A Kiss For The Alpha

Akashic Academy

A wave of the deepest despair swept over me in the darkness. I knew I had died. I literally had a heart attack from unbearable pain because my boyfriend cheated on me with my best friend.

Chronic illness ran in my family, but I had never dreamed that it would come to such a sad ending with me. Anger and hatred towards my ex-boyfriend were the first things that came into my mind.

"Men can't be trusted. That jerk!" I muttered in bitterness.

Yet the more I thought about how it was all linked, I started to hold less blame on him; I had been so absorbed in the romance novels, and felt like I'd left him behind, and stopped putting any attention into the man who really was supposed to matter the most. So charged by fantasy love, I forgot to take care of the love standing right next to me.

I pulled my hair out in frustration, shaking my head at how unfair life had been to me by placing me in this unenviable situation. I want to live despite the despondency that grips me beyond measure. I resolved silently that if given a chance again at life, I would not only romance novels but live a present life with joy in the relationships that come into my life.

Just as I had concluded this, a blinding light wrapped itself around me, and the next thing I knew, I lay on a neatly trimmed lawn beside an odd tree that I had never seen before.

I looked down at myself, touching my slender limbs and modest figure. "Ugh. they'll get bigger eventually," I said to myself with a hint of self-deprecation.

As I continued to examine myself, I found I was very much alive. My surroundings, however, were astonishing. Before me rose a grand structure, similar to a noble's castle, but with an unmistakable aura of an academy. The lawn and its environs were immaculately kept, indicating someone was very attentive to them. Further off, towering walls of fortified brick shimmered in the light, circling the area. The sky above them was grim, dark with clouds and an uncanny breeze.

It was a light tap on the shoulder that jolted me out of my reverie. I turned to see a tall blonde standing before me in a formal black suit, his skin fair to near pale. His eyes were deep crimson red, as if peering straight into my soul. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him.

"There's always some enrollee who gets lost in the Akashic Academy grounds, so don't be ashamed," he said in a low comforting voice.

"Ah. Ne, no, I am not an enrollee," I stammered, fidgeting a strand of hair.

"Oh, perhaps you're a transfer student? I see. Let me assist you. May I ask your name?" The tall blonde man splayed his right hand across his chest in a gesture almost courtly. Flustered, but somehow clearing my head, I said,.

"I'm Fey Fontaine." I stammered. It sounded weird on my lips, and I wasn't so sure if I should tell him I wasn't some transfer student from this world or something.

"Fey. A name that means the light of the forest. You ought to know me by now, but I am Lucien Luminaire."

"Really? Lucien. That's such a beautiful name." I returned still in a daze from the strangeness of it all.

He introduced himself as Lucien and led me into the academy. Whatever was inside actually outshone the outside view: it looked royal, it looked grand, and the attendants, professors, and students all moved like nobles. The pillars and chandeliers, with their highly intricate details, furthered the fantasy.

It felt like I had stepped into my favorite romance novel, one in which I have always wanted to live. The place was straight out of a fairy tale. He took me through the hallways in the academy, showing different rooms and facilities. My eyes stared at everything-the intricate details on the wall, the big chandeliers hanging from the ceiling; it all felt so unreal.

As we entered a stately chamber, Lucien sat behind an elegant desk and gestured to the ornate chair in front of him.

"I'm in charge of attending to transfer students. The process will be quick, so first, your family background."

"My family.?" I began, feeling a flush of anxiety as words failed to come out.

My mind was reeling, hardly believing this was all real, even trying to push out just how it was: that I didn't have family here, that I wasn't from this world. Lucien looked like he understood that his question brought discomfort and silently waited for my response.

"Is it something you find difficult to discuss?" Lucien asked in a tone of understanding, reading the atmosphere.

"Yeah. something like that," I confessed. It was kind of a miracle that I was here at all. I was beginning to realize if I wanted to navigate this new reality, I needed to keep the secret of not being from this world.

"Well, don't worry. Some of the students here do have their own reasons for not being able to introduce their families, and that is perfectly okay. Akashic Academy is open to people who have a spirit of wanting to protect the future. But I will have to put you in the rank of Omega, below all of your other ranks." Lucien explained. Confused, but heaving a nod of assurance to whatever was going on.

