Alina.
I'd always assumed surviving my first week at Umbra Noctis would be the hard part. Turns out, surviving the second day wasn't any easier.
I'd woken sore and stiff, bruises blooming along my ribs and knees, every muscle complaining about the previous morning's combat. The air in the dorm was thick with the smell of sweat and old stone. Kael had already disappeared, probably off to hunt something, or someone. Lucien was gone too, the only sign of his existence a perfectly made bed and the echo of contempt. Rowan sprawled across his mattress with one arm over his eyes, looking unbothered by the world. I envied that.
I dressed as quietly as possible, moving carefully so my bindings didn't squeeze the breath out of me more than usual. When I finally escaped the room, I counted that as my first victory of the day.
The halls were already busy, a current of bodies sweeping toward classrooms I hadn't even found on my map. I moved with the flow, hugging my books to my chest, trying not to make eye contact. It was almost comforting to be just another face in the crowd, invisible by necessity.
That lasted until someone stepped directly into my path.
He was taller than me, but not by much, with a tangle of dark curls and a tired look in his gray-blue eyes. He wore the standard uniform; jacket slung over one shoulder, shirt untucked, but it was the confidence in his slouch that made me freeze. He looked like he belonged here, which meant I didn't trust him for a second.
He eyed me up and down, eyebrows arching with casual interest. "You're the new Elowen," he said, not quite a question.
It took me a second to find my voice. "Adrian, yeah."
He tilted his head, studying me the way a cat studies a puzzle box. "You're not Adrian," he said so softly I almost didn't hear it. Then, louder: "But that's none of my business, right?"
I tensed, heart thudding, but he just offered a lazy half-smile and nodded at my stack of books. "You'll want to avoid the east stair after breakfast. That's where they like to haze first-years who look too lost."
"Thanks," I said, voice tight. Was this a threat? A warning? Some new brand of supernatural humor?
He shrugged, like he was used to being misunderstood. "You'll figure it out."
He moved past me with a ghost of a smirk, vanishing into the crowd. For a moment I stood there, replaying the conversation in my head. He knew. Or guessed. I wasn't sure which was worse.
Before I could panic, the bell sounded; more of a low, echoing chime that vibrated in my bones than a real bell. The halls emptied in a hurry, and I hurried with them.
Classes at Umbra Noctis were nothing like the stories. There was no gentle welcome, no magical talking animal to ease me in. Instead, there was a stern professor reciting bloodlines and laws, a fae girl who tossed paper balls at my head, and a vampire boy who kept muttering about "fresh meat." The lectures were complicated, but the real challenge was just staying invisible.
At lunch, I tried to find a quiet corner in the vast, echoing dining hall. The place was ridiculous; endless tables, chandeliers made of twisted bone and glass, food that looked almost too perfect. I took the blandest thing I could find, sat down, and tried to blend into the scenery.
It didn't work.
A girl appeared across from me, clutching a tray and looking like she wanted to vanish. She was small, mousy, with hair that hung in front of her eyes and a nervous fidget to her hands. She hesitated, glanced at the empty seat, and mumbled, "Is this spot taken?"
I shook my head. "Go ahead."
She slid into the seat, keeping her gaze fixed on her plate. For a few awkward moments, we ate in silence. Then she peeked up at me, almost hopeful.
"I'm Mira," she said quietly.
"Adrian," I said automatically, then regretted it. I hated lying, especially to people who looked like they'd never lied in their lives.
She nodded, staring at her hands. "You're new, right? I mean, obviously. I'm new too. Well, not as new as you, I guess. But it's my first year."
I nodded, biting back a smile. She was nervous in a way I recognized, a kind of gentle awkwardness that made her seem smaller than she was.
We ate in companionable silence for a bit. Then she leaned in, her voice barely a whisper. "Is it true you're from the Elowen estate? That place is famous."
I shrugged, hoping to sound unimpressed. "It's just a house. Lots of dust."
She giggled, like I'd told the best joke she'd ever heard. Her cheeks turned pink, and she hid behind her cup.
"You don't talk much, do you?" she asked.
I managed a crooked smile. "Not if I can help it."
