Rory
The car didn't take the highway. It didn't follow signs. It didn't even have a license plate.
It just drove.
Past the crumbling edges of town, into roads I didn't recognize—roads that might not have existed yesterday. Gravel gave way to cobblestones. Streetlights faded into strange, glowing orbs that hung in the air like fireflies frozen in place. The sky deepened into a blue so rich it felt like velvet pulled taut across the heavens.
No one spoke. Not the driver, whose face I couldn't quite see. Not Aerie, who stirred restlessly inside me. Not me, though I wanted to scream with the pressure building in my chest.
I wasn't going home. Not ever again.
I was going somewhere else. Somewhere other.
Welcome to the road between, Aerie finally whispered, his voice low and reverent. This place listens. Be careful what you think about.
"What?"
Think only what you mean. The in-between listens, and sometimes…it answers.
A chill slid down my spine. I turned to look out the window and gasped.
The forest was…changing.
Trees shimmered as we passed. Some bent backward in unnatural curves like they were stretching toward the moon. Others grew leaves made of crystal that chimed faintly in the breeze. A fox with glowing eyes watched us from a twisted stump, its fur rippling like smoke. The deeper we drove, the stranger it got.
"This isn't Earth," I whispered.
It's not the Earth you knew. This is the space where worlds bleed into each other. Most humans don't survive it.
That did not make me feel better.
The car slowed.
There was no road anymore—just a wide stone arch carved into the cliffside ahead, covered in symbols that pulsed faintly, like they were breathing.
The driver stopped but didn't turn.
"You walk from here."
The voice was mechanical, echoing like it came from somewhere far away. I stepped out with my bag clutched tight, gravel crunching underfoot, the scent of something ancient and wild curling in the air. The car vanished the second I shut the door.
Literally vanished.
Gone.
Just…gone.
I stared, wide-eyed, and Aerie growled low in warning.
Don't stay still too long. This place remembers the dead.
I backed away from the empty space where the car had been and turned toward the archway.
Symbols flared brighter as I approached, whispering in a language I didn't know but somehow understood.
They said:
Welcome, Selene. Blood of moon. Breath of two. Step forward. Become.
I froze.
"Did they just say Selene?" I asked out loud.
Aerie didn't answer.
He didn't have to.
Because I knew they were talking to me.
Selene. My real name.
The name I hadn't spoken aloud. The name Aerie had whispered only once.
I stepped through the arch.
The world cracked.
There was no light. No dark. Just the tearing sound of reality breaking around me. A pressure crushed my lungs, then vanished. I fell forward—except I didn't fall. I was floating. Or flying. Or both.
And then—
—I landed.
Hard.
On dirt.
I gasped, drawing in sharp air that burned my throat. The scent of pine and something metallic hit my senses like a fist.
Aerie howled inside my skull.
We're in.
The forest around me pulsed with quiet magic. Shadows danced, though nothing moved. A crescent moon hung swollen and low, caught in a sky where stars flickered like blinking eyes.
Something rustled in the bushes.
I froze.
A shadow darted through the trees, fast as lightning. Then another.
Eyes. Watching.
I reached instinctively for the sketchbook in my bag, as if it could shield me.
Careful, Aerie warned. This realm is ruled by different laws. You're not at the academy yet.
"Then where the hell are we?"
The Wild Borderlands. The edge of the True Territories. You have to cross this first.
I looked at the worn dirt path ahead. It wound through trees too tall and too quiet.
"I thought I was going to school. Not fighting for my life in some cursed woods."
Nothing here is ever just one thing.
With a shaky breath, I pushed forward.
The trees leaned in like they were listening.
Time bent.
I walked for minutes or hours—I couldn't tell. The moon never moved, and my body felt weightless but sore, like I was dreaming inside someone else's bones.
Then, a figure appeared in the middle of the path.
A woman.
Long dark hair floated around her like it was underwater. Her eyes were violet—not purple, but violet, like fresh bruises blooming in the sky.
