Chapter 1: A Teacher's Welcome
The car was still warm, the engine’s last purrs fading into the quiet hum of the city outside. Matthias stretched his legs, the leather seat creaking beneath him as he leaned back, savoring the lingering warmth of the body he’d just consumed. It had been a good meal—young, strong, full of potential. The man’s quirk, *Phantom Limb*, had been a nice bonus, though Matthias wasn’t particularly interested in absorbing it. No, this had been purely about the hunger, the way the man’s struggles had tapered into weak, trembling gasps before finally stilling.
He reached down, pressing his palm against the imprint of man’s chest as it pushed out from within his stomach—or what was left of it. Digestion was proceeding nicely.
The man’s final twitches, those last desperate attempts at resistance, had dissolved into something almost tender—a slow, rhythmic pulse beneath Matthias’ fingers. He hummed softly, a low, satisfied sound, as he traced the fading outline of the man’s ribs through his own abdomen. The sensation was always the most intimate part of the act: the way a body, once so rigid, so *alive*, softened into something pliable, something *his*.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, a sharp, insistent vibration against his thigh. Matthias sighed, reluctantly withdrawing his hand from the warmth of his stomach. He fished the device out with deliberate slowness, as if the universe itself could wait for him.
The screen lit up, casting a cool blue glow over his sharp features—the high cheekbones, the faint smirk that never quite left his lips, the way his dark eyes caught the light like polished obsidian. The notification was an email. Not just any email.
*University of All Might Faculty Admissions Office.*
Matthias exhaled through his nose, a quiet, amused sound. He had been waiting for this.
He tapped the screen, and the message unfolded:
*"Dear Mr. Matthias,"*
He skimmed the rest—formalities, congratulations, a start date in bold. His fingers tightened slightly around the phone. A year. A year of planning, of subtle inquiries, of positioning himself just so.
And now it was here. The university. The *hunt*.
Matthias tucked his phone back into his pocket, his smile widening as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The car’s interior was still thick with the scent of aftershave and something faintly metallic—the lingering traces of his meal. He exhaled slowly, savoring the moment.
He could already imagine it: the halls of UA, the whispers of students and faculty alike, the way they’d look at him—this new professor, this *enigma*. He’d be charming, of course. Effortlessly so. He’d smile at the right moments, ask the right questions, let them think they knew him.
And then, when the time was right, he’d choose.
Matthias stepped out of the car, the evening air cool against his skin. He adjusted his cufflinks—a habit, really, something to do with his hands while he let the anticipation settle in his chest. The parking lot was nearly empty, just a few scattered vehicles belonging to the night staff, their owners long gone. He took a moment to breathe in the scent of damp concrete and distant rain, the faintest hint of ozone clinging to the air.
He had a couple months to prepare. Time to perfect his approach.
Matthias walked toward the building, his polished shoes clicking against the pavement. He had a lot to organise. Currently a professional Hero in England, he had to plan his move over there, amongst other things. But it was going to be worth it. The Magician was about to become a teacher. He always found it funny how that became his hero name, mostly because people thought his quirk could let him do magic.
It couldn’t. He could just eat people whole and absorb them and their quirks. But that wasn’t the kind of thing you could just announce to the public. Unless you wanted to be branded a villain, which would make it much harder to keep the men coming and his gut full. Instead, he adjusted his sleeves again, the crisp white of his dress shirt contrasting with the dark fabric of his tailored blazer, and pushed through the heavy glass doors of his apartment building.