The bell tolled across the sprawling grounds of Crown Heights Academy, its deep chime echoing through marble halls and manicured gardens. For the first time that year, the entire student body gathered in the Great Hall, a structure of glass and gold that gleamed like a palace.
Rows of velvet seats filled quickly with young aristocrats in designer uniforms — heirs of dynasties, daughters of old money, sons of industry. Their chatter rose like a storm: talk of vacations abroad, new cars, and family empires waiting to be inherited.
At the front stood Dr. Adrian Wells, the Headmaster, flanked by Miss Evelyn Hart and the other staff. His sharp eyes surveyed the students before raising his hand for silence.
"Welcome back to Crown Heights Academy," he began, his voice calm but commanding. "This is not simply a school. This is where legacies are refined, tested, and proven. You are not here to follow in your parents' shadows, but to forge your own path worthy of the name you bear."
A ripple of applause followed. Some clapped with pride, others with nervousness.
Dr. Wells continued. "As tradition stands, students will be assigned their residences for the year. The Academy's villas reflect both heritage and performance. Those from founding families and elite backgrounds will reside in the Crown Villas, overlooking the lake. Others will occupy the Elm Residences or the Oak Halls, depending on rank and merit."
Whispers darted across the hall. Everyone knew the system. The higher the villa, the greater your status. To live in the Crown Villas was to be untouchable.
Eyes shifted toward the heirs as their names were called.
Adriana Cole and Bianca Cole — Crown Villas.
Damian Royce — Crown Villas.
Selena and Serena King — Crown Villas.
The announcement was expected, yet still drew murmurs of envy. The heirs carried themselves with practiced ease, but inside each of them, pride flickered. This was their world, their kingdom.
Then, Dr. Wells cleared his throat. His next words cut through the hall like a blade.
"This year, as always, Crown Heights opens its gates to a select few who have earned their place not by wealth, but by merit. Our scholarship students."
The hall grew restless. Some students exchanged smirks, others frowned, as if the presence of outsiders soiled the perfection of their realm.
The doors at the back opened. Three figures stepped in, dressed in the same uniform yet carrying none of the polish of the wealthy.
Michael Adeyemi, quiet but resolute, his gaze steady despite the stares.
Grace Okafor, her chin lifted proudly, unafraid of the whispers.
Tari Johnson, grinning as if the entire hall amused him.
"Michael, Grace, and Tari," Dr. Wells announced, "will reside in the Oak Halls, as is tradition. They are here not as charity, but as challengers. Let every student remember: at Crown Heights, it is not wealth alone that determines rank, but ability."
Some students clapped politely. Others did not. From the front row, Bianca Cole leaned toward Selena King with a smirk.
"Ability or not, they'll never touch the Crown Villas," she whispered. Selena giggled softly, while Adriana glanced at her half-sister with quiet disapproval.
Damian Royce, however, sat straighter, his sharp eyes lingering on the scholarship students longer than expected. Serena King noticed too, but said nothing.
The assembly ended with applause, but the hall buzzed with new tension. The heirs walked out with their heads high, the scholarship students trailing behind under the weight of countless eyes.
This was Crown Heights. A world of villas, ranks, and legacies.
And already, the lines were being drawn.