The sun glowed place gold over an expanse of manicured lawns, shimmfountzins, and tall marble spires that reflected the morning light. Blackwood Academy—known among humans as a school for elite—was more than just an academic institution. It was a fortress disguised as a paradise. Beneath its beautiful exterior lurked secrets older than most of its students could imagine.
To the ordinary eye, the academy's four vast hostels, gardens, and sports fields seemed like a haven of pri. But to certain eyes—the eyes of those born of shadows and light—the air here shimmered faintly with wards and invisible sigils. Spell hummed beneath the walls, cloaked I the illusion of modern technology.
Students flooded through the grand gates, some in sleek cars, others chattering with laughter, oblivious tother undercurrents around them. The first day of the new school year had begun.
---
On the fourth-floor corridor of the main building, the usual chatter of returning students filled the air. Clusters of friends gossiped near lockers, while others leaned out windows to watch the new arrivals. The tension between the privileged and the the powerful was always thickest on the first day.
Then silence swept the hallway.
Every gaze turned toward the two girls walking through the corridor like a storm and a sunrise.
The first had shoulder-length dark-blonde hair and striking marine-green eyes. Her uniform—navy blazer, khaki pleated skirt, and knee-high socks—was perfectly pressed. The second girl walked just behind her, and it was she who drew the collective breath from the crowd.
Nikki Sawyer.
Her long, dirty-blonde hair flowed almost to her hips, catching the light with a golden sheen. Her Hazel eyes burned softly, almost unnaturally bright. Her posture held the effortless grace of royalty, even though none of the human students knew why. The whispering began immediately.
"She's gorgeous..."
"Who is she?"
"New girl, maybe?"
"Her friend's cute, too—but damn, look at her..."
Amber walking ahead, sighed. "Don't look now, but you've caused a small apocalypse."
Nikki raised a brow. "Humans. So predictable. You'd think they've never seen a beauty before."
"They haven't seen your kind of beauty," Amber muttered. "You're a demon, remember? You glow."
Nikki smirked. "I suppose I should take it as a compliment."
"Take it however you want, just stop walking like you're on a runway," Amber whispered.
"I'm not walking like anything," Nikki replied, flipping her hair with mock innocence. "It's not my fault perfection has good posture."
Amber groaned. "You're insufferable."
"But you love me anyway," Nikki teased.
Amber rolled her eyes. "You tricked me into saying that last time."
Nikki laughed softly, though her expression dimmed for a moment. "I just wish someone would notice me for something other than my looks."
"You mean a guy who's not drooling over you?" Amber teased.
"Exactly."
"Good luck. I doubt they make those here."
---
Later that afternoon, the cafeteria buzzed with noise and the scent of food. Students gathered in clusters, their voices rising in playful chaos. Among them, Alan Mendes stood at the serving cou ter, tray in hand, study5the last remaining chocolate pudding with silent concentration.
"I'll take that," he said.
"Sorry, there's only one left," the lunch lady replied, barely looking up from her phone.
A hand reached past him. "Then I'll be taking it."
Alan turned, brow raised. The girl beside him was the same one who'd frozen the hallway earlier. Nikki met his gaze—and for a heartbeat, time itself seemed to pause.
Her mind faltered. Why does he look... familiar?
Those ice-blue eyes—calm, cold, and impossibly deep. He was breathtaking in a way that felt unfair.
Alan noticed her stating. "You done gawking?" he asked with a crooked smile.
Nikki's cheeks flared pink. "I wasn't gawking."
"Of course you weren't,"he said lightly. "Now about the pudding..."
"The pudding is mine," she declared, crossing her arms.
"I was here first."
"And I'm prettier."
"That's debatable."
The lunch lady looked between them, unimpressed. "Can one of you just take it so I can finish my sjow?"
Alan folded his arms. "Who got here first,ma'am?"
"The boy," she said flatly.
Nikki huffed, ready to argue, but Alan simply smiled. "You know what? Keep it," he said, sliding the tray toward her.