The morning greets me with the melodic ringing of bells, signaling the beginning of a fresh day. After a restful night's sleep, I rise from my bed and make my way to the bathroom, eager to freshen up. While I check my schedule and enjoy a crisp apple, I make it a point to memorize the locations and timings of my classes. Today, I have a busy agenda. First, I need to locate the library or the Chambers of Magic to gather the necessary resources. Then, I must approach the assistant headmaster for the missed subjects' materials. Finally, I should begin studying diligently to ensure I pass everything. I decide that I won't go to the dining hall. The food basket from Seraphus is enough to keep me full for an entire week, so I'm not feeling hungry at all. And to be honest, I'm scared. I know I'll have a hard time in class. The students will probably steer clear of interacting with me, possibly subjecting me to humiliation and mockery. Lua warned me about this and advised me to keep to myself, not to get close to anyone.

I get to the classroom first and surprisingly I found it quickly. The classroom where alchemy will be held is amazing. The walls shine with a myriad of rainbow hues, at times twinkling, creating a pleasant scent that fills the entire room. The dark ceiling resembles a dense mass of purple clouds, casting an eerie atmosphere. The room is furnished with only three lines of long desks and benches, each adorned with plush cushions. I arrange my materials, taking in the sight of the spacious glass cabinet filled with vials, enchanted liquid, and test tubes. I'm so excited, it's unbelievable.

After some time, my classmates begin to occupy the classroom. My head remains lowered as I twirl the white feather in my fingers. The quieter I am, the more I'll avoid trouble. Although I can hear everyone whispering about me. Some individuals use sarcasm, while others express genuine interest, and some aim to provoke me with their power and start a conflict. I can effortlessly defend myself from any attempts to harm myself. I've been able to do that since I was young.

"Hi," a girl plops down on the bench next to me and I turn my head. Messily gathered, her hair is a mix of black with red highlights. The red eyes quickly shift to a dark maroon color, exposing two visible fangs behind a wide smile. The skin is as smooth and soft as freshly fallen snow. Vampire. This girl is a vampire.

"Hi," I answer slowly.

"I'm Serafima. But don't call me by my full name. Only parents do that when they punish me. And they punish me a lot. Call me Fima."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Luappo. Just Lua," I smile, glad that at least someone is friendly with me.

"And you're okay," she hums, examining me more closely.

"Yes. What am I supposed to be?"

"Hmm, insane. My grandmother, Queen of Nocturnia, mentioned that your whole family is insane. Psychos, and you're completely under-developed. One minute you're drooling, the next you think you're a dog or a pig or a spoon."

She's the granddaughter of the Queen of Vampires. Oh, wonderful. And everyone thinks I'm crazy.

"I don't know about the rest of my family, but I'm perfectly fine," I hum.

"And that's cool. You're gonna be my friend. I don't like the others, but I like you. You're sweet and you smell like light and kind and sweet blood."

I jerk backward, glaring at her with all my eyes.

"Just kidding," Fima laughs and claps me on the shoulder. "I'm not going to bite you. And we bite only during sex, or to mark our chosen one, or slave, or servant, or just when we're on the verge of exhaustion and there's no power source nearby. But you do smell good. You know, if I wasn't asexual, I'd definitely want to invite you into my bed."

I don't know what to say to such a thing. If she knew about my homeless and destitute situation, she would barely acknowledge my presence. It pains me a bit, as our world places such emphasis on the type of family one is born into. It's not about who you are or what you think, but rather about the affluence of your family.

"Be careful, those arrogant assholes are already planning how to mess with you," Fima leans over to me, whispers quickly, and points behind my back. I turn around and immediately bump into five pairs of squinting eyes. One elf is sitting in the center. His right and left are occupied by two other creatures. It seems that one of them is a mage, the other is a fairy, and there are two elves positioned beside them. I put on a smile and nod to them, then quickly look away.

"Who are they?" I ask her in a whisper.

"You don't know them?" Fima raises her black eyebrows in surprise.

"No. I...don't know much about the offspring of the elite. My father never discussed it with me, and I've been confined within the walls of the house all my life."

