Iris at the vampire academy

Chapter One:

I never imagined that I would be the villain in this tale.

Not a fleeting evil that could be forgiven with a slip of the tongue or a foolish decision, but an evil as heavy as iron, leaving its mark on every corner of my life, and even on the lives of the people around me. I tortured my family and enslaved them, humiliated my fiancé before everyone, and repeatedly sought to kill the Crown Prince to seize his position. I did not stop there I killed many innocent souls without hesitation. And yet, you let me live.

"Why did you do this, Navarin?" I asked her, my voice trembling between anger and exhaustion.

She stood before me, her body weighed down by wounds, her white dress stained with blood. Her red eyes glistened with tears, yet she struggled to remain steady. She said in a broken voice, "Iris... I know everything. I know how much you were wrong, and how much you hurt me. But it's alright we can fix everything now. It's not too late."

I laughed. A loud laugh echoed back from the stone walls of the hall... I covered my face with my hands and felt the coldness of my fingers despite the warmth of the tears that began to pour down.

"Fix what, Navarin? I destroyed everything. Even myself."

I could not control my crying. The pain I felt was extremely cruel, because its source was not an enemy, but myself. To be both villainous and kind at the same time is an unbearable curse.

Navarin screamed, trying to approach despite the pain. "Iris, please, don't do it come back!"

But time had run out. If I was the evil, then I had to disappear so that the world could remain safe.

I put on the four gemstones, each one glowing with a different color around my body. I stepped toward the massive golden gate at the center of the hall, its ancient engravings blazing with terrifying energy. I extended my hand into the rising light and felt a force pulling me in.

I turned to Navarin, who was screaming my name, and smiled at her.

"Thank you, my sister... for everything."

---

It all began a year ago, when I was just a naïve girl who knew nothing about her true self or who she really was.

On that day, the entire city was preparing for the celebration of my nineteenth birthday. My grandfather the wealthy man with vast influence decided to make the occasion the talk of everyone. He invited celebrities, businessmen, and nobles from everywhere. I was his only heir, his granddaughter to whom he had never denied anything.

From the early morning, the large house was bustling with activity. Maids ran through the corridors, flowers were arranged in vases, and chandeliers were polished until they clearly reflected faces. In my room, I sat in front of the mirror while the hairstylist arranged my long purple hair into soft waves. My blue eyes sparkled with excitement, and a confident smile was drawn on my lips.

The red dress was tight, clinging precisely to my body and boldly highlighting my features. I saw nothing in myself but the princess of the night.

Then my grandfather entered my room, striking the floor with his golden cane in slow steps. He paused at the door for a moment, his eyes filled with pride.

"You look like a princess today, Iris."

I smiled and ran to hug him. "And you look like a knight protecting her from villains."

He laughed lightly, then offered me his arm. "Come, let's show them who the heiress of this city is."

We entered the hall together. It was vast, crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and refined music playing. Whispers rose the moment we stepped in, and eyes turned toward me. Guests came forward to congratulate me, smiling as they tried to win my favor with any words they could.

But I saw no one except my beloved, Mark Loyd.

He stood at a distance, his black hair carefully styled and his dark suit accentuating his sharp features. His black eyes were fixed on me, as if I were the only one in the hall.

I left everyone behind and walked toward him with confident steps.

He said, running his hand through his hair, "Iris, I don't know what to say... you look extremely attractive tonight."

I smiled and leaned in to lightly kiss his cheek. "And you look handsome, as always."

Suddenly, he grabbed my waist and pulled me closer. Our bodies pressed together, and I felt the warmth of his breath.

"Are you trying to seduce me tonight, or what?"

My face reddened, and my heartbeat quickened. We began dancing in the middle of the hall, eyes following us with interest. He led me with confidence, his hands steady, his gaze never leaving mine.

When the music ended, he took my hand and kissed it gently, then looked at me in a way that made me flustered as I glanced at his lips, trying to kiss him.

