The Hunter Academy's courtyard buzzed with chatter as students dispersed after Zian Kael's speech. Kaen leaned against a tree, lazily twirling an ice cream cone between his fingers. His crimson eyes tracked her every move—the way her white hair caught the sunlight, the measured grace of her steps.
*"A soul like yours doesn't belong here,"* he mused silently.
Zian paused mid-conversation with a classmate, her golden eyes flickering toward the shadows where Kaen stood. For a heartbeat, their gazes locked. A ripple of tension passed between them, invisible to others. Then she smiled politely and turned away.
Kaen's lips curled. *"You felt that, didn't you?"*
That night, under a moon veiled by clouds, Kaen slipped into the academy's restricted archives. Shadows clung to him like a second skin, muffling his presence. He traced a finger over ancient texts about the "Celestial Wars"—records of the god's fall, erased from modern history. A single page mentioned the twelfth angel: *"Zareth, the Loyal. Last seen descending into darkness."*
A floorboard creaked behind him. Kaen didn't turn. "You're up late, Zian."
The girl stepped into the dim light, her golden eyes glowing faintly. "These records are forbidden for a reason," she said, voice steady. "Who are you?"
Kaen snapped the book shut. "An ally of you." He tilted his head, shadows dancing in his grin. "Or at least, I could be. But you'd have to trust me first."
Zian's hand twitched toward the dagger at her waist. "Allies don't lurk in shadows or speak of dead gods."
Laughing softly, Kaen spread his arms. "Oh, I'm *very* human. Mostly." The shadows at his feet writhed like living things. "Tell me, loyal one —do you remember the god's face when you failed him?"
Her composure cracked. The dagger flashed. Kaen caught her wrist effortlessly, his grip freezing her muscles. "Careful," he whispered. "You're not strong enough yet."
A bell tolled in the distance—the midnight curfew. Zian wrenched free, retreating. "This isn't over."
Kaen watched her vanish into the hallways, shadows curling around his smirk. "No," he agreed. "It's just beginning."