Elara's POV
I can't move.
Caspian Noctis is touching me. His hands grip my arms, keeping me steady after I crashed into him like an idiot. His dark eyes study my face with an intensity that makes my heart hammer against my ribs.
This is the villain. The man who kills me in two weeks.
I'm sorry, I stammer, jerking backward. His hands drop immediately.
No harm done. His voice is smooth like silk, but cold like ice. He looks at me for one more second too long, way too long then walks past me without another word.
I stand frozen in the courtyard, watching him disappear into the crowd of students. Several people stare at me with wide eyes. A boy nearby whispers to his friend, did she just bump into Duke Noctis? Is she insane?
Great. Perfect. My first day and I've already broken rule number one: avoid the villain at all costs.
My hands shake as I hurry toward the East Tower. Just stay away from him from now on. Pretend it never happened. He doesn't even know my name.
Everything will be fine.
My first magic class is a disaster.
I sit in the back row, trying to be invisible, but I can't focus on anything the professor says. My brain keeps replaying the moment I looked into Caspian's eyes. In the book, he was described as dangerous and cold. The description didn't do him justice. He's terrifying in person.
Miss Ashwood? The professor's sharp voice makes me jump. Perhaps you'd like to demonstrate the basic levitation spell?
Every student turns to stare at me. Heat floods my face.
I... um... I have no idea how to do magic. I'm not really Elara Ashwood. I'm just borrowing her body.
But when I raise my hand and focus on the feather on my desk, something incredible happens. The feather floats upward, wobbling slightly, then settles back down.
I did magic. I actually did magic.
The professor nods approvingly and moves on. I slump in my seat, my heart still racing. This body has magical abilities. Elara Ashwood's muscle memory must be helping me.
That's when I notice the girl three rows ahead. Golden blonde hair that catches the sunlight streaming through the windows. She performs the spell perfectly, her feather spinning in graceful circles.
Seraphina Vale. The hero.
I force myself to look away. Don't get involved. Don't make friends with main characters. Just survive.
At lunch, I grab food and search for an empty table far from everyone. Before I can sit down, a cheerful voice interrupts.
You look completely lost!
A girl with curly red hair and a bright smile drops into the seat across from me. She's pretty, with freckles across her nose and eyes that sparkle with mischief.
I'm Iris Hartwell, she announces. You're Elara Ashwood, right? I heard you just transferred from the eastern territory.
I blink. Did I transfer? Is that what happened to the original Elara? Um, yes. That's me.
I knew it! Everyone's been talking about the new girl. Iris leans forward conspiratorially. Don't worry, I'll help you navigate this place. The Academy can be super confusing at first.
Relief washes over me. Iris Hartwell. I don't remember that name from the book, which means she's not a main character. She's safe.
Thank you, I say, and I mean it. I could really use a friend right now.
Iris grins. Then you've got one! Now, let me tell you everything you need to know.
For the next thirty minutes, Iris fills me in on Academy life. She points out different student groups, explains which professors are strict and which are lenient, and gossips about recent drama.
Then her voice drops to a whisper. But the most important rule? Stay away from the Noctis family.
My stomach clenches. The Noctis family?
Especially Duke Caspian Noctis. Iris glances around nervously like he might appear out of nowhere. He's the heir to one of the oldest magical bloodlines. Incredibly powerful. Incredibly dangerous. People say he's cold as ice and twice as deadly.
What makes him so dangerous? I ask, even though I already know the answer.
He has shadow magic really rare and really dark. Some students think he's going to turn evil one day. Like, full villain evil. Iris shudders. My advice? If you see him coming, go the other way. Don't make eye contact. Definitely don't talk to him.
Too late for that.
I don't tell Iris about running into him this morning. Instead, I nod and pretend this is all new information.
After lunch, classes blur together. I take notes I'll probably never understand and practice spells that somehow work despite my complete lack of training. The whole time, I keep watching for Caspian, terrified he'll appear again.
He doesn't.
That night, alone in my dorm room, I pull out a notebook and create my survival plan:
AVOID CASPIAN NOCTIS AT ALL COSTS Skip the festival in two weeks (Chapter 12) Stay away from all main plot events Don't befriend main characters Survive until graduation Find a way home
I stare at the list. It's simple. Straightforward. I can do this.
I know what's coming because I've read this story before. That gives me an advantage. I'll see the dangers before they happen. I'll avoid them.
For the first time since waking up in this nightmare, I feel a tiny spark of hope.
I close the notebook and climb into bed. Tomorrow will be better. I'll keep my head down, attend classes, and stay invisible. Two weeks will pass quickly. I'll skip the festival, survive past chapter twelve, and then I'll be safe.
Everything will be fine.
I'm just drifting off to sleep when my door creaks open.
My eyes snap open. Someone's in my room.
A dark figure stands silhouetted in the doorway. Tall. Broad shoulders. The moonlight from my window catches his face for just a second.
Dark hair. Sharp features. Cold eyes.
Caspian Noctis.
My breath stops. Terror floods through me. What is he doing here? Why is the villain in my room in the middle of the night?
He steps inside and closes the door behind him with a soft click.
We need to talk, Elara Ashwood, he says quietly. About what you said this morning.
What I said? I didn't say anything to him. We barely spoke.
He moves closer to my bed, and I press myself against the headboard, my heart pounding so hard I can hear it.
When you bumped into me, he continues, his voice dangerous and soft, you whispered something under your breath. Something very interesting.
No. No, I didn't. Did I?
You said, 'The villain who kills me in two weeks.' His dark eyes lock onto mine. So tell me, Miss Ashwood how do you know I'm going to kill you? And how do you know exactly when?