Aiden Rivera spent the entire week in a limbo of hope and doubt.
One half of him—a hopeful, reckless part—was silently praying that something miraculous would happen. That his impulsive act of submitting a drop of blood to a cryptic address would somehow unlock the next chapter of his life. The other half, the more grounded part, whispered that it was all ridiculous. Who gets accepted into a school without a proper application, without interviews or transcripts?
He kept replaying it over and over in his head.
The mysterious website. The glowing words. The woman at the bookstore who didn't even flinch when he told her why he was there. And Ryker—the beautiful, dangerous boy who had pulled him from the jaws of something dark and terrifying.
Each night, as he lay in bed staring at the ceiling, he doubted more and more that he'd ever hear back. It's just a scam. A fantasy. None of it was real.
But then, on the morning of the seventh day, the doorbell rang.
Aiden, still in his pajamas, blinked at the sound. The maid answered and returned moments later with a sleek, rectangular parcel, bound in black silk ribbon.
"It's addressed to you," she said, handing it over with a curious glance.
Aiden stared at it. His hands trembled slightly.
He climbed the stairs two steps at a time and dashed into his room, closing the door behind him. He untied the ribbon carefully, his heart thudding hard in his chest. Inside was a black envelope, sealed with crimson wax. The emblem on the seal was a familiar spiral—the same one he'd seen on Ryker's school blazer.
He cracked the wax and unfolded the thick, cream-colored parchment.
---
Dear Aiden Rivera,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Skyline Academy for the upcoming semester.
Classes resume in one month.
An escort vehicle will arrive on the morning of your departure.
Further instructions and a packing list will follow.
Welcome, Worthy One.
– Skyline Academy Admissions
---
Aiden blinked. Then he read it again. And again.
"I... I got in?"
He let out a loud, euphoric laugh before launching himself into a full-bodied leap onto his bed. He rolled, kicked the air, and screamed into his pillow.
"I got in!"
He was spinning in giddy circles around his room when the sobering thought hit him like a slap to the face:
My parents are never going to let me go.
He froze mid-celebration, still clutching the letter in his hand.
How the hell am I going to convince them?
---
That evening, after the maid had prepared a cozy dinner of grilled fish and herb rice, Aiden sat at the table with his parents. He made sure to smile and chat and compliment the food—anything to keep the mood light and pleasant.
He waited until everyone had eaten, until dessert was halfway done, and his father had poured himself a second glass of wine. Then, with as much calm as he could muster, he said:
"Mom, Dad... I need to talk to you about something important."
Both parents looked up.
"I got accepted into a new school," he said quickly. "It's called Skyline Academy."
His mother's brows furrowed immediately. "A new school?"
"What's wrong with your current school?" his father asked, puzzled. "You're doing well there."
"I know. It's not that anything is wrong," Aiden said. "It's just... this new place. It's special. It's advanced. The kind of place that opens doors to incredible opportunities. Everyone who graduates from there gets into elite universities or starts big careers. It's a huge step up."
He pulled out the small folder he'd prepared earlier and slid it across the table. Inside were printed testimonials, vague online write-ups, and cherry-picked success stories. He had, of course, left out the more unsettling details—like the lack of an actual address, or the test being a vial of blood.
His father flipped through the pages, intrigued.
His mother, however, remained tense. "This school... where exactly is it?"
Aiden hesitated. "They're... private about the location. For security reasons. But they'll be sending a car to pick me up."
"That sounds like the middle of nowhere to me," she said, narrowing her eyes. "And you're only seventeen, Aiden. I don't see any reason you need to switch schools at all."
"I want to challenge myself," he said. "This school tests students in ways that push their intellect. The admissions test had questions that honestly stumped me. I thought I was going to fail."
His mother folded her arms. "And when did you take this supposed test?"
"I found the opportunity online," Aiden answered carefully. "It was part of an invitation-only evaluation. Very selective. They assess gifted individuals. I didn't expect to pass, but... I did."
His father looked thoughtful. "And this letter—do you have it?"
Aiden handed it over. His father read it silently, nodding slightly, but Aiden's mother remained unconvinced.
"You applied to a school we've never heard of," she said slowly. "A school that no one knows the location of. That gives out vague letters with wax seals like some fantasy novel. Aiden, do you hear how this sounds?"
Aiden lowered his voice, leaning toward her. "Mom, I really want this. You told me once—you said you'd never stop me from chasing my dreams. This school... it's everything I want. I'll call you every week, I promise. I'll write if you want. Please let me have this."
She was quiet for a long moment.
He could see the conflict in her eyes—love, fear, maternal instinct. She adored him. And Aiden knew she didn't want to clip his wings. But she was terrified of the unknown.
Still, she was also the one who had raised him to believe he could do anything.
And that, in the end, was what tipped the scales.
