Morning sunlight poured into the towering glass windows of Ashfall Academy, scattering gold across the marble floors as the school year officially began. Students from every corner of the world—over a hundred nations represented—filled the halls with a storm of footsteps, chatter, laughter, and excitement. Languages mixed, cultures blended, and the vibrant energy of Ashfall echoed through its royal-like corridors lined with portraits, crimson carpets, and priceless art pieces.
For an elite academy rumored to be harder to enter than most universities, it certainly didn't lack enthusiasm.
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Senior Class 1A
If the hallways of Ashfall buzzed, Class 1A outright roared.
The large classroom was a whirlwind of activity: students shouting across desks, girls swarming around Briony Snowhart, the third Princess of Valoria; others crowding around Hunter Brack, eager to be on his good side before his temper ruined their year; and the largest group circling around Camila Duarte, Ashfall's reigning queen-bee and beauty champion, along with her inseparable best friends—Sienna, freckled and voluptuous with a mischievous laugh, and Naledi, elegant and ebony-skinned with straight hair and glasses that gave her a calm, intellectual charm.
Wherever the trio walked, the crowd parted. Wherever they stopped, the crowd gathered.
The only students not affected by the chaos were a few sitting at the back, waiting for the noise to settle.
It didn't.
Not until the sliding door opened and Mr. Hogswart stepped inside.
Immediately, the room snapped into shape. The girls returned to their seats. Hunter straightened his collar. Camila tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and folded her hands like royalty. Even Briony adopted her pristine princess posture.
"Good morning, students—both new and returning." Mr. Hogswart's deep voice commanded the room. "As you can see, we have many fresh faces this year. Let's begin our introductions. Starting from the right."
All heads turned to the window-side seat.
Daren Okoro—or as everyone called him, O. Darren, due to the difficulty of pronouncing "Okoro"—stood with confidence, flashing a polite smile before introducing himself as class leader.
One by one, the introductions continued down the rows until it reached Troy Fletcher.
He stood slowly, hands in his pockets, confidence subtle but present.
"Hey. You can call me Fletcher."
A wave of reactions spread through the classroom.
Camila's eyes sparkled with interest.
Sienna bit her lip, intrigued.
Naledi adjusted her glasses, studying his face analytically.
Hunter leaned forward, muttering under his breath, "I've got my eye on you."
Briony glared daggers the moment she recognized him—the pervert from earlier.
And at the very back, Eli snickered, thoroughly enjoying the chaos his friend naturally attracted.
Mr. Hogswart—careful not to reveal his own relation—responded casually.
"It seems our new student has already made a few… impressions."
Before Fletcher could react, the door slid open.
Silence swept through the room like a cold wind.
A girl stepped in—pink-haired, flawless-skinned, with a model-tier posture and an oversized hoodie paired with a short skirt. She walked with the calm detachment of someone accustomed to attention.
"Sorry. I'm late."
Gasps filled the room.
"Is that Ji Ace?"
"The pop star?"
"She's attending Ashfall?!"
She didn't acknowledge a single whisper—simply stood there, expression unreadable.
Mr. Hogswart gestured gently.
"We were introducing ourselves. Would you mind?"
"I'm Seo Ji Ace. You can just call me Ji Ace."
She bowed slightly, then walked to the only empty seat—
Right beside Fletcher, who had been lost in thought the entire time.
He barely noticed her until her chair scraped against the floor.
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"Now then," Mr. Hogswart continued, "it's time to introduce your new teacher for Senior Class 1A. Please, come in."
A tall, slender woman entered—pale skin, raven-black hair cascading down her shoulders, and a smile too warm to be trusted.
"Good day, students. I'm Miss Verena Crowe, and I'll be your class teacher."
The room erupted into applause.
But not everyone clapped.
Ji Ace froze. Her breath caught.
Her hands began trembling uncontrollably beneath the desk.
That voice…
Her pupils dilated as panic surged through her chest.
"That's the voice," she whispered under her breath, lips pale. "That's the voice…"
Beside her, Fletcher's eyes narrowed in confusion.
Something about the voice tugged at old memories. Unsettling ones.
He muttered, not realizing he was audible:
"That voice… sounds familiar."
Ji Ace snapped her head toward him sharply and whispered, trembling, "What do you mean? What did you say?"
"I said the voice is familiar," Fletcher repeated, puzzled at her intensity.
Her breath quickened.
Her expression darkened.
She leaned in just enough for him to hear—
"We need to talk. Privately. After this."
Fletcher blinked, thrown off by the fear in her eyes.
Ji Ace turned forward again, staring at Verena with a mixture of dread and rage. The kind that came from nightmares she thought she'd buried.
"Something is definitely off about you…" she whispered under her breath, eyes locked on the teacher.
"We might be in trouble."
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