CHOSEN

CHAPTER 2: RAVENSWOOD

Two weeks later, Zara stood in front of the small mirror above her dresser, trying to convince herself that she wasn't nervous.

It wasn't working.

Her suitcase was beside the bed, packed with almost everything she owned.

A few pairs of jeans. Some tops. Two sweaters. A jacket. Toiletries. Her laptop.

That was pretty much it.

Zara looked around the apartment one last time.

The peeling paint.

The old sofa.

The tiny kitchen.

The stack of unpaid bills sitting on the table.

For years, this place had been all she knew.

Now she was leaving.

She picked up her phone and checked the time.

6:27 a.m.

Her transportation was supposed to arrive at 6:30.

Three minutes.

She looked at the scholarship letter lying on her bed.

She had read it so many times that she could almost recite it from memory.

Ravenswood University.

Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had missed something.

There was no application record.

No interview.

No entrance examination.

Yet somehow, Ravenswood had chosen her from forty thousand applicants.

And they had given her a full scholarship.

Zara pushed the thought away.

Whatever the reason, she was going.

A car horn sounded outside.

She grabbed her backpack.

“Okay.”

She took one last look around.

Then she locked the apartment behind her.

A black car was waiting at the curb.

The same man who had delivered her scholarship letter was standing beside it.

Zara stopped.

“You again?”

“Good morning, Miss Kane.”

“You're taking me to Ravenswood?”

“Yes.”

She looked at the car.

Then at him.

“Do you work for the university?”

“Yes.”

“What's your name?”

The man paused for a second.

“Mr. Vale.”

Zara raised an eyebrow.

“That sounds mysterious.”

He gave her a polite smile.

“I assure you, Miss Kane, there is nothing mysterious about me.”

Zara wasn't convinced.

She placed her suitcase in the trunk and climbed into the back seat.

The moment the car pulled away, she looked through the window.

Her neighborhood slowly disappeared.

Then the familiar streets disappeared.

Then the buildings became fewer.

An hour passed.

Then two.

Zara checked her phone.

No signal.

She frowned.

She tried opening the map.

Nothing.

She turned toward the front.

“Mr. Vale?”

“Yes?”

“Where exactly are we?”

“On our way to Ravenswood.”

“I know that. I mean where are we now?”

“New York.”

“That doesn't help.”

He smiled faintly.

Zara leaned back.

She didn't like the way everyone associated with this university answered questions without actually answering them.

She looked outside again.

Trees had replaced the buildings.

Tall, dense trees stretched along both sides of the road.

The further they drove, the quieter everything became.

Then Zara noticed something.

There were no other cars.

Not one.

“Are we really going to a university?”

Mr. Vale didn't answer.

Zara sat up.

Before she could ask again, the car slowed.

Two enormous iron gates appeared ahead.

They were black and covered in strange carvings.

A raven with its wings spread wide was carved into the center.

Zara's stomach tightened.

The same symbol.

The same one from the wax seal on her scholarship letter.

The gates opened before the car reached them.

Zara stared.

“Who opened those?”

Mr. Vale kept driving.

“You'll learn that Ravenswood has very few things that happen by accident.”

Zara looked at him.

“What does that mean?”

But he didn't answer.

The car passed through the gates.

And then Zara saw it.

Ravenswood University.

Her mouth fell slightly open.

The university was enormous.

Ancient stone buildings rose behind rows of dark trees. Tall towers reached toward the gray morning sky, their pointed roofs disappearing into the mist.

It looked nothing like the universities Zara had researched.

It looked older.

Much older.

The main building resembled a castle more than a school.

Black iron lanterns lined the pathways.

Students walked between the buildings, carrying books and backpacks.

Everything looked beautiful.

But something about it made Zara uncomfortable.

She couldn't explain why.

Maybe it was how quiet the campus was.

Maybe it was the fact that everyone seemed to know exactly where they were going.

Or maybe it was the way several students turned to look at her as the car passed.

Zara noticed a boy standing near one of the buildings.

