POV: Aria
"So that's why everyone's staring at you like you're about to explode," Ivy finishes, barely pausing for breath. "Eclipse bloodline equals legendary power equals everyone either wants you dead or wants to control you. Fun times!"
I drop my suitcase on the floor of our tiny shared room. "That's not helpful."
"I know! But at least you're aware of the situation." Ivy flops onto her bed, which is covered in stuffed animals and tech gadgets. "My bed's the messy one, obviously. Yours is the empty one. We share a bathroom with the room next door, but those girls are never here, so basically it's all ours."
I look at my bed. Plain white sheets. No personality. Just like me.
"The five Houses," I say slowly, trying to process everything Ivy's been explaining for the past twenty minutes. "Sovereign is royalty and rulers. Shadow is assassins and spies. Celestial is healers and prophets. Infernal is warriors. And Forgotten is—"
"Outcasts, misfits, people who don't fit the traditional bloodlines," Ivy supplies cheerfully. "Also known as the reject House. No offense—I'm Forgotten too. My magic is weird telekinesis that only works on electronics. Totally useless in the traditional sense, so here I am!"
I sit on my bed. The mattress is harder than the one in my attic room. "And I'm here because..."
"Because you lit up like a Christmas tree in all five colors, which means you shouldn't exist, and Headmistress Voss is probably trying to keep you alive by not forcing you to pick a side." Ivy rolls onto her stomach. "Smart move, honestly. The moment you join a specific House, the others become your enemies. This way, you're neutral."
"I don't feel neutral," I mutter. "I feel like prey."
"Oh, you definitely are. But hey, at least you're interesting prey!"
I want to argue, but she's not wrong. I open my suitcase and start unpacking. Three shirts. Two pairs of jeans. My mother's necklace, which I immediately put on. A photo of my mom that I keep hidden because Regina would destroy it if she found it.
Ivy watches me unpack with growing horror. "That's it? That's everything you own?"
"I travel light."
"You travel like a refugee." She jumps up. "Okay, new mission. Tomorrow we're going shopping in the academy market. You need stuff. Lots of stuff."
"I don't have money for stuff."
"Scholarship students get a monthly allowance. Didn't anyone tell you?" Ivy shakes her head. "This school is terrible at communication. Come on, dinner starts in twenty minutes. You need to eat, and I need to show you off."
"Show me off?"
"You're famous now! Embrace it!" She grabs my arm and pulls me toward the door.
I let her drag me because I don't know what else to do.
The dining hall is massive and already packed with students. Five long tables, one for each House, fill the space. Forgotten sits in the back corner—naturally.
Every head turns when I enter.
The whispers start immediately.
"That's her."
"The Eclipse girl."
"Did you see what she did to the sphere?"
"My dad says Eclipse bloodlines are cursed."
I keep my eyes down and follow Ivy to our table. I just want to eat and disappear.
Then I see Sebastian.
He's sitting at the Sovereign table, wearing expensive academy robes and smirking at me like he owns the place. Because of course Regina bought him a spot at House Sovereign. Of course he's here.
"Well, well," he calls out loud enough for everyone to hear. "If it isn't my dear stepsister. Trying not to break anything else today?"
Laughter ripples through the hall.
My hands clench under the table. Don't react. Don't give him the satisfaction.
"Ignore him," Ivy whispers. "He's just mad because you're more interesting than he'll ever be."
But Sebastian isn't done. "I heard House Forgotten takes anyone. Guess that includes charity cases who destroy school property."
More laughter. My face burns.
"Hey Sebastian," Ivy yells back. "I heard House Sovereign takes anyone with enough money. How much did your mommy pay?"
The laughter shifts. Now it's directed at him.
Sebastian's face goes red. He stands, and for a second, I think he's going to come over here.
Then someone else stands.
At the Sovereign table, a tall guy with dark hair and cold eyes—the same one who stared at me during the ceremony—rises smoothly. He doesn't say anything. Just looks at Sebastian.
Sebastian sits down immediately.
"That's Caspian Nightshade," Ivy whispers. "Basically the prince of this entire place. Why is he paying attention to you?"
I don't know. But I feel his gaze on me even after he sits back down.
Then I notice the others.
At the Shadow table, the charming guy with the dangerous smile is watching me while pretending to flirt with someone else. At Celestial, the one with glasses is staring openly, not even bothering to hide it. And in the corner, almost invisible, the huge guy with beast eyes hasn't looked away once.
Four of them. All watching.
My skin prickles with awareness. This is what prey feels like when predators circle.
"Okay, this is creepy," Ivy mutters. "Why are the four most powerful guys in school all staring at you like you're the most interesting thing they've ever seen?"
"I don't know," I whisper. "Make them stop."
"I can't make them do anything. They're basically untouchable." She leans closer. "But seriously, Aria. Those four don't pay attention to anyone. Ever. And now they're all focused on you."
I force myself to eat, even though I've lost my appetite. The food tastes like ash.
After dinner, I practically run back to the dormitory. Ivy follows, still chattering, but I barely hear her.
I just want this day to end.
Finally alone in my room with the lights off, I lie in bed and stare at the ceiling. My mother's necklace is cold against my skin.
"What did you do to me, Mom?" I whisper. "What am I?"
No answer. Just silence.
Then I hear them.
Voices in the hallway. Whispers.
"—saw her at dinner. Looks harmless."
"That's what makes her dangerous. Eclipse power doesn't look like anything until it destroys you."
"You think someone will try to eliminate her?"
"Probably. The question is who gets to her first."
My heart pounds. I hold my breath, listening.
"I heard the Syndicate has people here. If she's really Eclipse, they'll kill her."
"Not if Caspian claims her first. Sovereign House would never let an asset like that slip away."
"Unless she's already dead by morning."
Their footsteps fade.
I lie frozen in the dark, suddenly aware that my door doesn't have a lock. That I'm completely defenseless. That people are casually discussing my murder in the hallway.
I'm about to get up and push furniture against the door when my phone lights up.
A message from an unknown number:
Don't trust anyone. They're all watching you. Stay alert. -A Friend
I stare at the screen, my hands shaking.
Who sent this? How did they get my number?
Another message appears:
Check under your pillow.
My breath catches. Slowly, terrified of what I'll find, I reach under my pillow.
My fingers touch something small and metal.
I pull it out. It's a knife—small, deadly, with a black blade that seems to absorb light.
A third message:
Just in case. Sleep with one eye open.
I grip the knife, my heart racing.
Someone was in my room. While I was at dinner. They left me a weapon and a warning.
Are they trying to help me or threatening me?
Outside my window, I hear footsteps. Someone walking past. Stopping.
I hold perfectly still.
The footsteps move on.
I clutch the knife tighter and realize with terrifying clarity: I'm not safe here.
I'm not safe anywhere.
And whoever sent these messages knows something I don't.