Chapter Two:

I sped in my red car, "Vernier ," toward the university, gripping the steering wheel nervously while checking the time every few seconds. I was late for the next lecture, and I couldn't stand the idea of entering the hall minutes after the professor, with his cold looks welcoming me as if I had committed a crime on campus.

The road to my university passes through a long corridor that cuts through the forest. Usually, it's crowded with cars, and students' voices fill the place near the nearby intersection, but today was different. The road was strangely empty not a single car, not a bike, no one at all... The trees on both sides seemed taller than usual, their branches swaying slowly with the wind, producing a faint sound like a long whisper.

Suddenly, the car shook slightly and then stopped.

"No, no, no..." I muttered as I tried to start it again. I turned the key once more, then a third time, but the engine didn't respond. A heavy silence fell, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.

I quickly grabbed my phone to call for help, but the screen showed something I didn't like: no signal.

"This is strange..."

I didn't have time to wait. I grabbed my bag and got out of the car, closed the door behind me, and looked around. The air was a bit colder, and the smell of damp trees was clear. I started walking along the road, searching for anyone, any car, anyone at all to help me.

But nothing.

The road was empty and unusually quiet. I could even hear the sound of my own footsteps, as if the place amplified every movement I made. I felt a stab of anxiety and fear.

Then I noticed something ahead.

In the middle of the road, there appeared to be a transparent barrier stretching across it. It wasn't completely clear, but the light bent around it in a strange way. I moved toward it slowly, narrowing my eyes to make sure of what I was seeing.

"Why is there a barrier like this in the middle of the road?"

I got closer, until my reflection appeared on it, like a giant invisible mirror. I raised my hand cautiously to touch it, and the moment my fingertips came close, everything changed.

A powerful wind suddenly burst out, striking me violently and throwing my hair backward as if a storm had exploded out of nowhere. I felt my body lifted off the ground a few steps by a hidden force I couldn't see. I screamed, but my voice faded into the roar of the wind.

I looked at my reflection, but it was no longer me.

The girl appearing in the barrier looked very much like me the same features, the same facial structure, even the shape of the lips. But her hair was pitch black, her eyes a dark, terrifying red, and her skin extremely pale. She was staring at me with a strange, calm smile.

I began to rise higher, and the wind grew stronger around me. I felt as if the air itself was holding me.

The girl moved her lips, and I heard her clearly despite the loud wind: "I have waited for you for a long time... and now it is time to switch."

My eyes widened.

Suddenly, the transparent barrier shattered into small fragments, like a mirror breaking in the air, and a bright light appeared so strong that I closed my eyes. Then I felt a hand grab my hand and pull me forcefully.

I fell... onto the ground, and then I lost consciousness.

I could no longer hear anything. Everything turned into darkness.

I don't know how much time passed.

I woke up with a severe headache and dizziness that made the ground seem unstable. I sat up slowly, placing my hand on my head.

"What happened...?"

I looked up at the sky; it was leaning toward an orange color. Sunset had already arrived. I froze in place.

"But just now it was... it was eleven in the morning..."

Had I been unconscious all this time?

I stood up with difficulty and looked around. The same road, the same forest, but there was no sign of the barrier. No shards, no light, no red-eyed girl. And worst of all... no sign of my car.

"My car?!"

I ran to the spot where I remembered parking it, but it was empty. I searched my bag for my phone, and found no trace of it.

I stood in the middle of the road, helpless, feeling lost inside a scene I didn't understand.

I started walking, trying to understand what was happening to me...

I walked for long minutes, until a huge building appeared at the end of the road. I ran toward it with a bit of hope. The closer I got, the more I realized it wasn't an ordinary building. Its design resembled the Victorian era tall windows, stone columns, and intricate decorations.

In front of the building was a massive iron gate, and at the top of it a sign read: "Warster Kailey Academy."

I stopped.

"That's not the name of my university..."

The place was strange, and the name even stranger.

I heard voices coming from the left side, so I moved forward cautiously. Behind the wall, I saw other massive buildings and a wide courtyard filled with people. I froze as I watched them.