"I see. At the center, the self-proclaimed king of our level is the youngest son of the king of the Elf Kingdom."

Shit.

"Stellare. He's an insufferably arrogant asshole who thinks everyone owes him a favor just because he's an elf. He's cranky as hell, and I can't stand him. The demon incubus to his right is the nephew of the ruler of the demon lands. His name is Vox. He's a little more peaceful, but he's a lot passionate. He'll fuck you in your sleep, and if he likes it, he'll make you his sex slave in real life. He's already got seven slaves here. Three from the second grade, two from the third, and one from the fourth. There's even talk that he's fucked one of the teachers."

Swallowing, I nod to her, showing her that I understand and will stay away from him.

"On the other side of Stellare sits the middle son of the advisor to the ruler's counselor of the Fairy and Forest Creatures kingdom. Ailes. Like all fairies, he loves fun, drinking, and partying. He and Stellare are friends since they were in diapers and are constantly competing. In principle, he's harmless, but if he decides something, he'll use any magic to get his way and even resort to coercion. He's probably the most dangerous of them all. He can smile at you, and when you turn away, he can cast a spell of submission to you or cloud your mind. Two of ours have already gotten in his way when he's in a bad mood. And he gets in a bad mood when he's competing with Stellare. And judging by the way Stellare looks at you, you could get in Ailes' way, too. And then..."

Fima's whisper is cut off by a puff of wind, and the guy falls in beside me on my right, breathing heavily. His disheveled, curly brown hair is hastily gathered with a ribbon, his uniform shirt is crookedly buttoned, and his first-grade ribbon has slipped down to his hips.

"I made it," smiling broadly, he turns his head toward us. His golden eyes flash with interest as our gazes meet. His thick eyebrows play, winking at me.

"Don't tell me you've been running around the woods all night again," Fima snorts. "You stink. At least you had a bath or something."

"Hey, I bathed. It's not my fault it's a full moon the day after tomorrow and I love that time," the guy snorts, sniffing himself.

Full moon. Werewolves are tied to the full moon, and they honor such nights. I've read about the festivities they have in their packs. So I'm looking at a werewolf.

"Do I really stink?" The werewolf moves in close to me and puts his neck up for me to smell it, too. I recoil from him, glancing questioningly at Fima. She rolls her eyes and hums.

"Uh...no, I'd say you smell like grass and woods," I mutter. The werewolf fidgets contentedly on the bench and again sniffs.

"Oh-oh, what a scent," the werewolf noses my neck and I freeze. "What a pleasant scent you have, Luappo. Even though you smell like the sun, I still like it. It's a turn-on."

"Morrick, stop scaring him," Fima pushes the laughing guy away from me. "Ignore him, Lua. He's a jerk, always fawning like a damn cat, but his jerkiness is funny, so I tolerate him."

"Hey, I'm nice and I'm handsome and I'm also graceful. Do you want me to show you my form?" Morrick flashes his eyes, fidgeting again.

"Yeah... I guess."

"Lua, he just asked you to fuck, and you said yes."

"What?"

I open my mouth in shock, causing Morrick to laugh even louder, and he plays with his eyebrows.

"Werewolves only show their nature in sex, and not fully, unless there's a werewolf around, or when there's danger, to protect the pack. It's too intimate," Fima explains.

"I didn't know about it. Then no, I'm sorry, Morrick, but I'll pass. I'm not interested in any relationship. I'm here to study."

"You're not an elf," Morrick squints. "Not a vampire or a spirit. Then why are you asexual?"

"He's asexual only to you," Fima giggles. "You don't inspire him."

"No, it's not like that." I shake my head quickly. "I like both of you. You're very friendly with me, and I'm happy to return the favor. I'm just not interested in finding a partner here. And I'm not asexual, I just don't want anything to distract me from my studies. I'd be happy to be your friend. I've only had one friend in my entire life. I was usually forbidden to talk to other beings except if they were servants. And even servants rarely spoke to me, or everyone was punished for frivolity."

