The soft glow of her laptop screen lit up Selen's room, casting shadows across the velvet curtains and the ornate desk she had spent countless sleepless nights at. Her fingers trembled on the trackpad, scrolling, scrolling—until her eyes finally caught it.
Selen Ainsworth.
Rank: Top 5.
Status: Accepted into the No Law Guarding School.
For a heartbeat, her brain refused to process the words. Then the reality hit her like a thunderclap.
"Oh my God!" Selen's voice rang out in the quiet, shattering the stillness of the morning. She leaped from her chair, laughter bubbling up from her chest. The release of years of pent-up tension and late-night studying was almost dizzying.
But in her exhilaration, she didn't notice Maria, the young maid, stepping into the room with her usual cautious grace, balancing a silver tray of fresh orange juice. The collision was inevitable.
The glass slipped from Maria's hand, shattering on the marble floor. The cold juice splashed across Selen's pristine white summer dress, dripping onto the rug in messy orange streaks. Gasps erupted from the two other maids nearby, their hands flying to their mouths in horror.
Maria froze, her face paling. "Miss Selen, I–I'm so sorry! I didn't—"
Everyone expected an explosion. Selen was known for her temper, her biting remarks, her unwillingness to tolerate even the smallest mistakes. But instead, she looked down at the sticky fabric clinging to her legs, then up at Maria's terrified eyes.
A pause. Then Selen's lips curved into a small, almost amused smile.
"Next time, watch where you're going, Maria."
Her tone wasn't harsh—just firm. Calm. The other maids exchanged bewildered glances, unable to believe their ears.
Selen turned on her heel and walked toward the sitting room, her laptop clutched tightly in her hands. Her heart was still racing, not from the accident, but from the golden words that glowed on her screen.
Her parents, Adrian and Helena Ainsworth, sat together on the velvet sofa, mid-conversation. Their eyes flickered instantly to their daughter, noting the juice stains on her dress. Concern washed over their faces, but before they could ask, Selen extended the laptop toward them, her voice trembling with excitement.
"I did it." She could barely contain her smile. "I got into NLGS."
The silence that followed was brief but heavy, broken by Helena's sharp intake of breath. Adrian rose to his feet, taking the laptop in his strong hands, scanning the list with wide eyes.
"Selen…" Helena's voice cracked with pride as tears welled up. She clasped her daughter's hands tightly. "You've done it, darling. You've actually done it."
Her father closed the laptop slowly, his jaw tight but his eyes gleaming with rare emotion. "NLGS," he said softly, almost reverently. "Only the best of the best ever set foot in that place. Do you know what this means, Selen? You've secured not just your future… but the Ainsworth legacy."
Selen nodded, though her mind was far from politics and prestige. To her, this wasn't about family reputation—it was about stepping into a new world. A world she had dreamt about since she was twelve. A school where brilliance wasn't just nurtured—it was demanded. Where every student carried a name, a destiny, or a power that set them apart.
Her chest swelled with pride, but beneath the joy, a tiny ember of unease flickered. She knew that NLGS was not a place for the faint-hearted. Behind its ivory gates and manicured gardens, stories whispered of brutal rivalries, broken friendships, and the relentless competition that could either forge diamonds—or shatter them into dust.
But for now, none of that mattered.
As her parents enveloped her in a rare family embrace, Selen's mind soared above her doubts. She imagined herself walking through the gilded gates of the No Law Guarding School, shoulders back, chin high, the world watching.
The world, at last, was hers to conquer.