The air smelled like secrets.

As the taxi slowed to a halt in front of the towering gates of Crimson Academy, Alina Carter felt her stomach twist into knots. The campus was unlike anything she had ever seen—ancient, ivy-covered buildings cloaked in mist, with lanterns flickering even though it was barely noon. It looked more like a castle from a gothic novel than a university.

"You're sure this is the place?" she asked the driver, her voice unsure.

The man gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Trust me, you’ll never forget it.”

Weird response. But then again, everything about her admission had been weird—from the mysterious scholarship to the sealed acceptance letter delivered by a man in a long black coat. Her mom had been too thrilled about the ‘free ride’ to question it. But Alina couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being pulled into something she didn’t understand.

And she was right.

The iron gates creaked open, groaning like they hadn’t moved in decades. Alina stepped out of the cab with her single suitcase, sneakers crunching against the gravel path as she moved forward. She glanced back once, but the taxi was already gone, swallowed by the fog that seemed to cling to the road like it had a mind of its own.

Weird.

She wasn’t even past the gates before someone nearly ran into her.

“Watch it!” a girl with bubblegum pink hair snapped, brushing past her in a swirl of expensive perfume. Behind her, a boy with silver piercings and an amused smirk raised a brow at Alina.

“New blood,” he said, eyes gleaming unnaturally in the dim light. “Fun.”

Alina shivered.

This wasn’t just another school. The place had a pulse of its own. She felt it thrum under her feet—dark, ancient, alive.

The main building of Crimson Academy towered like a cathedral. Gothic spires pierced the sky, and stained-glass windows flickered with candlelight even in the daylight.

Inside, the walls were lined with moving portraits that whispered when they thought no one was listening.

A bored-looking receptionist handed Alina a brass key with the number 317 etched into it.

“You’re in the east tower,” the woman said. “Third floor. Curfew is at midnight sharp. Break it, and... well, don’t.”

“Don’t what?” Alina asked.

The woman looked up, her eyes a little too glassy. “Just don’t.”

Room 317 was tucked into a narrow hallway with crooked paintings and flickering sconces. When Alina pushed the door open, the scent of old roses and something metallic hit her.

The room was oddly... regal. Dark wood furniture, velvet curtains, and a massive four-poster bed that looked like it belonged in a vampire movie. She laughed nervously. Fitting.

But something was off.

Her mirror was cracked—just slightly. And carved into the wooden bedframe were strange symbols she didn’t recognize. She traced one with her finger and felt a shiver run through her bones.

Before she could unpack, a loud bell rang through the academy.

Orientation

The Great Hall was packed. Students filled long candle-lit tables, most of them pale, stunningly beautiful, and eerily quiet. A few looked...normal. Like her. But not many.

The headmaster, a tall man in crimson robes, stood at the front.

“Welcome to Crimson Academy. Here, we do not tolerate weakness,” he said. “You are not just here to learn. You are here to survive.”

Alina blinked. Survive?

He continued listing the courses students were required to take:

Bloodlines & Ancestry Studies

Nocturnal Physiology

Defense Against Light Magic

Modern Vampire Politics

Occult Literature

Blood Ethics & Control

She leaned toward a girl next to her. “Is this a prank?”

The girl gave her a look. “You’re human, aren’t you?”

Before Alina could respond, the room fell into silence.

Someone had entered.

A tall boy with jet-black hair, dressed in all black, strolled in like he owned the world. His eyes—an unnatural shade of crimson—swept the room, and when they landed on Alina, he stopped walking.

He stared.

So did everyone else.

Whispers spread like wildfire.

“Lucian Blackthorne…”

“He never comes to orientation.”

“Why’s he looking at her?”

Alina’s throat went dry. The boy with the red eyes smiled—but there was no warmth in it. Only hunger.

He tilted his head like he was trying to figure her out.

And then he vanished into the shadows like he’d never been there.

The next morning, Alina couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched. It started the moment she stepped out of her dorm room—eyes following her, quiet whispers in hallways that seemed to get louder the closer she walked. But when she turned around, no one was there.

