His gaze met Felicity's. After a moment of silence, they nodded, and the cashier promptly released her. Felicity quickly approached Kei, and the two exited the shop to face the other red-eyed pupils.
One student with long, wavy blonde hair stepped forward and removed his wand from beside his mouth.
"Full marks for obedience and understanding the reality of your situation." He gave a small grin. "The Lady will surely be pleased."
"I will ask again," Kei stated, standing in front of Felicity. "What the hell do you want? And who is this 'lady' you're referring to?"
The blonde pupil did not respond. He merely stepped to one side and rotated his wand-wielding arm clockwise, creating a wide rift that radiated massive astral force. He then put his wand away and gestured for them to enter.
The two freshmen exchanged glances, unsure of what to anticipate.
"I say we just go see what this 'lady' wants." Felicity lowered her voice. "They aren't really giving us much of a choice here."
Kei exhaled. "Agreed. Let us move."
Without another word, Kei and Felicity walked toward the portal. As they drew closer, Kei shot the blonde boy a searching glance.
Something about him was peculiar. His presence was unnerving despite his obvious humanity, as though a supernatural entity were wearing human skin. It wasn't just him, either. The other red-eyed pupils surrounding them possessed the same indistinct radiance.
Everything about this felt… wrong.
And it made Kei anxious.
The two teens stepped through the portal.
A flash of light followed.
"..."
Once their vision returned, they found themselves on the rooftop of a small building.
""...?!""
Sitting beneath a parasol before them was an enchanting young woman with pale, glistening skin, crimson eyes, and long, peach-blonde hair styled in an East Gläcian mohawk braid, with a black flower knotted on the left side. She wore a gothic, long-sleeved crimson velvet lolita dress adorned with black frills.
With one look at the young woman, everything clicked for Kei. Crimson eyes. A parasol shielding her from the sun. A group of servants who appeared to be under some form of influence. A supernatural aura emanating from her very existence.
All the signs pointed to one clear answer.
She has to be a…
"Kei S'han of Neema and Felicity Hartenstein, I presume?"
She eventually looked up from the beige file folder in her hands. Her eyes were sharp as scimitars, curled yet sharp enough to penetrate one's soul if one wasn't careful. She closed the folder and placed it on the table beside her.
"Ah, where are my manners?"
The girl straightened up and stepped into the sunlight.
Kei's eyes flared.
The clicking of her red velvet, round-toe wedge heels echoed across the terrace, matching Kei's heartbeat with every stride. The girl, who turned out to be fairly small, came to a halt a few steps away from them and curtsied reverently.
"I am Lady Sydney B. Jones, the daughter of Baron Damian of House Jones. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Dear, Gods…" Felicity managed.
Kei eyed her. "What is it?"
"I-It's…it's her, Kei. The Ace of Basilisk Academy."
"What?!"
"And Lord Damian, her father, is the leader of New Dragonia."
Kei was beside himself. The more Felicity divulged, the deeper the hole appeared to get.
Sydney looked up and gave them a look of dismay, her lips forming a little, playful pout.
"You two should realize that it is impolite to speak about someone as if they are not present." Sydney stood up straight and folded her arms expectantly. "While they are actively greeting you, I might add."
The two were startled by her admonition and turned to face her again.
"W-We are terribly sorry, Lady Sydney," Felicity replied with a bow. "I-It isn't every day that a freshman gets to meet the school's Ace on opening day. Please, forgive our insolence."
Silence ensued. The tiny young woman coldly observed the half-elf and the human girl for a moment. Kei could feel his muscles tightening.
After a moment, Sydney sighed.
"No matter. Come. Sit. There is much to discuss."
She motioned toward her table. With a snap of her fingers, a couple of her thralls swooped in and set two extra chairs across the table from hers. The blonde one from before came over and poured three fresh cups of tea.
As they took their seats, Sydney looked at Kei with curiosity.
"Judging from the expression you gave earlier… You don't see many vampires where you're from, I assume."
"No, milady. I cannot say I have."
His eyes fell on the scarlet pendant around her neck. She took notice.
"Oh, did this catch your eye?" She held up the pendant between her thumb and index finger, giving him a closer look. "It's called a bloodstone. When worn, it permits my kind, or at least the full-blooded ones, to stroll around in broad daylight. Much like half-bloods do. Fascinating, isn't it?"
He cut to the chase.
"Why are we here? Was sending for us really worth threatening Felicity's life over?"
Her smile fell.
"Ah. That. Well, I did give them clear instructions to use force if necessary. As members of Basilisk's student body, no harm would have truly befallen either of you. I suppose my thralls merely wanted to… spook you a bit."
She giggled, but Kei grit his teeth. He couldn't believe how flippant she was after her thralls had caused such disarray.
"I see," Kei said, attempting to conceal his disgust. "So you believe that you may play with people's lives at your leisure. Is your notion of fun to bring a freshman, a fellow Basilisk student, to tears?"
"You seem a lot more upset than she is, Mister S'han."
"Wouldn't you be if you were in our position?"
She took a sip from her cup.
"Were I in your position, I would have been free by now."
Mana rushed into Kei's veins.