At that moment, Maysan appeared.

"Did you forget I was here, guys?" she said with a light smile.

I smiled at her and hugged her. She whispered in my ear, "Congratulations on turning nineteen."

I laughed and said, "Of course. Nineteen years of chaos."

Then she moved closer to Mark and lightly punched him in the stomach, and they started exchanging jokes. As I kept watching them, a trace of jealousy crept into my chest. Maysan is my childhood friend, and we have been together since we were young. I know I shouldn't say this, but I don't like her being around my beloved Mark, because her looks are different and her movements are strange.

One of the waiters brought us glasses of wine. We raised them together to celebrate.

After that, I don't remember when the laughter began to grow too loud, or when the music became faster, or how I started dancing with unusual freedom. I felt a strange lightness, as if the ground no longer touched my feet.

The last thing I remember is my loud laughter, the lights spinning around me, and Mark's face drawing closer...

---

I woke up the next morning with a sharp headache. I opened my eyes slowly to find myself in my room. My head felt heavy, and my memories were confused.

I sat on the bed, trying to recall what had happened.

Then the maid entered, her face pale.

"My lady... good morning."

I asked her about what had happened last night after I drank, and she told me:

"You danced in a way that... attracted attention. You said strange things. You embarrassed yourself in front of everyone... and you tried to hit Maysan because she held Mark's hand."

I froze. I don't remember doing that... I felt embarrassed about what I had done last night.

I picked up my phone to see the time, and that was my shock. It was already eleven in the morning, and I was late for my lecture.

Chapter Two:

I sped in my red car, "Vernier ," toward the university, gripping the steering wheel nervously while checking the time every few seconds. I was late for the next lecture, and I couldn't stand the idea of entering the hall minutes after the professor, with his cold looks welcoming me as if I had committed a crime on campus.

The road to my university passes through a long corridor that cuts through the forest. Usually, it's crowded with cars, and students' voices fill the place near the nearby intersection, but today was different. The road was strangely empty not a single car, not a bike, no one at all... The trees on both sides seemed taller than usual, their branches swaying slowly with the wind, producing a faint sound like a long whisper.

Suddenly, the car shook slightly and then stopped.

"No, no, no..." I muttered as I tried to start it again. I turned the key once more, then a third time, but the engine didn't respond. A heavy silence fell, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.

I quickly grabbed my phone to call for help, but the screen showed something I didn't like: no signal.

"This is strange..."

I didn't have time to wait. I grabbed my bag and got out of the car, closed the door behind me, and looked around. The air was a bit colder, and the smell of damp trees was clear. I started walking along the road, searching for anyone, any car, anyone at all to help me.

But nothing.

The road was empty and unusually quiet. I could even hear the sound of my own footsteps, as if the place amplified every movement I made. I felt a stab of anxiety and fear.

Then I noticed something ahead.

In the middle of the road, there appeared to be a transparent barrier stretching across it. It wasn't completely clear, but the light bent around it in a strange way. I moved toward it slowly, narrowing my eyes to make sure of what I was seeing.

"Why is there a barrier like this in the middle of the road?"

I got closer, until my reflection appeared on it, like a giant invisible mirror. I raised my hand cautiously to touch it, and the moment my fingertips came close, everything changed.

A powerful wind suddenly burst out, striking me violently and throwing my hair backward as if a storm had exploded out of nowhere. I felt my body lifted off the ground a few steps by a hidden force I couldn't see. I screamed, but my voice faded into the roar of the wind.

I looked at my reflection, but it was no longer me.

The girl appearing in the barrier looked very much like me the same features, the same facial structure, even the shape of the lips. But her hair was pitch black, her eyes a dark, terrifying red, and her skin extremely pale. She was staring at me with a strange, calm smile.

I began to rise higher, and the wind grew stronger around me. I felt as if the air itself was holding me.

