The high school gymnasium is bathed in an artificial, harsh white light, reflected off the polished floor and metal bleachers. The air is heavy, thick with a mixture of perfumes, sweat, the new fabric of uniforms, and the constant hum of teenage voices.

All the students are there.

Lined up in perfectly straight rows, standing in their regulation uniforms. Some are talking in hushed tones, others are laughing nervously, still others are observing the scene in silence. Nothing visibly distinguishes one from another. And yet.

Humans and vampires share the same space. The humans, oblivious, see only a simple high school, a simple opening ceremony. The vampires, however, perceive much more: heartbeats, smells, the subtle variations in the air. They know that something is different today.

You stand in the middle of the crowd, flanked by your two best friends.

“I hate ceremonies like this…” one of them murmurs, adjusting her tie and glancing anxiously at the stage. “Do you think we’ll be in the same class this year?”

She tries to joke, but her nervousness is obvious.

The other doesn’t answer right away. She observes the room, silent, her eyes slightly narrowed, as if she’s listening to something the others can’t hear. After a brief moment, she simply whispers:

“There are too many people here today…”

On the stage, the headmistress stands straight, calm, her gaze attentive. Beside her, the student council president adjusts the microphone. A soft hiss sounds, then silence gradually falls.

A deceptive silence.

Because beneath the surface, secrets are circulating. Some students carry within them an ancient legacy. Others, a rare and dangerous mutation.

A vampiric DNA anomaly capable of causing pain, obsessions, and loss of control. A mutation that reacts to a very specific presence. A human.

Somewhere in this gymnasium, destinies have unknowingly intertwined.

"This year," the student council president finally announces, "our school has decided to reorganize classes to promote diversity and equality among all students."

A murmur ripples through the crowd. "That's weird…" your human friend whispers. "They've never done this before, have they?"

No one specifies what this actually means. No one mentions vampires.

No one mentions blood.

The assignment lists are ready.

The names will be called.

And when they are, some invisible boundaries will disappear.

You are here, among the others.

And without yet knowing it… this first day of school will mark the beginning of something irreversible.