The afternoon sun hung over Aurelius Academy, washing the white marble courtyards in a soft golden glow, yet an unseen tension still clung to the stone bench where Lina and Chloe sat. Students walked past with books in hand, chatting excitedly about the tournament ahead, totally oblivious to the danger standing just behind the two girls.

Assistant Professor Elizabeth kept her usual kind smile as she leaned in a little, her golden hair drifting in the breeze while the holy compass hidden under her sleeve vibrated fiercely. Chloe’s whole body tensed at once; ever since she became a Dhampir, her senses had grown unnaturally sharp.

She could hear the faint metallic shake of the compass even while it stayed concealed, and every instinct buried deep in her new bloodline insisted that the object was dangerous.

Next to her, Lina was just as uneasy, though for a completely different reason. She simply found Elizabeth terrifying.

Inside the carry-bag, however, Qhuin grasped the situation right away. If this went on for even a few more seconds, Elizabeth would eventually notice that something about Chloe was deeply wrong.

His ruby eyes narrowed in the dark of the bag. He didn’t hesitate. His cold voice rang directly inside Lina’s mind. Move now, brat. Spill the mana pool.

Lina no longer even bothered to question him; her body moved on instinct. She suddenly lurched and slipped sideways, bumping into Elizabeth’s arm with an awkward yelp.

At the same time, she lost control of her mana. A massive surge of raw energy burst out of her body, flooding the air around them like a dam giving way. The sheer force was enough to drown out everything nearby.

The silver needle inside Elizabeth’s holy compass spun wildly before sparks flew from its surface, and thin wisps of smoke slipped out as the device’s inner mechanism failed.

Lina quickly bowed again and again, her face bright red with embarrassment. "I-I’m sorry, Professor! I tripped!" she said in a flustered rush.

Elizabeth looked at the ruined compass for a moment, her smile twitching just slightly before settling back into its usual sweetness. "Oh my, how clumsy," she chuckled softly, though the warmth in her eyes was gone.

She gave Chloe one last glance before standing straight. "Be careful, little sweeties. Sudden changes can be very dangerous." With that, she walked off, her griffin following silently behind her.

Only after Elizabeth had fully disappeared did both girls finally let out their breath. Lina pressed a hand to her chest while Chloe stared down at her trembling fingers.

Neither of them noticed Qhuin quietly watching from inside the bag. The academy was growing more dangerous by the day. The people hunting him were smart, patient, and adapting fast. Every day the room for error shrank, and every day his little empire had to grow faster than the ones trying to tear it apart.

Night eventually fell over Aurelius Academy, and the busy campus turned into a quiet kingdom of shadows as moonlight spilled across rooftops and empty courtyards.

Behind the academy, near the abandoned alchemy storage yard, Chloe slipped carefully through rusted iron gates and stepped into the forgotten training grounds.

The old stone paths were cracked with age, and weeds had long ago taken over the edges of the yard. She noticed something odd about herself right away.

Just days earlier, she would have stumbled over uneven ground, but now her body adjusted its balance before her mind even caught up, and even the wind, every distant motion, and every tiny sound felt magnified. It was thrilling, but also frightening.

Marcus’s older cousin was already waiting beneath a broken pillar. He stood calm and disciplined, and although he still looked like a noble student, something about him had clearly changed.

The faint ruby sheen hidden deep in his eyes gave him away. Before Chloe could speak, a small white rabbit hopped onto the pillar above them. Its fur looked harmless in the moonlight, but the midnight-black tips of its ears seemed to swallow the silver light around it.

The instant its ruby eyes opened, the whole atmosphere shifted. His voice echoed straight into their minds. "Save your breath, Dhampir, within the Crimson Eclipse, noble titles are nothing but ashes you both serve me, now draw your weapons."

Marcus’s cousin obeyed at once, drawing his twin daggers in one smooth motion. Chloe, meanwhile, slowly raised her fists. She had no formal weapon, yet she didn’t feel afraid. In fact, she felt oddly excited.

Her heartbeat quickened as the noble upperclassman rushed at her, the daggers flashing through the air with practiced precision, but before she could even think about defending herself, her body had already moved and stepped aside, acting on its own, and caught his wrist, her eyes widened in shock.

She had never been this fast before. The noble student twisted free and struck again, but this time Chloe laughed and the sound startled even her. She wasn’t trying to laugh; it just slipped out.

Something buried deep in her blood was waking up. The fight went on for several minutes, and with every exchange, Chloe’s excitement grew stronger, her muscles felt lighter, her reflexes sharper, and every movement sent a rush of exhilaration through her veins.

The world around her seemed to slow, and she could almost guess the path of every incoming strike before it landed, her smile slowly widened, turning more dangerous.

Then, before she truly realized it, something inside her broke loose. Her eyes burned crimson as battle-thirst swallowed reason.

She surged forward with frightening speed and drove her palm into the noble student’s chest.

The удар cracked his armor and threw him backward, and before he could recover, she was already on top of him and her nails sharpened into claws while her whole body screamed at her to end it.

Then everything came to a halt as a crushing pressure dropped over the courtyard.

The air itself grew heavy, and Chloe froze at once. Standing between them was Qhuin, his tiny rabbit body hadn’t changed at all, yet his presence felt ancient and overwhelming.

His small paw held her wrist with effortless force. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t move even an inch, the bloodlust still raging in her mind fought against his authority, but it was useless.

Without hesitation, Qhuin bit his own paw and drew out a single drop of glowing crimson blood. He pressed it to her lips.

The moment she swallowed it, the madness vanished completely a warmth spread through her body as the bloodlust melted into obedience, and her pupils returned to normal, and she dropped to her knees, breathing hard.

Qhuin looked down at her with emotionless ruby eyes. "You are a Dhampir. Not a beast. If you lose control like that inside the tournament arena, I will drain you dry myself before anyone else gets the chance."

Chloe shivered at once. She wasn’t offended, and she wasn’t angry. She was scared, because she knew he meant every word.

Above them, Aurelius Academy stayed calm and unaware.

Students slept in their dormitories, dreaming about classes and tournaments, completely clueless about the secret organization taking shape beneath their feet.

The Crimson Eclipse was no longer just an idea. It was becoming real. And tomorrow, Chloe’s true training would begin.