Page 23

The day after her unusual interaction with Adrian dawned bright and clear, a stark contrast to the lingering confusion in her mind. It just so happened that this day was also the highly anticipated annual House Games.

A tradition cherished by generations of students, the Games were a day-long extravaganza where individuals from all year groups, and this year, for the very first time, students of both species, came together in the spirit of friendly competition.

The ultimate goal was simple: to win points for their respective houses, contributing to the coveted House Cup, a year-long symbol of pride and achievement. Excitement buzzed in the air, thick with anticipation and the mingled scents of friendly rivalry and nervous energy.

The skies cleared just in time for the gamesand the grounds of Auragon Academy transformed into something almost magical: vibrant banners fluttered from ancient brick towers, warm beams of sunlight spilled over the stone courtyard, and the normally cold-faced faculty were—shockingly—smiling.

Not just tolerable weather. Actual warmth. A rare, fleeting kind that coaxed even the most cynical students out of their dorms.

Y/N stepped out onto the grass, blinking up at the sky like she didn't quite trust it.

"Nice weather, should I be suspicious?" she asked.

Aisha stood beside her, 'SOLSTICE'written bold against her white hoodie, squinting at the sun while fixing her matching white hijab, nicely decorated with a mini golden bow clip. "Honestly? A little. Vampires don't usually order good weather."

Julia popped up beside them, she adjusted the white collar of the 'ECLIPSE' house's polo shirt; and a pearly ribbon tied onto her ponytail. "Maybe the school made a deal with someone upstairs. Or below.."

"It's just weather" Cressida drawled behind them, flipping her long blonde hair over 'CRESCENT' house's black polo shirt, additionally with a silver ribbon tied onto her wrist. "You humans act like it's a miracle every time the sky isn't crying."

Y/N looked around at the colourful chaos, pulling her own red polo shirt straight with 'LUNAR' letters noted on her back; and fixing the red ribbon tied against her wrist.

Booths lined the lawns, each buzzing with activity—some manned by student volunteers, others overseen by overly enthusiastic teachers.

A makeshift stadium had been set up on the main field, where the more intense competitions would be held.

House colours were everywhere;

It almost felt like fun—if you could forget for one second that half the student body had fangs. Not that, that was too much of an issue nowadays. Surprisingly.

"Wait which house am I again?" Julia asked, shoving her ribbon into Aisha's face and squinting at it. "Eclipse, right? That sounds evil. I'm good with that."

"Don't worry" Y/N said, giving her a teasing nudge. "You'll fit right in with the drama."

"Drama follows me, thank you very much."

★

The vampire students, clearly above such activities, stood off to the side with raised brows and judgmental smirks, until the announcement came that points would be awarded to the house with the most wins.

"House points?" Cressida echoed, suddenly standing. "We're doing this."

A certain blonde male who'd been lounging in the shade looking like a catalog model on break, sighed and stood as well, removing his shades. "Unbelievable. All this for a dumb trophy?"

The four girls turned around.

And there they were.

Calixto. His Solstice gold ribbon was a stark contrast against his black compression shirt. The sleeves short, to show off his sculpted arms. He looked like he'd just stepped out of an effortlessly fashionable photoshoot.

He shot a playful wink at Y/N, his smirk widening when he caught her looking. His eyes glinted with the mischievousness that matched his reputation, but there was something else beneath that—something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Then came Silas, stepping up from where he had been leaning against the fence. The white of his Eclipse house ribbon stood out against the dark, fitted hoodie he wore, sleeves pushed up just enough to reveal the right amount of muscle running along his forearms.

His gaze was sharp, observant—always calculating. There was something lethal in the way he carried himself, as though he were sizing up every person on the field, including his own teammates.

Adrian, with his Crescent silver ribbon, walked onto the field next. His white shirt paired with dark joggers, and his carefree aura was evident even in the way he casually pushed his black hoodie off his shoulders.