He stopped talking when he saw her.

His eyes followed the car.

Another student noticed her too.

Then another.

Zara frowned.

She looked down at herself.

She was wearing simple black jeans, a cream sweater, and sneakers.

Nothing special.

So why were they staring?

The car finally stopped in front of a large stone building.

Mr. Vale stepped out and opened the door for her.

“Welcome to Ravenswood.”

Zara climbed out.

Cold air brushed against her skin.

She looked up at the building.

A large stone sign stood near the entrance.

RAVENSWOOD UNIVERSITY

For a moment, she felt strangely dizzy.

Then it passed.

A woman in a dark university uniform approached her.

“Zara Kane?”

“Yes.”

“Your room has been prepared.”

She handed Zara a black card.

BLACKWOOD RESIDENCE — ROOM 317

Zara looked at it.

“Where do I register?”

“You don't.”

She frowned.

“I don't?”

“Your registration was completed before you arrived.”

Zara stared at her.

“But I haven't signed anything.”

“You don't need to.”

The woman smiled politely.

“Everything has already been arranged.”

Zara glanced around.

“By who?”

The woman didn't answer.

Instead, she pointed toward a path leading deeper into the campus.

“Blackwood Residence is that way.”

Zara thanked her and started walking.

Her suitcase rolled behind her.

As she walked, she noticed there were no ordinary university signs.

No club posters.

No student election advertisements.

No flyers taped to walls.

Nothing.

The campus looked almost untouched.

Then she passed a group of students.

Their conversation suddenly stopped.

All three looked at her.

One of the boys stared for a little too long.

His friend whispered something into his ear.

The boy immediately looked away.

Zara continued walking.

Maybe they were just curious about the new student.

She tried not to think about it.

Then she saw something that made her stop.

Carved into the wall of an old stone building was the same raven symbol.

Zara stepped closer.

The carving looked ancient.

Far older than the university itself.

She reached out and touched it.

A sharp pain suddenly shot through her palm.

Zara gasped and pulled her hand back.

A tiny line of blood appeared across her skin.

She stared at it.

Her heart began beating faster.

Then, for just a second, she thought she heard a whisper.

Zara.

She spun around.

Nobody was there.

The campus was still.

Too still.

“Okay,” she whispered to herself.

She wiped the blood against her jeans.

Then she noticed a narrow path behind the building.

At the end of it stood a tall iron gate.

A sign was attached to it.

RESTRICTED AREA.

Zara stared at it.

Something inside her told her not to go near it.

But another part of her desperately wanted to know what was behind it.

She took one step forward.

Then another.

“New student?”

Zara turned quickly.

A girl stood a few feet away.

She had dark hair, sharp eyes, and a confident expression.

She looked around Zara's age.

The girl glanced at the suitcase.

“You're in Blackwood?”

Zara nodded.

“Room 317.”

The girl's eyebrows lifted.

“Interesting.”

“Why?”

“Nothing.”

She smiled.

“I'm Sable Rae.”

“Zara.”

“I know.”

Zara paused.

“You know my name?”

Sable's smile faded slightly.

“Everyone knows your name.”

Zara's stomach dropped.

“What do you mean?”

Sable looked toward the old building.

Then back at her.

“You really don't know what kind of place Ravenswood is, do you?”

Zara shook her head.

“No.”

Sable studied her for a moment.

Then she lowered her voice.

“Then you should learn the rules before tonight.”

Zara frowned.

“What rules?”

Sable glanced around as if making sure nobody was listening.

“Especially the ones about the Founder.”

Zara felt a chill move down her spine.

“The Founder?”

Sable nodded.

Then she walked past her.

“Come on. I'll show you the dorm.”

Zara looked once more at the restricted gate.

She didn't know who the Founder was.

She didn't know why everyone seemed to know her name.

And she definitely didn't know why touching an ancient raven carving had made her bleed.

But one thing was becoming clear.

Ravenswood wasn't just a university.

And somehow, Zara had a feeling that coming here had been the biggest mistake or the most important decision of her life.