"Oh, it turns out all the rumors about your father are true," Morrick croaks. "We hate him. And I expected you to be his copy or an asshole, like Stellare. But I'm glad you're not. Okay, I agree to be friends with you. Then we can go after class..."

The guy doesn't have time to finish when a tall and thin man enters the classroom, dressed in a white shirt and pants, very similar to our uniforms, except that he has a bright green ribbon and the same color scarf tied artfully around his neck.

"Good morning, everyone. So..." his gaze stops on me and I swallow. I wish he didn't know Lua. I wish he didn't.

"I see a new student among us. Glad to welcome you, Luappo. My name is Edamo. It'll be hard for you at first, since you missed the introductory classes, but it'll get easier. If you have any questions, you can always ask your classmates or you can always ask me."

"Thank you," I reply in a whisper.

"Excellent. Today we continue our study of the basic symbols and their application. You'll have a test on this topic at the end of the week."

I'm taking notes on everything Edamo explains. It's really hard for me, though. I have no idea what he's talking about, since I haven't yet read the material I missed. But I write everything down meticulously so I can keep up with the rest of the class.

After a lesson on basic alchemy, which is already making my brain swell, we move on to another class on transformation magic, but I realize that I already know how to do it. Of course, it won't be until spring that we'll probably be practicing transformation on ourselves, and even then. Not everyone will have the power to do it, judging by the number of hours and warnings I took a quick look at yesterday. But I already know how to transform into another person, taking on their body shape. I've done that three times, though not for long. And I'll be interested in controlling it, but for now I'm just listening, not showing my powers. I'm afraid I'll just be found out and then I'll be dead, just like Lua.

By the end of the class, I realized I didn't understand a damn thing. I have no idea how I'm going to study here if I don't understand a damn thing. I didn't realize that the others have already gone through a lot and the introductory lectures are the basis for subsequent classes. And all of this is giving me a headache.

We are seated in the large and spacious dining hall under the dome. Some are eating lunch outside, enjoying the still warm weather before winter sets in. I hate winter. Firewood doesn't save to keep warm. It's insanely cold in the morning and I must work. Warm clothes are scarce, not enough time to dry from the snow. Constantly, everyone loses energy and can barely move as the sickness creeps into our bodies and energy is used up not only for the physically demanding work for the Duke but also for health. While I never lost energy to work, I pretended to be sick and not feeling well. I had already been issued warm clothes here as well, as there were plenty of warm clothes in Lua's closet. I'm not afraid of that now.

"Lua, here you go, we got you a little bit of everything," Fima sits down across from me at the round table and Morrick next to me.

"Thank you," I smile at them. My eyes widen at the abundance of food here. No one's starving, that's for sure.

Taking the milk, I take a sip, overwhelmed with gratitude to Fima and Morrick. They had both stayed with me all day, not letting anyone near me. But I had a feeling I would soon get to meet the 'golden trio' in person. The elf, the fey, and the demon incubus were constantly watching me, watching my every move and grinning unpleasantly.

On my first day of class, I noticed the vast differences among creatures and their freedom here. Under the rule of Duke Isengard, our land has zero tolerance for demons, incubi, dragons, necromancers, or anyone practicing dark magic, including healers. The Duke wouldn't even let them into his domain, or let them in when he needed something from them and then killed them. I have no proof, but I just knew it when Lua informed me that there was dark magic energy in the manor. Although it's been quite some time since the peace treaty between the dark and light powers was signed, there are still those like Isengard and his offspring, except for Lua. They don't think the treaty is right. They don't visit the land of the dark powers. They mock them, believing that the light power is superior, honorable, necessary, pure, and they would win if few more living beings fell for someone else's ambitions.

But here, within the walls of the House of Knowledge, and on the Earth of Knowledge, differences are forbidden. The older grades don't care who they are friends with, but the first and second grades are...complicated. Some are friends with dark powers, but some are considered outcasts because of the dark power, for example, a guy with great potential for dark energy healing from the second stage. I saw how his classmates laughed at him and they were also dark, not even light. And I felt sorry for the guy, really sorry, because he was just taking that hatred and maybe envy, like he was building up despair and pain so he could get revenge. It's horrible. Yes, of course, none of the students show such things in front of their administration or teachers, for they would be punished for it. But in private, when no one sees...it's scary.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Morrick pokes me in the shoulder, shoving bread into his mouth, followed by potatoes and meat, causing it all to fall back onto the plate, but he shoves it back into his mouth again.

