Seventeen-year-old Aiden Rivera’s life changes forever on a dark, quiet night when he's attacked while returning from a bookstore. Just when all hope seems lost, a mysterious stranger emerges from the shadows—swift, powerful, and deadly. He saves Aiden and disappears just as quickly into the night. That stranger's name? Aiden doesn’t know. But from that moment, Aiden can’t stop thinking about him.

Determined to find his silent guardian, Aiden scours the internet, describing every detail he remembers. To his shock, a face match reveals the stranger's name: Ryker Kane, heir to a powerful corporate empire… and a student at an elite, almost mythical academy. It’s not quite a high school, not quite a university—more like something in between. Something hidden.

One of Ryker’s photos contains a strange symbol that leads Aiden to an encrypted link. It makes a bizarre demand: a drop of blood to apply. Aiden laughs at the absurdity of it—until curiosity wins. What could one drop of blood hurt?

He sends it, expecting nothing.

A week later, an ornate envelope arrives. He’s in.

Eager to reunite with Ryker, Aiden travels to the secluded academy… only to step into a world straight out of a fantasy novel. Students with glowing eyes. Talking animals. Ethereal beings with pointed ears. Some even arrive through portals.

Suddenly, Aiden isn’t just the new kid. He’s the only human in a school that isn’t meant for people like him. And all he can think is:

What the hell did I just get myself into?

After storming out of Ophelia's dorm in anger, Ryker walked briskly across the courtyard, ignoring the curious stares of the few students wandering around. His fists were clenched at his sides, his jaw tight. He hated that his father kept forcing him into a corner, hated that Ophelia acted as if she had every right to him, as though he were some possession. The moment he stepped out of the female hostel, the cool evening air brushed against his skin, offering some relief from the suffocating confrontation he had just endured. But it wasn't enough. His mood remained dark, his chest heavy with frustration.


Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: Kael