"I, I got an admission letter," Bella stammered. "I even got a package from this school one week after, with the school's crest and my uniforms. That's how I got this," she said, tugging on the school's cardigan she was wearing.
"I followed all the instructions too, to resume today dressed in my uniform. Just me. Without my parents."
"I don't doubt that," the woman said. "There's no way you'd have our uniform if we didn't send it to you." Her brows furrowed as she tapped once more at the keyboard. "It's just not reflecting on my end."
Bella's fingers clenched around the strap of her duffel bag. "Please. There has to be a mistake. I'm not in the wrong place."
The woman gave a measured sigh. "I'd ask if maybe you're supposed to be at another location, but we don't have any. This is the only Whitethorn Academy. So if you were accepted, your name is supposed to be on my list. Or did you change names?"
"No," Bella said firmly. "I didn't. Bella Rivers is the name written on my admission letter, the same name I've been bearing all my life. And it was this address, delivered along with my uniforms. We followed the map in the letter. This is Whitethorn. I came in through the main gate."
She hesitated, then added more quietly, "My mum's already gone. Maybe she would have explained things better so you'd understand."
"I see." The woman reached for the desk phone. "Let me check with the headmistress. Just stay right there."
Bella nodded.
The woman turned her back slightly and spoke in low tones into the receiver. Bella stared at the polished counter, counting the seconds in her head, trying not to cry. She could still hear the echo of her mum's parting words—
You've got one shot to start over. Use it well...
But right now, she felt like everything was crumbling again. She was back to square zero, back where she started.
I didn't even apply for this admission. It came randomly, and now my name is not even on the school's list? What if it was all just a huge mistake? What if—
"She's coming down," the receptionist said suddenly, interrupting her thoughts.
Bella managed a stiff nod.
Moments later, the steady, calculated sound of heels echoed from the stairwell. A tall woman appeared at the top of the stairs, descending with regal elegance. Her gray hair was swept into a high bun on her head.
She looked everywhere around the room until her eyes eventually landed on Bella.
"Bella Rivers?" she asked, with a cool and mature voice
"Yes, ma'am," Bella said quickly, stepping forward.
"I'm Headmistress Maren." She gave a brief glance to the receptionist, then turned her attention back to Bella. "There's no error. Your name is on our internal list. You're part of our independent scholarship program. That file is kept separately for confidentiality."
The receptionist's eyebrows rose slightly. "I wasn't aware we had a separate—"
"We do," Headmistress Maren replied without looking at her. "It's not your fault. Miss Rivers, I apologize for the confusion. This is not the welcome we intended for you."
Bella's shoulders eased slightly, relief washing over her. "It's alright."
The headmistress studied her for a second longer, like she was measuring not just Bella's posture or uniform, but something beyond her looks.
Bella herself felt a shift of energy in the room. She felt goosebumps on her skin.
Then the headmistress turned. "Have her fill the onboarding form and send her to Dormitory C. Room twenty-seven."
"Yes, ma'am."
Without another word, she ascended the stairs, heading back to her office.
Bella felt normal again only when she was out of sight.
The receptionist cleared her throat. "Let's get you sorted."
She passed a clipboard across the counter. Bella took it with stiff fingers, the weight of her duffel dragging her shoulder.
The form felt endless. She had to fill in her full name, date of birth, emergency contact, guardian address, prior school, allergies. Bella filled it out with shaky writing, pausing briefly as she scribbled her mum's number. Her hand trembled slightly as she contemplated calling her.
The thought of being turned away and losing her opportunity at a second chance, the eerie presence of the headmistress, it was all getting to her.
The receptionist, noticing her uneasiness, softened. "I'm sorry again. Sometimes our systems just… don't sync the way they're supposed to."
Bella just nodded nervously.
"You'll be alright," the woman added. "Whitethorn can be a lot. But if you keep your head down and learn quickly, you'll do fine. It has a way of testing people, though. All you have to do is blend in seamlessly," she concluded, squeezing Bella's shoulder.
Bella had no words in reply.
She looked down at the final question on the form: What are you hoping to achieve at Whitethorn Academy?
She left it blank.
Then she signed her name.
"Here," she said, handing the clipboard back.
The receptionist slipped a welcome envelope across the counter, along with a folded campus map and a thin silver key tagged C-27.
"Dormitory C is down the east wing. Left at the end of the hall, then follow the signs. It's a bit of a walk, but someone there should help you settle in. If you need anything, anything at all, just come back."
Bella nodded and adjusted the strap of her bag.
"Thank you."
She turned, the key tight in her fist, and began down the corridor. Her boots clicked faintly against the marble, swallowed quickly by the silence of the hallway. The chandeliers above lit up the portraits that lined the walls, watchful faces from long ago, gazing down like silent judges.
It felt colder than normal.
She finally reached the east wing and paused beside the corner. Her map was tucked against her chest, but she didn't open it. She didn't need the directions.
She just needed to walk fast. And that was what she did.
"Bella! Wait!"
It was the voice of the receptionist.
What now? she thought as she turned back.
"I forgot to give you this," Ms. Woods replied, handing her a pamphlet.
"It contains all the rules and regulations governing our school. You'll need it if you're going to survive here."
Survive? Why did she use that word? Bella wondered.
"Thank you, Ms. Woods. I'll go through it later."
"I suggest you do that as soon as possible. Once again, welcome to Whitethorn Academy," she replied, smiling sweetly.
Bella opened the first page, and the first words she read said:
"Within these walls, silence is survival.
Whatever you see, hear, or feel (strange as it may seem)
must never be repeated.
Not to your friends. Not to your family. Not even to yourself."