Morning in the city moved slowly as the Valleria family's black car stopped in front of the grand gates of the house. The air was still cold, yet the sky had already turned bright. Aria descended the steps with calm movements, her black hair simply combed, covering half her face with a cold obsidian-like sheen.
Helena—looking more neatly put together than usual—stood by the door with an awkward expression she tried to hide behind a gentle smile.
"Aria… I hope you have a good day," she said softly.
Aria nodded.
She did not smile.
There was no nervousness, no excitement like other teenagers starting school.
Beside Helena stood Selena, her uniform styled to look pretty and elegant, like a little model. Her blonde hair was carefully arranged, her face glowing with sweet falseness.
"If you need anything, just tell me," Selena said gently. "I'm in the elite class. Everyone knows me."
The tone sounded like a queen introducing her territory.
Aria looked at her briefly—her pale blue gaze left no room for pretense.
Then, without replying, Aria entered the car.
Selena's smile stiffened.
Helena tried to hide her anxiety.
And the car drove off, leaving behind a house that felt too large to be filled with so much dishonesty.
---
St. Clair Academy, the elite school, stood tall—its buildings magnificent, with wide glass walls and immaculately kept gardens. It was known as the place where children of international conglomerates, corporate heirs, and young celebrities received their education.
When the car stopped, elite students poured in.
Their uniforms were perfectly fitted, their perfumes expensive, their bags branded, and an air of excessive confidence filled the space.
The moment Aria stepped out of the car—
every head turned.
Not only because of her cold, marble-carved beauty, but also because of the rumor:
The lost child of the Valleria family has returned.
Whispers immediately spread through the air:
"Is that her?"
"The kid who disappeared ten years ago?"
"She's pretty, but… her aura is different."
"So… cold."
Aria did not care.
She walked straight past them, her steps light, cold, elegant—unbothered by the sharp stares of hundreds of eyes.
That only drew more attention.
Someone who did not seek the spotlight…
inevitably attracted all of it.
Selena stepped out of the car next.
Her smile bloomed instantly, full of cheerful falsehood.
"Oh, that's Selena!"
"Selenaaa! Morning!"
"She looks so pretty today!"
Selena waved, accepting the attention as if she were walking across a stage.
She caught up to Aria and stood beside her with a sweet smile.
"Aria, let me take you to the administration office," she said—louder than necessary, so others would hear.
Aria only looked at her.
She did not nod,
did not refuse,
and simply walked on in silence.
Selena followed with light steps.
---
In the middle of the crowd, several students began introducing themselves—though Aria was never asked for input.
— Nova Laurent, female, 16, short brown hair, Selena's close friend.
— Irene Voss, female, 17, fashion boutique heiress, loves excessively praising Selena.
— Riko Tanaka, male, 16, exchange student from Japan, often photographs Selena for the photography club.
— Hugo Davenport, male, 17, tall, basketball athlete, arrogant and usually leads conversations.
The moment they saw Aria, they all fell silent.
Nova: "U-um… hi, Aria. You're… beautiful."
Irene: "So different from the photos in the news…"
Hugo: "Your aura is really cold."
Aria replied softly, "Thank you."
Then she fell silent.
The conversation died instantly, turning awkward.
Selena quickly intervened.
"Hahaha, Aria really is quiet. Don't take it personally!" she said with a sweet laugh.
Aria did not correct her.
She merely glanced at them briefly, then turned away without care.
Nova whispered softly to Selena, "She's… kind of scary, huh?"
Selena held back a satisfied smile.
Because that was exactly what she wanted—
for other students to feel that Aria was different, hard to approach, unlike Selena.
The two of them were like sky and earth.
---
The first class of the day was mathematics.
When Aria entered the classroom, all the students immediately stopped talking.
Some male students nudged each other.
"She's insanely pretty…"
"Like a porcelain doll…"
But when Aria looked at them—just for half a second—
they immediately looked away, hearts pounding, embarrassed.
Aria's aura was not beauty.
It was a silent threat.
Aria sat at the very back of the room—the quietest seat—without asking or seeking permission.
At the desk beside her, a girl stole glances at her.
She was Claire Willis—16 years old, soft brown eyes, long wavy brown hair. Innocent, easily influenced, yet guided by an honest instinct.
Claire wanted to greet her, but hesitated.
She was afraid Aria was cold—afraid of offending her.
