The morning sun shimmered across the grand marble pillars of Elysian Academy, casting long golden shadows over the cobbled courtyards. Birds chirped somewhere high above, but Lila barely noticed. Her hands trembled as she clutched her worn leather satchel, and the weight of her books pressed down on her like the expectations of the entire world. Today wasn't just her first day—it was history in the making. She was the academy's first-ever female student on a full scholarship, and every gaze felt like fire on her skin.
She stepped through the towering gates, heart hammering, mind racing. Around her, students laughed in clusters, their polished shoes clicking against the floor. Tailored uniforms, glittering pins, perfect hair, expensive scents—everything screamed wealth and status. And here she was, in a simple dress, worn at the edges, trying to make herself invisible.
"Is… that a girl?" a student whispered loudly, nudging another. Their eyes were sharp, curious, judgmental.
Lila froze. Her face burned. She had prepared herself for stares, but this—this was like being under a microscope. She shrank against the wall, hoping to disappear.
Then came a shadow, tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair that caught the sunlight in sharp angles. Arian, the golden boy of Elysian Academy, leaned lazily against the marble railing, arms crossed, smirk curling at his lips. His eyes, cold but calculating, swept over her as if measuring her worth.
"Seriously? They let her in?" he said, loud enough for a few students to chuckle. His voice had that infuriating combination of amusement and authority.
Lila's stomach twisted. She wanted to vanish. She shuffled forward, clutching her satchel tighter, but her books—oh, her books!—slipped from her arms in a dramatic clatter.
"Oops… I'm so sorry!" she muttered, kneeling to gather them. Her face was a blazing red, matching the deep scarlet ribbon she always wore in memory of a long-forgotten childhood accident—a trauma of darkness and fear she never spoke of.
A student snickered. Another whispered, "She's so clumsy!"
Arian's smirk sharpened. Instead of laughing, though, he raised a single eyebrow. His eyes lingered on her as she struggled to straighten the books, fumbling hopelessly. Fragility and determination in the same breath. Interesting.
Then came the first test of courage—or misfortune. Someone shoved a bright red card into her hand: a late arrival mark. The color stabbed at her vision like a dagger. Memories of her childhood fear, a room too dark, a door locked, a scream that went unheard—flashed. Lila recoiled instinctively, tripping over her own feet, sending a book flying straight toward Arian.
He caught it mid-air. Their fingers brushed.
Something electric passed between them—a spark neither expected. Lila's heart skipped, her face burning hotter than ever. She scrambled to apologize, words failing.
Then chaos struck.
A large, rough-handed boy barged past, shoving her aside. Lila froze, frozen by shock and instinctual fear. She couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't defend herself.
Without hesitation, Arian stepped in. His posture was sharp, authoritative, and protective.
"Back off," he commanded, his voice low but cutting. The intruder hesitated, eyes narrowing, before retreating with a muttered insult.
Lila sank onto the nearest bench, trembling. Her breath came in short, uneven gasps. "Th-thank you…" she whispered, barely audible.
Arian didn't answer, only tilted his head, eyes lingering on her longer than necessary. Something in the air changed—a subtle acknowledgment that she was not just a fragile girl to be ignored.
The Corridor of Shadows
Determined to reach her classroom, Lila scuttled down a narrow corridor. The sun didn't reach here; shadows stretched across the floor and walls. Every step echoed, reminding her of the time she had been trapped in a dark room as a child, her small hands shaking as she called for help no one came to give.
And then, without warning, her foot caught on a loose tile. She stumbled—right into Arian again, who had apparently followed to make sure she arrived safely.
"Careful," he said, steadying her with one hand on her elbow. His grip was firm, reassuring, yet the warmth of it sent a flutter through her chest.
"I-I'm fine!" she stammered, flustered beyond reason. She tried to pull away, but her books tumbled once more. This time, Arian caught both her books and her in a gentle hold.
Her face was redder than the card that haunted her memory. She wanted to crawl into a hole.
And to make matters worse… the red card slipped from her hand and fluttered to the ground like a warning. She froze, her past and present colliding painfully.
The First Spark
By the time she finally reached her classroom, she had sweat on her brow, her hair slightly mussed, and her dignity in pieces. She slid into a back corner, clutching her books like a shield. Around her, students whispered, glanced, and some even laughed quietly.
Arian, leaning casually against the doorway, watched her silently. The smirk was gone now; in its place, something unreadable, intrigued. He had never expected the shy, fragile girl to survive the first corridor encounter intact—and with some dignity, too.
Somewhere deep inside, Lila felt it—the flutter of something new, thrilling, and utterly confusing. Something dangerous.
Something she couldn't ignore.