The meeting dragged on for another hour.
Professor Onim introduced more faculty members, explained the grading system, outlined expectations for academic performance, and went over campus resources—the library, which closed ridiculously early, the student center, the gym, the health clinic.
Everything was delivered in the same droning, authoritative tone that made Auriella's eyes glaze over.
By the time he finally dismissed them, her legs were stiff from sitting and her mind was numb.
"Finally," Penny muttered as they stood, stretching. "I thought he'd never stop talking."
Students began filing out of the Grand Hall in clusters, pulling out their schedules and maps, trying to figure out where their first classes were.
Auriella and Penny stepped into the flow of people, moving toward the exit.
"Okay, those rules were insane," Penny said once they were outside, her voice low but intense. "Lights out at midnight? A library that closes at 9 p.m.? This isn't what we planned at all. What about the parties, the fun? What kind of college does that?"
"The kind that wants total control. This isn't anything like what Granny said it would be," Auriella said, glancing down at her schedule. "And don't even get me started on the abandoned building and the east wing.
'Expelled immediately'? That's—"
"Extreme," Penny finished. "Like, weirdly extreme. What could possibly be in those places that's so dangerous or what ?"
"I don't know, but—"
Auriella wasn't watching where she was going. She was looking at Penny, caught up in the conversation, when she walked straight into someone.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry—" she started, stumbling back.
Hands steadied her.
She looked up and froze.
Lincoln.
His blue eyes widened with recognition, then crinkled with amusement. "Okay, this is officially becoming a habit."
Auriella felt her cheeks flush. "I swear I'm not doing this on purpose."
"I'm starting to think you are," he teased, a grin spreading across his face. "What is it with you and walking into people?"
"Apparently I have terrible spatial awareness," Auriella said, laughing despite her embarrassment.
Penny snorted beside her. "She gets distracted easily. I've seen her walk into lampposts."
"That was one time!" Auriella protested.
"Twice," Penny corrected.
Lincoln laughed, a genuine, warm sound. "Well, at least you're consistent." He let go of her arms and stepped back. "You guys just get out of orientation?"
"Yeah," Auriella said. "Oh, this is my friend Penny. Penny, Lincoln."
"Nice to meet you," Lincoln said.
"Same here," Penny replied.
"The orientation was brutal," Penny said. "How long did he even talk?"
"Too long, I guess," Lincoln agreed. "It was the same for me last year. Professor Onim loves the sound of his own voice."
"Last year?" Auriella asked. "You're not a first-year?"
"I'm not," Lincoln said.
"Ohhh, I didn't know that," Auriella said softly.
Standing next to Lincoln was a girl Auriella hadn't noticed at first. She had long brown hair that fell in soft waves past her shoulders, warm brown eyes, and pink lips curved into a polite smile. She was pretty in a subtle way.
"Oh, sorry," Lincoln said, glancing at the girl. "This is my cousin, Celeste. She's a first-year though."
"Hi," Celeste said, her voice friendly but measured. "Nice to meet you."
"Auriella," she replied, managing a smile. "And this is Penny."
"Hey," Penny said with a wave.
Lincoln tilted his head, studying them. "So, where are you guys headed?"
Auriella pulled out her schedule. "We're supposed to be in Raven Hall for Classical Literature. But honestly, we have no idea where that is."
"Raven Hall," Lincoln repeated, nodding. "North side of campus. Old building, lots of ivy. You'll love it—very Gothic and dramatic."
"Of course it is," Penny muttered.
"It's actually not that far," Celeste said. "I can show you. I have a class nearby anyway."
"You sure?" Auriella asked. "We don't want to make you late."
"It's fine," Celeste said with a small smile. "I've got time."
Lincoln glanced at his watch. "I've got to head to the science building or I'll be late. But it was good running into you again, Auriella. Literally."
She laughed. "Yeah. Maybe next time I'll actually watch where I'm going."
"Or maybe you won't, and we'll just keep doing this." He grinned, then gave them a casual wave. "Good luck with your first class. Don't let Professor Greaves scare you—he looks mean, but he's harmless."
"Unlike everything else at this school," Celeste added.
Lincoln shook his head, smiling. "Be nice, Cel."
"I'm always nice," she said innocently.
Lincoln walked off, hands in his pockets, completely at ease. A few students nodded at him as he passed, and he returned the gestures with easy confidence.
Celeste watched him go for a moment, then turned back to Auriella and Penny. "Okay, come on! Let's go before you're late. I'll tell you all about the murder that supposedly happened in Raven Hall in 1823."
Penny's eyes widened. "Wait, murder?"
"Allegedly," Celeste said with a mischievous grin as she started walking. "Though some people say it was a suicide. Or a ritual gone wrong. Depends who you ask."
Auriella and Penny looked at each other.
They fell into step beside her as she led them down a cobblestone path that wound through campus.
"So you're into horror stuff?" Auriella asked.
"Obsessed," Celeste said happily. "Horror movies, thriller novels, true crime podcasts—all of it. When I found out I got into Blackthorn, I literally screamed. Do you know how much creepy history this place has? It's like a horror fan's dream."
"That's... one way to look at it," Penny said, amused.
"Right?" Celeste's grin widened. "Like, okay, so that orientation? All those rules about restricted areas? So suspicious. Obviously they're hiding something."
"We were literally just talking about that," Penny said.
"Because it's weird!" Celeste gestured animatedly. "An abandoned building you can't go near? An entire wing of the school that's off-limits? Come on. That's classic horror setup. There's definitely something going on."