And Aria did not look at her at all.
The math teacher entered. It was Teacher Morgan—a 33-year-old man. Friendly, gentle, honest, and one of the few teachers Selena could not manipulate.
When he saw Aria, he stopped.
There was a flicker of surprise on his face.
Aria lifted her head slightly.
Morgan held his gradebook, trying to hide his reaction.
He saw something in Aria's eyes—something no other student had.
Sharpness.
Calm.
Intelligence.
And… distance.
"Good morning, everyone," Morgan said.
The class returned the greeting.
Aria did not.
Not out of disrespect—
but because she was not accustomed to such rituals.
Morgan noticed it.
And that was when the seed of his curiosity—perhaps admiration—toward Aria began to grow.
---
During break, Aria walked toward the library.
She liked quiet places, solitude—without drama, without noise.
But as she entered a quiet corridor, someone followed her.
It was Selena.
She made sure no other students were nearby before speaking.
"Aria," her voice was sweet, but carried a subtle warning. "You need to be careful."
Aria turned her face slightly.
"They misunderstand easily. One cold word can make you hated here."
Aria replied flatly, "Why do you care?"
Selena smiled and stepped half a step closer.
"Because you carry my family's name."
That was when Aria understood.
Selena did not care if Aria got into trouble.
Selena only cared about her own reputation.
"I don't care about the family's image," Aria said.
Selena's smile cracked.
She did not expect Aria to say it—without fear, without emotion, without hesitation.
"…Aria," Selena whispered, "you really—"
Aria walked away without waiting for the sentence to finish.
Selena stood still, her hands clenched tightly, her face still smiling though the warmth had vanished from her eyes.
"Fine," she whispered. "You want to play quietly? We'll see who wins."
---
The St. Clair library was vast, with tall glass walls and dark wooden tables.
Aria chose the table farthest from the windows and opened an advanced medical textbook.
Several students stared in confusion.
"Why is she reading medical books?"
"She's reading so fast…"
"Does she even understand that?"
Aria read without the slightest disturbance, as if the world around her did not exist.
That only made the students more curious—and more afraid.
Claire entered the library and saw Aria reading so intently. She approached slowly and sat two seats away.
Claire did not dare to greet her.
Nor to disturb her.
Yet her eyes kept drifting toward Aria.
There was something about Aria that made Claire curious—not admiration, not fascination, but a desire to understand.
Because Claire felt that Aria seemed to have no place.
Just like herself.
---
At noon, Aria was called to the teachers' office.
When she entered, she saw Selena already there—waiting, seated elegantly like a model student.
Teacher Morgan sat at his desk.
"Oh, Aria," he said gently, "we wanted to make sure your first day is going well."
Selena added with a smile, "I told Teacher Morgan that Aria might need help adjusting. She's new and quiet."
Morgan looked at Aria, slightly disagreeing with Selena's conclusion.
He knew Selena jumped to conclusions too quickly.
Aria looked at both of them.
"No need," she said.
Her voice was gentle—not harsh—yet cold and firm.
Selena forced a smile.
"Aria, I just want to help—"
"I don't need your help."
Morgan fell silent.
So did Selena.
There was something in the way Aria spoke that made her statement sound final—undebatable, and strangely unimportant.
Morgan nodded slowly.
"Alright. Then don't hesitate if you change your mind."
Aria left the room.
Selena remained still, her smile frozen, her fingers clenched tightly.
She was genuinely offended this time.
And that frightened her—because Aria had not even tried to oppose her.
Aria simply did not care.
And that indifference was far more frightening than hostility.
---
Before going home, Aria sat alone on a bench in the courtyard. The afternoon breeze carried the scent of leaves and the cheerful voices of other students.
Aria gazed at the sky.
The sky was pale blue.
Almost as pale as her eyes.
She thought, This place is the same.
Just as cold.
Just as empty.
Just as distant from every place she had ever passed through.
She did not hate this school.
But she did not like it either.
She was simply here.
From afar, Selena watched Aria with narrowed eyes.
She smiled gently as friends approached her, but her gaze never left Aria.
For a moment, Selena clenched her uniform skirt so tightly her knuckles trembled.
She saw Aria sitting alone, indifferent to everything.
And that was what frightened her.
Because Aria was not trying to take anything.
Not trying to defeat anyone.
Yet precisely because of that—
her mere presence had already become a threat.