chapter 2: shadows and whispers

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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