I chuckle softly and hold out a tissue to him.

"Thanks, sweetie," Morrick's wide smile causes the food to fall onto his plate again, but he shoves it back into his mouth. Is he sane?

"He's sane," Fima nods, as if she's read my mind. "Don't look so surprised, Lua. Your face says it all. You don't know how to react to the hunger of a young male on the eve of a full moon."

"Does this always happen?" I wonder in a whisper. "He has such an appetite."

"No, not always," the werewolf replies, reaching into Fima's plate and she hands it back, grimacing. "I just forgot to take a special infusion yesterday before I ran away. I used up a lot of energy, but when I'm in my animal form, it's not noticed at all. As soon as I return to my human form, that's when it ricochets."

"He's just a dummy, that's all," Fima shrugs. "He keeps forgetting to feed himself before turning. The moon drives him crazy. He even writes poems to it."

"And my poems are lovely. Don't be jealous of my talent," Morrick smiles. "Lua, you won't find a single werewolf who doesn't worship the moon. It doesn't matter what form he's in, even rabbits worship the moon. During the full moon, we get energized by its power, just as, for example, fairies and elves get more energy from the sun. That's why they are often outside at lunch or dinner time, and at other times as well."

"Vampires prefer enclosed spaces. Dragons, depending on their element, also choose where they get more energy. Mages don't depend on location. So, where do you get your energy?" Fima and Morrick look at me intently. "We still can't figure out who you are. You look like a mage, but the energy is different. You look like a human, but you're not empty. Also your hair, skin, and again energy."

"I...don't know who I am," I whisper. "I really don't. My father is an elf, and the other one...should have been an elf too, but wasn't, as it became obvious. My hair is short because I had a fight with my father and didn't want to come here, cut it off to spite him. My skin...same thing. That's it. And where I get my energy... um, I've never really thought about it. I like the forest, I like hiking, I like swimming in the river and just sitting next to the fire, I like reading. I don't know."

"Interesting," Fima hums. "But I still like the smell of your energy and blood. It's sweet."

"Should I be worried because she keeps mentioning my blood?" I cast a worried glance at Morrick, who had already pulled my plate with half of the unfinished portion toward him.

"Nah. Vampires don't bite unless it's necessary, or they turned on. And turning them on is a hard task. They have no sexual attraction to anyone. Absolutely no one. And to conceive, since they're the only ones with a lot of females, they have to use spells. And then life without sex again. But your energy is delicious, Fima's right. It's alluring. I've never experienced anything like it. And since the energy is in your blood, that's why Fima mentions blood. She's a vampire," Morrick explains.

"I see. So... um, someone can only desire me because they feel my energy?" I clarify.

"Yep," they both nod.

"And, if...for example, a random situation like this. An elf comes up to me and tells me how much he wants me, that I'm his and he'll force me to be with him. Then it might not be about the elf, but about me? I mean, my energy could be the thing that he might be attracted to?"

"Uh, very random situation," Fima snorts. "When did Stellare have time to bother you?"

"It was just a situation. I made it up," I shrug, gathering my things.

"Okay, don't push him," Morrick shoves Fima in the side. "Well, hypothetically, Lua, the elf really could have gotten turned on by the smell of your energy, and also he could have just been an asshole, that's all. Not everyone should be excused. There are rapists, murderers, cannibals, and many others in our world who don't need a reason to make someone desire them or kill them."

Swallowing, I ignore the chill running down my spine. I need to leave. I need to get away and shift my focus. I'm safe here. No one will touch me. Here...

I don't even have time to get up before a stack of sheets falls on the table in front of me. I raise my head in puzzlement and meet bright scarlet eyes with vertical pupils.

Why? Why did I have to meet a fire dragon who knows only how to humiliate others?