The girl moved her lips, and I heard her clearly despite the loud wind: "I have waited for you for a long time... and now it is time to switch."

My eyes widened.

Suddenly, the transparent barrier shattered into small fragments, like a mirror breaking in the air, and a bright light appeared so strong that I closed my eyes. Then I felt a hand grab my hand and pull me forcefully.

I fell... onto the ground, and then I lost consciousness.

I could no longer hear anything. Everything turned into darkness.

I don't know how much time passed.

I woke up with a severe headache and dizziness that made the ground seem unstable. I sat up slowly, placing my hand on my head.

"What happened...?"

I looked up at the sky; it was leaning toward an orange color. Sunset had already arrived. I froze in place.

"But just now it was... it was eleven in the morning..."

Had I been unconscious all this time?

I stood up with difficulty and looked around. The same road, the same forest, but there was no sign of the barrier. No shards, no light, no red-eyed girl. And worst of all... no sign of my car.

"My car?!"

I ran to the spot where I remembered parking it, but it was empty. I searched my bag for my phone, and found no trace of it.

I stood in the middle of the road, helpless, feeling lost inside a scene I didn't understand.

I started walking, trying to understand what was happening to me...

I walked for long minutes, until a huge building appeared at the end of the road. I ran toward it with a bit of hope. The closer I got, the more I realized it wasn't an ordinary building. Its design resembled the Victorian era tall windows, stone columns, and intricate decorations.

In front of the building was a massive iron gate, and at the top of it a sign read: "Warster Kailey Academy."

I stopped.

"That's not the name of my university..."

The place was strange, and the name even stranger.

I heard voices coming from the left side, so I moved forward cautiously. Behind the wall, I saw other massive buildings and a wide courtyard filled with people. I froze as I watched them.

Everything looked... unnatural.

Some people had completely green skin, even their faces. Others had extremely white skin, as if no blood ran through their veins. And there were those who had small horns on their heads.

My breathing quickened.

Suddenly, I felt a hand touch my shoulder from behind.

I turned around quickly, to find a girl with green skin, long wet black hair, and cold blue eyes.

She said calmly, "Girl, are you okay? I saw you standing there shaking."

I screamed without realizing it: "Monsters! You are monsters!"

Her eyes widened. "Monsters? Where?"

I ran at full speed back toward the road I had come from. My heart was pounding violently; I just wanted to go back home.

I didn't notice the car coming toward me.

It suddenly stopped in front of me. The sound of the brakes was loud, and strong headlights hit the ground. I fell to the ground in fright.

A tall man stepped out of the car broad-shouldered, with neatly styled red hair. He was handsome and attractive, wearing sunglasses. He leaned toward me as he removed them.

His eyes were strangely yellow, and his skin was extremely pale.

He said coldly, "Damn it, are you trying to get my attention like an idiot?"

I didn't focus on his words as much as I focused on his long fangs that appeared when he spoke.

He grabbed me by the neck and pulled his face close to mine. "Are you trying to get a kiss or what?"

Then he leaned closer, as if smelling my face.

"I don't know why... your scent is amazing. Your blood smells fresh."

The blood froze in my veins.

I pushed him with all my strength, making him fall backward, then I got up and ran without stopping. I didn't know whether it was a disguise or reality, but his fangs were not fake. He looked like the vampires shown in movies.

Night fell quickly, and darkness covered the road. I stopped, panting, not knowing where to go.

I had no choice but to return to that place.

When I returned, the place was quiet. It seemed everyone had gone into their residences, and the lights illuminated the corridors.

Suddenly, a voice shouted behind me: "You! What are you doing here? Why didn't you go to your room?"

I turned around, my body shaking. He was wearing a guard's uniform, and his appearance resembled that of a vampire.

I said in a broken voice: "I... I don't know where to go."

He looked at me carefully. "You are a vampire. Tell me your name so I can find your room."

"A vampire?"

