The sky was stretching in dull layers of pewter as the shuttle rolled along the final curve leading to Beastblood Academy. The tall iron gates were standing open, framed by two stone pillars carved with the sigils of the Wolf, Jaguar, and Serpent clans—silent guardians that seemed ready to evaluate every newcomer with a cold, instinctive scrutiny. Sandra Avelis watched them as the vehicle slowed, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag. The landscape around her was moving with muted heaviness: the long bridge, the rows of ancient trees bending slightly under the wind, the distant roofs of the Academy shifting from shadow to light.
All of it felt foreign, imposing… and dangerous.
The shuttle's engine hissed when it stopped. Sandra stepped down, her boots sinking lightly into the gravel path. The air smelled of damp earth and the metallic tinge of upcoming rain. Students were scattered across the courtyard, some shifting between human and near-hybrid postures with effortless arrogance, others murmuring in low tones as she passed. Their eyes were following her, not with curiosity but with assessment, as though they were already classifying her into a category she did not understand.
She straightened her spine.
She could not afford a single misstep.
A staff member approached, a tablet in hand. His posture was upright but rigid, as if he was trying to minimize unnecessary closeness.
"Name?" he asked, without looking up.
"Sandra Avelis."
He paused, the stylus frozen mid-air. His gaze lifted just long enough to let her feel a flicker of silent judgment.
"You're expected at the Administrative Wing for immediate clearance. Follow the left corridor. Do not deviate."
He did not wait for her acknowledgment. He simply turned away and moved to the next student.
Sandra inhaled steadily. Her arrival had not gone unnoticed, just as she feared. The moment she had submitted her file for the Harmonization System program, she had known the risk. She had known that stepping into Beastblood Academy meant stepping into a territory where hierarchies were enforced with teeth and instinct.
But she had no alternative.
Not when she had so much to protect.
She crossed the courtyard, her steps falling in measured, controlled rhythm. The main building was climbing above her with ancient authority—arched windows, towers covered in old ivy, and long hallways stretching like arteries feeding the beating heart of the Academy. Inside, the corridors were echoing with footsteps, whispers, and the distinctive presence of Beastmen in their human forms—some radiating calm menace, others masking it behind polished elegance.
She kept her breathing even.
The Administrative Wing was situated behind double wooden doors marked with the Academy's crest. When she entered, the atmosphere tightened. Silence dominated here. Precision hovered in the air.
A receptionist gestured her forward.
"Identification."
Sandra handed her documents. The woman scanned them, her expression tightening, then smoothing as though wiping away her reaction.
"You were placed under the Harmonization System program. Unusual choice for your category."
"I'm aware," Sandra replied calmly.
"You will undergo a preliminary evaluation within the next hour. Please wait in Room C-14."
Sandra nodded and stepped back, heading down the hallway. She passed portraits of former Academy leaders, each pair of painted eyes following her with latent expectations—or warnings.
Room C-14 was empty when she entered, its lighting soft, its air clinical. A screen on the wall was displaying muted Academy announcements. She settled into a seat, her pulse steady but alert.
Minutes stretched. Then the door opened without warning.
Two figures stepped inside. The energy in the room shifted sharply, like a predator stepping into a clearing.
The first one moved with a cold, measured grace—heightened posture, silver eyes, expression carved from self-control. His black hair was tied loosely at the nape, and his presence was pressing without effort.
Sandra recognized him instantly.
Tristan Valmar.
Wolf heir. Strategist. The Academy's unchallenged Alpha on campus.
The second entered with a different energy. His movements were fluid, almost silent, but carrying an undercurrent of simmering heat. Tall, lean, with amber-gold eyes and dark hair falling in loose waves, he observed everything as if deciding how quickly he could take it.
Sebastian Marquez.
Jaguar Beastman. Provocateur. Instinct in human shape.
Both rivals. Both dangerous.
Both staring at her as though she were a new territory neither wanted to relinquish.
Tristan spoke first.
"You're Sandra Avelis." His tone held no question. Only a controlled assessment. "The Administration flagged your arrival."
"I'm aware," she answered steadily.
