The spoon slowly stirred in the coffee cup, dissolving the sugar through the hot brew. Above the spoon was a hand, the fingers danced in a circle around the cup, guiding the spoon from the air above. It's owner was engrossed in the current plan for the lesson he was going to give. He was a man that could be known by many names and many things. He was a dark being, one that was a secret. The world that he lived in knew of vampires but that was all they knew of. The other dark beings were adamant that they wanted to remain hidden. He was a shape shifter. He was also royalty. He was the son of the king, heir to the throne of a realm called Loach Issralk. Instead of living among his people he chose to live in Elm'nyth otherwise known as Earth. It was something that was strange to him, he had once said that he couldn't wait to be off this stinking rock and that if his maker put humans in his new realm he would go and live with the werewolves. But for some unknown reason when the new realm became available to his people, he didn't go. A year had passed before he actually went and saw how beautiful it was but it couldn't hold him there. No, he preferred Elm'nyth. He was known as his royal highness prince Phabel Deltrith, son of Eris Deltrith king of Loach Issralk. He was also known as Professor Deltrith. The lessons he was giving was about the vampires.

It was hoped that if they educated the humans about the vampires they might be less anxious around them. Vampires had become a pretty placid bunch in recent years, mostly because they were at ease with how things were in their world. They didn't need to fear the humans because they controlled this world. The humans had signed over ownership several hundred years prior, thinking that the earth was dead they saw no other option. Humans were rarely allowed to roam the earth now, after coming so close to destroying it and nearly wiping themselves out, the vampires forced them into a breeding camp. Their numbers had flourished and they were coming close to no longer being listed as an endangered species. The queen of the vampires, someone who the professor happened to be related to by marriage, brought this place back to what was now classed as inhabitable. And humans that were approved because of good behaviour were given a pardon, let out of the breeding camp. There were also humans that were lucky enough to be allowed to roam free from the very beginning. They were seen as little threat to the safety of the vampires, they were well behaved and were respectful of their planet. The vampires didn't ask for much, they required sustenance which was human blood but they were prepared to pay for it. They required the humans not to hunt them and in return the vampires would not hunt the humans. And lastly the vampires required the humans to respect their home. There was no other for them, if they destroyed this planet then they were gone. The vampires however could go to one of two other realms, they were not limited by choice like the humans.

Phabel had lived here all his life, maybe it was the reason he didn't want to stay in Loach Issralk when he did finally visit. He thought that seeing the place would make him want to stay but it didn't. All he thought of was his apartment and his favourite coffee shop, his cousin and his growing brood of children were here. Phabel had always gotten on well with Alex but when his first born was old enough to party, Phabel found a new wing man. Alex had settled down into married life, becoming a father and husband and it made Phabel cringe with the thought. But now he had Lucian and they had spent far too many nights partying. Or at least he thought he had a wing man in Lucian. As luck would have it, Lucian had managed to find his soul mate the previous summer. Now Lucian was making kissy faces and getting all smoochy with the girl. A girl Phabel happened to know. She was a former student of his, a damned good one too. She excelled in all of the classes she took and had been doing really well until she got famous. Danika was a musician and since becoming famous, she quit university and went on tour with the band. It was something that irked Phabel no end. She had talent and she had passed up a golden opportunity. What was worse was that Lucian had found out that she had been in his class and had asked him to either teach her what she missed out on or get her back into the university. It wasn't hard for him to do, he could easily get her in based on her marks. Or maybe the fact that she married the heir to the throne of the vampiric world. She once was a human and now she was a vampire, her turning was one of haste because she had been stabbed and was dying. It was a dark day for Danika but it was one that turned out for the best, she now had the love of her life and he showed her a world of love and happiness. Now she wanted to be educated in the world of vampires, to be knowledgeable when she sat beside her husband on the throne. She was queen of this kingdom and Phabel knew she had to be educated in all things vampire, it was a necessity that she return. He sighed as the spoon clattered to the edge of the ceramic cup. The university had approved her return, he couldn't teach her though. She was a conflict of interest. They were related by marriage, he was not allowed to teach her under the rules of the university. Which in his opinion was a blessing in disguise. He knew he would have Lucian breathing down his neck about her grades and that, he did not need. 