I looked at my hands. They were unnaturally pale. I touched my teeth with the tip of my tongue... my fangs were longer.

I said hesitantly: "My name is... Iris."

He took out his phone and began searching. "Iris... Iris... here you are. Iris Parkjo. Section C for vampires. Room 450. Go to your room immediately."

I said, "No, wait... you're wrong... my name isn't Iris Parkjo, it's Iris Lawrs."

But he... suddenly disappeared from in front of my eyes before I could finish speaking.

He didn't run or even walk he vanished instantly, leaving smoke in his place.

I rubbed my eyes, unable to believe what I had seen. Was it real, or just an illusion from exhaustion?

I looked up at the black sky and sighed. There was no solution but to go.

I entered the building, admiring the stunning design despite my fear. The place was amazing and incredibly beautiful: stone staircases, old paintings, warm yellow lights.

I reached the fourth floor and stopped in front of room 450. I slowly opened the door.

To be met by a half-naked boy standing directly in front of me.

Chapter Three:

The boy was standing directly in front of me. His abdominal muscles were clearly defined and tense, a towel carelessly wrapped around his waist, and his wet hair dripped over his shoulders and chest. For a moment I froze in place, my mind completely shut down. I looked at him longer than I should have; his body was stunning and alluring, and I drifted into my imagination, as if I had forgotten the reason I was here in the first place.

He raised an eyebrow when he noticed my staring.

He stepped toward me slowly, one step after another, until he trapped me against the door, placing his hands on both sides. I lifted my gaze to him, my eyes widening.

It was him.

The same boy who had gotten out of the car.

He said in a cold, arrogant voice, "Are you a stalker or a spy?"

I swallowed, my heart pounding violently. "No... I'm here... this is my room, I think."

He looked at me for a few seconds, then suddenly stepped back and sighed. "Fine. So you're my roommate."

My roommate? That's impossible!

"What's your name?"

"I'm... Iris."

He nodded. "And I'm Kevin Halkos. Be calm and don't bother me."

Then he turned around and entered one of the rooms, closing the door behind him, leaving me standing in the living room like a new piece of furniture that didn't know where it had been placed.

How could my roommate be a male? Is this normal here? Or have I entered an extra chapter of a never-ending nightmare?

Finally, I looked around carefully. The place wasn't an ordinary room; it was more like a small luxurious apartment. Two separate bedrooms, a fully equipped small kitchen, a shared bathroom, and a living room with a huge sofa and a large television mounted on the wall.

I moved toward the sofa and sat down cautiously, then grabbed the remote control and turned on the TV. Channels appeared one after another, but their names were unfamiliar. The anchors and guests looked strange; some had features that were too sharp, others had unnatural skin. Even the way they spoke was different.

I whispered to myself, "Is it possible that I swapped places with that girl? She went to my world... and I was summoned here?"

The idea sounded insane, but it was the only logical explanation in the middle of all this madness.

I stood up and headed toward the other room, next to Kevin's room. I opened the door slowly... it was neatly arranged: the bed was made, the desk was clean, as if its owner had left only minutes ago.

I walked toward the wardrobe and opened it. It was full of elegant clothes: dark dresses, long coats, and pieces that looked expensive. One particular outfit caught my attention: a white shirt, a black tie, a purple skirt with black lines, and a matching coat.

I stared at it silently. "Is this the academy uniform?"

I closed the wardrobe and headed to the desk. There was a phone on it. I grabbed it immediately and opened it without hesitation. It unlocked easily, with no password.

I began browsing through it and found many applications with strange names, their accounts almost empty, so I went into the photo gallery.

And I froze.

The gallery was full of pictures of me.

But... I had never taken them.

Pictures of me smiling at the camera, pictures of me in places I don't recognize, with unknown people. Even the videos I was speaking in my own voice, laughing in my own way, but I don't remember any of them.