"Do you actually know what's in those places?" Penny asked.
Celeste's expression turned more serious, though her eyes still sparkled with excitement. "Okay, so here's what I've heard. The abandoned building? Supposedly it used to be the original dormitory back in like, the 1700s. But then students started disappearing. Just... vanishing in the middle of the night. No one ever found them."
A chill ran down Auriella's spine. "Seriously?"
"That's the story," Celeste said. "Eventually they shut the building down and built new dorms. But people say you can still hear things coming from inside. Footsteps. Voices. Screaming."
"That's creepy as hell," Penny said, while giving Auriella a look that said, Is she okay?
"Right?!" Celeste looked delighted. "And the east wing? Even better. Apparently it's where they used to do... experiments. Medical stuff, back when ethics weren't really a thing. Some people say there are still old labs down there. Preserved specimens. Maybe even bodies."
"That sounds made up," Auriella muttered.
"Well, one way to find out!" Celeste said enthusiastically. "I'm dying to get in there. Not literally, obviously. But like, can you imagine what I'd find?"
"Expulsion, probably," Penny said dryly.
Celeste waved a hand dismissively. "Only if I get caught."
"You sound like you're planning to break in," Auriella said.
"I mean..." Celeste grinned sheepishly. "I haven't ruled it out. But I'm not stupid. I've been here a few weeks, and I've learned some things."
"Like what?" Penny asked.
Celeste's tone shifted slightly, becoming more cautious. "Like the fact that the rules aren't just about keeping us in line. They're about keeping us safe. From whatever's actually going on here."
"You think something dangerous is really happening?" Auriella asked.
"I know something weird is happening," Celeste said. "I've heard things at night. Seen lights in buildings that are supposed to be empty. And there are students here—the elite ones—who act like they own the place. Because they kind of do."
"The elite?" Penny frowned. "You mean like... rich kids?"
Celeste laughed, but it wasn't entirely friendly. "Oh, honey. Your family's rich, right?"
Penny blinked. "I mean... yeah. My dad does well."
"Okay, so here's the thing," Celeste said. "At Blackthorn, there's rich, and then there's elite. Rich is what most of us are—families with money, success, nice houses. Elite? That's a whole different world."
"What do you mean?" Auriella asked.
"I mean families that have been powerful for centuries," Celeste said, her eyes wide for emphasis. "We're talking old bloodlines. Generational wealth that makes even billionaires look poor. Families with connections to royalty, to secret societies, to things most people don't even know exist."
Penny looked genuinely confused. "But my dad's—"
"I'm sure your dad's successful. So is mine and every other person here," Celeste interrupted gently. "But unless his family helped found this school, or has ties that go back hundreds of years, you're not elite. You're just... regular rich. Like me. Like most people here."
"That doesn't make sense," Penny said. "Money is money."
"Not here," Celeste said seriously. "Here, it's about legacy. About bloodlines. About power that goes way beyond money." She leaned in conspiratorially. "I heard from one of the older students that the elite families literally have their own rules. Their own sections of campus we're not allowed in. Their own meetings. It's like a school within a school."
"That's insane," Auriella said.
"I know!" Celeste said excitedly. "It's like something out of a Gothic novel. Secret societies, ancient families, mysterious rules. This place is dripping with dark academia energy."
"You're way too excited about this," Penny said, though she was smiling.
"Because it's fascinating!" Celeste said. "Don't you want to know what they're hiding? What the elite students are really doing? Why those buildings are off-limits?"
"Honestly, no. We just wanna study," Auriella said.
Celeste grinned. "Okay, Miss Study. But seriously, word of advice from someone who's already been poking around—don't mess with the elite students. They have protection. Influence. And they don't like people getting in their business."
"How do we know who they are?" Penny asked.
"Oh, you'll know," Celeste said knowingly. "When I asked, I was told the same thing."
They walked in silence for a moment, processing everything. Auriella and Penny looked at each other once more.
Then Celeste brightened again. "But hey, on the bright side, this is going to be the most interesting college experience ever. I mean, creepy buildings, mysterious rules, secret elite students? This is literally a horror fan's paradise."
"Or nightmare," Penny muttered.
"Tomato, tomahto," Celeste said cheerfully.
They stopped in front of a stone building covered in thick, dark ivy. A plaque beside the entrance read: RAVEN HALL.
"Here we are!" Celeste announced. "Your classroom should be on the second floor, room 204. And fun fact—this is supposedly where that 1823 murder happened. Well, alleged murder. The student was found dead in one of the classrooms, and no one ever figured out what happened."
"You're really not helping," Penny said.
Celeste laughed. "Sorry. Occupational hazard. But seriously, you guys will be fine. Just don't wander around alone at night, follow the rules—mostly—and try not to piss off anyone important."
"Thanks," Auriella said, smiling despite the unease in her stomach. "For showing us the way. And for the warnings. I think."
"Anytime!" Celeste said brightly. "Oh, and if you ever want to go exploring or hear more creepy stories, just find me. I'm in Ravenwood Hall too, room 243. Second floor."
"We'll keep that in mind," Penny said.
Celeste gave them an enthusiastic wave and headed off down another path.
Auriella and Penny stood there for a moment, staring up at Raven Hall.
"Well," Penny said finally. "She was... a lot."
"Yeah, and possibly crazy," Auriella agreed.
They both laughed. "I kind of liked her."
"Same," Penny admitted. "Even if she did just tell us our school is basically a horror movie."
"At least we're warned," Auriella said.
They exchanged a look, then headed inside.