"Omega? I'm cool with that," I said, although I was curious what this rank entailed and whether I really fit in here.

"Alright. And that's about it. Here, please read the contract before signing it," Lucien said, flipping a thin sheet of paper towards me across the desk.

I carefully read through the contract, scrutinizing every line from the stamp to the final punctuation. I wanted to make sure I wasn't signing something I was going to regret. It seemed pretty legitimate, so I picked up the pen from beside the flower vase and signed the contract. Although I was puzzled by the title of "Pureblood Vampire" written under Lucien's name next to his signature.

"Here and. there, it's signed," I said, as my pen completed the curly stroke of my signature. The instant I finished the paper seemed to burst into flame, and the corner of the document was eaten by fire until it was nothing but ashes.

As soon as I had signed the paper, a strange feeling ran over my body. There was a glow of some strange mark on my chest. It was a heart with a small star inside, and it lay just below the collarbone and above the bosom. I stared in disbelief, unable to fathom the reality that magic exists in this world!

"What. What is this mark on my chest?!" I panicked, trying to rub it away, but it was firmly etched onto my skin.

"That is the mark of the witch," Lucien explained calmly. "It signifies you have been enrolled at Akashic Academy. The mark might sting a little, but that is part of your new life here.

I stared at the mark on my chest, before looking up at Lucien, my mind trying to wrap around the fact magic existed, and I was going to be a student here.

"Wait a minute. Now that you mention it, what does 'Pureblood Vampire' mean under your name? Is that like, some kind of title?" I asked, pointing out the oddity in the contract.

Instead of answering directly, Lucien looked momentarily flummoxed. "I am a Pureblood Vampire," he said, the furrowing of his eyebrows clearly showing. "Wait, you really don't know me? Are you perhaps someone who grew up in the sanctuary's orphanage? That would explain things, at least.

"A Vampire!? There's no way," I exclaimed in utter disbelief. Lucien smiled, his voice revealing the sharp fangs underneath, which sent a greater shock through my being. Seeing those fangs gleam in reflection to the lamp light above, sending tingles down my spine with its unnatural cold sensation.

"Huh? Am I dreaming?" My eyes widened in disbelief. It was almost too hard to comprehend that Lucien was a Vampire.

"I guess I assumed you knew all about the academy. Let me explain," Lucien said, his face turning serious.

Lucien continued by telling me that the students who attended Akashic Academy were known as witches, and that their job was to find their mates in either Lycans or Vampires. I could hardly swallow the information since it seemed to be a mix of fiction and reality.

"As you may have already noticed, only female humans possess magic," Lucien started, his tone deep and serious. "Akashic Academy trains witches, and then they're assigned a Mate, either the Lycans or Vampires. The binding of a witch and her Mate is what holds at bay the Nightclaws, monsters that destroy the world outside this haven.

The truth was sinking in, and my head reeled from the input of new information. My heart was throbbing with the realization of what lay ahead in terms of responsibilities and dangers as I struggled to maintain composure.

He further said that Nightclaws are monsters who carry some type of contagious, incurable virus, infecting only women, which has pushed the females to a critical 5%. The fact that there is an epidemic here without any cure was just enough to make me return to my old world.

Really, I won't be able to go back? My anxious voice quivered slightly. I just wanted to read my romance novels, not fight monsters. I said in all plain candor. With this second chance at life given, I did not want it to be wasted fighting those accursed creatures.

Lucien's expression softened, and it seemed he heard the confusion and fear in my voice. "I know this is a lot to take in, but the academy needs willing female humans such as yourself. Your powers as a witch are so much needed in protection against everything that goes on in the world. Please do not worry, you will have time to get used to everything, and you will learn how to harness your powers."

"Really.?" I asked, my voice quavering.

"Yes, really," Lucien said reassuringly.

With each word that escaped his lips, my chest seemed to constrict to the point where it was unbearable. The next thing I knew, I slumped forward onto the desk, my world going dark. Lucien was quickly behind me, steadying me, his face contorted in distress. I felt heavier than before. The last thought that swam in my head as I blacked out was, "What have I gotten myself into?"