The first rule of Ravenshade High was simple.
Never reveal what you truly are.
The second rule was even more important.
Never trust anyone who breaks the first.
For ordinary students, Ravenshade was simply an old, prestigious boarding school surrounded by enormous trees and black iron gates. But ordinary students did not know what lived beyond those gates.
They did not know that vampires walked among them.
They did not know that mermaids could breathe beneath the deepest oceans and command water with a single movement of their hands.
They did not know that Babylonian warriors trained with weapons before they learned how to write their names.
And they certainly did not know that some of the most dangerous creatures in the supernatural world were sitting in their classrooms pretending to be teenagers.
On the first Monday of the new academic year, three girls stood at the entrance of Ravenshade High.
They looked nothing alike.
Yet somehow, they belonged together.
The first was Nicole Shashak.
She was the princess of the Vampire Empire.
Nicole had long black hair that fell perfectly over her shoulders, pale skin that never seemed to change, and dark eyes that could make even an experienced warrior uncomfortable. She was beautiful, but nobody at Ravenshade would dare call her gentle.
Nicole was fearless.
She was proud.
And when she was angry, mercy was usually the last thing on her mind.
She adjusted the black jacket of her school uniform and stared at the massive building ahead.
"I hate this place already."
Beside her, a girl with long silver-blue hair laughed.
"You haven't even entered."
That was Ashbel Rapha.
Princess of the Mermaid Kingdom.
Unlike Nicole, Ashbel carried herself with an almost effortless elegance. Her eyes were blue like the deepest part of the ocean, and her voice was strangely calming. But beneath that beauty was a power that could drown an entire village if she ever lost control.
She looked at Nicole.
"You said the same thing last year."
"And I was right."
"You survived."
"Unfortunately."
Bella Omri rolled her eyes.
"Can both of you stop complaining?"
Bella was the third member of their strange friendship.
She was the chief commander of Babylon's royal army.
Unlike Nicole and Ashbel, Bella was not known for beauty, softness, or patience. She was known for strength.
She had trained with swords since childhood.
She could defeat grown warriors twice her size.
And she had once broken the arm of a Babylonian soldier who had insulted her during training.
Bella looked at the two girls.
"We are here for one reason."
Nicole raised an eyebrow.
"Which is?"
"To finish school."
Ashbel smiled.
"That sounds boring."
"It is supposed to be boring."
Nicole suddenly laughed.
"Nothing involving the three of us is ever boring."
The three girls walked through the gates.
None of them noticed the strange shadow watching them from the upper floor of the school.
A boy stood behind a window.
He was dressed in the same black-and-white uniform as every other student, but there was something different about him.
Something unsettling.
His dark hair was slightly messy, his expression cold, and his eyes seemed to carry a darkness that didn't belong to someone his age.
He watched the three girls disappear into the crowd.
Then he turned away.
"Three royals in one school."
His voice was almost a whisper.
"Interesting."
A second boy standing behind him swallowed nervously.
"Should we report them?"
The first boy laughed.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I want to see how long it takes before they discover what I am."
The second boy stared at him.
"Rohgah…"
Rohgah Perez turned around.
His expression immediately silenced the boy.
"Don't say my name like you're afraid of me."
The boy lowered his eyes.
"I'm sorry."
Rohgah walked toward the classroom.
"I don't need an apology."
He stopped at the door.
"I need silence."
The boy nodded quickly.
Rohgah entered.
The moment he stepped inside, the entire classroom became quiet.
That was the effect he had on people.
Nobody understood exactly why.
Some students feared him.
Some admired him.
Others simply avoided him.
Rohgah was the son of Machir Perez.
And that name alone was enough.
Machir Perez was not an ordinary wizard.
He was considered one of the most dangerous magical beings alive.
Stories about him had spread across kingdoms for decades.
Some said he had destroyed an entire army without touching a single weapon.
Others claimed he could erase memories with a glance.
There were even rumors that Machir had once challenged death itself.
Nobody knew which stories were true.
But everyone knew one thing.
You did not provoke Machir Perez.
And Rohgah had inherited his father's power.
Unfortunately, he had also inherited his father's arrogance.
He dropped his books onto the desk and sat down.
A few students whispered behind him.
"He looks angry."
"He always looks angry."
"I heard he failed three magical examinations."
"I heard he didn't fail. He refused to take them."
"I heard—"
Rohgah suddenly turned around.
The whispers stopped.
"What?"
Nobody answered.
He smiled coldly.
"That's what I thought."
The classroom door opened.
Nicole, Ashbel, and Bella entered.
Their eyes immediately moved around the room.
Bella spotted three empty seats.
"Finally."
She walked toward them.
Nicole followed.
Ashbel was about to sit when she stopped.
Her eyes landed on Rohgah.
Something about him felt strange.
Very strange.
She stared for a few seconds.
Nicole noticed.
"What are you looking at?"
