Two days before my awakening ceremony, something unexpected happened.
I was in the library with Lyanna, who was attempting to teach me the basics of magical theory, when Anna burst through the doors with a level of panic I'd never seen from her before.
"Your Grace!" she called out, even though my mother wasn't in the room. "Your Grace, come quickly! There's someone at the gates!"
"Anna, calm down," Lyanna said sharply. "Who's at the gates?"
"An envoy," Anna gasped, trying to catch her breath. "From the Celestial Academy. They're requesting immediate audience with the family regarding Master Marcus's enrollment."
Lyanna and I exchanged glances. That was... odd. The academy didn't usually send personal envoys for standard enrollments.
Within minutes, my mother and Cassandra had arrived, both looking as confused as I felt. We made our way to the main entrance hall, where a figure stood waiting that made my breath catch.
The envoy was breathtakingly beautiful in a way that was both elegant and dangerous. She was tall... nearly six feet - with an hourglass figure that her deep purple robes couldn't quite conceal. The fabric seemed to shift and move with its own inner light, clinging to generous curves that spoke of both strength and femininity. Her legs were long and graceful, visible through strategic slits in the flowing material.
But it was her face that truly captured attention. High cheekbones framed features that were perfectly symmetrical, with full lips that held just a hint of a knowing smile. Her silver hair cascaded down her back in waves that seemed to move with their own ethereal wind, bound with what looked like crystallized starlight that caught the light with every movement.
When she turned to face us, her eyes were the color of deep twilight - not quite purple, not quite blue, but something that seemed to hold the mystery of endless night skies. There was an ageless quality to her beauty, the kind that spoke of centuries of existence without a single flaw.
"Duchess Selena von Ravencrest," the envoy said, her voice carrying harmonics that made the air itself seem to listen. The sound was rich and melodious, with undertones that made something deep in my chest respond involuntarily.
"I am Magister Celestine, representative of the Celestial Academy of Mythros."
An immortal. They'd sent an actual immortal as an envoy. And she was easily the most stunning woman I'd ever seen, radiating power and sensuality in equal measure.
"Magister Celestine," my mother replied carefully, offering a formal bow. "This is... unexpected. How may we assist the academy?"
The immortal's twilight eyes swept over our family before settling on me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. "I come bearing formal invitation for one Marcus von Ravencrest to attend the Celestial Academy, along with the materials necessary for his awakening ceremony."
They gestured, and a ornate chest materialized from thin air, floating gently to rest on the marble floor.
"That's very kind," Cassandra said slowly, "but we had already planned to conduct Marcus's awakening here, as is traditional—"
"With all due respect, Lady Cassandra," Magister Celestine interrupted smoothly, "the academy has particular interest in young Marcus's enrollment."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
"Particular interest?" my mother asked, her voice carefully neutral.
"Indeed. Word has reached the academy of a... remarkable young man in the Ravencrest household. Rumors speak of a male prodigy of extraordinary beauty and potential, hidden away from the world for seventeen years."
The silence that followed was deafening. I could practically hear my family's hearts stopping.
"I'm afraid I don't understand," my mother said, though her voice was tight with something approaching panic. "We haven't made any announcements—"
"No," Magister Celestine agreed pleasantly, "you haven't. Which makes these rumors all the more... intriguing."
They stepped closer, their eyes never leaving my face. "The immortal faculty has developed quite the curiosity about a young man who has managed to remain completely hidden from noble society while apparently possessing qualities that have captured the imagination of... shall we say, well-informed circles."
"How could there be rumors if no one knows about him?" Lyanna demanded, her analytical mind cutting straight to the heart of the problem.
Magister Celestine smiled, and it was both beautiful and terrifying. "My dear young Lady Lyanna, surely you don't believe that beings who have lived for millennia rely solely on mortal gossip networks for information?"
The implications of that statement hit like a physical blow. The immortals had known about me all along. They'd been watching, somehow, despite my family's careful secrecy.
"The academy," the envoy continued conversationally, "has certain... methods of detecting extraordinary magical potential. Young Marcus has been of interest to us for some time."
"How long?" my mother whispered.
"Oh, since he was approximately ten years old and began manifesting the signs that would make him quite the sensation in noble society. The academy has been wondering when the Ravencrest family would finally reveal their hidden treasure."
I felt like the ground was shifting under my feet. They'd known about me for seven years. Seven years of thinking we were keeping this secret, while immortal beings watched from the shadows. If Immortals are as I remember in novels, they probably knew me even before that.
"The awakening materials in that chest," Magister Celestine gestured to the floating box, "are specifically calibrated for individuals of... unusual potential. Standard awakening rituals may be insufficient for someone of Marcus's apparent gifts."
"What kind of gifts?" Cassandra asked, though she looked like she dreaded the answer.
"That," the immortal said with another unsettling smile, "is what even us Immortals... we intend to discover. The academy is most eager to see what young Marcus will become when his power is properly awakened."
They moved toward the door, then paused and looked back at me directly.
"Oh, and Marcus? The headmistress specifically asked me to mention that she's very much looking forward to meeting you. Lady Seraphina has a particular fondness for... unique cases."
With that cryptic statement, they simply vanished, leaving behind only the ornate chest and the lingering scent of starlight.
We stood in stunned silence for several long moments.
"Well," Lyanna said finally, "I think we can safely say that our plans to quietly introduce Marcus to society have just become significantly more complicated."
"They've been watching him," my mother said, her voice hollow. "For seven years, they've been watching MY son."
"The question is," Cassandra added grimly, "what exactly do they think they're going to find when they awaken his power?"
I stared at the mysterious chest, feeling like I was looking at Pandora's box. Whatever was inside was specifically designed for someone with "unusual potential" - someone the immortals had been monitoring for years.
"I guess we'll find out tomorrow," I said quietly.
But as I looked at my family's worried faces, I had the distinct feeling that my comfortable paradise was about to become very, very complicated.
The academy knew about me. They'd always known.
And that knowledge was about to change everything.
___
Honestly, I want to know what you guys think and forget for this extra nice work. Support me guys, keep reading and commenting your opinions and thoughts.