The morning air was crisp as Celeste Vega stepped off the bus and stared up at the grand iron gates of St. Orion’s Academy. The towering stone walls, covered in ivy, seemed to mock her with their opulence. A scholarship student at a school for the elite. What could possibly go wrong?

Celeste adjusted the strap of her worn backpack and inhaled deeply. Blend in, stay unnoticed, and don’t let anyone figure out who you really are. That was the plan.

“Move it, newbie!”

The shout jolted her out of her thoughts as a sleek black car screeched to a halt in front of the gates. Out stepped a boy who looked like he belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine—dark hair perfectly tousled, sharp features, and an air of arrogance that made Celeste’s skin crawl.

“Adrian Blackwood,” a girl nearby whispered to her friend, giggling. “He’s so dreamy.”

Great. Just what I need. Another spoiled rich kid who thinks the world revolves around him. Celeste rolled her eyes and kept walking, pretending not to notice the stares directed her way.

Inside the main building, the hallways buzzed with energy. Students in designer uniforms clustered in groups, laughing and chatting. Celeste felt their gazes linger on her thrift-store blazer, her scuffed shoes.

“Hey, you’re in my way,” a voice drawled behind her.

Celeste turned to see Adrian again, leaning casually against a locker with an amused smirk.

“Excuse me?” she said, arching an eyebrow.

“You’re blocking my locker,” he said, pointing to the one behind her.

Celeste stepped aside, her cheeks burning. “Sorry, Your Highness.”

Adrian chuckled. “Feisty. I like that.”

Before she could retort, the warning bell rang. Grateful for the excuse, Celeste hurried off to find her homeroom.

The first few classes passed in a blur of introductions and syllabus handouts. Celeste kept her head down, avoiding unnecessary attention. But during lunch, she couldn’t avoid the inevitable.

“Hey, you’re the scholarship girl, right?”

Celeste looked up to see a girl with platinum blonde hair and a sharp smile standing over her. Behind her was a posse of equally intimidating girls.

“I’m Bianca. Welcome to St. Orion’s,” the girl said, her tone dripping with fake sweetness. “Just a little advice—stay in your lane, and you won’t have any problems.”

Celeste clenched her fists under the table. “Thanks for the warm welcome, Bianca. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Bianca’s smile faltered, but before she could respond, a shadow fell over their table.

“Bianca, don’t you have anything better to do?”

Adrian again.

Bianca’s face turned red. “Mind your own business, Adrian.”

Adrian smirked. “You’re making it my business.”

With a glare, Bianca and her posse stalked off, leaving Celeste bewildered.

“Don’t read too much into it,” Adrian said, sliding into the seat across from her. “I just hate bullies.”

Celeste narrowed her eyes. “And what do you call what you were doing this morning?”

Adrian laughed, a genuine sound that caught her off guard. “Fair point. Truce?” He held out his hand.

Reluctantly, Celeste shook it, feeling the spark of something she couldn’t quite place.

“Good. See you around, scholarship girl,” he said with a wink before walking away.

As Celeste watched him go, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Adrian Blackwood was going to be a problem.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, or at least as uneventful as it could be for Celeste. She had successfully avoided further confrontations with Bianca and her clique, but Adrian’s words lingered in her mind. Scholarship girl. The way he said it wasn’t cruel, but it still stung.

By the time the final bell rang, Celeste was ready to retreat to the quiet solitude of her dorm room. She made her way through the crowded halls, weaving past students making plans for the weekend. As she stepped outside, the sun was already dipping below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the sprawling campus.

The dormitory was a modest building tucked at the far end of the school grounds, a stark contrast to the lavish student villas reserved for the wealthier families. Celeste didn’t mind. It was quiet, and that was all she needed.

She pushed open the door to her room and dropped her bag onto the bed. The room was small but cozy, with a desk, a wardrobe, and a single window overlooking the forest behind the academy. Celeste sat down and pulled out a leather-bound journal from her bag.

The journal was old, the edges worn from years of use. It had belonged to her mother, a woman Celeste barely remembered but whose legacy had shaped her entire life. She flipped through the pages, scanning the intricate sketches and notes written in her mother’s elegant handwriting.

One sketch caught her attention—a symbol she had seen countless times before. It was a crown encircled by flames, the emblem of her family’s forgotten dynasty.

The Crown of Aetheris, her mother had called it. The source of their family’s magic, hidden away for centuries to protect it from those who would abuse its power. Celeste didn’t know where it was or how to find it, but she knew one thing: someone at St. Orion’s was looking for it, and she had to stop them.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Celeste quickly closed the journal and shoved it under her pillow.