I slowly ran my finger across the screen, trying to comprehend it. There was no trace of my grandfather, nor of Mark, nor of Maysan. No one I knew. They were all new people.

I opened an app called "My Happy Diary." At the top, I found a message titled: "To my dear Iris."

My hand trembled as I tapped on it.

"My dear Iris,

I hope you are well. I know that you are scared and lost right now, but I wanted to tell you that you will get used to this from now on. I am Carla Parkjo, the owner of the place you have taken. I am from a noble and wealthy vampire family. I received a strict upbringing from a young age as a noble, and I had to be more refined and mature than others. My life was ordinary; I did not receive special attention, nor was I ostracized. I was simply a noble person who hated her quiet life.

And one day, while I was performing one of my spells, my reflection in the mirror was reversed and transformed into your image. From that day on, I began watching you and spying on you from inside the mirror. Honestly, it was wonderful to watch you and see how much special attention you received from everyone the attention I once lost and longed for, which I found in your private life.

So I decided, at any cost, to prey on you and obtain a chance to change our worlds. After many experiments and spells, I succeeded in creating one and made you transfer to my world.

From now on, you will be in my place. Remember that you are now a vampire, but temporarily. In the morning, you are an ordinary human, and in the evening, you become a vampire. Be careful not to be exposed.

Tomorrow will be the first day at Warster Kailey Academy. I wish you a better life.

The end."

I finished reading and remained staring at the screen.

I felt intense anger rising inside me. I don't know if I was angry because my life had been stolen from me, or because what was coming might be far worse.

"Prey on you?" I muttered bitterly. "As if I were prey in a forest."

I had no choice but to accept this act temporarily, or find a way back to my world. But how? I knew no spells, and there were no magical mirrors within my reach. I looked at the mirror, and it reflected my image differently, as if I had become part of this world.

I lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I wished all of this were a foolish dream, and that I would wake up in my old room, hear my grandfather knocking on the door, and see Mark again.

I fell asleep after a long day filled with surprises.

I woke up early in the morning. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. Everything was the same.

The same room. It wasn't a dream or a nightmare it was a reality I had to live from now on.

I sighed, feeling the urge to cry and explode at the same time. I got up immediately and walked toward the window. I opened it, and sunlight slipped inside, falling across my face and hands.

I waited for a burning sensation... for pain... for anything.

But nothing happened.

I wasn't affected.

I remembered last night's message my partial transformation. Human in the morning, vampire in the evening.

"Great," I muttered bitterly.

I left my room and headed toward Kevin's room. I hesitated for a moment before entering, then opened the door without permission.

The room was completely dark, the curtains tightly drawn. I moved cautiously toward his bed.

He was lying on his back, his hands clasped over his chest, completely motionless. He looked like a corpse in an invisible coffin. I studied him for a few seconds. His face was calm, his features sharp even in sleep. If this was what vampires looked like while sleeping, I didn't want to see what they looked like when they woke up hungry.

I left quietly and closed the door.

I stood in the living area, thinking. If vampires were like this... then what about those with green skin? And those with horns? How many kinds lived here?

No answer.

I decided to leave the apartment or what was called a room. I walked down the corridor with cautious steps, looking around, trying to memorize the details. The walls were decorated with old paintings, the lighting was dim, and the floor was glossy.

There was no one awake. The place was almost empty. Even when I stepped outside into the courtyard, it was deserted except for a cool breeze passing between the trees.

I moved toward a small garden filled with flowers. I bent down to examine one of them and, without thinking, tried to pluck one of the beautiful red roses. Its thorn suddenly pricked me.

"Ah!"

A small drop of blood appeared on my finger. I tried to stop the bleeding with my other hand. And at that moment, I noticed a long shadow stretching across the ground behind me.

I froze.

I didn't turn around immediately, but I felt the presence of a tall person standing directly behind me. My breathing slowed, my hand still raised. I closed my eyes for a moment, as if bracing myself for what was about to happen.