SERA
"They call me the Treader," the woman said smoothly, "but you may call me Headmistress Valora Grey."
She didn't even glance at him. Her attention stayed on me. "I'm here for the girl."
Carver sputtered. "This is highly inappropriate—"
"Mr. Carver," Valora said mildly. The air suddenly became colder.
"You have a daughter," Valora continued. "Emily. Sweet girl. Bright. Struggling in AP Chemistry."
Carver froze.
She smiled faintly. "College applications are quite delicate. It would be unfortunate if clerical error affected them."
"Or," Valora said, producing a thin folder from nowhere, "you can sign this transfer and get this troublesome situation off you."
He signed without even reading it, his hands trembling.
"Excellent." Valora turned back to me. "Come, Sera. We have much to discuss."
"Absolutely not. I'm not going anywhere with you." My voice came out sharper than my shaking hands deserved. "I don't even know you."
"But I know you." She glanced toward the window. "Sera Night. Born September thirteenth. Raised human. Mother: Elena Night. Father: Unknown.
My pulse kicked.
"Powers manifesting at eighteen," she added.
"I don't have powers," I said, too fast. "I'm just—"
"A girl who breaks things?" She turned, her voice less cold."Oh, child. You don't break things."Her eyes pinned me. "You nullify Magic itself."
"That's insane," I whispered. "Magic isn't real. This isn't a Marvel movie. I am just a little clumsy, that's all."
The bulbs above exploded suddenly and glass rained like glittering knives.
Carver screamed and dove under his desk. I covered my head, bracing for pain that never came.
And when I opened my eyes, every shard of glass hung frozen in the air. Valora stood bored, untouched, her hand raised.
"Magic," she said calmly, "is very real. And you, Sera Night, are drowning in it."
She lowered her hand and the glass dissolved into silver dust before hitting the floor.
My heart slammed against my ribs at all of this happening.
"I'm offering you a choice," she said, stepping closer. "Stay here. Pretend nothing is happening. Keep hurting people even without meaning to. Watch as your power grows until it owns you. "Eventually, you will kill someone if you haven't already."
"Or," she continued, "come with me. Learn Control . Learn what you are needed for. Learn that being a Null-Born is not a curse."
"Needed for what?" I whispered.
But before she could answer, a scream ripped through the air.
From outside.
I ran to the window and there Brad Morrison was, standing up from the stretcher.
His eyes were solid black with no pupils. His mouth opened too wide than I ever thought possible.
The scream came out again. Students and teachers that once surrounded him started running away from him, some tripping as a result.
"What's wrong with him?" My voice cracked.
"Nothing," Valora said sharply. "Something is in him."
She stepped beside me. "A Shade," she added. "Low-level demon. It possesses the recently dead—or those brought back. When you stopped his heart, you opened a door."
Brad's eyes lifted, almost instinctively, his dark stare hitting the window where I stood.
"They're already here," Valora said quietly. "The ones who hunt Null-Borns. They felt your awakening."
"Why?" I breathed. "Why would anyone want—"
"Because you can nullify any power," she replied. "Break any bond. Undo any spell."
Her gaze hardened."You could topple kingdoms. End bloodlines. Destroy gods."
Then in a low voice, so low I almost missed it.
"Or save them."
Brad-thing started running toward the school. Faster than what's considered normal.
"Decide," Valora said. "Now."
I thought of my mom. How am I so sure I wouldn't accidentally hurt her too? I did this to Brad, turned him into something this unrecognisable.
"If I go with you," I said, "can you teach me to stop hurting people? And can you protect her?"
Valora studied me for a long moment. "Yes," she said finally. "For as long as I can.
"Good enough," I said.
Brad-thing hit the hallway doors. He was already too close.
Valora smiled. "Hold on."
I felt the rough texture of her palm, and the world lurched. Colors smeared into a gray blur. There was nothing but a ringing in my ears that drowned out everything including my own thoughts. And when I finally blinked, my vision was a broken mess of light, and my legs felt like they'd been replaced by water.
We weren't in the principal's office anymore. We were standing in a massive circular chamber made entirely of black stone. Torches burned with bluish white flames. Far above us I could see stars but I was sure we were underground because I could feel the weight of the earth pressing
"Welcome," Valora said, releasing my wrist, "to the Nexus."