Crimson Academy was beautiful in an unsettling way. The old buildings, with their gothic architecture and ancient stone walls, seemed to breathe with life, their windows always half-closed, as if hiding something. Students walked the halls with an air of cool indifference, many of them moving in small, tight-knit groups. She felt like an outsider, out of place in her worn jeans and T-shirt.

She made her way to her first class: Bloodlines & Ancestry Studies. The room was dark, lit only by candlelight that flickered in the air, creating long shadows on the stone walls. At the front of the class was a large blackboard, covered in symbols she didn’t recognize.

“Take a seat, human.” The voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked up to see a pale boy with silver hair smirking at her. He was one of the ones who had whispered about her yesterday, and his smile held an edge of mockery.

“Thanks,” she muttered, finding an empty seat at the back of the room.

The teacher, a tall woman with dark eyes and a strict demeanor, stepped to the front. She didn’t speak right away but instead locked eyes with Alina, her gaze colder than any stare she’d ever felt.

“We are here to learn about the blood that runs through your veins,” the teacher began, voice sharp and full of authority. “For the next few weeks, you will study the differences between the various bloodlines that walk among us. The vampires. The hybrids. The... anomalies.”

Alina shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling the weight of every word. She wasn’t sure how to respond. This was all too strange.

Later that day, she found herself wandering the halls of Crimson Academy, trying to get used to the strange vibe of the place. The students seemed so... alien. Their beauty was unnerving, their eyes glinting with something otherworldly. And then, she heard it again: footsteps behind her.

She stopped, spinning around quickly, her heart racing.

No one.

But she couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

“Are you lost, Carter?” The voice was low, smooth, and filled with an unmistakable arrogance. Lucian Blackthorne stood in front of her, his crimson eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that took her breath away.

“Lucian,” she muttered, unsure of what to say. “I—I’m not lost.”

He raised an eyebrow, taking a step closer. “Then why are you so jumpy?”

“I... I’m fine,” she stammered, but the words felt like they were slipping out of her mouth too quickly. Lucian’s presence made everything feel distorted, like reality was slipping away.

Lucian smirked, leaning in just enough that she could feel the heat radiating off him. “I know you’re new here, but you should know something.”

Alina swallowed, stepping back a little. “What?”

His smile widened, but there was something dangerous in it. “Crimson Academy doesn’t take kindly to those who don’t belong. Be careful.”

Before she could respond, Lucian was already walking away, his footsteps echoing through the hall. The chill in the air seemed to grow colder, and she couldn’t help but wonder what he meant by “those who don’t belong.”

The next day, Alina found herself in the cafeteria, sitting alone with her tray of food. The atmosphere was quiet but tense, and the students around her were lost in hushed conversations. That was when she saw her—Selene Nightshade. The girl was beautiful, unnaturally so, with long, dark hair and pale skin that seemed to shimmer under the fluorescent lights. And her eyes—those icy blue eyes—were locked on Alina with a fierce, possessive intensity.

Without a word, Selene walked over to her table, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.

“You’re the human, right?” Selene’s voice was as cold as the look in her eyes.

Alina blinked. “Uh, yeah.”

Selene smiled, but it was a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You should stay away from him. Lucian doesn’t like to share.”

Alina raised an eyebrow, feeling a spark of defiance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Selene leaned in close, her lips brushing Alina’s ear. “You will. And when you do, you’ll wish you never set foot in this place.”

With that, she turned and left, her dark presence lingering in the air.

The Night

That evening, as Alina walked back to her dorm, the chill of the night air wrapped around her like a shroud. The academy was eerily silent, the only sounds the rustling of leaves in the wind and the distant howls of some unseen creature.

As she passed by one of the older buildings, she thought she heard something—a soft, whispering voice calling her name.

“Alina...”

She froze. The voice was unmistakable, but there was no one around. No one but the shadows.

Her heart raced, and for a moment, she thought she saw something move out of the corner of her eye—a figure standing in the darkness. But when she turned to look, it was gone.

Swallowing hard, she quickened her pace, heading back to her room. Her hand shook as she unlocked the door, stepping inside and bolting it behind her.

As she stood in the silence of her room, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching her. Waiting.

And she didn’t know if she was ready to find out what it was.

