Silence settled over the classroom as the students focused on the man standing at the front.
"Now," Mr. Black began, his voice measured, "what is dark psychology? Before I answer that, what is psychology as a whole?"
Without waiting for a response, he continued.
"Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior or in other words, how people think, act, and respond to the world around them."
The lecture carried on, his voice steady and unbroken.
As time passed, attention began to fracture across the room.
Soren sat upright, his eyes closed as if in thought. Damien leaned back in his chair, head tilted, a thin line of drool slipping from the corner of his mouth. Renji struggled to stay awake, his reddened eyes blinking heavily as his head dipped forward before snapping back up again. Jiwon had surrendered entirely with his head rested on the desk as he snored softly.
Some students remained diligent, writing notes. Others whispered among themselves.
"Did you hear that Damon died?"
"What? How? Who killed him?"
"That guy over there…"
Their gazes shifted toward Damien.
Elsewhere, a few students rested their heads on their desks as the hours dragged on.
Five Hours Later
"And those are the basics of human psychology. In our next lesson which should be next week, we'll focus on the 'why' behind the mind."
"Class adjourned."
At that moment, a large, rusted bell on the roof shuddered before its sound rang out across the academy.
The room stirred.
Jiwon jolted upright, his eyes dazed. Soren opened his eyes and yawned. Renji followed, stretching slightly as he exhaled. Damien straightened, rolling his shoulders before letting out a low groan.
As Damien began to stand, a group of boys approached his desk.
A red-haired, freckled boy spoke first. "Hey, I heard you killed Damon. How'd you do it?"
"Huh?" Damien intoned, narrowing his eyes as he tilted his head slightly.
A black-haired boy added, "Damon. The demon douchebag."
"Oh, him." Damien stood slowly. "I don't want to talk about it."
The red-haired boy frowned. "You do realize he was part of a gang, right?"
"A gang?" Soren's voice cut in as he turned toward them.
The red-haired boy nodded. "Yeah, the Crimson Devils. You killed one of their minor demons."
"Minor what?" Damien asked.
"Yeah, the mi—"
The classroom door swung open with a loud bang and an oppressive presence flooded the room.
All conversations died instantly as every head turned.
Standing in the doorway was a tall, crimson-skinned male with black hair. His green, half-lidded eyes scanned the room, his sharp features set in calm authority. Beside him stood a shorter crimson-skinned male with blue eyes.
The green-eyed figure's gaze moved deliberately across the students before settling on Damien. He studied him for a moment, then exhaled sharply through his nose, a smirk forming on his lips.
"Are you the one," he said, voice low and controlled, "who killed one of my underlings?"
"And who are you?" Damien asked. His heart began to pound, slow but heavy.
The green-eyed figure smirked. "Oh? Are you scared already?"
Beside him, the blue-eyed one stared at Damien, absently sucking on his thumb as he studied him.
"It was a good decision."
The unfamiliar voice cut cleanly across the room, drawing every gaze.
A woman sat at her desk, pale fingers guiding a pen across the page in precise, controlled strokes. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail. She wore a white dress shirt beneath a black blazer, paired with black trousers and heels. A black tie held her collar in place, and a long overcoat completed the ensemble.
"I'm sorry," the green-eyed demon said, turning on his heel, "I didn't quite catch that."
His boots struck the floor in slow, deliberate steps as he approached her, hands still in his pockets.
"You heard me," the woman replied, lifting her gaze. Her expression remained flat. "What he did was a good decision. Dare I say, good riddance."
The demon's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Of course you'd say that. Damon destroyed one of your legions some time ago, didn't he?" His smirk deepened. "Tell me… how are they?"
Her jaw tightened.
He continued, voice edged with quiet amusement. "Oh, right. They're dead. Damon mentioned he had quite a bit of fun with their bodies." He exhaled softly. "Since he's in hell now, I imagine he's still enjoying himself."
Silence stretched for a moment.
"But you're not my concern right now," he added, shifting his attention away from her. "I'm interested in the one who managed to overpower my underling."
He glanced over his shoulder and paused.
Damien was gone.
"Did you let him leave?" he asked without turning fully.
The blue-eyed demon looked toward the doorway, then back at him. "You didn't tell me to stop them."
A brief pause as the demon took on a blank expression.
A quiet sigh followed.
The four of them sprinted down the hallway.
"THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Jiwon shouted.
"HOW SHOULD WE KNOW?!" Damien shot back.
They rushed down the corridor, leapt over the steps of a staircase, and reached the first floor in seconds. Bursting through the doors, they spilled outside but none of them were out of breath.
Renji pinched the bridge of his nose. "Great. Now we're in even deeper shit."
"Well, at least we got out," Soren said. "I doubt that guy knows where we stay."
"D-Damien…?"
A familiar voice cut through the tension.
They turned.
A girl stood a short distance away.
"Anna?" Damien said, his tone shifting.
She kept her gaze lowered. "I was hoping… we could talk."
Her eyes lifted briefly to meet his then dropped again.
Damien glanced at the others.
Soren gave a small nod. Jiwon grinned, raising a thumbs-up.
Damien looked to Renji.
Renji sighed, muttering just loud enough for him to hear, "Do what you want. Not my decision or my life."
