CHOSEN

CHAPTER 3: THE RULES

Sable walked ahead of Zara without saying much.

Zara followed, pulling her suitcase behind her while trying to take in everything around her.

The campus was even stranger up close.

The buildings were beautiful, but there was something cold about them. The stone walls were covered in dark ivy, and several statues stood between the pathways.

Zara noticed that every statue was of a person.

Some were dressed like students.

Others wore long, old-fashioned clothing.

She slowed down when she noticed the dates carved beneath them.

1684.

She stopped.

“That can't be right.”

Sable turned around.

“What?”

Zara pointed at the statue.

“That's a student?”

Sable glanced at it.

“Yes.”

“The date says 1684.”

Sable stared at her for a moment.

Then she shrugged.

“Ravenswood is old.”

Zara laughed nervously.

“Old? That statue is over three hundred years old.”

“I know.”

“And you're not going to explain that?”

“No.”

Zara stared at her.

Sable smiled.

“You'll get used to it.”

“I don't think I want to.”

Sable laughed softly.

“You will.”

They continued toward Blackwood Residence.

The dormitory was another enormous stone building, almost as impressive as the main university.

Sable pushed open the heavy wooden door.

Inside, the atmosphere changed.

The hallway was warm and brightly lit.

Students moved between rooms, carrying books and talking quietly.

At least this looked more like a normal university.

Almost.

Sable pointed toward a staircase.

“Rooms three hundred and above are on the third floor.”

Zara followed her upstairs.

“Are you in Blackwood too?”

“Yes.”

“What room?”

“319.”

Zara looked at her.

“That's two rooms from mine.”

“Exactly.”

Sable smiled.

“Looks like we're neighbors.”

They reached the third floor.

Zara found Room 317 and pulled out the black card she'd been given.

There was no key.

She held the card against the door.

A small click sounded.

The door opened.

Zara stepped inside.

Her room was beautiful.

A large bed stood against one wall.

There was a desk, a wardrobe, a bookshelf, and a private bathroom.

A large window overlooked the campus.

Zara stared.

“This is mine?”

Sable leaned against the doorway.

“Yep.”

Zara walked toward the window.

She could see the main building from there.

And beyond it, the restricted area she'd seen earlier.

The iron gate looked smaller from this distance.

But she could still make out the raven symbol carved into it.

“What's behind that gate?”

Sable's expression changed.

“Don't.”

Zara turned.

“Don't what?”

“Ask questions about that place.”

“Why?”

“Because the answer won't make you feel better.”

Zara frowned.

“That doesn't make sense.”

“Welcome to Ravenswood.”

Sable dropped onto the chair beside the desk.

Zara unpacked a few things, but her mind kept returning to the same question.

“What did you mean earlier when you said I should learn the rules?”

Sable looked at her.

“Ravenswood has rules.”

“Every university has rules.”

“Not like these.”

She reached into her bag and pulled out a small black booklet.

She handed it to Zara.

The cover was plain.

RAVENSWOOD UNIVERSITY — STUDENT CODE

Zara opened it.

The first few rules seemed normal.

Attend classes.

Respect university property.

No weapons.

No unauthorized visitors.

Then she reached the fifth page.

Her eyebrows rose.

RULE 17: Students are prohibited from entering the northern grounds after sunset.

She looked at Sable.

“Why?”

“Because they're restricted.”

“That's not an explanation.”

Sable shrugged.

Zara continued reading.

RULE 23: Students must not enter buildings marked with the raven insignia.

Zara's stomach tightened.

“The raven?”

Sable nodded.

Zara thought about the carving she'd touched.

She quickly turned the page.

RULE 31: Students must not interfere with university staff concerning matters outside their assigned duties.

“That one is weird.”

“There's more.”

Zara kept reading.

Then she reached the final page.

Her eyes stopped.

She read the sentence twice.

RULE 40: No student shall be touched by the Founder without consent.

Zara slowly looked up.

“The Founder.”

Sable didn't answer.

“Who is he?”

Sable was silent.

Zara waited.

“Sable.”

Finally, Sable sighed.

“Kael Drayton.”

The name sent an unexplained chill through Zara's body.

“Who's Kael Drayton?”

Sable stared at her as though she'd asked something ridiculous.

“You really don't know?”

“No.”

“He founded Ravenswood.”

Zara looked back at the booklet.

“When?”

Sable hesitated.

“Officially? A long time ago.”

“How long?”

“Centuries.”

Zara laughed.

“That can't be possible.”

“That's what everyone says.”

Zara closed the booklet.

“Where is he?”

Sable's expression became serious.

“You don't want to meet him.”

“Why?”

“Because nobody does.”

“But there's literally a rule about him touching students.”

“Exactly.”

Zara stared at her.

“That makes no sense. If he's just the founder, why would the university need a rule like that?”

Sable looked toward the door.

“Because Kael isn't just the founder.”

“What is he?”

Before Sable could answer, a sudden silence fell over the hallway outside.

The voices disappeared.

The footsteps stopped.

Zara looked toward the door.

“What happened?”

Sable stood immediately.

Her face had gone pale.

“What?”

“Don't look outside.”

Zara frowned.

“Why?”

“Just don't.”

Naturally, Zara wanted to look.

She stepped toward the door.

Sable grabbed her wrist.

“Zara.”

The seriousness in her voice stopped her.

“What?”

“Trust me.”

They stood there silently.

Then footsteps echoed through the hallway.

Slow.

Measured.

One step at a time.

Zara felt the hairs on her arms rise.

The footsteps stopped directly outside their room.

Neither girl moved.

A shadow appeared beneath the gap at the bottom of the door.

Someone was standing outside.

Zara held her breath.

A few seconds passed.

Then the footsteps continued.

Slowly fading down the hallway.

Only after the sound disappeared did Sable release Zara's wrist.

“Who was that?”

Sable swallowed.

“The Founder.”

Zara's heart skipped.

“You're joking.”

“I wish I was.”

Zara walked toward the door.

She wanted to open it.

She wanted to see him.

But something inside her told her not to.

Sable picked up the rulebook.

“There's something else you need to know.”

“What?”

Sable looked directly into her eyes.

“Never go looking for Kael Drayton.”

Zara frowned.

“Why?”

“Because if he wants you to find him…”

Sable paused.

“…he'll make sure you do.”

Outside the window, somewhere across the campus, a bell began to ring.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Zara looked toward the clock.

It was only four in the afternoon.

She turned back to Sable.

“What does that bell mean?”

Sable's expression darkened.

“It means classes are over.”

“And?”

“And you should stay inside tonight.”

Zara looked at the black rulebook in her hands.

For the first time since arriving at Ravenswood, she wondered if accepting the scholarship had been a terrible mistake.

Because the university wasn't simply hiding something.

It was protecting something.

And Zara was beginning to suspect that whatever it was...

it already knew she had arrived.