“Come in,” she called, trying to sound casual.

The door creaked open, and a girl with curly auburn hair peeked inside. “Hey, you must be Celeste. I’m Nora, your dorm mate.”

Celeste smiled, relieved to see a friendly face. “Hi, nice to meet you.”

Nora stepped inside, carrying a stack of books. “I hope you don’t mind, but I claimed the bottom bunk. I’m not great with heights.”

“Works for me,” Celeste said, gesturing to the top bunk.

As Nora set her books down, she glanced at Celeste. “So, how’s your first day been? Survive the gauntlet of rich kids?”

“Barely,” Celeste admitted with a laugh.

Nora grinned. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. Just watch out for Bianca. She’s got a vendetta against anyone who doesn’t worship the ground she walks on.”

“Noted,” Celeste said.

They chatted for a while, and Celeste found herself relaxing for the first time all day. Nora was easy to talk to, with a sharp wit and an encyclopedic knowledge of the school’s drama.

But as the night wore on and Nora drifted off to sleep, Celeste couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. She reached under her pillow and pulled out the journal again, her fingers tracing the crown symbol.

The Crown of Aetheris was out there, and if the wrong person found it, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Celeste closed the journal and stared out the window at the forest beyond. Somewhere in the shadows, secrets were waiting to be uncovered.

And she was determined to find them.

The following morning, Celeste awoke to the sound of her alarm and Nora groaning from the bunk below.

“Why does school have to start so early?” Nora muttered, burying her face in her pillow.

Celeste chuckled as she climbed down. “I guess they want us to suffer.”

After a quick shower and a bite of toast from the dorm kitchen, Celeste headed out, her thoughts already racing. Today was her chance to start piecing together the puzzle of the Crown of Aetheris.

Her first lead? The Academy’s library.

St. Orion’s library was more like a cathedral than a study space. High vaulted ceilings and stained-glass windows cast colorful patterns on the rows of ancient bookshelves. Celeste wandered through the aisles, her fingers brushing against leather-bound tomes, until she found the section on magical history.

She pulled out a book titled Legends of the Forgotten Kingdoms and settled into a corner table. As she flipped through the pages, her pulse quickened.

There it was—the same crown symbol from her mother’s journal. The accompanying text read:

"The Crown of Aetheris, forged in the fires of the Astral Forge, is said to grant its bearer unparalleled power. Hidden for centuries, its location remains a mystery, though whispers suggest it lies within the Forest of Umbra."

Celeste frowned. The Forest of Umbra was the dense woodland behind the academy. Could it really be that close?

“Interesting choice of reading material.”

Celeste jumped, nearly knocking the book off the table. Adrian Blackwood stood behind her, his signature smirk firmly in place.

“What do you want?” she snapped, slamming the book shut.

Adrian raised an eyebrow. “Relax, scholarship girl. Just curious about your sudden interest in fairy tales.”

“It’s for a class project,” she lied, slipping the book into her bag.

“Uh-huh,” he said, clearly unconvinced. “Well, don’t let me stop you. Have fun chasing your imaginary crown.”

As he walked away, Celeste let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Adrian was too observant for his own good.

But there was no time to worry about him now. If the Crown of Aetheris was in the Forest of Umbra, she had to act fast.

That evening, Celeste found herself standing at the edge of the forest, the trees looming like silent sentinels. She clutched a flashlight in one hand and her mother’s journal in the other.

“This is crazy,” she muttered to herself. “But what choice do I have?”

Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the shadows.

The forest was eerily quiet, the only sounds the crunch of leaves underfoot and the occasional hoot of an owl. Celeste followed the map she had sketched from her mother’s notes, her flashlight beam cutting through the darkness.

After what felt like hours, she reached a clearing. At the center stood an ancient stone pedestal, covered in moss and engraved with the same crown symbol.

Celeste’s heart raced as she approached. This had to be it.

But before she could investigate further, a voice cut through the silence.

“Well, well. Looks like I’m not the only one who knows about this place.”

Celeste whirled around to see Adrian stepping into the clearing, his hands in his pockets and a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, clutching the journal to her chest.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he said, his gaze flicking to the pedestal. “But I think I already know.”

“How—”

Adrian smirked. “You’re not the only one with secrets, Celeste.”

Before she could respond, the ground beneath them trembled. The pedestal began to glow, symbols lighting up one by one.

Adrian’s smirk faded. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t—” Celeste started, but her words were drowned out as a burst of light engulfed the clearing.

When the light faded, they were no longer alone.