With a reluctant sigh, she rubbed her temples and finally whispered, "Fine. But you better keep your word. If I don't hear from you weekly, your father will personally fly wherever that damn car takes you."
Aiden let out a cheer so loud the maid peeked in from the kitchen.
"Thank you, Mom! Thank you, Dad!" he said, standing up and throwing his arms around them both.
His mother just shook her head, smiling a little despite herself. "I swear, you're going to be the death of me."
What she didn't know—what neither of them knew—was that Aiden wasn't chasing a dream.
He was chasing Ryker Kane.
___
The days leading up to his departure felt both endless and impossibly fast.
Every morning, Aiden marked an X on the calendar, watching the final day creep closer like a whispering secret. He had packed two weeks in advance—his suitcases lined up neatly near his closet, filled with everything from books to sweaters to notebooks that still smelled like the store.
He didn't know what to expect at Skyline Academy. No one did. That mystery was both terrifying and thrilling.
And now, the day had arrived.
Aiden was already dressed and sitting at the edge of his bed when the maid knocked on the door and poked her head in.
"There's a car waiting outside for you," she said with a kind smile. "Black. Long. Very expensive looking."
Aiden didn't wait another second. He jumped up, grabbed his suitcase handles, and practically flew down the stairs.
"Calm down, you'll break your neck," his mother said, laughing nervously as she and Aiden's father met him at the front door. Both parents were already dressed, their expressions composed but not hiding the concern behind their eyes.
They all stepped out together.
The car parked in front of the mansion looked like something out of a secret agent film—sleek, matte-black with tinted windows and rims that gleamed under the morning sun. A sharply dressed man in a charcoal suit stood waiting by the trunk. He had a clean-shaven face, a polite smile, and the kind of posture that exuded quiet confidence. Nothing about him screamed danger, but everything about him whispered professionalism.
Aiden's mother, clutching her hands together, seemed to relax just a little.
"I'm here to collect Aiden Rivera," the driver said with a slight bow.
"That's me," Aiden said brightly, stepping forward.
The driver opened the trunk and carefully placed the suitcases inside, his movements precise. Aiden stood by, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. His chest felt too small for the excitement bursting inside it.
But then came the hard part—saying goodbye.
His parents approached him, and his mother pulled him into a firm embrace. She smelled like lavender and vanilla, a scent he'd grown up with. For the first time, he realized how much he'd miss it.
"Remember what I said," she whispered, brushing back a strand of silver hair from his face. "Call every week. Don't skip. If you do, your father and I will come looking. I'm not joking."
Aiden grinned. "I'll call every week. Even if nothing exciting happens. Promise."
His father gave him a pat on the shoulder and nodded. "Be smart. Be careful. And if something doesn't feel right—trust your instincts."
"I will," Aiden said, trying not to let the emotion choke him.
He gave them one last hug, then climbed into the backseat of the car.
The door closed with a quiet click. Aiden pressed his forehead to the window and waved as the car pulled away from the mansion's driveway. His parents stood there, side by side, growing smaller in the rearview until they vanished from view.
---
At first, the ride was familiar. The city passed by in glowing streaks—glass buildings, bustling sidewalks, traffic lights. Aiden watched everything in silence, soaking in the last glimpse of the world he'd always known.
But then, gradually, the scenery began to change.
The streets grew quieter, the buildings sparser. The skyline melted into greenery, and soon all that surrounded them were trees—tall, ancient, and thick. The road narrowed and turned winding, weaving through a forest blanketed in low, rolling mist.
Aiden sat up straighter.
"Seriously," he mumbled under his breath, "who builds a school in the middle of a forest?"
His mother's words echoed back in his head: "It's like the school is in the middle of nowhere."
She hadn't been wrong.
The deeper they drove, the more surreal it all became. The mist clung to the car like a veil, and the only sounds were the occasional crunch of gravel and the hum of the engine.
No signposts. No intersections. Just endless green.
And then—just as he began to wonder if they were driving in circles—it appeared.
The forest abruptly broke open to reveal a vast, open clearing. At the center stood a towering iron gate, flanked by marble columns carved with symbols Aiden didn't recognize. The words "Skyline Academy" were etched across the top in elegant silver lettering, gleaming faintly in the misty light.
Beyond the gate, he could glimpse the outlines of grand stone buildings, high towers, and what looked like a vast courtyard filled with glowing lamps and cobblestone paths.
It was like something out of a dream—or a secret society novel.
The driver brought the car to a gentle stop.
Aiden stepped out, his breath catching slightly as he looked up at the academy gates.
"Welcome, Mr. Rivera," the driver said, lifting his bags from the trunk and setting them neatly beside him. "This is as far as I go. Good luck."
And then, without another word, the man returned to the car and drove off, disappearing back into the forest mist.
Aiden stood alone at the gates, suitcase in hand, his heart thudding in his chest.
This is it, he thought. I made it. I'm actually here.
Somewhere beyond those gates… was Ryker Kane.