She seemed to like that answer. For the first time since arriving, I felt a little less like a ghost.
After lunch, I wandered toward my next class, still feeling Mira's shy smile trailing after me like a little warm cloud. I almost missed the sound of footsteps behind me, quick and light.
"Adrian," someone called, just loud enough for me to hear.
It was the boy from earlier, the one who'd guessed my secret in a single look. He waited for me by the corner, hands shoved in his pockets.
"Walk with me," he said. It wasn't a request, but it wasn't quite an order either.
I hesitated, but curiosity got the better of me. "You have a name?"
He grinned, a flash of dry humor. "Elias Blackwell. Neutral court. They won't tell you what that means, so don't bother asking."
"Good to know," I said, trying to sound bored.
He laughed, just a breath. "Relax. I'm not here to ruin your life. Or out you."
I went cold. "I don't know what you mean."
He arched an eyebrow. "You're a terrible liar, Adrian-not-Adrian." He leaned in, dropping his voice. "You should loosen the binding a little, by the way. You'll pass out if you keep it that tight."
I tensed, ready to bolt, but he stepped back, hands raised. "Not my secret to tell. I don't care about the politics. I care about survival."
I let out a shaky breath. "Why are you helping me?"
He shrugged. "Because I can. And because you look like you could use a friend who doesn't want to drink your blood, break your bones, or steal your soul."
I couldn't argue with that.
Elias walked me to the next class, pointing out a few traps along the way; literal and social. "Don't sit in the first row. Professor Soren picks on anyone who looks eager. Avoid the window seat, Rowan likes to hex them for fun."
I looked at him sideways. "You seem to know a lot."
He smiled, sharp and tired. "I pay attention. Comes in handy. Especially when people expect you to be invisible."
That stung. It was too close to the truth.
The rest of the day passed in a haze of lessons and confusion. The classes were harder than anything I'd ever attempted. Magic theory, supernatural history, something called "Survival Tactics" that sounded more like a threat than a course. By the time the final bell sounded, I was exhausted, my brain spinning with rules I didn't understand.
After classes, I tried to find my locker; a feat that would have been easier if the corridors didn't move. I turned left where I swore there'd been a right that morning, found myself on a landing that didn't exist on my map, and finally stumbled into the locker hall just as the lanterns flickered on.
My locker was at the end, tucked beneath a narrow window where the light fell in dusty stripes. I pressed my thumb to the lock, waited for the mechanism to recognize me, and tried to ignore the low hum of voices all around. The corridor felt colder than the rest of the school, and I told myself it was just nerves.
I bent down to retrieve a book and noticed something etched into the metal. It was faint, almost invisible unless you caught the angle just right; a line scratched into the paint, the words jagged and rushed.
DON'T ASK ABOUT THE MISSING.
I stared at it, heart thumping. The rest of the world faded away for a second. It wasn't a prank. There was no sign of a signature, no wink or smiley face. Just that single, urgent warning.
I reached out, running my fingertip over the letters. The metal felt cold. My mouth was suddenly dry. I looked around, but nobody was paying me any attention. The students at the other end of the corridor laughed and shoved each other, blissfully unaware.
I closed my locker, hands shaking. The warning replayed in my mind. Don't ask about the missing.
On the way back to the dorm, I passed Mira in the hall. She waved shyly, hugging her books to her chest. I managed a smile, but it felt thin.
Rowan lounged outside the room, flipping a coin between his fingers. He glanced at me, eyes flickering to my hands, then to my face. "Rough day?"
I shrugged, hoping he'd let it go.
Kael wasn't there, and Lucien didn't look up from his book as I entered. I went straight to my bed, sat on the edge, and let out a long, shaky breath.
The voices from the hallway faded. The room was heavy with silence, broken only by the distant rumble of thunder and the quiet snap of Rowan's coin. I lay back, staring at the ceiling.
Elias Blackwell knew my secret. Mira wanted to be friends. Someone had left a warning on my locker door, and I didn't know if it was meant to keep me safe or make me afraid.
For the first time since arriving, I didn't feel invisible. I felt seen in all the wrong ways.
I closed my eyes and tried not to think about the missing.