Rebirth Of A Hidden Luna

5: Entering Silver Moon Academy

Elara’s POV

The moment I stepped through the iron gates, I realized...this place was different.

Silver Moon Academy.

A fortress. A kingdom. A battlefield.

The buildings towered over me, grand and ruthless in their design. Thick stone walls, banners bearing the Academy’s crest, the faint metallic scent of dominance in the air.

It was intimidating. Unforgiving.

And it was filled with different creatures, some that could kill me with a single strike.

I pulled my hood lower, keeping my head down as I passed by groups of students...all male, all powerful, their scent of nothing but pure raw power.

They laughed, shoved each other playfully, their movements carrying a natural predatory grace.

Everywhere I looked, I saw the future Alphas of the strongest packs or kingdoms.

I was walking into a den of wolves pretending to be one of them.

I swallowed hard, adjusting the strap of my bag. My wolf murmured inside me, her presence calm yet watchful.

"Breathe, Elara. Blend in."

I forced a nod. Eli. Not Elara.

A group of boys brushed past me, one of them...a lean, sharp-eyed man... pausing long enough to glance my way.

"You new?" he asked, his tone bordering curiosity and boredom.

I kept my voice even. "Yeah. Just got here."

He smirked. "Good luck, fresh meat."

Then, he was gone, melting into the crowd of students.

I exhaled.

That was…easy?

Then a deep, commanding voice cut through the air.

"New students, over here!"

I turned and saw a tall, older-looking man with a clipboard. His gaze was sharp, impatient.

"Move quickly. I don’t have all day, you clumsy things."

I hurried toward him, joining the others who seemed to be new like me.

The registration process was surprisingly efficient.

The Academy took my forged invitation without a second glance. The stamp of approval was all they needed.

With that, I was in... too easy. Fuck... easy s**t are usually scary but instead of dwelling too much on it, I shook off the negativity in me.

After the formalities, we were led through a massive archway into the Academy’s banquet hall.

The air was thick with energy.

Long tables stretched across the hall, piled with food fit for royalty. The rich scent of roasted meat, fresh bread, and spiced drinks filled my senses and my mouth immediately began to water, my stomach grumbled and some students looked at me. Goddess, this was embarrassing.

It had been so long since I had eaten a proper meal.

"Holy hell, is this for us?"

A boy next to me...tall, muscular, and with an easy-going grin...clapped his hands together in excitement.

"This place is amazing! I could get used to this!"

Another student...lean, dark-haired, with a perpetual frown...rolled his eyes.

"You’re acting like you’ve never seen food before, Ian."

Ian grinned. "Not like this, man. My pack feeds us like starving peasants."

He turned to me, flashing a friendly smile.

"Hey, what pack are you from?"

I hesitated.

"Uh… small one. You wouldn’t know it."

Ian nodded like he understood. "Yeah, I bet there are a ton of minor packs here. Gotta be brutal for the weak ones, huh?"

I forced a laugh. "Yeah… brutal."

The frowning guy, who hadn’t looked away from me, narrowed his eyes.

I held his gaze, forcing myself not to flinch.

Then, he scoffed. "You don’t smell right, you smell weird, it's all weird.."

My heart nearly stopped.

But then Ian snorted. "Dude, no one smells right compared to you. Drop it, Cian."

Cian.

I made a mental note of his name. Suspicious. Too observant.

I needed to be careful. I should avoid him in the future.

I sat down, keeping my movements natural, casual.

As the hall filled, more students arrived, filling the space with laughter, arguments, and the occasional growl of dominance.

The banquet hall buzzed with conversation as we ate. I kept my head down, my mind racing even as I forced myself to swallow bites of food.

The meal was richer than anything I had tasted in years...roasted meat, seasoned potatoes, thick slices of bread...but I could barely focus on it.

My wolf was restless, watching. Calculating.

"We are in unfamiliar territory."

I knew.

I felt it in the way the students moved...predatory, calculating, waiting for weakness.

“Eat fast, fresh meat!” An instructor barked from the front of the room. “We don’t have all night! There’s still much to do!”

I shoved the last bit of food into my mouth as Ian, the friendly guy I met earlier, grinned beside me.

“Come on, dude. We’ve got to get moving.”

I nodded, grabbing my tray and following him out.

As we walked toward the next hall, Ian continued talking, his voice light but filled with a knowing edge.

“So, what do you know about Silver Moon Academy?”

I hesitated. “Not much.”

Ian smirked. "Then let me enlighten you."

As we weaved through the halls, he gestured around.

“This place isn’t just for werewolves or mere supernatural beings. It’s for the best.” His voice dropped into something darker. “And if you’re not the best, you won’t last long.”

