The East Wing towered higher than the rest of the academy, windows glowing faint gold as dawn filtered in. Freshers hustled through the corridor, fumbling with their keys.
"Room 11," I muttered, clutching mine.
Beside me, Tessa bounced, eyes wide at every gilded doorframe. "This place is insane. Do you think they assign rooms by luck or bloodline?"
"Probably bloodline," I said dryly.
She flashed me a grin. "Then we got lucky."
My key slid into the lock. A click, and the door swung open.
I froze.
The room wasn't like the dorm hall from last night. It was warm, alive, enchanted. A canopy bed draped in silver fabric. A desk that seemed to hum faintly. Shelves stacked with empty journals. Even the walls shimmered faintly, as though watching.
"It… knows you," Tessa whispered, peeking in. "Enchanted aura rooms. They shape themselves around your soul."
"Creepy," I muttered, stepping inside.
But she wasn't wrong. The air felt thick, tuned to me in a way I couldn't explain. Like the room was breathing with me.
Tessa darted next door to claim her space. "Meet you in ten! We'll explore!"
Her door clicked shut. Silence sank over mine.
I exhaled, finally dropping my bag. Maybe this was the first real break I'd had since arriving. My own space.
I crossed to the wardrobe, tugging it open. Empty. Just polished wood and a faint scent of cedar. I let it shut, shaking my head.
Then it came.
Scrrrratch.
The hairs on my arms rose. I froze, staring at the wardrobe.
Scrrratch. A low growl followed, muffled but unmistakable.
"No," I whispered.
I stepped back, heart slamming. The sound came again, claws raking wood, something shifting inside.
"Not real," I muttered. "Not real."
But the wardrobe rattled, faint, as though something inside wanted out.
I grabbed the desk chair and wedged it against the doors, backing toward the bed. My pulse hammered in my ears.
A whisper slid through the air, so faint I thought I imagined it.
Aria.
My knees weakened.
I clamped my hands over my ears. "Stop."
The wardrobe shuddered once more… then stilled.
Silence.
I stood frozen for a full minute, lungs refusing to fill. Finally, I tore my gaze away and collapsed onto the bed.
It had to be the academy. Some test. Or maybe I was losing my mind.
Either way, I wasn't opening that wardrobe again tonight.
---
Morning light eventually dragged me out of restless sleep.
Tessa burst in, braid swinging, face flushed with excitement. "Guess what! First assembly in the Grand Hall. We're officially students now."
I rubbed at my eyes, forcing myself to focus. "Right. Students."
She eyed me curiously. "You look like you didn't sleep."
I hesitated. No way I was telling her about voices in wardrobes. "New room jitters."
Tessa rolled her eyes. "Well, jitters or not, we need to hurry. Don't want to give the queen bee more ammo."
"Ivy?"
"Who else?"
We hurried down the corridor, past doors swinging open as other freshers filed out. Whispers followed me again, the same ones from yesterday.
"There she is."
"The wolfless girl."
"The alphas were staring at her."
Tessa leaned close. "Ignore them. Most of them would kill to get noticed the way you already have."
"Not helping," I muttered.
As we descended the marble staircase, I caught movement at the balcony. Four silhouettes leaned against the railing above.
Rylan's arms folded, Kael's smirk tugging, Darius cold as ever, and Lucian's golden gaze locked directly on me.
The wardrobe whisper echoed in my head.
Aria.
My steps faltered.
Tessa grabbed my arm. "You okay?"
I forced a nod. But inside, dread coiled tighter.
Whatever scratched at my wardrobe last night… it wasn't gone.
And it wanted out.