Chapter Two
Elora's POV
The wheels of my luggage screeched as they dragged across the long hallway. Every step echoed, making me more nervous than I wanted to admit. I was here for the first time, and though I tried to keep my face calm, my stomach was tight.
This place wasn't just a school. It was something else entirely, filled with creatures I had only heard stories of. I had no idea what I would face here, but one thing I knew for sure was that I had to keep my identity hidden. I wasn't just human. I was something more—something dangerous. The Moon Goddess could take me over if she wanted, and if anyone discovered that… I wouldn't survive.
My fingers curled around the small metal tag they had given me. The number carved on it was supposed to be my room. I walked until I reached the right door, but as I got closer, faint sounds reached my ears. Laughter. Music. Voices rising in excitement.
I hesitated. My heart beat fast. Was this really my room?
Still, I had no choice. My hand wrapped around the cold knob, and I turned it slowly.
The moment the door creaked open, the sight inside nearly stopped my breath.
The ceiling was plastered with ribbons, glowing faintly under a cluster of floating lanterns. The air was thick with the scent of burning incense and sweet wine.
A group of students were gathered inside, their clothes shining, their voices loud as they laughed and whispered among themselves. Two large beds took up most of the space, but the one on the left was crowded with people perched on it like it belonged to them.
Every head turned at once.
The noise died. The music stilled. Dozens of eyes landed on me, cutting into me like blades.
For a moment, I thought I had stepped into the wrong place. I quickly pulled back and glanced at the tag again. The number matched. This was my room.
I stepped in fully, pulling my luggage behind me, but the stares didn't fade. They followed me, full of scorn.
"You must be a party ruiner," a voice spat.
"Excuse me?" My words were sharp, but my throat was dry.
Before I could say more, a tall boy brushed past me so roughly my shoulder slammed into the doorframe. He didn't even look back as he walked out. The door slammed behind him with a loud bang.
Another girl stood, gathering her belongings with an angry hiss. She left without a word, her glare slicing into me as she passed. One by one, they began to leave, each of them making sure to let me see the disgust on their faces.
What a welcome.
Soon, only one remained. She was sitting on the other bed, her arms folded, her gaze sharp as she studied me.
The Alpha had the power to give me my own chamber. He could have ordered it, but instead, here I was sharing a room with someone I had already ruined a night for.
"How does it feel to ruin my party?" she asked, her voice calm, almost lazy, but her eyes gleamed with anger.
I looked at her properly then. She was beautiful, with perfect skin and hair that shimmered in the lantern glow. But the beauty was wasted by her attitude.
I didn't reply immediately. I pulled my suitcase toward the other bed and sat down, pretending not to care. "I didn't ruin it," I said flatly. "They left because they wanted to. Not because of me."
Her lips twisted. "You don't have a wolf."
The shift in her face was immediate. Her anger faded, replaced by curiosity. A slow smile tugged at her mouth as she rose to her feet and began walking toward me.
My body stiffened.
"What are you then?" she asked, circling me like a predator. "Dragon? Banshee? Snake? No… not a Phoenix. I would have felt that." Her voice was smooth, taunting, every guess pulling me tighter inside myself.
I kept my eyes forward. "I'm human."
The words left my mouth like stone dropping into water.
She paused, then laughed softly. "Human? Here? That's even more interesting."
I grabbed my headphones and pushed them into my ears, ignoring her. If I was going to survive in this place, I couldn't let people like her break me down. I had bigger problems. The Moon Goddess had already placed the weight of the world on me. Somewhere out there was the one who would destroy everything, and it was my duty to find them before it was too late.
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First Day at School
I wasn't supposed to start mid-session. Normally, no one could. But the Alpha's power made it possible.
Only students twenty-one and above were allowed here. The younger ones were sent to the other Crescent Hollow—a smaller school, softer, safer. This one was different. This was where the powerful were forged.
As I walked through the courtyards, I caught sight of the kinds of things I had only heard of. Two students sparred with fire bursting from their hands, the flames twisting into shapes before vanishing.
Another disappeared in a blink, reappearing on the other side of the field with laughter echoing after him. And this, I knew, was only the beginning.
I forced myself to stay calm, hiding my awe. I couldn't look like the outsider I truly was.
Somewhere here, my mates walked these same halls. The triplets. I hadn't seen them yet, but whispers of them reached even me. Were they curious about me too? Or were they waiting for the right time to punish me for running?
People said they were more ruthless than their father. More feared. More merciless. And I believed it.
Sliding my hand into my pocket, I pulled out the handbook given to me. My rank was at the very bottom. Lowest of all. Shameful. It didn't surprise me, but it still stung. In this academy, rank determined everything. The higher your badge, the more respect you earned. The lower… the more you suffered.
"Hii!"
I jumped slightly as a girl appeared in front of me, waving like she had known me for years.
I blinked, looking over my shoulder, but she was staring directly at me.
"Excuse me?" I asked, frowning.
She stepped closer, her smile too bright, her eyes full of excitement. "You might not remember me, but I was at the party yesterday. In your room."
Recognition hit me. She was the only one who had given me a small smile before leaving.
"Oh. Right." My voice was clipped. "Nice meeting you." I tried to move past her, but she blocked my path.
I clenched my jaw, trying to stay calm. "Please. I don't want to cause a scene."
"You're just a human," she said, tilting her head. "There's nothing you can do alone. You need someone like me if you want to survive here." She tapped the badge on her chest, a rank much higher than mine. "See? Stick with me and you'll be safe."
I narrowed my eyes. "And what do you want in return?"
Her smile widened. "Nothing. From the moment I saw you yesterday, I knew you were the kind of friend I needed. You'll make my life complete."
It all sounded too sweet. Too false.
"I don't need a friend." I brushed past her this time, refusing to let her stop me again.
Her voice followed me, sing-song and warning. "The others will pick on you if I don't protect you. No matter how hard you hide, they will still find you."
Her words stuck like thorns.
Maybe she was right. Maybe everyone here would come for me sooner or later.
But what would they do when they found out I wasn't just a human—when they realized I was tied to the three most feared men in this academy?
Will they still want to harm if they knew who my mate was?
"There are only six people in the highest rank, what if you encounter—"
I didn't let her finish. I walked faster, dragging my bag along with me. My ears burned from all the stares around. Some whispered, some laughed quietly as I passed. They already knew I didn't belong here.
I kept my head down, clutching the handbook in my hand, trying to shut everyone out. I couldn't afford to draw attention. Not today.
But just as I turned a corner, I collided hard into someone. My body stumbled back, and the handbook slipped out of my fingers, scattering across the floor.
The murmurs around grew louder. I froze, my breath stuck in my throat.
Slowly, I lifted my head.
It wasn't just anyone.
It was her. My eyes immediately went to her chest as I then saw the badge. I needed no one to tell me what I have just gotten myself into.
One of the highest ranks. A lady whose presence alone could silence an entire hall. Her eyes burned with authority, sharp and cold, and they locked directly on me.
My chest tightened.
Of all people I could have bumped into why her?