I swallowed.

“Every year, students drop out...or disappear."

I frowned. “Disappear?”

Ian shrugged. “Accidents happen.” His tone was casual, but his eyes weren’t. “And then there’s the ranking system. Strength rules everything. If you don’t establish dominance, you become prey.”

Prey.

A familiar, cold fear slithered through me.

"You cannot be weak here, bro."

I clenched my jaw.

I wasn’t weak. Not anymore.

We entered the large auditorium where hundreds of students gathered. The air was thick with dominance, raw testosterone, and the suffocating scent of powerful men competing for power.

The Headmaster, an imposing man with silver-streaked hair and piercing blue eyes, stood at the podium.

“Welcome to Silver Moon Academy!” His deep voice boomed through the hall, filled with pride and authority.

He went on about the academy’s prestige, its legacy, its purpose.

I barely listened.

Instead, I watched.

The students.

Their posture.

Their strength.

Many of them were… ridiculously attractive.

Broad shoulders. Sharp jawlines. Dangerous smiles.

My wolf growled.

"Focus, Elara, I f*****g told you we aren't here for the men."

I flinched, dragging my gaze away. She's too strict.

The speech continued until…

“Dormitory assignments have been posted! Memorize them and get to your rooms immediately!”

The hall erupted into movement.

I turned to Ian. “What’s the big deal?”

Ian shrugged. “Most lucky people get paired with someone of equal rank. It’s how they stop students from killing each other.”

That… didn’t sound reassuring.

Then, suddenly...

The room shifted.

A wave of whispers spread like wildfire.

I frowned. “What’s going on?”

Ian grabbed my arm and headed forward, he asked a few questions and his face pale.

"Someone just got assigned to Kian Blackthorne."

I blinked. “Who?”

Ian exhaled. “Some unlucky bastard named Eli Lunaridge. The poor chap might end up dead before the next class.”

My stomach dropped.

"Ian…" My voice was barely a whisper. "I’m Eli Lunaridge."

His eyes widened.

For the first time since I met him, his confidence faltered.

"Shit."

My pulse pounded. “Who is Kian?”

Ian ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t know? He’s the most powerful Alpha heir in this school. He doesn’t do roommates. No one’s ever been assigned to him before. He’s dangerous, Eli. Like, really dangerous.”

I felt sick.

"Where is he?" I asked, my voice hollow, trying hard not to break down and cry at my unlucky moment.

Ian pointed. "Right there."

My breath whooshed out of me.

Kian Blackthorne.

He sat alone near the back, his posture relaxed yet predatory.

Tall. Commanding.

His dark hair framed a face carved from stone...sharp cheekbones, a defined jaw, and piercing blue eyes.

No...not blue.

Red...wait, was I color blind?

And then, he looked at me.

The moment our eyes met, something in me shifted.

Something deep. Primal. Wrong.

My wolf stilled. Watching. Waiting.

Ian exhaled beside me, shaking his head.

"Good luck, Eli. You’re gonna need it. I'll have followed you to settle in but I'm the only son of my family, follow the map, you'll see your dormitory." With that, he waved me goodbye and I was left to walk into the danger zone... ALONE!

Rashes on the i***t that created the f*****g list.

I followed the map to my dormitory, my heart racing with every step.

Whispers followed me.

"He’s the one assigned to Kian."

"Poor guy’s dead."

"Maybe they made a mistake."

By the time I reached the door, my palms were slick with sweat.

I took a breath.

And stepped inside and my breath hitched.

Kian was already there.

The moment I crossed the threshold, his presence hit me hard and violently.

Suffocating. Dark. Overpowering.

He didn’t speak.

He just stared.

His eyes glowed red, watching me with a cold, unreadable intensity.

I fought the urge to run.

"Um… hey." My voice came out weaker than I wanted.

He didn’t blink.

Didn’t move.

Then, finally, he spoke.

"Rule One: Stay out of my way."

His voice was low, dangerous.

"Rule Two: Do not speak to me unless necessary."

A chill ran down my spine.

"Rule Three: If I’m in this room, you don’t exist."

My throat tightened.

"Rule Four: Do not touch my things. Do not touch me or..." he paused, his eyes burned into me, voice dropping lower.

"Rule Five: NEVER, under any circumstance, disobey the four rules."

A heavy silence filled the air.

I forced myself to nod.

I could pretend to submit. For now.

But as I looked at him...his unnatural stillness, his suffocating aura, the way his presence felt too familiar...

I realized something terrifying.

This place wasn’t safe.

Not for me.

Not for anyone.

Especially ME!