Ashbel blinked.
"Nothing."
Nicole followed her gaze.
She saw Rohgah.
Their eyes met.
For one brief moment, neither of them looked away.
Rohgah's expression didn't change.
But something flickered in his eyes.
Nicole frowned.
Then she looked away.
"Arrogant."
Bella sat beside her.
"Who?"
"That boy."
Ashbel smiled.
"You looked at him too."
"I was looking at the wall."
Bella laughed.
"The wall has a face now?"
Nicole ignored her.
The teacher entered a few seconds later.
Everyone returned to their seats.
"Good morning, students."
"Good morning, sir."
The teacher placed his books on the desk.
"I hope you all had a wonderful break."
Nobody answered enthusiastically.
He sighed.
"Fine. Let's get straight to business."
He picked up a piece of paper.
"This year, Ravenshade High has selected a new head prefect."
The room immediately became noisy.
Nicole whispered, "Please don't say him."
Bella looked at her.
"You already know?"
"I have a bad feeling."
The teacher smiled.
"Our new head prefect is…"
He paused.
"Rohgah Perez."
The classroom erupted in applause.
Rohgah stood.
He didn't smile.
He simply walked to the front.
The teacher handed him the badge.
"Congratulations."
Rohgah pinned it to his uniform.
"Thank you."
His voice was calm.
He turned toward the classroom.
"From today, I expect everyone to follow the rules."
Someone at the back laughed.
Rohgah's eyes immediately moved toward him.
"Do you have a problem?"
The boy stopped laughing.
"No."
"Good."
Rohgah turned away.
Nicole stared at him.
"Who made that idiot head prefect?"
Bella shrugged.
"Apparently someone who doesn't know him."
Ashbel watched Rohgah carefully.
There was something about him.
She couldn't explain it.
The way the air seemed to change whenever he moved.
The strange pressure she felt in her chest.
The feeling that something powerful was hiding beneath his ordinary appearance.
She looked down at her hands.
For a moment, the water inside the small bottle beside her began moving.
Ashbel quickly placed her hand over it.
Nicole noticed.
"Are you okay?"
Ashbel nodded.
"Yes."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
Bella leaned closer.
"What happened?"
Ashbel lowered her voice.
"Nothing."
But she knew it wasn't nothing.
Across the classroom, Rohgah suddenly turned.
His eyes met hers.
Ashbel froze.
For a moment, she thought he could see straight through her.
Then he looked away.
The bell rang.
Students immediately began packing their books.
Rohgah stepped toward the door.
As he passed Nicole, she accidentally bumped his shoulder.
He stopped.
Slowly, he looked at her.
"Watch where you're going."
Nicole's eyes narrowed.
"You could also move."
Rohgah smiled.
It wasn't a friendly smile.
"Interesting."
"What?"
"You're brave."
Nicole folded her arms.
"I know."
He stared at her for another second before walking away.
Bella came rushing over.
"Did you just challenge the head prefect?"
Nicole shrugged.
"He challenged me first."
Ashbel laughed.
"Nicole, please don't start a war on the first day."
Nicole looked toward Rohgah's disappearing figure.
"Too late."
None of them knew it yet.
That small exchange would become the beginning of something none of them could stop.
They did not know that the arrogant head prefect they had just met would eventually become the center of their friendship, their jealousy, and their heartbreak.
They did not know that three powerful royals would eventually desire the same man.
They did not know that one werewolf would enter their lives and change everything.
And they certainly did not know that Rohgah Perez was carrying a secret powerful enough to destroy more than one kingdom.
For now, however, they were simply three friends beginning another school year.
Nicole walked between Ashbel and Bella as they headed toward their next class.
"So," Bella said, "what do we know about Rohgah Perez?"
Nicole scoffed.
"That he's arrogant."
Ashbel smiled.
"Powerful."
Bella nodded.
"And dangerous."
Nicole stopped walking.
"Then we should stay away from him."
Ashbel looked at her.
"Agreed."
Bella smiled.
"Absolutely."
They continued walking.
Behind them, someone was watching.
A girl stood at the end of the corridor.
Her eyes followed Rohgah.
Unlike the other students, she wasn't impressed by his title.
She wasn't frightened by his power.
She simply watched him with a complicated expression.
Her name was Sofia.
And she had no idea that the moment she stepped into Rohgah Perez's life, the entire supernatural world would begin moving toward a secret that had been buried for years.
A secret that even Machir Perez had been willing to kill to protect.
Sofia turned and walked away.
Rohgah watched her disappear around the corner.
For the first time that morning, his cold expression changed.
Something about her unsettled him.
Something he couldn't explain.
He didn't know her.
At least, he believed he didn't.
But deep inside him, something ancient seemed to recognize her.
And that frightened him more than any enemy ever had.
Because sometimes the most dangerous secrets are not the ones we discover.
They are the ones our hearts remember before our minds do.