He seemed to be the least interested in the competition, running a hand through his tousled hair as he sighed, but when his gaze landed on Y/N, it lingered for a second longer than necessary. A teasing smile tugged at the corner of his lips, but he said nothing.

Finally, Azul, with his red ribbon now tied loosely around his wrist, gave the field a once-over with a bored expression.

He wore a grey, slightly oversized zip up.

He looked like he hadn't moved an inch from his relaxed position on the bleachers, and yet, somehow, he radiated authority.

His sharp eyes locked onto Y/N for a split second, that familiar, unreadable flicker passing through before he smirked and turned back to the field.

Y/N barely noticed the subtle exchange between the boys, her focus instead turning to the realisation that, with the house points now on the line, she was going to be spending a lot more time with these four—especially Azul.

His house, Lunar, was the same as hers.

As if reading her mind, Azul glanced over at her, offering a small, almost imperceptible nod. It wasn't much, but it was enough for her to recognise the subtle acknowledgement between them.

She wasn't sure if it was a sign of solidarity, or just a casual gesture. Regardless, her stomach fluttered. The realisation that they were in the same house made everything feel just a little bit more intense.

"You're just scared you'll lose!" Julia called.

"To humans?" Calixto scoffed. "Please."

And just like that,

★

Each activity became its own mini-drama.

And Y/N couldn't help noticing a pattern forming.

—In the water relay,

Calixto swam with the grace of a damn merman, rising from the pool with his blonde locks plastered to his face, water dripping down his neck.

He smirked at the watching crowd as he passed the baton to Aisha, who rolled her eyes snatching it and began running for the track part of the obstacle.

He snatched a towel from the bench and slung it round his neck, walking past the three girls on the bench, "Impressed L/N?".

He paused for a moment in front of them to dry his damp hair with a quite aggressive motion of the towel; Then, with a final, deliberate flourish, he twisted the towel and tossed it towards Y/N.

She almost flew backwards from the impact of the heavy soaked cloth, a gasp escaping her lips as she instinctively threw her hands up to protect herself.

"You've got to be kidding me," she hissed, her voice tight with a mixture of annoyance and disbelief. He simply chuckled with a final, careless gesture, he pushed back his wet hair, revealing the sharp angles of his face, before sauntering off, leaving Y/N and her companions in his wake.

Even Cressida raised a brow. "And here I am about to pounce at my brother. She's mine Calix—!"

"Pfft yeah sure Cress."

★

—In the archery competition,

Silas stood with perfect posture, his white ribbon fluttering in the breeze as he narrowed one eye. The arrow hit bullseye after bullseye, and he didn't even flinch when students clapped.

Then, just before his final shot, he turned and made eye contact with Y/N across the field. A breathy scoff as he fluffed his brown hair.

Julia smacked Y/N's arm. "Was that for you?"

"No" Y/N said. Then hesitated.

"I think?"

—In the obstacle course,

Adrian's hoodie was ditched in favour of a fitted black compression shirt.

He climbed, leapt, flipped, and finished the course without so much as a heavy breath.

On the last rope swing, he looked up as girls from every house and of each species squealed when he shook his head almost like a dog.

Julia practically choked on her water. "Oh my God. Did he just sparkle?"

"That's the sun" Y/N muttered. "And sweat?"

—And then there was Azul.

He'd been quiet all morning, blending into the background with that usual bored detachment. But then came the strategy game, a kind of magical version of chess-meets-capture-the-flag.

He was calculating, sharp, and eerily calm under pressure—moving his team like pieces across a glowing board that shifted with each move. At one point, he made a call so bold it had the audience erupt in cheers. Even some of the human students in other houses clapped.

He turned, pushed his silver hair back, and gave a faint smile—his ocean blue eyes directly on Y/N.

And that smile?

It felt... different.

"You okay?" Julia asked, leaning in.

"I think I'm being hunted..?" Y/N whispered.