He studied her, gaze sharp enough to unravel her composure if she allowed it. "Your profile is… atypical."
Before she could respond, Sebastian stepped closer, his voice a low, smooth contrast.
"You came in without a family escort. Brave." His eyes drifted over her with deliberate slowness. "Or reckless."
"I didn't need one," she replied.
His lips curved slightly. "We'll see."
Tristan shot him a glance edged with hostility. "This evaluation room is not your stage, Marquez."
"And you don't own it, Valmar."
Sandra felt the air tighten as the two squared off, silent instinct crackling like an invisible storm. She knew enough from her research to understand the risk: Wolf and Jaguar heirs did not confront each other lightly. Their rivalries carried historical weight, clan politics, and unspoken challenges.
She stood, cutting through the tension.
"If you're here for my evaluation, let's proceed. If not, I'd prefer to wait alone."
The silence shifted. Tristan's expression did not change, but a flicker of interest ghosted through his gaze.
"Direct," he said. "Noted."
Sebastian's smile sharpened. "I like her already."
Sandra ignored him.
A mechanical sound hummed as the screen lit up. A message appeared:
"Candidate Sandra Avelis — Prepare for Harmonization Baseline Scan. Please remain still."
A low vibration filled the room. The lights dimmed slightly.
Tristan folded his arms. "This system measures instinct resonance and hybrid markers. Follow the instructions."
Sebastian leaned against the wall. "If something goes wrong, scream loudly. It annoys him."
Tristan's jaw tightened. "Your commentary is not required."
Sandra stepped onto the indicated platform, centering herself. A cold pulse of energy swept across her skin. It was subtle but unmistakable—something ancient, coded, and deeply inquisitive probing beneath her surface.
Her heartbeat quickened.
The machine emitted a sharp tone.
Tristan's posture stiffened. Sebastian pushed off the wall, eyes narrowing.
The screen flashed:
"Compatibility Index: ANOMALOUS."
"Genetic Resonance: UNDEFINED."
"Risk Classification: ELEVATED."
Sandra's breath caught.
Tristan was the first to react, his voice dropping to a quiet, chilling precision.
"That result is impossible."
Sebastian stepped closer to the display. "Or extremely interesting."
The machine beeped again, more urgently this time.
"Secondary marker detected."
Sandra felt an icy wave move through her chest.
No.
Not now.
Not here.
Tristan approached her slowly, observing her reactions with incisive calculation.
"You're hiding something."
She kept her voice even. "I'm complying with the evaluation."
"Complying," Sebastian echoed, circling her with silent steps, "and concealing aren't mutually exclusive."
The machine pulsed with a final reading.
"Data incomplete. Further testing required."
Then it shut down, leaving a heavy silence behind.
Sandra stepped off the platform, every nerve taut. She needed to get out of this room. She needed distance—space to think, to protect what she had spent months safeguarding.
Tristan blocked her path with quiet authority.
"This result will trigger an internal review. Expect surveillance."
"I understand."
Sebastian's gaze softened with something more complex—curiosity mixed with instinct. "Be careful, Sandra. The Academy bites."
She met his eyes without wavering. "So do I."
Tristan watched her with an unreadable expression, as though trying to see beneath every layer she had built.
"Your file didn't mention a family affiliation," he said. "Or a guardian. Or a sponsor."
A pause.
"Why are you really here?"
She held his stare.
"To survive."
The answer was true. And it was the only one she could safely give.
Sebastian's smile faded into something almost contemplative.
Tristan shifted, sensing the instability of the moment. "Your schedule will be updated for advanced monitoring. Report to your assigned dorm. Do not leave the building without authorization."
Sandra nodded once, then stepped past them.
Neither tried to stop her. But she felt their gazes following every second of her departure—the cold scrutiny of the Wolf, the heated curiosity of the Jaguar.
Outside, the sky finally opened, releasing a thin veil of rain across the courtyard.
Sandra walked through it, each step steady, each breath controlled.
She had made it inside Beastblood Academy.
Now she had to remain alive long enough to protect the one secret that would destroy her if exposed.
And to her growing unease, the first reading from the Harmonization System had come far too close.
Far too close to the truth she had vowed to bury.