly and pinned Koko against the bookshelf, trapping her hands. Her lips moved closer to Koko's neck. Koko could feel the blonde's warm breath; for some reason, she didn't fight back. Suddenly, she felt fangs pierce her neck. The girl sucked her blood, and Koko tried to resist but couldn't. The vampire was too strong. Koko felt her vision blur, but the blonde stopped before it went too far. She wiped her mouth and looked at Koko with a threatening glare.

"Tell no one, or death will come for you. Understand?" The vampire threatened.

Koko was in pain and couldn't respond immediately. With the strength she had left, she nodded and... fainted.