The black throne heir

I step off the carriage, and my eyes meets an an academy so vast, bigger than anything I have seen in my existence , I let out a gasp of surprise, this is exactly what I imagine Hogwarts to look like, it looks like it was carved from Obsidian gold. Every edge glints under the early morning sun, I look around in awe, first time seeing fairies up close, they looks surreal. So this is the Obsidian crown Academy I obsessed over as a kid, totally worth every moment of daydreaming, I know it holds secrets I am not meant to understand. My fingers curl around the strap of my bag, turning cold from the spike of nervousness. I try to keep my head down, my shoulders small. This place is not built for someone like me, a poor village girl, a family name not known by anyone. Students are everywhere, laughing in clusters, moving in groups and cliques, robes swishing, . Their laughter resounds in the air, their heels clinks off the polished marble floors. I feel their eyes on me as I walk past, probably wondering how a rat like me got into a school for elites, I can literally feel their sneering. stepping into the main hall, heels clicking softly against the floor. The ceilings are impossibly high, made of crystals , adorned with symbols I don't recognize, floating candles . I swallow, trying not to tremble, maybe I should have turned down this scholarship. From the corner of my eye, I see him. The infamous Kael Morvane. He moves through the hall with effortless grace that draws attention even without trying, Students step aside, giving a small bow as he passes. He is tall, athletic, impossibly composed, his hair is black, almost absorbing light, and he moves with the composure of a Greek god. What is he , Zeus ? I notice him only for a heartbeat, then quickly look away. He does not acknowledge me, does not even glance in my direction, but something in the air around him prickles my skin. The whole Kingdom of Aurum knows who Kael Morvane is, more powerful than the king of Aurum. The Descendant and heir of the Morvane clan, their wealth and power is immeasurable, they control every sector in this kingdom. A group of girls blocks my path near the fountain, robes perfect, gold pins glistening, the price of their bags can probably feed me for quite a while . "You must have alot of audacity to be here, because from the looks of it, you’re a low born, filthy low caste , you all come here in the name of a scholarship,” one of them says I try to sidestep them, but one of them bumps into me deliberately, and I stumble, nearly dropping my bag. "Oh, careful," she says with exaggerated sweetness, voice filled with mockery. "Wouldn't want to ruin your… cheap little things." I bite my tongue, forcing a nod, pretending not to burn inside with anger and humiliation . They laugh, walking off down the hall, leaving me standing alone. My stomach twists, a dull ache settling in . I glance back toward where Kael moved, hoping that he didn’t see me get embarrassed, not like I’m supposed to care but for some strange reason I do, but what do I even expect, That he'll notice? That someone with power and presence might see me, one person, and somehow change everything? But he is already gone, swallowed by the flow of students, I let out a sigh of relief . Orientation begins in the grand lecture chamber. I assume a desk at the back, blending in with the shadows. The headmaster enters, robes glinting with sigils and aura of authority. His voice echoes over the room, speaking of rules, expectations, and the living wealth that flows through the academy. I take notes lazily, trying to focus Lunch is a test I am unprepared for. The dining hall is immense, long glass tables and some are crystal too. Floating silverware moving lazily above plates, students chatter, laugh, and jostle for attention. I find a quiet corner, hoping no one notices me. But Of course, they notice. "Is this the new charity case?" a boy sneers, knocking into my table. Bread falls of my tray and tumbles to the floor, and laughter erupts around me. "Didn't know they let peasants eat here." I drop my gaze to my plate, fingers clenching the edge. I mutter an apology, trying to ignore the stares and whispers. From the corner of my vision, I catch movement across the hall. He is there, Kael. Standing at the far balcony, silently observing , he does not step closer, but I feel it Aura. I look away immediately, heart hammering, pretending I am not aware of it. Afternoon classes are no easier. Magical theory, contracts, Aurum manipulation. I take careful notes, copying every detail, but the students around me whisper, and chatter, making to hard to concentrate . A girl knocks over a vial of ink deliberately, spilling over my scroll. "Oh sorry," she jested as I hear silent giggles around. Standing up, I apologise , forced to clean up the mess while others laugh. Wiping my skirt I feel a hand tap me from the behind. "Hey, I'm Mara," she introduces "I'm Nyra," I reply, bracing myself for the next embarrassment to come. "Don't let it get to you okay, we Lowborns are treated like this oftentimes, and the teachers can't butt in because of how powerful the Elites are," she whispers. I nod "I'll see you around," she assures as she turns to walk away I nod again. Kael passes through the classroom corridors at one point, His aura is impossible to ignore, "Hi Kael," a girl squeak from the other side of the class, but he doesn't even spare her a glance, I giggle under my breath, how embarrassing that is. By evening, I am exhausted, My dorm is quiet, never ever had my own room ever, a room so magnificent and big, the candlelight flickering against the walls. I drop my bag and sink onto my bed. I replay the day over and over. Every laugh, every shove, every sharp glance, for sure I am a nonentity here, mocked, brushed aside. A shadow shifts outside my window, I freeze,laying back down I try to brush it off I tell myself it is nothing, the wind, the flicker of candlelight maybe. The shadows in my dorm seem thicker tonight, stretching along the walls like hands reaching for me. I pull the blanket over my head, shivering despite the warmth. My satchel rests by the bed, and I keep thinking about the floating candles in the hall, the polished floors, the way the wealthy students move as if the world itself bends for them. I hear faint noises from the corridor outside. Steps and Voices? By this time? I hold my breath, but nothing comes close. It is probably just another student returning late, or a servant moving quietly in the halls. I close my eyes and see him again, Kael. My mind replays the glimpses I caught earlier, the way he glided through the hall like the air itself obeyed him, the subtle tilt of his head that made me feel like I existed for just a moment. I shake my head, telling myself it is impossible. He does not know me, he cannot care. I roll onto my side, hugging the blanket closer, but my mind refuses to rest. I think about the girls who shoved me in the hallway, about the boy who tripped me near the fountain, their laughter still echoing in my ears. Why do they treat people like that, just because I’m not born with a Silver spoon in my mouth doesn’t make me entirely worthless does it ? The candlelight flickers again, shadows dancing across the walls. I can almost hear whispers, soft and unintelligible, as if the room itself is breathing. My fingers brush against the edge of my desk, tracing the carvings etched there. They are faint , glowing slightly in the dim light. Symbols I do not recognize, but they hum against my skin, a vibration that makes my hair stand on end. I sit up, curiosity and caution growing inside me. Slowly, I touch one of the carvings. It responds immediately, a warm pulse traveling up my arm, a faint shimmer in the air above it. I jerk back, heart hammering. My first instinct is fear. What did I just do? But beneath the fear is something else, a thrill, a pulse of power I have never felt before. What is this place? How does it bend around me, around my touch? And why, why can I not shake the feeling that I am being watched even here, alone in my dorm