Everything looked... unnatural.

Some people had completely green skin, even their faces. Others had extremely white skin, as if no blood ran through their veins. And there were those who had small horns on their heads.

My breathing quickened.

Suddenly, I felt a hand touch my shoulder from behind.

I turned around quickly, to find a girl with green skin, long wet black hair, and cold blue eyes.

She said calmly, "Girl, are you okay? I saw you standing there shaking."

I screamed without realizing it: "Monsters! You are monsters!"

Her eyes widened. "Monsters? Where?"

I ran at full speed back toward the road I had come from. My heart was pounding violently; I just wanted to go back home.

I didn't notice the car coming toward me.

It suddenly stopped in front of me. The sound of the brakes was loud, and strong headlights hit the ground. I fell to the ground in fright.

A tall man stepped out of the car broad-shouldered, with neatly styled red hair. He was handsome and attractive, wearing sunglasses. He leaned toward me as he removed them.

His eyes were strangely yellow, and his skin was extremely pale.

He said coldly, "Damn it, are you trying to get my attention like an idiot?"

I didn't focus on his words as much as I focused on his long fangs that appeared when he spoke.

He grabbed me by the neck and pulled his face close to mine. "Are you trying to get a kiss or what?"

Then he leaned closer, as if smelling my face.

"I don't know why... your scent is amazing. Your blood smells fresh."

The blood froze in my veins.

I pushed him with all my strength, making him fall backward, then I got up and ran without stopping. I didn't know whether it was a disguise or reality, but his fangs were not fake. He looked like the vampires shown in movies.

Night fell quickly, and darkness covered the road. I stopped, panting, not knowing where to go.

I had no choice but to return to that place.

When I returned, the place was quiet. It seemed everyone had gone into their residences, and the lights illuminated the corridors.

Suddenly, a voice shouted behind me: "You! What are you doing here? Why didn't you go to your room?"

I turned around, my body shaking. He was wearing a guard's uniform, and his appearance resembled that of a vampire.

I said in a broken voice: "I... I don't know where to go."

He looked at me carefully. "You are a vampire. Tell me your name so I can find your room."

"A vampire?"

I looked at my hands. They were unnaturally pale. I touched my teeth with the tip of my tongue... my fangs were longer.

I said hesitantly: "My name is... Iris."

He took out his phone and began searching. "Iris... Iris... here you are. Iris Parkjo. Section C for vampires. Room 450. Go to your room immediately."

I said, "No, wait... you're wrong... my name isn't Iris Parkjo, it's Iris Lawrs."

But he... suddenly disappeared from in front of my eyes before I could finish speaking.

He didn't run or even walk he vanished instantly, leaving smoke in his place.

I rubbed my eyes, unable to believe what I had seen. Was it real, or just an illusion from exhaustion?

I looked up at the black sky and sighed. There was no solution but to go.

I entered the building, admiring the stunning design despite my fear. The place was amazing and incredibly beautiful: stone staircases, old paintings, warm yellow lights.

I reached the fourth floor and stopped in front of room 450. I slowly opened the door.

To be met by a half-naked boy standing directly in front of me.

Chapter Three:

The boy was standing directly in front of me. His abdominal muscles were clearly defined and tense, a towel carelessly wrapped around his waist, and his wet hair dripped over his shoulders and chest. For a moment I froze in place, my mind completely shut down. I looked at him longer than I should have; his body was stunning and alluring, and I drifted into my imagination, as if I had forgotten the reason I was here in the first place.

He raised an eyebrow when he noticed my staring.

He stepped toward me slowly, one step after another, until he trapped me against the door, placing his hands on both sides. I lifted my gaze to him, my eyes widening.

It was him.

The same boy who had gotten out of the car.

He said in a cold, arrogant voice, "Are you a stalker or a spy?"

I swallowed, my heart pounding violently. "No... I'm here... this is my room, I think."

He looked at me for a few seconds, then suddenly stepped back and sighed. "Fine. So you're my roommate."

My roommate? That's impossible!

"What's your name?"

"I'm... Iris."

