Tribrid secret

Ravenhallow Academy

The carriage ride to Ravenhollow felt like a dream that refused to wake. Mist wrapped around the windows, hiding everything beyond it, and the road twisted through endless forest. I sat with my bag on my lap, clutching the moon pendant like it was a lifeline.

Aunt Mira hadn’t said much after that morning—just a warning, a hug that lasted too long, and a whispered “Don’t lose yourself.”

Easy for her to say.

By the time the carriage stopped, the air outside was thick with magic. The academy rose before me like something out of an old legend—black stone towers piercing the gray sky, glowing runes etched along the gates. Ravens perched everywhere, watching silently.

The driver gave me a strange look as I stepped down. “First term?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

He nodded slowly. “Good luck, witchling.”

The gates creaked open on their own.

The moment I stepped inside, the world seemed to shift. The air shimmered faintly, and for a second I could hear whispers—different from human voices. Deeper. Older.

My boots crunched on the gravel as I walked up the long path toward the main building. Students moved in groups—some laughing, some showing off bursts of magic, others just staring. I caught a few looks. Some curious. Some… wary.

Apparently, I didn’t blend in as much as I’d hoped.

“Newbie?” a voice chirped beside me.

I turned to see a girl about my age, bright auburn hair, eyes that glowed faint gold when the sun hit them. She wore her academy cloak loose, like she didn’t care about the rules.

“Lyra,” I said.

“Calla,” she replied with a grin. “Witch, level three. You?”

“Uh… witch, I guess. Level zero?”

She laughed. “Don’t worry. We all start somewhere. Well—except the purebloods. They start at annoying.”

I smiled, but her words tugged at something in my chest. Purebloods. Aunt Mira’s warning echoed again. Don’t trust the vampires.

Calla looped her arm through mine as we walked. “I’ll show you around. Just stay away from the east wing unless you like being glared at by wolves. And the courtyard at night—that’s vampire territory.”

“Vampire territory?” I repeated, trying to sound casual.

“Yeah.” Her smile faded a little. “The two groups have this… ancient rivalry. They tolerate each other because of the headmistress, but it’s like keeping fire and oil in the same jar.”

“Fun,” I muttered.

Calla laughed again. “You’ll get used to it. Come on—let’s grab your dorm key.”

Inside, the academy was breathtaking. Floating lights hung in the hallways, and portraits whispered to each other as we passed. Magic shimmered everywhere—books that floated, staircases that changed shape, windows showing scenes that couldn’t possibly exist.

It should’ve been beautiful.

It was beautiful.

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me.

As Calla led me to the registration desk, my fingers brushed the pendant again—and for a heartbeat, I saw flashes. Claws. Red eyes. A woman’s scream. A wolf’s howl echoing under a blood-red moon.

“Lyra?” Calla’s voice snapped me back.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I lied.

The woman at the desk handed me a small iron key. “Room 217. East tower.”

“Thanks.”

We started toward the stairs, and that’s when I felt it—a sudden chill crawling down my neck. I turned, and my gaze locked with his.

He stood at the far end of the hall, half in shadow. Black coat, sharp jawline, eyes like liquid crimson.

Damon.

He looked even colder up close, his presence heavy, dangerous, like the air around him didn’t dare move. Students stepped out of his way as he passed, whispering.

He didn’t say a word. Just stared at me—for a long, unblinking second.

The same strange pulse from before sparked in my chest. My heart stuttered, and the pendant against my skin grew warm.

“Who is that?” I asked quietly.

Calla followed my gaze and groaned. “Oh. Him? Damon Varyn. Pureblood vampire. Total nightmare. Don’t even look at him too long unless you want frostbite.”

“Why?”

“Because he doesn’t talk to anyone who isn’t… well, one of them.”

Damon’s eyes lingered on me a moment longer before he turned and disappeared through a side door.

“Creepy,” Calla said. “Anyway, let’s go before the next bell.”

But I couldn’t move. My legs felt heavy, like something inside me wanted to follow him.

Later, after unpacking and surviving a blur of orientation spells, I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling. The academy felt alive, whispering secrets through the walls.

I turned the pendant over in my hand again.

For when the blood calls.

Somewhere outside, a wolf howled.

And beneath it, almost too quiet to hear, a voice whispered my name.