The air smelled of rain and pine as Lyra Vale stepped off the foggy train platform, her boots crunching against the gravel. Romance Academy loomed ahead like a castle pulled straight from legend—tall towers disappearing into the mist, walls carved with glowing runes, and massive gates etched with silver symbols that pulsed faintly with power.
Lyra swallowed. Her wolf, dormant for years, stirred in the back of her mind. She had felt it tonight—like a heartbeat inside her chest, strong, urgent, demanding freedom. And now, standing before the academy's gates, she knew the awakening had begun.
A bell chimed from the tallest tower. Students in dark uniforms, some with glowing eyes or faint, magical auras, crossed the courtyard in pairs and small groups. Whispers of old magic filled the air, and Lyra felt both invisible and scrutinized at once. She was new, an outsider, unclaimed.
"Lyra Vale?" a deep, commanding voice called.
She turned to see a tall figure stepping from the shadows of the courtyard. Black hair fell across sharp, stoic features, and his eyes—gray as steel—seemed to see her, all of her, as though reading the deepest corners of her soul.
"I'm Kael Nightfang," he said, his tone clipped, controlled. "You're late for registration. Follow me."
Lyra followed, heart hammering, trying to ignore the way her wolf growled low in her chest. She wasn't sure if it was excitement or instinct—or the pull she had only just begun to understand.
The academy's main hall was vast, echoing with voices and laughter, yet every conversation seemed to pause the moment she stepped inside. Students turned, eyes lingering, some curious, some wary. Lyra felt the weight of their stares and realized one thing: this place did not welcome ordinary.
Kael led her to a towering archway etched with silver runes. "Stand here," he commanded. "This is the Bonding Circle. Every student is tested upon arrival. Your wolf will awaken fully tonight, and your soulmate… may already be waiting."
Lyra's stomach twisted. Soulmate? She had heard legends of such bonds—unbreakable, predestined ties that could save lives or destroy them. But she had never imagined her own fate would be written in such ancient ink.
A hush fell over the hall as a faint, glowing mist rose from the circle. Her pulse quickened. The warmth in her chest spread, and suddenly the world narrowed to a single point: Kael Nightfang.
Her wolf growled, low and fierce, matching the rhythm of her heartbeat. And in that moment, she knew.
The bond had found her first.
Around her, students gasped and whispered. Some looked in awe. Others… in envy.
Kael's gaze met hers, sharp, unyielding, but something in the depths softened—just a fraction. "So," he said, voice barely above a whisper, "you've awakened."
Lyra swallowed, trying to steady the tremor in her voice. "I… I think I have."
"Good," he said. "Because once the bond takes hold, there's no turning back. Here, love isn't just a feeling. It's a challenge. And at Romance Academy… the unclaimed will fight to take what's yours."
Her wolf growled again. Lyra clenched her fists. Something fierce, wild, and undeniable surged through her. She wasn't about to be anyone's prize. Not now, not ever.
The first challenge had already begun.
If you want, I can write Chapter Two next, which introduces other students, hints at rivalries, and shows how the unclaimed might try to snatch mates away—basically building the tension and romance together.