"You know, that isn't such a bad idea."
He shot up from his chair, and the air around them began to shift.
Sydney locked eyes with him.
"Oh. I knew I was going to like this one, Holland."
"Kei!" Felicity grasped his arm. "Please calm yourself."
She motioned to several of Sydney's thralls, who had gathered around them with wands, staffs, and bladed weapons at the ready. He clenched his fists, tempered his mana, and sat back down without breaking eye contact with the vampire girl.
"Your tea is getting cold."
He examined the rich brown liquid in the cup before him. It gave off a deep, slightly sweet aroma. Kei wasn't very familiar with the various types of tea out there, but he had to admit that this particular brew didn't smell horrible.
"Well? Go on," Sydney urged. "Not to worry. I gathered the leaves myself. I promise you that they are not laced with any… suspicious substances. Dare I say, that would make me a criminal."
That slight delay sounds very unconvincing.
When he saw Felicity pick up her cup, he followed suit, taking slow, careful sips. Predictably, the tea was sweet, but it did not overstay its welcome. A hint of bitterness complemented the sweetness, leaving a pleasantly delicious aftertaste.
"Wow…"
"This is…"
Sydney smiled at their reactions.
"Maltysweet," she remarked, holding her cup in hand. "They come from the Eternal Fields in the Great Forest of Everwood. They are difficult to find in markets outside the forest, so traveling all the way to Finlii merely to buy the seeds was quite inconvenient."
She paused, motioning toward Kei and Felicity.
"As you can tell from your own taste buds, I'd say the journey was definitely worth it. Am I wrong?"
They glanced back at her but did not answer her question. Kei remained stone-faced, while Felicity forced an awkward half-smile.
""...""
Sydney sighed and moved on, realizing that their minds weren't going to wander off to a new topic so easily.
"I suppose it's time I revealed why I've brought you two here." She backtracked, her voice becoming more serious and focused. "You see, it is quite easy for me to become bored. And for nearly two years, I've been craving some excitement."
She leaned back in her chair.
"And then you two came along. A gifted freshman bard meeting a young Elven warrior from exotic lands. From the moment I laid eyes on you both, I knew you'd make for a more enjoyable and exciting experience here at Basilisk."
She smiled.
"Going into my final year, I could use a little extra entertainment in my life before graduation."
She set her cup down, exchanging looks with her underclassmen.
"Mister S'han. Miss Hartenstein."
Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
"I would like for you both to become my new thralls."
""...?!""
Her new thralls?
Kei was taken aback. She had done all of this because she wanted them under her hypnotic control, just like the other student mages at her disposal? Kei was aware that the nobility could be pompous and greedy, but this was a new level of boldness.
He exchanged a glance with Felicity, who appeared as astonished as he was. She took a breath and turned back to face Sydney.
"A thousand pardons, milady," she said, giving another bow. "I will have to respectfully decline your offer."
Kei scoffed. "Besides. It appears that you have plenty of thralls to go around."
He rose up again, slowly and calmly.
"If you truly think we'll just sit here and willingly give ourselves up to you…" His mana started to increase once more. "Then this maltysweet must have caused significant damage to your head. You nobility truly feel as though you can do whatever you please. Expecting others to simply allow you to influence their thoughts… All on a foolish whim!"
"One bite," Sydney smiled, raising her right index finger.
"What?"
"One bite is all it would take for you to fall under my Blood Dominion spell."
She motioned towards her student servants.
"You may find this hard to believe," the vampire girl went on, "but every single one of my thralls came to me of their own free will. Whether it was romantic affection, protection, or simply a desire for more power and status, such as conquering me and claiming my title as Ace."
She rose from her chair, her crimson eyes fixed on the taller elf boy.
"So, how about we settle this with a duel, Mister S'han?"
Kei answered without hesitation, "Alright, then. Would that be enough to satisfy your boredom?"
"Huh?!"
"Oh??"
Felicity's head snapped in Kei's direction, and Sydney's eyes widened with interest and excitement.
"K-Kei! What are you doing?" Felicity demanded. "Challenging the Ace while you are still rankless? That's pure insanity!"
"I fail to see any other options, Felicity."
"..."
Her silence indicated that she knew he was correct, but he could tell from the moment he met Felicity that she was not a fighter. Regardless of what Sydney said, he had a feeling this wouldn't end without a clash of some kind.
"I should've expected that answer, Mister S'han. It seems you've been raring to go ever since we met."
Sydney folded her arms.
"Let us sweeten the deal, then, shall we?"
A blast of wind swept across the rooftop, dancing through Sydney's peach-blonde hair.
"If you can land a clean hit, you'll be granted your freedom, and I'll never bother either of you again."
"..."
"Buuut… should you lose…"
She moved around the table and stopped in front of the young elf, smiling up at him.
"You and Miss Hartenstein are to join me. No questions asked. You will be completely under my control and obey my every command."
Her smile widened.
"Of course, after I graduate, I'll break the enchantment, and the two of you will be free to resume your normal lives."
She tilted her head.
"How does that sound, my dear?"
Kei turned around to retrieve his steel club from his bag.
What better way to put your skills to the test than to compete against the Ace of your new academy?