Webtoon: Noblesse

(Y/n)'s POV

I walked up to the tall gates that separated the school from the rest of society. My instincts told me to leave and never come back, to hide and live a quiet life.

But no, I couldn't do that now. My only friend was dead, murdered by the Union. Their vicious, merciless killing had angered my very soul. They were...unforgivable.

I was now carrying out my friend's last wish: to come here and find help. But I knew the hidden meaning behind her words. She had wanted me to live a normal life under protection.

I noticed three guards walking up to me, just beyond the gate. I forced myself to stay and face them head on. I've come this far, I couldn't give up now.

"Who are you?" asked the long, purple-haired man.

"A new transfer student, (Y/n) (L/n)."

"I'll take her to the boss," said the black-haired one.

I cautiously followed him after jumping over the fence. The other two left but I could still feel their gaze on me. Of course they wouldn't trust me...

Soon enough, we entered the principal's office. A blonde man and a dark-haired student were in the middle of a conversation. I...knew them.

"Thank you, Tao. You may leave," exclaimed Frankenstein.

We waited for him to leave the room before the tension rose.

"Why have you come here?" Frankenstein asked.

"Isn't that obvious? For protection."

"And what makes you think that we'll protect someone like you?"

"I got a recommendation from a friend. I believe you know her by the name of Lacia (made-up character)."

"Lacia?! Where is she?!"

I stood unaffected as he grasped my shoulders in a tight grip. I could feel his body shaking as he looked at me with desperate eyes. This man was no one but a stranger to me but the truth would be difficult for him to bear.

"Lacia...died while fighting the Union."

"She...what?"

The Noblesse got up and gave him a light squeeze on the shoulder before dragging me outside. I didn't bother fighting him off. After all, it was hard to lose a loved one.

"He needs some time alone," he said quietly.

"I know."

"Let's go to class."

"Huh? But-"

He had already begun walking away so I quickly hurried to his side. We walked in a peaceful silence. The empty hallways seemed to drag on forever until we finally reached a classroom.

I opener the door, ready to begin my new life.

~Some time later~

I had snuck up to the rooftop. The wind blew at my face, whipping at my hair, making it fly in an aroused manner. As I looked at the sky, I felt a presence behind me.

"You're not supposed to be here," exclaimed the werewolf guard.

"I know, I don't need you to state the obvious."

"That meant that you have to go back to class."

"I didn't come here to attend classes nor learn of the world."

"Then why? This is a school."

I turned around and returned his fierce gaze as he looked at me in the eye. An enigmatic smile graced my face. He was just a guard, he didn't need to know anything.

"What are you?" he asked.

"A forgotten noble."

"And what's that supposed to be?"

"Exactly what it is. I'm a noble that was forgotten by everyone. Who are you?"

"My name's M21."

I smiled and held out my hand for him to shake. He simply looked at me in confusion before taking it. I willed my power to activate and felt it flow into his body.

He quickly pulled away and jumped back a few metres, keeping a distance between us. I stopped myself from going towards him.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"Don't worry, I didn't harm you. I just...wanted to know your emotions/feelings. I didn't feed off you..."

Tears threatened to fall as I remembered the day Lacia had died. Her death was all my fault, even though the Union had killed her in the end. It was always my fault.

My power allowed me to feel other people's emotions and sentiments. It could manipulate their thoughts and bend their will. But the more I used it, the more I needed to feed. And by feed, I meant devouring their energy.

I angrily wiped my tears away before running towards the edge of the rooftop. I ignored his calls for me to stop and jumped off, feeling myself falling towards the hard ground.

The ground was inching closer and closer. Suddenly, I felt strong arms wrap around my waist as M21 swiftly landed on his feet. I blinked in surprise and shock, unsure of what to think of this situation.

"W-why..."

"I'm a guard. I need to ensure the safety of the students," he replied.

"But I'm not a normal human. I could've saved myself. It's something I do often so you didn't have to worry about me."

"Who said I was worrying about you?"

His low tone sent shivers down my spine as I blushed a dark shade of red, unable to look at him. He still had his arm wrapped around my waist, causing my heartbeat to grow faster and faster.

"Y-you can let g-go now."

He released me from his hold but took no effort to step back or widen the distance between our bodies. I took a few steps back, too flustered to stand that close to him.

"What did you mean by what you said before? Feeding off me?" he asked.

"*laughs nervously* N-nothing at all. Just an inside joke my friend and I made."

"Then why did you cry after?"

"T-that's because..."

"*smirks* No answer?"

I backed away as he walked closer. Soon, my back touched the wall of the building as he towered over me. I felt so powerless. Why was I even letting him play with me like this?

"...my power allows me to 'experience' others' emotions. But I need to feed off their energy if I use it a lot...and I was just curious as to how you were feeling..."

I avoided his gaze as I said this. I didn't know what I'd do if I did look him in the eye. Probably die of embarrassment...

"When was the last time you took someone's energy?"

"...when I...killed my friend."

He shut his mouth and moved away, letting me slide down to the ground. I hugged my knees and just stared ahead at nothing. I didn't want to remember my friend's death...

Without warning, he sat down beside me and held out his hand. I looked at him in confusion. I had no idea what he was doing. His actions were...strange.

"Check my feelings," he exclaimed.

"I don't want to."

"Come on."

His larger hand took my smaller one as he waited for me to activate my power. I reluctantly did and felt his emotions flow into my mind.

Regret, hope, curiosity and...concern. His overwhelming concern for my well-being almost drowned out his other emotions. I honestly had no idea how to respond to his sudden... 'confession'.

So instead, I transferred my feelings into his mind. My worry, fear, anxiety and...interest. I was attracted to this werewolf. He had caught my attention in a heart-wrenching grasp.

"From now on, let's do this. That way, you won't have to feed off others and feel guilty for it afterwards," M21 said with a grin.

"*smiles* Thank you."