Damien's gaze softened slightly as he looked at Anna. "Y-yeah… that's fine."
Anna looked up, her expression easing as her eyes widened slightly. Damien stepped toward her, and she turned on her heel. The two began walking away, leaving the others behind.
"I still don't trust her," Renji said, his gaze fixed on Anna's back, his voice edged with disdain.
"Oh, shut up, you anime protagonist. You're just jealous no girl wants you," Jiwon shot back, grabbing Renji by the collar and dragging him along. Renji simply crossed his arms.
"We could explore more of the academy grounds," Soren suggested as they began to walk.
Damien and Anna walked side by side, silence stretching between them.
Damien glanced at her then quickly looked away. She did the same.
After a few seconds, he spoke. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Well… I just wanted to, um, thank you for last time," she said.
Damien blinked, surprised. "O-oh, really?"
"I thought you were scared of me," he added.
Anna met his gaze. "I still am."
"Oh." His voice caught before he cleared his throat. "I'm so—"
"No, no don't take it the wrong way," she said with a small, shaky smile. "Even though I was scared… I was a bit happy."
"Happy?" Damien repeated.
"Yeah. I don't remember the last time a guy protected me like that."
She stopped walking and turned to face him fully.
A breeze lifted her curly hair as she formed a soft smile. "I'd like to thank you for that."
Damien stared for a moment, then cleared his throat. "Y-you're wel—" He paused, correcting himself. "You're welcome."
"And I know that—" She suddenly stepped closer. Damien stiffened, swallowing as she closed the distance. "—you love me."
"Love?" Damien stepped back, confusion sharp in his voice.
She followed, tilting her head slightly. "Am I wrong? Then why did you protect me?"
"J-just—"
"I don't believe in 'just.' I know you want me… and I want you to."
Damien stepped back again, his heart hammering against his ribs. He opened his mouth, then hesitated. "Excuse me?"
"You don't want me?" Her voice trembled, tears forming in her eyes. "I knew it…"
"No, no don't cry. That's not what I meant." He stepped forward, alarmed.
"Then say you want me too," she demanded, locking eyes with him as tears slid down her cheeks.
"But—"
"S-so you don't want me?"
"No, it's ju—"
"So you do want me?"
"Isn't this a bit too so—"
His words were cut short as her hand struck his jaw, snapping his head to the side.
"Y-you FUCKING TRICKED ME!"
"WHAT?!" Damien shouted, stunned.
But she was already running, her sobs echoing behind her.
He stood there, frozen, one hand rising to his cheek. After a moment, he looked down and exhaled.
He turned slowly and made his way back to the dormitories.
By the time he reached the first floor, he broke into a sprint, climbing up to the fourth. He slowed as he reached his room and pushed the door open.
Inside, the others sat on the floor.
"What's the limit to calling a man attractive?" Jiwon asked, legs and arms crossed.
Soren frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Renji glanced toward the door, noticing Damien. Damien walked in and sat down with them.
"What's wrong?" Renji asked.
"Anna… she, uh, confessed to me."
Jiwon's eyes widened as he leaned in. "Ooo~ Did you say you like her back?"
"That's fucking weird," Renji said flatly, eyes narrowing. "You barely know each other."
"Yeah, I get that," Damien replied, "but when I didn't say I liked her back, she looked devastated. Now I'm worried about her."
Renji's expression tightened. He sighed. "I swear, Damien. Leave her alone. She's a bad idea."
"But what if—"
"No." Renji cut him off. "She's acting weird. She's probably trying to manipulate you."
"I was on Damien's side before," Soren added, "but I agree with Renji. This feels off."
Jiwon frowned. "You guys don't know that. Maybe it's genuine."
"Exactly," Renji snapped. "Maybe. And 'maybe' isn't something I want messing with his head."
"Let the guy live," Jiwon scoffed. "You just don't want him to have fun."
"Jiwon, that's not fun. That's how he gets hurt," Soren said.
Damien waved it off. "It's fine. I doubt she'll even want to talk to me again."
Silence followed.
Renji stood. "I'm going to sleep."
Soren rose as well. "Goodnight."
They left, the door closing behind them.
"I'm heading to bed too," Jiwon muttered, climbing onto his bed. Within seconds, his loud snoring filled the room.
Damien sat there, thinking.
An hour passed.
He stood, placing a knee on his bed and a,
Knock.
He froze, then turned toward the door. Opening it, he blinked. "Anna?"
Her eyes were red.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I just… I've never had someone do that for me before. I didn't know how to react."
Damien exhaled. "It's fine. But I think we should get to know each other first before anything serious."
She nodded. "Yeah… How about we hang out tomorrow?"
"Where?"
"The park?" she suggested.
Damien hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. Just… no sudden confessions this time."
She let out a small laugh. "It won't happen again."
"I hope so."
A brief silence.
"I should go study," she said. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
She walked off down the hallway.
Damien watched her until she disappeared, then closed the door.
He returned to his bed and lay down, staring at the ceiling.
Slowly, his eyes closed.
A faint, steady snore followed.
(What is happening to Anna? What is Damien going to do? What is going to happen at the park?)
(Find out in the next chapter.....)