Page 9

Her assigned guide, Mary, was a tall and elegant blonde with an air of nobility that suggested she'd never had to lift a finger in her entire life. It wasn't surprising though, Lunaris Academy catered to the rich and elite humans after all.

People like Violet were only "privileged" to be here — so she's been reminded every step of the way. Since the moment she entered the campus, opulence surrounded her from the outside down to the inside of the academy grounds, making her feel out of place.

Yet, for someone from such a background, Mary's humility took Violet by surprise. It wasn't great to stereotype, but the rich often fit the mold of being arrogant, entitled, and dismissive. Mary, however, was kind, with a calm, gentle demeanor that, oddly enough, put Violet at ease.

That was saying a lot, given how much Violet trusted no one, especially in this school, where her worst assumptions had already been confirmed. Mary was a refreshing change from the students Violet had encountered so far.

"I don't know what's going on between you and Principal Jameson," Mary began, her tone soft but cautionary, "but trust me, you do not want to make an enemy out of —"

"I'm not scared of Principal Jameson if that's what you're worried about," Violet interrupted, her tone growing serious. "Trust me, I come from a district where the games you play here would feel like child's play."

Mary stopped walking abruptly, forcing Violet to halt as well. Violet saw an ugly sneer twist across the girl's face for the first time, a darkness flickering in her eyes.

"Who said I was talking about the principal?"

She stepped closer, her tall frame nearly towering over Violet. While Violet wasn't short, Mary had almost a head on her.

"It's not Jameson you should be worried about. It's them..."

While Mary didn't elaborate on who "them" referred to, Violet didn't need her to.

There was clearly a powerful clique at the academy pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Back at her old school, it had been Jasmine and her gang.

Here at Lunaris, Violet could already tell Griffin Hale was one of "them," if not their leader.

She hadn't missed the trace of fear in Principal Jameson's eyes at the mere mention of his name.

But even that didn't faze Violet. Back in the ghetto, Jasmine and her lackeys nearly had no limits, and Violet had dealt with them just fine. What could a group of spoiled, entitled brats throw at her that she couldn't take?

Violet met Mary's gaze with unwavering confidence. "I. Can. Handle. Them," she enunciated slowly, making sure the message was clear.

For a moment, Mary stared at her in disbelief before breaking into a slow, mocking laugh. "Oh, they're going to enjoy breaking you."

Wait—what? Violet blinked, caught off guard. Suddenly, she wondered if her instincts about trusting Mary was right.

"I've seen girls like you over the years," Mary continued, her tone almost pitying. "That fire in your eyes? It always gets extinguished. There's a hierarchy here, Violet, and until you learn your place, that fire is going to get swallowed whole by the storm."

The air between them thickened with tense silence, the severity of Mary's words lingering ominously. Whatever excitement Violet had for the tour evaporated.

But instead of backing down, Violet lifted her chin defiantly. "Maybe they've broken others but they haven't met me."

Mary shook her head, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Thanks for the warning," Violet shot back, rolling her eyes. "Now, can we get this over with? It's getting boring."

Mary gave Violet an incredulous look. Despite all the warnings, nothing seemed to faze her. As a guide for this semester's new students, Mary had seen most of them lower their heads the moment they learned about the school's hierarchy, eager to stay out of sight and avoid trouble.

But Violet? She wasn't like the others. There was no hesitation, no fear in her eyes. Mary could already tell she was going to be trouble. Then again, the alphas would likely deal with her soon enough.

"Fine!" She huffed, momentarily thrown by Violet's unwavering confidence.

As they stepped out of the administrative floor and into the bustling hallway, it became clear that classes were over for the day. Students streamed out of classrooms, and the atmosphere buzzed with the end-of-day rush.

Violet could feel the weight of their stares, sharp and unsettling.

It wasn't the curious glance reserved for a new girl, something novel and intriguing to look at.

No, these looks were different, hungry, assessing.

They watched her like predators sizing up prey, scrutinizing every inch as if they were trying to determine whether she would disrupt the order they were so used to.

But Violet didn't shrink under their gaze. Instead, she glared back with the same fierce intensity, her defiance meeting their scrutiny head-on. One by one, their eyes dropped, having gotten the message.

"Here," Mary said, pressing a heavy satchel into Violet's arms. Violet instinctively grabbed it, her curiosity piqued. She had noticed Mary leave Jameson's office with the bag but hadn't asked about it until now.

"That's your welcome satchel. Go ahead, open it," Mary urged when she caught Violet's questioning look.

Violet unzipped the bag and saw a stack of textbooks, but something else caught her eye. There was a sealed package nestled inside. When Violet pulled it out and saw the branded logo, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"No way..." she whispered, holding up the sealed phone box, looking up at Mary with disbelief and anticipation.