He nodded. "And I'm Kevin Halkos. Be calm and don't bother me."

Then he turned around and entered one of the rooms, closing the door behind him, leaving me standing in the living room like a new piece of furniture that didn't know where it had been placed.

How could my roommate be a male? Is this normal here? Or have I entered an extra chapter of a never-ending nightmare?

Finally, I looked around carefully. The place wasn't an ordinary room; it was more like a small luxurious apartment. Two separate bedrooms, a fully equipped small kitchen, a shared bathroom, and a living room with a huge sofa and a large television mounted on the wall.

I moved toward the sofa and sat down cautiously, then grabbed the remote control and turned on the TV. Channels appeared one after another, but their names were unfamiliar. The anchors and guests looked strange; some had features that were too sharp, others had unnatural skin. Even the way they spoke was different.

I whispered to myself, "Is it possible that I swapped places with that girl? She went to my world... and I was summoned here?"

The idea sounded insane, but it was the only logical explanation in the middle of all this madness.

I stood up and headed toward the other room, next to Kevin's room. I opened the door slowly... it was neatly arranged: the bed was made, the desk was clean, as if its owner had left only minutes ago.

I walked toward the wardrobe and opened it. It was full of elegant clothes: dark dresses, long coats, and pieces that looked expensive. One particular outfit caught my attention: a white shirt, a black tie, a purple skirt with black lines, and a matching coat.

I stared at it silently. "Is this the academy uniform?"

I closed the wardrobe and headed to the desk. There was a phone on it. I grabbed it immediately and opened it without hesitation. It unlocked easily, with no password.

I began browsing through it and found many applications with strange names, their accounts almost empty, so I went into the photo gallery.

And I froze.

The gallery was full of pictures of me.

But... I had never taken them.

Pictures of me smiling at the camera, pictures of me in places I don't recognize, with unknown people. Even the videos I was speaking in my own voice, laughing in my own way, but I don't remember any of them.

I slowly ran my finger across the screen, trying to comprehend it. There was no trace of my grandfather, nor of Mark, nor of Maysan. No one I knew. They were all new people.

I opened an app called "My Happy Diary." At the top, I found a message titled: "To my dear Iris."

My hand trembled as I tapped on it.

"My dear Iris,

I hope you are well. I know that you are scared and lost right now, but I wanted to tell you that you will get used to this from now on. I am Carla Parkjo, the owner of the place you have taken. I am from a noble and wealthy vampire family. I received a strict upbringing from a young age as a noble, and I had to be more refined and mature than others. My life was ordinary; I did not receive special attention, nor was I ostracized. I was simply a noble person who hated her quiet life.

And one day, while I was performing one of my spells, my reflection in the mirror was reversed and transformed into your image. From that day on, I began watching you and spying on you from inside the mirror. Honestly, it was wonderful to watch you and see how much special attention you received from everyone the attention I once lost and longed for, which I found in your private life.

So I decided, at any cost, to prey on you and obtain a chance to change our worlds. After many experiments and spells, I succeeded in creating one and made you transfer to my world.

From now on, you will be in my place. Remember that you are now a vampire, but temporarily. In the morning, you are an ordinary human, and in the evening, you become a vampire. Be careful not to be exposed.

Tomorrow will be the first day at Warster Kailey Academy. I wish you a better life.

The end."

I finished reading and remained staring at the screen.

I felt intense anger rising inside me. I don't know if I was angry because my life had been stolen from me, or because what was coming might be far worse.

"Prey on you?" I muttered bitterly. "As if I were prey in a forest."

I had no choice but to accept this act temporarily, or find a way back to my world. But how? I knew no spells, and there were no magical mirrors within my reach. I looked at the mirror, and it reflected my image differently, as if I had become part of this world.

I lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I wished all of this were a foolish dream, and that I would wake up in my old room, hear my grandfather knocking on the door, and see Mark again.

I fell asleep after a long day filled with surprises.

I woke up early in the morning. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. Everything was the same.

The same room. It wasn't a dream or a nightmare it was a reality I had to live from now on.

