The envelope felt heavier the longer Mary held it.
Not physically—she wasn't weak.
But something about it sat in her palm like a living thing, pulsing warm against her skin. Like it had teeth.
Mary stared at the black seal again, her throat tight.
Welcome home.
Home.
That single word made her stomach churn.
Because Mary had never had a "home" before Marvin's house. And even then… home had always come with rules, cold looks, and doors that didn't fully open for her.
Her heartbeat had reacted the moment she touched the invitation.
She didn't know why.
She didn't want to know why.
Mary swallowed hard, forcing herself to breathe normally.
Okay. So the universe is officially playing with me.
That was all she allowed herself to think before she shoved the envelope into her bag like she could hide the problem from reality.
But reality didn't hide.
Reality stared at her.
Reality whispered.
Reality smiled like it couldn't wait for her to break.
Mary stood slowly as the bell rang, her legs feeling too light. She could feel eyes burning into her back as she walked out of the classroom.
Jada, Avery, and Miles practically swarmed her in the hallway.
Jada grabbed Mary's forearm, eyes wide and bright. "Mary. Mary. You got the black seal!"
Avery looked like she might faint from excitement. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?! That's not even a normal invitation! That's like… like you're the main character."
Mary shot her a deadpan look. "That is not comforting."
Miles pushed his glasses up, staring at her bag like it contained a bomb. "I've never even heard of a human getting a black seal."
"That's because humans don't belong there," Mary muttered.
Avery slapped her shoulder lightly. "Stop it. We're going together. This is a miracle."
Jada nodded, her braids swaying with the movement. "You know how long I've been praying for this? Hawthorne District students getting picked is rare enough. But all four of us?"
She leaned in, lowering her voice like she was sharing sacred gossip. "It's fate."
Mary's stomach tightened at that word.
Fate.
People loved saying fate when they didn't know the cost of it.
She looked at her friends—at Jada's fearless grin, Avery's bubbling excitement, and Miles' anxious but hopeful expression.
They looked like they were standing at the edge of a dream.
Mary felt like she was standing at the edge of a cliff.
Still… their happiness warmed something in her chest, small and stubborn.
At least I won't be alone.
Avery looped her arm through Mary's. "Okay, so we're totally rooming near each other. We're going to become legendary."
"We're going to become dead," Mary whispered.
Jada laughed. "Girl, you always have to ruin a moment."
Mary tried to smile.
She almost succeeded.
Almost.
And then a shadow slid into their circle.
Perfume hit her first—sweet and expensive, the kind that screamed I'm better than you.
Samantha Caldwell stood there with her pack behind her, lips curled like she'd bitten into something sour.
Her gaze landed on Mary's bag.
Then her eyes flicked up to Mary's face.
"You?" Samantha scoffed, loud enough for the nearby students to turn and listen. "You seriously think you're special because you got an invitation?"
Mary's grip tightened on her strap. Jada stepped forward like she was ready to bite.
But Mary spoke first, her voice calm, flat.
"I don't think I'm special."
Samantha's smile sharpened. "Oh, trust me. Everyone knows you don't deserve it."
Avery's voice rose. "Leave her alone—"
Samantha cut her off with a glance. "You three are already going to embarrass our district enough. But her? Mary Marvin is a nobody."
She leaned closer, lowering her voice like a poison-tipped whisper.
"You're going to make everyone miserable there the same way you do here. You walk around like people owe you something just because you have a body and a face."
Mary's cheeks warmed, but she didn't flinch.
Samantha's eyes glinted.
"And don't get any cute ideas about the Alphas."
The word Alpha alone made the hallway feel colder.
Even the werewolf kids who usually acted untouchable went quiet when she said it.
Samantha smiled like she could already taste victory. "The Alphas will want a real girl. Someone worth claiming. Someone who can actually become Luna."
She pointed at herself with a proud, slow motion.
"Me."
Then she looked Mary up and down like Mary was trash at her feet.
"You'll be lucky if they don't silence you the second you get there."
Jada's face darkened. "Say one more thing—"
Samantha held up a hand, interrupting her with a mocking smile. "Relax. I'm only telling the truth."
Then she turned on her heel and walked away, her group trailing behind her like obedient shadows.
Mary stood still.
For a moment, the hall noise faded, and she only heard her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.
Avery grabbed her hand. "Ignore her. She's obsessed with you."
Mary didn't answer.
Because Samantha wasn't just talking.
She was warning her.
And the terrifying part?
Mary had a sick feeling Samantha might be right.