Mary smiled knowingly. "We understand that some of our scholarship students come from... less privileged districts," she said, carefully choosing her words. "So, we provide free devices to help students learn here at Lunaris Academy."

Whatever Mary said after that felt distant as Violet eagerly unsealed the phone box. The moment she uncovered the sleek, touchscreen device inside, her breath hitched.

Violet stood frozen in the hallway, the new phone resting in her palm. Her instincts screamed at her to shout or jump for joy, but the elegance of the academy reminded her that would be a terrible idea. She might be the new girl, but she didn't need everyone to know she was a greenhorn.

Instead, she beamed silently, her smile stretching wide as she admired it. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought she'd hold something like this. Not to mention, Nancy would lose her mind over a touchscreen.

The thought of Nancy made guilt creep in. After all the resistance she'd put up to getting into Lunaris Academy, here she was, barely a day in, and already enjoying the perks.

"It comes with accessories, headphones, charger, user manual, in case you don't know how to—"

"I know how to use a phone," Violet cut her off sharply, feeling a bit insulted. Just because she'd never owned one didn't mean she was clueless.

"No offense," Mary said, lifting her hands in mock surrender. "I was just trying to help."

Violet ignored her, turning the phone on. The brand name, AVAX, appeared with a dramatic flourish on the screen, followed by "Welcome, Violet" flashing across the display. She frowned at that.

Mary explained, pride evident in her voice."Each phone is customized for the students. I told you, Lunaris Academy doesn't miss a single detail."

Violet had to admit, as much as she didn't want to, the attention to detail was impressive. If the kids back home knew the level of luxury this school offered, they'd do anything to be in her shoes.

Mary continued, "Your phone has everything, campus maps, your schedule, school matches, the syllabus, and, of course, your ranking for the term."

Violet frowned, trying to navigate the phone to find all the things Mary was talking about.

"Here, let me show you," Mary said, snatching the phone out of Violet's hands.

Before Violet could protest, Mary snapped a photo of her without warning, the flash catching her off guard, and making her wince.

Moments later, Mary was typing away, setting things up. Violet let her be. For once, she admitted to herself that she didn't know everything.

Violet knew she was stubborn to a fault but one couldn't blame her. She had been independent all through her life and didn't need anyone's help. Even without Mary's help, she would have figured it out sooner or later.

"All you need to do now is log into the Lunaris Academy app," Mary explained.

"The school offers free Wi-Fi, though most of us don't use it.

While it's encrypted, some of Lunaris' top students have impressive hacking skills, so be careful what information you store on the device. Secrets are valuable currency here."

In a place where money flowed like water, secrets became the real currency. Violet almost rolled her eyes, exasperated by how easy these students had it, how oblivious they were to their privilege.

She wondered if Mary had any idea that her district would kill for something as simple as free Wi-Fi, hacked or not.

Even in the old world, the government had never cared about the welfare of the people, and in this new world, it was even worse.

Her district was one of many left to suffer in the shadows, neglected and forgotten.

"Alright, here's your schedule!" Mary chirped as she handed the phone back to Violet. Violet's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when she saw the packed timetable.

7:00 AM: Breakfast

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM: Werewolf Anthropology she heard Mary whisper his name in awe, "Alpha Alaric," her cheeks flushing slightly.

Of course, another alpha. Violet couldn't decide whether to be impressed yet.

Though he didn't fit the typical image of an alpha, there was a quiet intensity about him that set him apart from the others. Instead of the usual brashness, there was an innocence in his demeanor that oddly drew her in.

With those striking sapphire eyes, he could have easily been the most handsome alpha she'd met today—if it weren't for the sudden scowl that darkened his face. Violet didn't just sense his anger; she knew it. But why? She'd never even seen him until now.

As if that wasn't enough, his gaze swept over her, up and down, as if sizing her up, sending an unexpected thrill through her.

But just as quickly as that flicker of excitement rose, it was crushed by his cold, dismissive attitude.

His expression made it clear: she wasn't worth his time.

Any illusion of interest on his part was shattered by his icy indifference.

"You're good to go." the healer finished up with him.

Done, Alaric brushed past Violet, and in that brief, fleeting contact, a spark jolted through her. It was like lightning, sharp, unexpected, and oddly thrilling. Violet froze, breath catching in her throat, but Alaric didn't even glance her way. If he felt the same strange jolt, he didn't show it.

"You. What can I do for you?" the healer asked, her brows furrowing as she studied Violet. "You're a new face, aren't you?"

Violet nodded.

"And already in the infirmary on your first day?" The healer shook her head, tutting. "The lord be with you."

"I know," Violet whispered, her voice barely audible. "I know."