"Yvaine?"
Yvaine snapped out of it at the familiar voice. She turned back hurriedly.
"Zully."
Zuleika stood in front of her, arms crossed as she stared at her like she was losing at a loose corkscrew. She glanced around subtly.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I couldn't sleep so I decided to go for a walk. And I—" Yvaine paused abruptly.
And she what?
Zully asked the same question. "Are you sure you're okay?" she added.
Yvaine nodded.
She glanced around, eyes lingering on a door slightly far away. A low sound slipped through the cracks.
But before she could think much of it, Zully beckoned to her.
"Okay, come on," she said, pulling her arm. "Trust me, newbie. You do not want to be sleep deprived tomorrow."
Yvaine said nothing, throwing the sound to the back of her mind as she let herself be dragged away.
______
Yvaine woke to the smell of something sweet—warm vanilla or maybe cinnamon—and Zully humming off-key in front of the mirror.
"Morning, sleeping beauty," Zully said, glancing back with her eyeliner mid-wing. "Uniform's on the chair. Came in this morning."
Yvaine groaned quietly, dragging herself up. The uniform looked better than she expected. Crisp black pleated skirt, golden lines at the hem, and a white blouse with that weird silky bow-tie thing. There was a cute little waist coat and a blazer with the academy's golden moon crest.
She got a quick shower first and then put on the uniform. It was a perfect fit.
Zully turned, looked her up and down once, and whistled. "Okay! You clean up real nice, Yvaine."
"Thanks," Yvaine mumbled, smoothing the skirt.
Her eyes caught something pinned to Zully's chest. A small, glossy badge—black with thin gold edges. It gleamed softly against her blazer.
Yvaine glanced down at herself. Nothing.
"Hey," she said slowly. "I think they made a mistake. I don't have a badge."
Zully paused, her eyeliner brush mid-stroke. "Oh, no, girl. That's not a mistake."
Yvaine blinked. "It's not?"
Zully twisted around fully, leaning on the dresser. "You don't get a badge till the end of today. The school system reads your aura, species, magical potential, all that stuff. Then it assigns your color. Like mine—black for witch."
Yvaine forced a nod. "Oh. Cool."
It wasn't cool.
Her stomach twisted.
What if the system scanned her and found... nothing? No wolf. No shift. Just an empty shell of Theolux blood and family name.
Her chest felt tight.
She turned away, grabbed her bag and the new class notes Gareth had packed for her.
"Alright," Zully said, slinging on her side bag and stepping into her boots. "Let's get you into the system."
Yvaine nodded, distracted.
Then Zully grinned. "Flying carpet or broomstick?"
Yvaine froze. "What?"
Zully pointed. In the corner, a neon-pink broom leaned on the wall and the carpet neatly folded beside it.
Yvaine took one look at the broom, then the carpet.
"Uh... no flying," she said quickly. "Let's walk."
Zully laughed. "Fair enough."
She linked their arms without asking, tugging Yvaine toward the door. Her perfume was soft—floral, but not too much.
Zully had gossip about everyone.
"That guy?" she whispered, nodding toward a tall vampire-looking boy. "Got caught drinking his own roommate's blood."
They passed a fae girl with glimmering green hair. Zully lowered her voice. "I heard she kissed her own brother. Twice."
Yvaine blinked. "What?"
Zully nodded, dead serious. "Twice."
But Yvaine's mind was somewhere else.
She walked silently beside Zully, heart racing in her chest.
Hopefully , she'd have a badge.
If the system didn't expose her first.
____
Yvaine sat beside Zully in the noisy auditorium,her hands tight in her lap.
Principal Myrrin took the stage, robes crisp, voice clear.
Does this woman get younger by the day?
"Welcome, students. Especially our new intakes," she began. "Moonfire Academy is designed to help you grow—your powers, your strengths, your control. You'll take classes in battle, magic, theory, and more. We expect nothing but respect, resilience and of course, excellence."
Someone clapped early. Myrrin didn't flinch.
"There'll be a welcome party tonight in the Moonlight Hall to celebrate your arrival."
Cheers broke out.
"And by the end of today, your badges will appear, once the academy's system identifies your species and abilities."
Yvaine's stomach twisted.
" Remember, respect, resilience and excellence is what we stand for. Welcome again to Moonfire Academy. May your journeys be smooth."
Applause.
Zully leaned over, grinning with excitement. "You'll love the academy."
Yvaine gave a tight smile, already dreading the end of the day.
Oh dear!
____
Magic class was halfway in when Yvaine and Zully slipped into their seats.
Miss Sinclair stood in front, wand in hand, casting a glowing ribbon of light that spun midair.
"This is a basic kinetic spell. Focus. Direction. Control."
Zully leaned over. "I learned this when I was ten. This class is so behind."
Yvaine snorted.
"Something funny, Miss Theolux?" the teacher's voice cut sharp.
Yvaine froze. "No, ma'am."
"Then perhaps you'd like to demonstrate. Front and center."
Students snickered behind her. Zully mouthed sorry with a wince.
Yvaine stood, legs a little stiff as she made her way to the front. She knew this spell. Master Gareth had drilled it into her a hundred times. She rolled her shoulders and raised her hand.
Halfway through the words, the door opened.
Someone walked in. She wasn't supposed to be distracted, but here she was, like the rest of the class, staring.
Silver hair. Tall. That face. It was familiar but she couldn't really place it.
Miss Sinclair didn't miss a beat. "You are late, Lucien Lioréan."
He tilted his head, the smirk already forming. "Pardon me, Miss Sinclair, it won't happen again."
Her jaw ticked. "Very well. Take a seat."
The girls in class began to arrange their uniforms, smiling and batting lashes.
Ugh.Pathetic.
Yvaine took a breath and focused again. She could do this.
Then his eyes met hers.
Icy blue.
Something in her head pulsed. No—burned. A sharp ache made her wince.
Not now. Not here.
Intentional aura suppression. Silver Wolf bullshit.
Not true, her mind whispered. You want to be one.
Why was he doing this?
Miss Sinclair's voice snapped through the haze. "Miss Theolux, are you okay?"
Yvaine nodded stiffly. "Yes."
Murmurs rose. She tried again.
But her vision blurred.
Something wet slipped from her nose.
She touched it.
Blood.
Then everything tilted.
Her knees buckled.
The last thing she heard was Zully screaming her name.
"Yvaine!"