The room was silent, with the late afternoon light slipping through the cracks in the window, bathing the space in a golden and cold tone.
Sera stood there, unmoving, like a living statue.
She could still smell his scent in the air, and even though the room was empty for now, it felt like he was filling every corner of it.
She stood for a few minutes, silently observing the space.
The bed was messy, the corners of the windows slightly dusty. It was a small space, almost lifeless — but there was something there. Something pulling her in, like that strange and comforting scent had soaked into the place.
Without realizing it, she sat down, still motionless, as if being pressed down by an invisible presence.
But none of it made sense.
Least of all the thoughts she was trying to push away.
She remained still, eyes locked ahead, lost in her thoughts.
'You found him here by following his scent too, didn't you?'
Azura's words echoed in her mind.
She tried to ignore it. But she couldn't.
After all, it was true.
He had a different scent. Something she could feel even from a distance.
Maybe it was because of the time he spent among humans...
No. Humans really did smell more appealing to predatory monsters, but this was different. Deeply different.
It was more... clean. Warm. Comforting.
Maybe it was because of that blue aura... that soul purity thing.
Sera clenched her fingers, looking at her own hand. Her palms were damp. Not to the point of dripping, but enough to bother her.
She glanced at the door.
The smell was coming from there.
Strong, present, and irritating.
'Controlling my instincts is going to be harder than I thought.'
She slowly shook her head, trying to push the thoughts away.
"What the hell am I even thinking..."
She raised her hand to her forehead, frustrated.
'I should've taken it before walking around like this...'
...
"..."
Rowan let the water run down his body.
'I didn't even do anything these past few days, but I feel tired all the time.'
Maybe he needed to get back to working out.
Before coming to Meridiana Academy, he was trying to build a routine. Light jogging, a bit of gym, just the basics.
He didn't do much.
But it was enough to not feel worn out just from regular school days.
'Although classes here are far from regular'
But the real problem now... was the environment.
'I almost died just trying to get to this school. Imagine trying to jog around it? The creatures here would kill me just for the audacity.'
He turned off the shower and let the last few drops slide down before grabbing the towel.
'I should've arranged a meeting spot with Sera. Now I'll have to go looking for her...'
He sighed, picking up his uniform.
"I don't usually do this, but I'm in a rush."
Rowan was like anyone else: if he had time, he'd get dressed in the room. No time, he'd do it right there in the bathroom.
He quickly put on the pants and white shirt.
"Ugh... Should I just wear the same thing for the rest?"
"Gross..."
"If you wanna stink, maybe."
"..."
====
Rowan froze as he stepped out of the bathroom.
She was there. Sitting. On his bed.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"What?"
"Sera... this is my room."
"Obviously. That's why I'm here."
He didn't know whether to freak out about her barging into his room like it was totally normal, or thank the heavens he had come out of the bathroom already dressed.
"You do know I could've come out... without..."
"I saw you left just the blazer here."
He was still trying to process it.
"And if I hadn't—"
"I would've killed you."
Rowan looked away, staring at the window. The weak light of late afternoon lit up the room, making the scene feel more dramatic than funny.
'Everyone in this school is definitely crazy.'
===
Meridiana Academy – Upper Terrace
The cold breeze blew across the terrace, but none of the three moved. Only their voices cut through the heavy air.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yeah. I've been watching him closely these last few days."
"You really think he's just some idiot?"
A tongue slowly ran over lips. The smile came right after — wide and satisfied.
"Absolutely... He's more lost than anything I've seen."
"Hmph. Finally."
The figure stepped closer with light, unhurried steps.
She leaned against the stone railing.
"When the right moment comes, bring him."
"Are you sure he doesn't need any special handling?"
"Yes... I've confirmed it. Just don't draw attention. Nothing that would get the other idiots involved. Especially that guy."
"Got it..."
===
Library – 4:50 PM
"So? Do you have any idea what to write?"
Sera watched him as he adjusted a sheet on the table.
"We need to create an article about ways to improve relationships between monsters and humans."
Rowan rolled his eyes.
'She just repeated the assignment... she probably doesn't know where to start.'
"Hey, did you just roll your eyes at me?"
"Huh...? Of course not."
"If you have an idea, say it."
She set the book aside, now focused on him.
'Shit... now this turned into an interview??'
"Haaah... well, the way I see it, we don't need to go that deep into it..."
"What do you mean?"
"...We can start with the basics. Instead of writing an article with ideal solutions, we can write about the reasons that prevent this relationship from happening."
"Go on."
"Since I got here, the biggest problem I've seen is the students' complete lack of real knowledge about humans. If they don't even know the basics... how do they expect to build any kind of connection?"
Sera's eyes opened slightly, surprised.
'He really lived among humans.'
Rowan began writing a draft for the article, listing the points that should be addressed.
Sera watched him like someone seeing something simple and curious — a human doing something ordinary, even if to her, he wasn't exactly that.
Since he had lived among humans, he probably had the same habits as them.
"Why did you come to the academy?"
The question came out bluntly, without warning.
Rowan was surprised by the sudden question but tried to answer as naturally as possible.
"I guess I was forced to be here."
He said it with a faint smile, almost mocking his own fate.
"Forced?"
He took a deep breath.
Rowan had been ready to attend a different academy when his parents hit him with the news that he'd be going to Meridiana instead.
And since he had no choice... it wasn't a lie to say he was forced.
"I guess so."
Sera wasn't the curious type. Much less someone who cared about other people's lives. But Rowan... there was something about him. Something she still didn't understand.
That's why she asked another question.
"Hey, Rowan. What race are you?"
"..."
Unlike the last question, this one sent a chill down Rowan's spine.
'Did she just call me by name now?'
He froze for a second, processing the question. Sera's expression this time was serious.
'Shit... what kind of lie do I make up now?'
He had always known he'd need a good answer for this... but never took the time to come up with one.
Cold sweat started to form on his skin.
Sera noticed the tension. His fingers gripped the pen tightly.
Then she looked away and said:
"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine."
Rowan's body relaxed instantly.
"Ah... right. Thanks."
He went back to writing, but his thoughts were far from there.
Few monsters could fully hide their features. Even the most human-looking ones always had something that gave them away.
He, on the other hand, looked way too human.
'I need to come up with a good lie... something rare. Something no one can easily confirm.'
Meanwhile, Sera stared out the window.
The early evening shadows had already taken the sky, and the moon rose slowly, painting the horizon silver.
Her hands were still a bit damp.
She wouldn't say anything just yet. But if she was right...
'I think I already have an idea of what he might be...'
The moon reflected in her eyes as the silence of the library filled the space between the two.