The Road to Blackthorn
672 Words
Three days later, Nyxara stood at the edge of the small town of Ebonridge.
Morning fog drifted through the quiet streets, wrapping the town in pale silver light. Wooden houses lined the narrow road, their windows glowing warmly as people began their day.
Nyxara pulled the sleeves of her borrowed sweater slightly over her hands.
Beside her, Lena Hale adjusted the strap of her school bag and smiled.
“Nervous?” Lena asked.
Nyxara hesitated before answering.
“A little.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie.
But her nervousness had nothing to do with school.
Her senses had been restless since dawn.
Something about this town felt… strange.
Not dangerous.
Just different.
Daniel had insisted they walk together on Nyxara’s first day at Blackthorn Academy, but Lena had convinced him she could guide her instead.
“It’s not far,” Lena had said cheerfully.
Now the two girls walked side by side along the narrow road leading uphill.
Nyxara kept her eyes forward, though her wolf instincts quietly scanned everything around her.
The scent of humans filled the air.
Fresh bread.
Morning coffee.
Wet earth.
All normal.
Yet beneath it…
There was something else.
A faint metallic scent drifted through the breeze.
It disappeared before she could identify it.
Nyxara frowned slightly.
“Something wrong?” Lena asked.
Nyxara shook her head quickly.
“No.”
Lena shrugged.
“You’ll like Blackthorn,” she said. “It’s big, but it’s actually pretty fun.”
Nyxara wasn’t sure about that.
Her goal was simple.
Blend in.
Stay unnoticed.
Survive.
As they turned the corner of the hill, the academy finally came into view.
Nyxara stopped walking.
Blackthorn Academy stood at the top of the ridge like a fortress.
Tall iron gates guarded the entrance.
Beyond them stretched a vast campus of dark stone buildings covered in climbing ivy.
Towering spires pierced the sky.
The architecture felt ancient.
Older than it should be.
A strange chill ran down Nyxara’s spine.
Lena grinned.
“Impressive, right?”
Nyxara nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
But the word left her mouth quieter than she intended.
Because the moment she looked at the academy…
Her wolf stirred uneasily inside her chest.
Something powerful existed here.
She could feel it.
Hidden beneath stone and earth.
Unknown to the human students who walked through those gates every day.
Lena nudged her gently.
“Come on.”
The gates creaked open as students entered the campus.
Nyxara followed her inside.
Students gathered across the courtyard—laughing, talking, moving between buildings.
To anyone else, it looked completely normal.
Nyxara wished it felt that way to her.
But the uneasy feeling only grew stronger.
Far away from the academy…
In the quiet forest that bordered Ebonridge…
Another figure stood watching the town.
His dark coat shifted slightly in the wind.
Pale eyes glowed faintly beneath the shadow of the trees.
He had been observing the town for days.
Tracking movements.
Watching for signs.
But this morning…
Something new had appeared.
Something unexpected.
His gaze drifted toward the academy gates where students were entering.
Among them, a girl with dark hair stepped through the crowd.
The moment he saw her…
His expression changed.
Impossible.
His senses sharpened instantly.
Beneath the scent of humans, he detected something else.
Wild.
Ancient.
Wolf.
The man stepped forward slowly.
Interest flickered across his calm features.
“A werewolf…” he murmured quietly.
His eyes followed her as she disappeared into the academy courtyard.
This changed things.
Very interesting.
Far above the academy grounds, standing silently on a stone balcony overlooking the campus…
Another pair of eyes had noticed her too.
Prince Cassian Valerius leaned against the cold stone railing, his expression unreadable.
Unlike the others in Ebonridge, his senses were far sharper.
And he had felt her presence the moment she stepped into town.
Now he watched her walk beside Lena through the courtyard.
A werewolf.
Here.
Of all places.
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
This was no coincidence.
And something about her…
Felt different.
Very different.
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