I sighed, feeling the urge to cry and explode at the same time. I got up immediately and walked toward the window. I opened it, and sunlight slipped inside, falling across my face and hands.

I waited for a burning sensation... for pain... for anything.

But nothing happened.

I wasn't affected.

I remembered last night's message my partial transformation. Human in the morning, vampire in the evening.

"Great," I muttered bitterly.

I left my room and headed toward Kevin's room. I hesitated for a moment before entering, then opened the door without permission.

The room was completely dark, the curtains tightly drawn. I moved cautiously toward his bed.

He was lying on his back, his hands clasped over his chest, completely motionless. He looked like a corpse in an invisible coffin. I studied him for a few seconds. His face was calm, his features sharp even in sleep. If this was what vampires looked like while sleeping, I didn't want to see what they looked like when they woke up hungry.

I left quietly and closed the door.

I stood in the living area, thinking. If vampires were like this... then what about those with green skin? And those with horns? How many kinds lived here?

No answer.

I decided to leave the apartment or what was called a room. I walked down the corridor with cautious steps, looking around, trying to memorize the details. The walls were decorated with old paintings, the lighting was dim, and the floor was glossy.

There was no one awake. The place was almost empty. Even when I stepped outside into the courtyard, it was deserted except for a cool breeze passing between the trees.

I moved toward a small garden filled with flowers. I bent down to examine one of them and, without thinking, tried to pluck one of the beautiful red roses. Its thorn suddenly pricked me.

"Ah!"

A small drop of blood appeared on my finger. I tried to stop the bleeding with my other hand. And at that moment, I noticed a long shadow stretching across the ground behind me.

I froze.

I didn't turn around immediately, but I felt the presence of a tall person standing directly behind me. My breathing slowed, my hand still raised. I closed my eyes for a moment, as if bracing myself for what was about to happen.

Chapter Four:

I remained silent for a few moments, gripping my injured finger and staring at the shadow stretching out in front of me. I waited for what would happen. Would the shadow turn into a hand that grabs me? Would a creature with long teeth and glowing eyes appear behind me? Is this my end in a strange dormitory garden while I'm trying to pick a rose?

Heavy seconds passed. No sound. No movement.

I opened my eyes suddenly and turned around very slowly, as if I were afraid of startling something if I moved too quickly. I looked behind me... no one. I looked right and left the courtyard was completely empty. The trees were still, the air was cold, and there was no sign of anyone.

"Was it an illusion?" I whispered to myself.

But the feeling was real. It wasn't just imagination. I felt the presence of someone behind me, I felt breaths that weren't mine. I didn't dare stay any longer. I hurried back to the building and climbed the stairs quickly. When I entered the apartment, I closed the door tightly and leaned my back against it, catching my breath.

I was trembling.

I moved toward the kitchen looking for something to eat. I opened the refrigerator and found raw meat placed neatly in glass containers. Its smell alone made my stomach clench.

"Impossible..."

I closed the refrigerator quickly and opened the lower cabinets, where I found some dry bread. I grabbed it and ate it quickly, as if I were afraid it would disappear from my hands. I wasn't used to this strange hunger that attacked me so suddenly.

As evening approached, I began to hear sounds in the corridor. Doors opening, heavy footsteps, overlapping laughter. It seemed as if the place was waking up from a long slumber. I remembered what Carla had said. In the morning, human... and in the evening, vampires and my transformation was beginning to return.

I went to my room and put on the academic uniform I found in the wardrobe. The white shirt, the black tie, the purple skirt with dark stripes, and the matching coat. I adjusted my hair while looking at myself in the mirror.

My reflection was familiar... but not entirely mine.

"I don't belong here, but I have to understand this place if I want to survive."

I left the room to find Kevin in the living room. He was wearing the same uniform, the shirt clearly highlighting his athletic build. He looked different from the morning more lively, his yellow eyes gleaming. His beauty was charming and alluring.

Twisted thoughts crept into my mind as I gazed at his soft lips. I closed my eyes and lightly slapped myself.

"Wake up, Iris, you already have a boyfriend."

