Chapter 4: The Dean’s Secrets
1209 Words
The three sharp knocks echoed through Room 317.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
No one moved.
The silver flames in the fireplace slowly returned to their normal glow, but the room still hummed with leftover magic.
Evelyn’s breathing was uneven as she stared at her trembling hands.
The black claws that had appeared moments ago were gone.
Only the silver bracelet remained, glowing faintly against her wrist.
Dean Blackwood’s deep voice came again.
“Miss Carter.”
A pause.
“If you’re finished frightening your roommates, may I come in?”
Finn blinked.
“He… knew.”
Maya slowly nodded.
“He always knows.”
Celeste folded her arms.
“I’ll get the door.”
Celeste opened the door.
Standing in the hallway was a tall man dressed in a midnight-blue coat embroidered with silver thread. His dark hair was streaked with silver at the temples, and his golden eyes seemed to glow in the dim corridor.
Every student in the room immediately straightened.
Maya lowered her gaze.
Finn nearly dropped his books again.
Even Celeste bowed her head slightly.
“Dean Blackwood,” she said quietly.
The man’s attention settled on Evelyn.
“Miss Carter,” he said, his voice calm and commanding. “I’m Alaric Blackwood, Headmaster of Hidden Moon Academy.”
Evelyn swallowed.
“You’re the one who sent the letter.”
“I did.”
“I have… a lot of questions.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“Your awakening has progressed much faster than we expected
Evelyn gave a weak laugh.
The corners of his mouth twitched.
“Walk with me.”
⸻
“No way,” Maya whispered.
“No fair,” Finn added.
Celeste only nodded once.
“The dean never personally escorts first-years.”
Dean Blackwood glanced back.
“They’ll see her at breakfast.”
Maya practically bounced.
“Can she come back?”
“If she survives our conversation.”
Evelyn frowned.
“…That doesn’t sound reassuring.”
“It wasn’t meant to.”
⸻
The halls were quiet.
Moonlight poured through towering stained-glass windows, painting silver and violet patterns across the marble floor.
For several minutes, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Evelyn broke the silence.
“Everyone keeps looking at me like I’m a ghost.”
“You are not a ghost.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do.”
She stopped walking.
“Then tell me.”
Dean Blackwood turned to face her.
“You deserve answers.”
She folded her arms.
“Finally.”
He sighed.
“I cannot tell you everything.”
Her shoulders immediately slumped.
“Of course not.”
“But I can tell you enough.”
⸻
They continued walking until they reached a balcony overlooking the academy grounds.
The view stole Evelyn’s breath.
The campus stretched across valleys and forests illuminated by glowing streams. Floating lanterns drifted lazily through the night sky. Beyond the castle walls, mountains surrounded the academy like ancient guardians.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“It has stood here for nearly three thousand years.”
She looked at him.
“This place is older than most civilizations.”
“Much.”
⸻
Dean Blackwood rested both hands on the stone railing.
“Your parents attended Hidden Moon Academy.”
Evelyn froze.
“They… did?”
“They met here.”
A lump formed in her throat.
“What were they like?”
For the first time, the dean smiled.
“Your mother laughed often.”
His eyes seemed to drift into memory.
“She had a habit of climbing onto rooftops to watch the stars.”
Evelyn smiled despite herself.
“Your father constantly rescued students from trouble.”
“Ironic.”
“Very.”
“Were they…”
She hesitated.
“Were they happy?”
The dean nodded.
“They loved each other beyond reason.”
A tear slipped down Evelyn’s cheek before she realized she was crying.
She quickly wiped it away.
“I don’t even remember them.”
“No.”
“You knew them.”
“I did.”
“You watched me grow up?”
“I made certain you were protected.”
She stared at him.
“For twenty years?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
The warmth left his expression.
“Because someone wanted your family erased.”
⸻
The words settled between them.
Heavy.
Cold.
“What do you mean… erased?”
“They hunted your bloodline.”
“My bloodline?”
“They believed every member had been killed.”
Evelyn looked down at the glowing bracelet.
“So…”
“I’m the last one.”
“You are the last known heir.”
⸻
Silence.
Finally, she whispered,
“What am I?”
The dean looked toward the moon.
“That…”
“…is the one question no one can answer.”
Her frustration boiled over.
“Everyone keeps saying that!”
“You are not a wolf.”
“I figured that out.”
“You are not a dragon.”
“Okay.”
“You are not fae.”
“Great.”
“You are not vampire.”
“I wasn’t worried about that one.”
“You are not any species currently known to exist.”
Her heart skipped.
“…What?”
“The academy has identified every supernatural bloodline for thousands of years.”
He met her eyes.
“None of them match yours.”
⸻
A cold breeze swept across the balcony.
The silver bracelet suddenly pulsed.
Dean Blackwood noticed.
“So.”
“It’s reacting again.”
“It has been since yesterday.”
He nodded slowly.
“It recognizes the academy.”
“What is it?”
“The Moon Bracelet.”
“I know that.”
“It was forged before recorded history.”
“By who?”
“No one knows.”
“What does it do?”
Another pause.
“It chooses.”
“Chooses what?”
“The next Moon Sovereign.”
⸻
Before Evelyn could ask another question—
A loud bell rang across the campus.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Dean Blackwood’s expression hardened.
“That isn’t good.”
“What?”
“The wards.”
The silver lights surrounding the castle flickered.
Then turned crimson.
Students suddenly poured into the courtyards below, looking toward the forest.
Alarm bells echoed through the valley.
A distant howl split the night.
Not the familiar howl she’d heard before.
This one sounded…
Wrong.
Angrier.
Hungrier.
Dean Blackwood’s golden eyes narrowed.
“They’ve found you.”
Evelyn’s heart pounded.
“Who?”
The dean didn’t answer.
Instead, he stepped in front of her as a deafening roar erupted from the forest below.
The ancient trees shook violently.
Something enormous crashed through the darkness.
Students screamed.
High above the academy, the protective magical barrier rippled like water.
Then—
A massive claw slammed into it from the outside.
The barrier exploded with silver light.
Every alarm in Hidden Moon Academy began to ring.
Dean Blackwood drew a glowing silver sword from thin air.
His voice thundered across the balcony.
“Lock down the academy!”
The night had barely begun.
And whatever had been hunting Evelyn for twenty years…
Had finally found Hidden Moon Academy.
- Writer
