The Hidden Heiress : Welcome To The Academy

CHAPTER 2 - NIGHTFELL ACADEMY

And here I am now.

Nightfell Academy.

A boarding school whose brochure I stumbled upon on the internet, just a few hours after that terrible fight. The full scholarship it offered for selected students left me with no second thoughts. It was better to put my fate in this strange place than to follow my stepmother’s will.

The registration hall looked utterly foreign to me. This school carried an aura so different from every other school I had ever known. I couldn’t explain why, but I simply felt… different. Even from the moment I stepped through the gate, the atmosphere had shifted.

Was it because this school was located on the outskirts of the city, far from the noise? No. When I first arrived at the front gate, everything had felt ordinary. But the moment I crossed inside, the air changed abruptly. I still couldn’t explain it.

I pushed away my strange thoughts when I noticed several new students already gathered. As I approached them, I could feel their eyes on me. They stared too long, whispering while stealing glances in my direction.

I lowered my gaze, checking myself. Was there something odd about me? But no, I didn’t think so. I looked no different from the others who had come. Well, maybe my clothes were a bit more worn compared to theirs, but that didn’t mean they had the right to judge me, right?

Looking at how grand the academy building was—like a castle—I could only assume the tuition here was far from cheap. I wouldn’t know for sure. The foundation that had granted me the full scholarship had only sent a letter saying my tuition had been taken care of. Before entering the gate, someone from that foundation had also delivered all the supplies I needed, which I had handed over to the school staff who would bring students’ belongings directly to their dormitories.

Ah, whatever. I didn’t need to overthink things. My family life was already a mess; I wouldn’t allow my school life to become one too.

I had to make sure my days here went as smoothly as possible, so I wouldn’t be reminded of my father and his new family.

I took a deep breath and clutched the black folder just given to me by the school staff. My hands still trembled slightly, but my steps needed to be firm. I couldn’t look like someone lost. If I wanted to survive here, I had to fake confidence.

“Excuse me, are you new?”

A voice startled me.

I turned. A girl with blond—or maybe silver-gray—hair stood clutching several books.

“Yes,” I answered shortly.

She smiled faintly. “My name’s Celine. I’m a second-year.”

She pointed at the folder in my hands. “That map will only confuse you. Don’t try to follow it alone. Trust me, the building shifts if you’re not careful.”

I frowned. “Shifts?”

But before I could ask further, a loud bell tolled.

“Don’t worry, it’s just orientation,” she said quickly. “They test how far new students can handle it. You should head to the main hall. Follow the crowd, don’t fall behind.”

She turned and slipped away among the students.

I glanced at the map in my hand, the lines seemed to waver, like wet ink refusing to dry. A strange feeling twisted in my stomach, but I shook it off and hurried to follow the flow.

The main hall of Nightfall looked like an ancient cathedral. Tall walls, stained glass windows painted with strange symbols: the moon, wings, scales, and drops of blood. Long benches filled with students, some whispering in a language I didn’t recognize. I sat in the back row, trying to steady my breathing. From far above, I heard the faint flap of wings. Candles flickered to life on their own, as if whispered into flame. I closed my eyes for a moment, recalling the home I had left behind.

My father, Eleanor, Elise and their cold stares as I walked away. The pain still pierced, but here, at least, I felt like I could breathe a little easier. I hoped this was the right decision.

“Attention, new students.”

A deep voice echoed across the hall. An old man in a black robe stood at the podium, an intricately carved staff in his hand.

“Welcome to Nightfall Academy.”

Silence fell. His voice seemed to slip straight into our heads, bypassing our ears.

“You are not here by coincidence,” he continued.

“Each of you was chosen. And every choice comes with consequences.”

I swallowed hard. His words sent a chill down my spine.

“From this night forward, you are no longer ordinary children.”

His gaze swept the hall.

“Nightfall will reveal who you truly are. And for some of you… the path will not be easy.”

I understood the language he spoke, yet the meaning behind his words escaped me. The opening ceremony passed without me paying much attention. Until the sound of applause echoed, and I clapped along with the rest of the new students.

The benches rumbled as everyone rose, filing out of the hall. I clutched my folder tighter, trying to keep up with the crowd. The night air greeted me as I stepped outside. Mist hung over the courtyard, old trees creaked in the wind. Dim streetlamps lit the cobblestone path toward the East Dormitory, my new home.

I walked slowly. Behind me, the steps of other students faded. Suddenly, I realized I was alone.

“Oh, no…” I muttered in panic, quickening my pace.

But the mist thickened, the path split into branching ways. The map in my hand quivered again, its lines shifting until I felt dizzy. What kind of map was this? I stopped.

“This can’t be real… just my imagination,” I whispered.

A branch snapped. The sound was sharp, from the forest to my left. I turned, spotting a large shadow moving among the trees. My heartbeat pounded, sweat dampened my palms.

“Who’s there?” My voice was almost lost in the fog.

No answer. Only heavy footsteps, slow and rhythmic, drawing nearer. I took a step back. Then the shadow emerged from the mist.

All I could see were a pair of silver eyes glowing under the moonlight. I froze, staring, realization striking me like lightning—those weren’t human eyes. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew for certain: it was no human. The figure stopped only a few steps away. The air around me thickened, my breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t move, couldn’t look away. It stepped closer.

I gasped when its form grew clear. The owner of those gleaming silver eyes was no man.

“Mate.”

The word tore from its throat, laced with a low growl that made my skin prickle. I stumbled back, heart racing wildly, as if my body understood a truth my mind could not.

Not human. Not human!

Without another thought, I spun and ran. My steps frantic, breath ragged, the black folder nearly slipping from my hands. The fog grew thicker, the paths twisted, everything spinning. I no longer knew where I was. The only thing in my head was run. Run from that creature.

“No… no… don’t come closer!” I cried, though I knew it still pursued me.

Its heavy steps pounded behind me, each thud like the earth itself shaking. I panicked, too panicked to watch my footing. My foot caught on a tree root jutting from the ground. My body pitched forward, the folder and map flying from my grasp.

“Ahh!” I screamed before the earth rose to meet me.

Pain stabbed my wrist as I hit the ground. I tried to push myself up, but my knees buckled. Out of the mist, it appeared. Clearer this time. Thick black fur, a massive frame, silver eyes blazing in the dark.

A giant wolf stood only a few steps away. It came closer, its gait calm yet menacing. I swallowed hard, trembling uncontrollably. The wolf lowered its head, muzzle nearing mine. I shrieked, scrambling backward, but the slick ground betrayed me. I slipped, my head striking a stone. My vision spun, the world tipping. “Don’t…” I whispered weakly.

Then everything went dark. Before Elara's body could hit the ground fully, the wolf lunged. With a swift motion, it slid beneath her, catching her limp form. It lifted its head, surveying the now silent path. Mist curled around them. In the fog, only its silver eyes gleamed.

Then it ran, carrying Elara unconscious body away. The mist swallowed its tracks, leaving behind only the shadow of a black wolf with glowing silver eyes in the darkness.