I looked at him again and noticed a strange emblem on his shirt, resembling a coiled fiery dragon.

Curiously, I asked, "Kevin, what's that on your shirt?"

He looked at me with clear sarcasm. "Are you really that ignorant, or are you just trying to find an excuse to talk to me?"

I bit my lip. His audacity knew no bounds.

But suddenly, his expression changed. He lifted his nose slightly, as if smelling something, and his eyes glowed eerily.

Before I could understand, he was in front of me in an instant, holding my injured hand.

"Your blood..." he said in a low voice. "It's... distinctive."

I pulled my hand back quickly and stepped back. But he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me toward him effortlessly.

"I think I'll take a little bite."

I trembled violently. "Stay away from me!"

I tried to push him, but he was far stronger. He bared his long fangs and leaned toward my neck.

At that moment, there was a loud knock at the door.

He froze, then sighed irritably. "Bad timing."

He stepped back, straightened up, grabbed his bag, and headed to the door, leaving without a word, while I heard voices of greetings and laughter outside.

I collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily, as if I had come back to life after a moment of suffocation. Even though I had cleaned my wound in the morning and put a bandage on it, he had been able to smell the blood easily.

This meant that others could do the same.

Fear knocked on my chest again, hard.

But I forced myself to get up. I couldn't stay hidden. I stepped into the corridor where everyone was wearing the same uniform, heading toward the adjacent academy.

I was still tense from their appearances and behavior, but I tried to walk calmly, observing without drawing attention.

When I stood before the gate of Warster Kailey Academy, the place was crowded with students. I took a deep breath and entered. The courtyard was wide and green, the buildings massive with a royal design blending Victorian style with a modern touch. I felt as if I had stepped into another era.

I stood in the wide corridor, watching the students. I didn't know where to go or what to do...

Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me: "Ha! There you are! Yesterday's girl!"

I turned quickly. It was the green-skinned girl who had spoken to me yesterday.

She smiled lightly and said, "What happened yesterday? You were running like crazy."

I stammered a little. "I was nervous... sorry."

She chuckled softly. "It's okay. By the way, I'm Maya Arrogia, first year."

I smiled. "I'm... Iris Laws... I mean, Iris Parkju, first year too."

I wasn't sure if I really was in the first year or not.

We walked together, and I followed her in silence. She said excitedly, "Let's go to the first lecture."

I didn't know which lecture she was talking about, but I followed her until we reached a huge auditorium resembling a cinema hall. When I entered, my eyes widened. The seats were arranged in tiered rows, and the stage at the front was vast.

Suddenly, Maya signaled to the seat next to her, and I sat beside her, watching silently as the hall filled with students. Suddenly, the lights around us went out, leaving only the stage illuminated.

An elderly man stood there, his features sharp, and his eyes a steady red. His voice was deep as he said:

"I am Principal James Cashmable. Welcome, new students, to Warster Kailey Academy, the grand academy that unites the three kinds: vampires, demons, and ghouls. Here, you are all equal. No one is above another."

He paused for a moment, then continued: "I wish you the best experiences and happiness here at the Academy of the Nation."

After that, everyone in the hall began clapping and whistling. I clapped with them, though I was thinking only one thing:

"Not just vampires... but demons and ghouls too."

Maya turned to me excitedly. "I'm so thrilled! To start my first day here. How about you?"

I looked at her green skin and smiled nervously. "Yes... I'm excited too."

When we left, darkness had fallen. The sky was black, and the lamps lit the corridors. I realized that the day here was very short, and the night was long.

Then we went to the name lists. Maya said, "Look, your name is here. Section G-3 for Biology and Science. And I'm in A-2 for Technology."

I felt a small disappointment that she wasn't in my class; she was the only person I knew here.

"We'll meet later," she said with a smile, then left.

I entered my classroom hesitantly. As soon as I stepped in, I felt many eyes on me. Different faces, eyes of unnatural colors, mysterious smiles. I sat in an empty seat in the third row, trying to appear calm. I placed my hands on the desk and took a deep breath.