Seven hallways branched out from the center, all of them lit up with these glowing symbols.
The place was packed. I saw a girl with legit fire for hair laughing with some guy whose skin rippled like water, and not far from to them, a boy with dark coloured wings was having a full-on argument with a living shadow.
It was a lot to take in all at once. Everything felt so surreal, like I'd just stepped into one of those glitchy, high-budget fever dreams.
"This is crazy," I breathed. "How is this even possible?"
"This is home." Valore replied. "Your new home. And I hope you will thrive in it."
I caught my reflection in one of the enchanted windows. Violet and silver stared back—the eyes that had followed me through eighteen years and seventeen moves. Mom always said they were a gift. The kids at every school I'd attended said they were creepy.
I'd learnt not to make eye contact. I have also learnt that "pretty" and "weird" could mean the same thing.
At least here, surrounded by supernatural beings, maybe I'd finally be normal.
A girl bounced toward us — straight up bounced, her feet barely touching the floor. She has dark hair and stormy blue eyes.
"Fresh blood!" she grinned. "Please don't tell me you're another boring elemental. We already have twelve fire kids."
"Lyra," Valora sighed. "This is Sera Night. She'll be your roommate and guide."
Lyra grabbed my hand.
"Holy hell, you're cold," she said. "What are you?"
I tried to yank myself back, panicking, but she just held on.
"It's okay," she murmured softly. "I can feel it. Your power… wants to pull mine apart." She froze, her grin fading.
"You're a Null-Born," she whispered.
The whole space just dropped into total silence. It was dead obvious they'd been watching me the whole time, hyper-aware of the 'new kid.' Every single eye turned my way. Some stares felt predatory, while others were just wide-eyed and curious.
Then a boy stepped forward from the shadows of one of the hallways. He was tall—really tall, maybe six-three—with dark hair that fell into his eyes and a face that would've been beautiful if it wasn't so carefully blank. He wore all black, and there was something predatory and dangerous in the way he moved.
But it was his eyes that stopped me cold.
Gold. Bright, burning gold. One look from him seemed as if it could pull you closer… or ruin you, and he wouldn't lose sleep over either.
"A Null-Born," he said quietly. "Here?"
"Caelan," Valora warned. "Not now."
"Does the Council know?" He didn't even glance my way. He kept his eyes glued to her, like I wasn't even worth the effort of looking at. "Do they know you brought a ticking bomb into this place?"
"I'm not a ticking bomb," I snapped.
One corner of his mouth hitched up, but I wasn't stupid enough to think he was smiling.
"You have no idea what you are."
"And you do?" I shot back.
"I know you shouldn't exist. I know you're dangerous. I know—"
His eyes flickered red for just a second. He went stiff, like he was fighting himself, before jerking his gaze away. When he finally looked back, the gold was back, but his jaw was clenched so hard it looked painful.
"I know," he continued, his voice barely a whisper, "that you're going to get people killed."
Then he just turned and headed back into the shadows.
"Don't mind Caelan Ashenthorn," Lyra said, trying to sound cheerful and failing. "He's a prick to everyone."
"What's his deal, anyway?" I asked.
Lyra grimaced. "He's an Eclipsed. Half Celestial. Half infernal. Basically, he's one of the heavy hitters around here."
I just stared. "Well, that explains the attitude."
"It's...complicated." She added.
"Complicated like he's just a jerk," I muttered, "or complicated like I'm gonna wake up with a knife in my chest
"Yes, to both." Lyra replied, too brightly.
Fantastic.
She grabbed my hand and started hauling me forward. "Come on. You look like you're about to pass out."
"Settle well, Sera. I will see you later." Valore or Treader said. "And don't worry about the school. They won't remember anything that happened."
I shot her a look, surprised and she just gave a little smirk in return.
Lyra hooked her arm through mine like we'd been best friends since forever. "Ignore the staring," she whispered. "Half the people at this academy look like they stepped out of a museum. You'll fit right in."
As we walked, I couldn't help but look back.Valora was still watching me. Her face was a total blank, but there was a heaviness to it, as if she already knew how this was all going to end.
As we walked away, Lyra chattering off beside me,I could still feel those gold eyes burning into my skin.
I had this sinking feeling that my life had just blown up—
and I was standing right in the middle of the crater.