Chapter 1: The Crimson Ball
The grand chandeliers of Ravenshade Academy's ballroom glimmered like scattered stars, their light reflecting off walls of glass and gold. Students dressed in sleek tuxedos and glittering gowns twirled across the polished floor, a perfect display of wealth, power, and privilege.
Selena Wren stood quietly near the balcony doors, clutching the delicate mask in her trembling hands. Her dress was a soft crimson satin, a rare hand-me-down from a forgotten boutique in town, but tonight… she felt beautiful.
"This is it," she whispered to herself. "I belong here too."
For the first time in years, Selena allowed herself to hope. Hope that maybe, after everything, she was no longer just the poor scholarship girl everyone whispered about behind her back.
A familiar voice broke through her thoughts.
"You look stunning, Lena."
She turned to see Damon Cross, tall and devastatingly handsome, his dark eyes glinting under his sleek mask. The academy's golden boy. The one boy who'd ever made her heart betray its sense.
"Thank you," Selena smiled shyly, feeling her pulse race.
Damon leaned in, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "I saved a dance just for you."
Selena's world tilted. The jealous stares from the other girls, the intoxicating scent of cologne, the thrill of attention—it all felt like a dream she didn't want to wake from.
Somewhere nearby, Ava Blackwell, her best friend since middle school, raised a glass of sparkling wine. "To new beginnings," Ava cheered.
Selena grinned, feeling warmth bloom in her chest.
Maybe… she wasn't an outsider anymore.
---
Two hours later
The world blurred.
The music pulsed in Selena's ears, her throat dry, her vision swimming. Her legs wobbled as she stumbled into one of the guest rooms off the ballroom. A sharp, unfamiliar dizziness clouded her head.
What's happening?
Her phone buzzed in her clutch.
Unknown Number: Check the school group chat, darling.
Selena's heart pounded as she opened the app.
Her breath caught.
There, plastered on the screen, were pictures of her — glassy-eyed, leaning against Damon, his arm around her waist in a dark hallway. One photo showed his lips on her neck. Another had her slumped in a chair, eyes closed, looking unconscious.
Caption: Scholarship Slt can't hold her liquor. Guess even poor girls have their price.*
Selena's blood ran cold.
"No…" she whispered, trembling.
More messages flooded in.
Ava Blackwell: So pathetic. I told you she was a fake.
Damon Cross: Can't believe she begged me for it lmao.
A savage, ugly laughter filled the group chat.
Selena's chest tightened. This isn't real. This isn't happening.
Her fingers shook as she called Ava.
"Pick up. Ava, please—"
But the call went straight to voicemail.
She burst out of the room, back into the ballroom.
Eyes followed her. Whispers rose like poison-laced smoke.
"There she is."
"Trash."
"Used and discarded."
Selena's vision blurred with tears. Betrayal scorched her heart raw.
And then — she saw them.
At the center of the ballroom.
Ava, dazzling in her glittering blue dress, and Damon by her side, raising a glass in victory.
Both of them smirking.
At her.
Selena's knees buckled.
She fled the ballroom, past the glowing chandeliers and marble statues, out into the cold night air. The courtyard was silent, a cruel contrast to the laughter inside.
She collapsed onto the stone steps.
Her heart ached. Her pride lay in ruins.
"I'll kill them…" she choked out. "I swear…"
A soft chuckle sounded in the darkness.
Selena's head snapped up.
A figure in a sleek black uniform, face obscured by a silver mask, stepped from the shadows.
"You've been wronged, Selena Wren," the stranger murmured, voice smooth as silk.
Selena flinched, her body still trembling. "Who are you?"
The masked figure knelt beside her, offering a black envelope stamped with a blood-red thorn.
"An invitation to power. Join us, and you'll take their world from them, piece by piece."
Selena's breath hitched.
"And if I refuse?"
A cold smile beneath the mask.
"You'll stay a victim."
Tears stained Selena's cheeks, but her eyes harde
ned.
"What do you want me to do?"
The figure's gaze gleamed behind the mask.
"How badly do you want revenge, Selena Wren?"