Phabel looked at the spoon in the cup, his concentration had been broken. It wasn't common for shifters to be telekinetic, this was something that he had learned from a witch. The shape shifters and witches had formed a close bond after the witch hunt had wiped most of them out. Now they lived an almost hermit lifestyle, some of them chose to go to the werewolf realm. The werewolf realm was beautiful and verdant but it was very close to nature. They shunned a lot of the technology that the humans had created, refusing to allow many things into their realm. There was no electricity, no phones or any other form of electronic equipment, there was no vehicles either. They walked or used a bicycle or a horse. The werewolves didn't seem to be bothered by it, to them they weren't necessary. They had great strength and were very fast on their feet so there was no need for anything more than what they had. They were happy but the witches were not. The witches were not so agile on their feet, they liked their technology and then there was the issues around full moon. Werewolves liked to have their harvest moon festivals, during the day leading up to midnight it was fine to be there but come midnight all hell would break loose. Harvest moon festivals had always been about love and friendship with feasting being a minor element for the werewolves but with the increasing numbers of witches into their realm there was the element of blood lust that had been slowly creeping into their minds. Once a night of love it was fast becoming a night of death. The king had tried to bring them back in line with restrictions and moving all non wolves into safe houses for the night but it was getting out of control. The witches didn't know what to do, stay in Elm'nyth and be hunted by the humans or stay in Askara'velmanti and be hunted by the werewolves? They were a race that was fast depleting in numbers and very divided in their opinion on where they should live. There were very few who were brave enough to stay here back when the humans roamed freely and chose to risk one night a month and live with the werewolves. The numbers of witches that would jump between realms was increasing, choosing to spend one night a month in Elm'nyth and then return to Askara'velmanti for the remaining days. But there was always the element of danger, the witches still feared human attack even if they were only there for one night. Those that did stay never ventured far from their hidden homes. They lived in forests, their houses disappeared into the trees, surrounded by magic. On rare occasions the witches would leave to obtain necessary things to continue their hermit life and on one lonely and cold day in the middle of winter, one witch deviated from his usual path and wandered into a dark book store. That was how Phabel come to know him, he had been living by himself and hiding from his fears, rarely venturing beyond the forest. But in this one little deviation from his path Orson the witch turned his path in this life down a new road.

Phabel wasn't one for the standard chain book stores, he liked the little shops that were dark and ominous looking. That was where you would find the better books, the ones that were not readily available to humans. He was in the dark arts section, thumbing through the spines as the man wandered in. In the dull light of the shop, Phabel had seen the luminous eyes that told him he wasn't looking at a human. As they spoke, Phabel enlightened the recluse that a new realm had become available and if he wanted to, he could live there and never fear humans again. Orson was overwhelmed with the thought of not living in fear, being able to walk in the sunlight without being falsely accused of crimes. The two men spoke for some time, Phabel suggesting that Orson go and speak with the officer in charge of inter-realm movements. Orson was ecstatic, returning to his little shack hidden by a wall of trees and packed up his possessions and left for Loach Issralk. When Phabel inquired with his father of what had happened to the man, his father enlightened him that not only did Orson the witch apply and was successful in his movement into the realm, but he had thrived in this new world. Phabel paid the man a visit finding him in a modest house that pleased the witch. He found that the man had a good job and that he had found love as well. Orson felt that he was deeply indebted to the young prince and offered him something that not many would receive from a witch, knowledge. One solid afternoon of education, teaching the young prince of everything he thought would be good in his life. And that was how Phabel became educated in things like telekinesis.

The clock chimed, Phabel sat up and discarded the disobedient spoon and drank the barely warm coffee. He was late for his first class of the new year.