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Alina had spent the last few days trying to adjust to the strange atmosphere of Crimson Academy. Classes were... unusual, to say the least. She found herself caught in a web of vampire history, occult rituals, and lessons on blood magic she could barely wrap her mind around. It was all so overwhelming, and yet, strangely captivating.

Still, she hadn’t exactly made any friends. Most students kept to themselves, and she felt like an outsider among the sea of pale faces and whispering groups. But today, something felt different. She wasn’t sure what had changed, but the air around her seemed to hum with a newfound enemy.

It was during lunch when it happened. Alina had just sat down at one of the long tables in the cafeteria, feeling the weight of another day spent in silence. The usual cliques surrounded her—vampires chatting with one another, their eyes glinting in the dim light. She almost felt invisible.

Then, a voice broke through her thoughts.

“You look like you could use some company.”

Alina looked up to find a girl standing beside her, her brown hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, and a bright smile lighting up her face. She was dressed in the academy’s standard uniform—dark slacks and a blazer—but she wore it with an easy, laid-back confidence.

“I’m Maya,” the girl said, sitting down across from Alina. “You look new. Are you... lost?”

Alina blinked. “I’m Alina. I guess I’m still getting used to all this.” She gestured around the cafeteria. “It’s... strange.”

Maya chuckled. “I get it. Most of us here are a little strange, though.” She lowered her voice. “I’m guessing you’re human, huh?”

Alina nodded, surprised that Maya wasn’t judgmental. “Yeah. I don’t really... belong here, I guess.”

Maya’s smile softened. “Don’t worry. It’s not about belonging. It’s about surviving. And trust me, I’ve got your back. You’re going to need it.”

Alina felt a weight lift from her shoulders. For the first time since she’d arrived, she didn’t feel so alone.

As they chatted, another figure approached—the guy from her first day of classes. The one with the silver hair and the piercing blue eyes.

Maya didn’t even flinch. “This is Theo,” she said nonchalantly. “He’s... a little weird, but you’ll get used to it.”

Theo smiled, a lazy grin that showed off his sharp canines. “Weird? I prefer ‘unique,’” he said, sliding into the seat beside Maya. “I’m Theo. Nice to meet you, Alina.”

Alina couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated by him. There was something about the way he looked at her, like he was trying to figure her out, but she wasn’t sure if it was curiosity or something darker.

“You don’t look like a vampire,” Theo said, tilting his head with interest. “But then again, looks can be deceiving.”

“I’m human,” Alina replied, a little defensively. “Is that... a problem?”

Maya shot Theo a warning glance. “He’s not trying to be rude, Alina. He’s just... well, Theo.”

Alina let out a nervous laugh, trying to ease the tension. “It’s fine. I’m just not used to... all of this.”

“Trust me, neither am I,” Maya said, leaning in. “This place is like a labyrinth—full of secrets, weird rules, and creepy stuff. You’ll learn to navigate it.”

Theo grinned again, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “And when you do, you’ll be ready for the real fun.”

As the conversation shifted to lighter topics—classes, the best places to grab food in the academy, and which professors were the creepiest—Alina felt a little more at ease. She had two new friends, and though she didn’t fully trust them yet, they made her feel less like an outsider.

But as the conversation wrapped up and the bell signaling the end of lunch rang, Theo leaned closer to Alina, his smile fading into something more serious.

“There’s something you should know,” he said quietly, his voice low. “Lucian isn’t just dangerous because he’s a vampire. He’s... something else. And you shouldn’t get too close to him.”

Alina frowned. “What do you mean?”

Maya’s gaze darkened. “It’s not just the vampires here. Lucian’s different. He’s... something far more dangerous. And I don’t think he’s just interested in you because you’re human. It’s something more.”

Alina felt her stomach twist. “What are you talking about?”

Theo looked around, ensuring no one was listening. “Just be careful. People here—especially him—don’t do things for nothing. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up tangled in something you don’t understand.”

Alina’s mind raced as she looked between Maya and Theo. Was Lucian’s obsession with her just about being human? Or was there something darker, something she hadn’t yet seen?

As the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, Alina couldn’t shake the feeling that her life at Crimson Academy was about to get a lot more complicated.