The bell rang with a kind of finality that made Bella's shoulders stiffen. She stood with the rest of the senior students in the assembly courtyard.
Morning mist curled at the edges of the grass, refusing to dry out. The sun was stubbornly hidden behind a sheet of clouds, making the sky grey and moody. It was a chilly Monday morning.
She could feel the crowd around her shuffle slightly as students approached the main building. There were murmurs, laughter, and greetings, but a sense of formality trickled through the atmosphere as the headmistress stepped onto the raised stone platform.
"Morning, students," came the steady, deliberate voice of Headmistress Maren. Her height and stern stature commanded the silence of the entire auditorium.
Her reputation for being 'wicked' spread far and wide. No one wanted to be the victim of her temper this morning, so she shushed everyone with a single blink. Her eyes scanned the students like she could read all of their thoughts.
"Welcome to a fresh week at Whitethorn," she began. "For those of you that have been here, I trust your minds have been well-rested over the weekend. And for our newest student—" Her gaze landed squarely on Bella for a second. "—this will be a term of growth, adaptation, and… awakening."
Bella blinked. Awakening?
"Here at Whitethorn," the headmistress continued, addressing the rest of the students, "we expect academic excellence, strong moral character, and discipline befitting your place in the order. You are not just students, you are heirs to something far more enduring than your books."
There it was again. Heirs to what? Bella shifted her weight, her heart nudging against her ribs.
"Some of you might already feel the changes in the air," Headmistress Maren said, walking slowly along the platform. "We're entering a significant phase. The moon is rising to her strongest cycle. It stirs movements in its wake, bloodlines, memories, even temperament."
There was a tiny gasp behind Bella, then one of the junior girls giggled.
"In other words," the headmistress said dryly, "I suggest everyone stays hydrated, well-rested, and emotionally in check over this week."
A few students exchanged glances.
The headmistress stopped at the center again. "Now, I know some of you like to pretend this school is merely academic, but Whitethorn's legacy is one that runs deeper than just results and awards that congratulate academic excellence.
"Our history," she continued, "is carved into the bones of this land. Those who thrive here are the sensitive ones who know how to listen, mot just with their ears or books and pens, but with their instincts."
Bella's brows drew together. She glanced sideways. No one else seemed particularly fazed. Everyone listened attentively like it was the most normal speech.
"Instincts," the headmistress repeated. "They will matter more than anything else in time."
"It's not just a myth," she added softly. "I know you've heard it over and over, but your instincts are majorly essential for your survival."
Bella's stomach curled. The words stuck to her like electricity, prickling just beneath her skin. She looked at the other students.
Micah, a smallish boy in the junior section with bright doe eyes, looked up at the sky and whispered, "It's nearly the Wolf Moon."
Another girl beside him nodded seriously. "My brother said you can hear your past lives in your dreams when the Wolf Moon comes. He said our blood remembers them even though they're ancient."
Bella shook her head, scoffing under her breath. Kids.
She leaned over to Elara, who was sitting beside her but had been quiet all morning. "Is this like… some kind of tradition here?"
Elara glanced at her, chewing the inside of her cheek. "Yeahh. The younger ones get caught up in the full moon stories this time of year. It's always the same, bloodlines, instincts, howling, whatever. It amazes them every year. Don't pay them any much attention."
Bella smiled faintly, relieved. "Right. Just bored minds and overactive imaginations."
Elara simply nodded.
"Do you believe it?" Bella asked again.
"Of course I believe them," she scoffed. "I just don't talk about them. Neither does it freak me. I've been hearing about them since I was enrolled here."
Before Bella could press, the headmistress clapped her hands once, silencing them again.
"Now then, a few logistical announcements," she said briskly. "All coursework will resume this morning. Your first Continuous Assessment is scheduled for the end of next week. Yes, that is fast, I know, but that's the point. At Whitethorn, we preach preparation at all times and—" she paused. "We may be closing this term earlier than usual."
Murmurs rippled through the students.
"Yes, I heard that," the headmistress replied. "But don't worry. It's nothing we won't be able to handle. Be rest assured that we will keep everyone safe and hand you over to your parents in one piece. You just be careful and do your parts to ensure obedience and accountability.
"And remember, assessments are not just about intellect, they're about control. Focus. Discipline. Qualities we expect all of you to develop."
Bella exhaled slowly. She could handle CAs. That was something normal. But this speech was far from normal.
In her previous school, the only strange thing one could hear during speeches like this was when someone was caught in an examination malpractice or the one the principal gave the day her expulsion was announced to the whole school, encouraging them not to follow her path.
What does 'hand you over to your parents in one piece' have to do with a high school's morning assembly address?
"Dismissed," the headmistress said, stepping down from the platform.
As the crowd began to thin out, the juniors scattered first, running toward the block of buildings belonging to them. One of them, the same boy from the hall, looked over his shoulder at Bella and whispered loudly, "She's the one I told you about. The girl with new blood."
Bella froze.
The boy's friend elbowed him. "Shh! She can hear you."
They darted off before she could say a word.
New blood?
Elara touched her shoulder gently. "Come on. You don't want to miss breakfast."
Bella nodded, though her appetite had long since evaporated. She followed Elara and the others toward the stone building where the dining hall was located.
They passed by a narrow window, and Bella caught sight of her reflection, her expression was pale. Her eyes were darker than usual, with eye bags under them. She looked… different. And this was not because of anything obvious, but because of how she felt. There was a humming inside her, like something just out of reach was knocking against her bones, asking to be let in.
Or out.
Inside the dining hall, students were already lining up for food. She grabbed a tray, still half-lost in thought, and joined the queue.
Bella picked at a slice of bacon, trying to ignore the glances that seemed to follow her again. Or maybe she was just imagining them now. Maybe the unease from the assembly had just thrown her off.
Still, the words wouldn't leave her mind:
Awakening. Bloodlines. Instinct. Full moon rising.
She scoffed quietly to herself. Kids. Stories. Maybe the headmistress was just playing with words. She probably said the same poetic nonsense every year to keep the younger ones enchanted.
That had to be it.
Elara sat across from her, calmly sipping tea. She seemed unbothered by everything, even the speech. That only made Bella feel more like an outsider.
She opened her mouth to ask another question but hesitated. She didn't want to come across as paranoid. Or worse, like she was trying too hard to fit in. Still, something about the way that little boy had looked at her and what he said about new blood kept gnawing at her insides.
Noticing the turmoil that Bella was obviously going through, Elara called out to her softly, "Hey, don't let any of that get to you. You're overthinking it."
Bella looked up. "You sure?"
"Yes," Elara nodded. "The juniors. The weird stares. The 'new blood' thingy," she set her cup down with a light clink, "they do it to every new student. You're not the first. And you'll probably not be the last."
"But the headmistress, what she said, it felt… specific. Like she was saying it to me."
"Let's just say that's her own way of welcoming you to school," Elara replied. "Here, they always keep an eye on the new students. Especially the ones who transfer in. It's not common at all. Most of us have been here since junior high school one. You're… different. So you're bound to get all that attention."
Bella frowned. "Different how?"
"Different enough to draw attention," she rolled her eyes. "Besides, there's always a student every year they mark out. Maybe it's just your turn."
The words didn't help. In fact, they stirred the unease again.
"Why are you still here, though?" Bella asked suddenly, catching herself. "I mean, you seem smart. And normal. This place doesn't strike me as the type of school someone wants to be in. Willingly."
Elara paused, eyes thoughtful. Then, "Sometimes, it's not about what you want. It's about where you belong."
Bella stared at her. "And you think you belong here?"
"I know I do." She gave a small smile. "Eventually, you'll know too."