The night in the city of Iethura was different.
The people here slept early. Not for the sake of rest… but out of fear. For after midnight, the city began to reveal its true face. Dark deals. Forbidden magic. Mysterious disappearances. And nobles who concealed their monsters behind elegant smiles.
As for Kim… he was walking calmly across one of the rooftops, his eyes observing the city from above. The illuminated palaces. The pitch-black slums. And the divide between them… was mere a single street.
He smiled with a faint trace of irony.
> "Even hell loves organization."
>
He jumped quietly onto another roof, then suddenly stopped.
Footsteps. Light. Regular. Someone had been trailing him for some time. But instead of turning around, he spoke calmly:
> "If you are going to watch me…"
> "At least attempt to conceal your intent."
>
Silence reigned for a moment. Then—a girl materialized on the opposite rooftop.
Long silver hair. A black coat adorned with crimson threads. And strange, ruby-red eyes. She was dangerously beautiful. But what caught Kim's attention most was the darkness behind her. It wasn't natural darkness. It was something alive, shifting slowly like smoke.
The girl smiled faintly.
> "So, you feel it too."
>
Kim did not answer; he only watched her serenely. As for her, she took a step closer.
> "Strange."
> "When the shadow told me that the newcomer would be different…"
>
She raised her eyes toward him.
> "I didn't expect him to be a mere commoner vagrant."
>
Kim let out a low laugh.
> "And I didn't expect to find someone carrying the stench of death this quickly."
>
Her smile froze slightly for the very first time. Then, her eyes narrowed.
> "Who are you?"
>
But Kim answered with another question:
> "Who are you?"
>
Silence fell between them. The air grew heavier, and even the rain ceased. Then, she finally spoke:
> "Iris von Nox."
> "The third heiress of the Nox Family."
>
Even in this world, that family name alone was enough to alter the way people breathed. The Nox Family—one of the Six Great Families, a house intertwined with black magic and curses.
But Kim merely tilted his head slightly.
> "So, you are a noble."
>
She smiled mockingly.
> "You seem unaffected."
> "Most commoners kneel before my name is even spoken."
>
He replied calmly:
> "Because they see the name."
>
He raised his eyes toward her.
> "But as for me… I see the human hiding behind it."
>
And for a fraction of a second—Iris felt something strange. It was as if he were peering directly inside her, into the very part she kept hidden from everyone. The dark part.
She instinctively took a step back. Kim, however, noticed it instantly.
> "So, even the nobles fear."
>
Her eyes quivered slightly, then she smiled again. But this time, her smile lacked its absolute confidence.
> "You are dangerous."
> "And that piques my curiosity."
>
Kim turned to leave, but she suddenly spoke:
> "You are going to the academy examination, aren't you?"
>
His steps halted.
> "And what if I am?"
>
Iris raised her hand, and a black card materialized between her fingers, bearing the engraved crest of Aetheron Academy.
> "This is a special invitation."
> "Even some nobles fail to obtain it."
>
She tossed it toward him. Kim caught it smoothly, then looked down at it in silence.
> "Why are you helping me?"
>
Iris lowered her eyes slightly, then whispered:
> "Because I feel that your appearance…"
>
She raised her gaze to him once more.
> "Will bring a catastrophe upon this world."
>
Silence fell. Then—Kim smiled. A very calm smile, yet it struck fear even into the shadows.
> "Finally."
> "Someone who understands me a little."
>
In the very next moment, he vanished from the rooftop.
Iris's eyes widened; she hadn't even sensed his movement. As for the darkness behind her, it began to whisper frantically:
> "It is him…"
> "He resembles him…"
> "He resembles the Ancient King…"
>
Her body froze.
> "Impossible…"
>
But the voice within the darkness laughed with dread—a genuine, primal fear.
> "If that monster enters the academy…"
> "Then all of Iethura will drown in blood."
>