"You're late," she said.
My heart pounded. "Who are you?"
She smiled, and it wasn't kind. "The Gate tests everyone who comes through. This is yours."
"What test?"
She raised her hand.
Suddenly, I wasn't standing on the path anymore—I was back in my bedroom. Human bedroom. My dad was in the kitchen. Luna was laughing. Mom—fake mom—was humming a tune I didn't recognize but still felt like home.
For a moment, I forgot it wasn't real.
Then Aerie roared inside me.
Don't believe it. None of this is real. They're echoes, illusions meant to keep you.
I turned slowly—and saw it.
A shimmer. A crack. The dream was already fading.
"No," I whispered. "I already said goodbye."
The moment shattered like glass.
The forest returned.
The woman with violet eyes tilted her head, amused.
"Good," she said. "Most fail that part."
I swallowed hard. "Was that it?"
She didn't answer. Just pointed.
The path behind her led to a vast clearing where torches floated midair in perfect rows. And beyond that…
My breath caught.
A castle.
Or something close to one.
Carved into the cliffs, rising out of mist and silver light, it had spires that twisted like claws toward the stars. Banners fluttered in wind that didn't touch me. The windows pulsed faintly like they were alive.
The Academy.
You feel that? Aerie murmured. That's old magic. Deep-rooted. Been here longer than most gods.
The woman vanished like smoke.
I didn't waste time.
I ran.
The path widened into ancient stone steps that curved upward, each one carved with the same symbols I'd seen on the arch. As I climbed, the air thickened. Pressure built in my ears.
Then the gates opened.
No one touched them.
No one stood behind them.
They just opened.
The courtyard beyond was bathed in pale blue light. Students walked across the cobblestones—some in pairs, some alone. Not all looked human. Some had eyes too bright. Movements too fast. One girl had horns curling from her head like a ram.
I took a step forward—and stopped.
Because standing at the top of the stairs, watching me like he'd been waiting, was a boy.
Tall.
Dark hair.
Eyes silver and unreadable.
Aerie hissed inside me.
That's a Sentinel. Stay alert.
The boy didn't move.
He just nodded once. "Selene."
My name on his lips made my stomach twist.
"How do you know that name?"
He turned.
"You've been expected."
"By who?"
He didn't answer. Just walked inside.
I followed, pulse racing, trying not to stumble. The Academy swallowed me whole.
Inside, the halls were lined with glowing runes. Portraits watched me with eyes that followed. A raven flew past and cackled my name.
We reached a massive door carved with wolves circling a sun.
The boy pushed it open.
Inside was a woman seated behind a desk made of moonstone.
Eyes pale as frost. Presence sharp as blades.
"Selene," she said, standing. "Welcome to the Academy of the Old Blood."
I opened my mouth to speak—
—but everything inside me screamed.
Because behind her, reflected in the mirror over her shoulder, I saw something impossible.
A shadow standing behind me.
No face. No eyes.
Just the shape of something ancient.
Watching.
Waiting.
And it looked like it knew me.
Like it had been waiting forever.
Author's Note
✨ 2,000 views! ✨
I can't believe we've already crossed this milestone. Thank you—seriously—for being part of Rory's journey so far. Whether you've been here since Chapter 1 or just stumbled across this world of werewolves, secrets, and spirits… your presence means everything. 💙🐺
This chapter was a big one—Rory's first real step into the unknown. The road ahead is dangerous, beautiful, and filled with secrets that even she isn't ready to face. But she's not alone. You're with her. And trust me... the mystery only deepens from here.
If this chapter gave you chills, made you feel something, or sparked even one question—drop a comment below. I read every single one (yes, every one!) and your thoughts truly inspire the next twists and turns.
Better yet, leave a review if you're loving the journey. It helps other fantasy lovers discover Rory's story—and gives me the fuel to keep writing through every plot twist and late-night brainstorm.
Let's keep building this pack.
With claws, moonlight, and ink,
Sandra Otuah Bosu