Endora lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind racing. She felt lost, unsure of what to do next. Just then, she heard a knock at the door.
"It's me, Luci. Open up!" came the familiar voice.
Endora got up slowly, her movements sluggish, and opened the door. Luci rushed in, closing the door quickly behind her, and pulled Endora into a tight hug.
"Are you okay?" Luci asked, finally letting go and guiding Endora to sit on the bed.
"No, I'm not," Endora admitted, her voice heavy with frustration.
"I heard what happened. I came earlier to help you with your notes, but you weren't here. Then I heard rumors about someone being stuck in a tree. By the time I got there, the professor had already told everyone to leave, so I couldn't reach you," Luci explained.
"My life is over before it even started. I'm going to be punished tomorrow, and the worst part is that the person I was supposed to avoid at all costs was the one who 'saved' me," Endora said, her tone bitter.
"Yeah, I heard about that. But first, what were you even doing out there?" Luci asked.
Endora explained everything, the missing phone, the notes, and how she ended up in such a situation.
"Wow, you've already made enough enemies on your first day," Luci said, shaking her head.
"To top it all off, my life is just pathetic," Endora muttered.
"Don't say that. These things happen. It's not the end of the world," Luci said, trying to cheer her up.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Endora sighed.
"Do you have any idea who might've done this?" Luci asked.
"I don't know. It could be Elion or Zayden, but I'm leaning toward Elion. He hates me after the whole pepper spray incident. But come to think of it, I haven't seen him since then. The only person I've encountered is..." Endora trailed off, her eyes widening as she realized something.
"The phone must have fallen during the cafeteria incident, and Zayden picked it up," Endora said.
Luci nodded. "Then he staged the whole thing and played the hero. Smart move. I told you, no one knows what Zayden is capable of."
"Speaking of which, how do you know so much about this school after only a week here?" Endora asked.
"A week is more than enough to figure things out, and Ana filled me in on everything," Luci said.
"Speaking of Ana, where is she? I haven't seen her all day," Endora asked.
She's probably with her boyfriend," Luci replied.
"Isn't it late? I thought there was a rule that girls can't be in the boys' dorm after 8 p.m.," Endora said.
"Well, Ana doesn't really care about rules. That's the life of a year four student," Luci said, then immediately froze, realizing she'd said too much.
"Wait, you mean year three, right?" Endora asked, confused.
Luci hesitated, then sighed. "Okay, fine. But promise you won't tell anyone, especially Ana, what I'm about to tell you."
"Okay, what is it?" Endora asked, her curiosity rising.
"Ana is my sister - well, my cousin. She's not a year three student. She's in year four, and she's definitely not on a scholarship. She doesn't even live in my dorm, it's just me. She's friends with Elion, and after what you did to him, she wanted to befriend you to get close and... deal with you. She told me to lie to you and not say anything, but now that I know you a little, I don't think you deserve whatever she has planned," Luci said in one breath.
Endora's mouth dropped open in shock. "What?" she said, unable to believe what she was hearing.
"Welcome to university life. Never trust anyone," Luci said with a grim smile.
"How could she do that? I thought I found a friend. I mean, the way she talked to me at first was so mean, but when she apologized, I believed her," Endora said, feeling betrayed.
"Just try to avoid her, and if you do see her, act like you don't know anything. Play along. If she finds out I told you, I might become her next target," Luci said.
"Don't worry, I won't say a word. And thank you for telling me," Endora said, crossing her heart. They both laughed, though the mood was still tense.
"You're welcome. Now, let's get to updating your notes. I can only stay until 10. After that, the guards will be out checking the dorms, and if they catch anyone outside, you won't like what happens," Luci warned.
Endora nodded, wondering why that rule wasn't in the handbook. She didn't realize a page was missing.
They spent the next hour going over Endora's notes, chatting and getting to know each other better. When it was almost 10, Luci stood up, stretching and yawning.
"Okay, I've got to go," Luci said.
"Thank you so much," Endora said, standing up as well.
"You're welcome. And don't let the punishment keep you up tonight. You need rest. Whatever they decide, I'll be there for you, okay?" Luci said.
Endora nodded, and they hugged briefly before Luci left. Endora locked the door behind her and changed into her nightwear, too tired and due to the cold she decided not to take a bath. She lay down on her bed, pulling out her phone to try calling her father again. As expected, he didn't answer. She sighed and dropped the phone, staring at the ceiling.
At some point in her life, she had even wondered if her father was really her biological father. She had searched his study for adoption papers but found nothing. She'd even gone as far as taking a DNA test, which confirmed he was her father. But that only left her more confused. What had gone wrong between them?
With these heavy thoughts swirling in her mind, Endora finally drifted off to sleep.
Nighttime was when the Arkeins could move freely across the Nightshade grounds, hidden from human eyes. The Arkeins looked like humans but possessed supernatural abilities. They were powerful, sometimes terrifying beings with unique traits and powers. When they transformed from their human form, their eyes and bodies glowed with a bluish-purple light. For centuries, the Arkeins had lived among humans, their existence a well-kept secret.
Most of the Arkeins gathered in the backyard, far from the school buildings but still within the walls. They stood under the stars, drawing energy from the starlight, which was one of their main sources of power. Tonight was one of those rare nights when they ventured out to recharge.
Their abilities were vast: they could manipulate minds, using fear, darkness, and shadows to control others. They had superhuman strength, making them physically powerful, and superspeed, allowing them to move faster than the eye could follow. Their appearance was striking and intimidating, and their powers were passed down through bloodlines. A large percentage of the students at Nightshade were Arkeins, though the humans had no idea.
Zayden stood with his group of friends, talking quietly, when Elion approached with his own crew.
"We should have a fight. Let's see who's stronger," Elion said, tapping Zayden on the shoulder.
"Why? I'm not interested," Zayden replied, trying to avoid a confrontation.
"Oh, so you're weak after all," Elion taunted, laughing. His laughter drew a crowd, and soon a circle of Arkeins formed around them.
"Elion, don't waste your energy. Everyone knows when it comes to weakness, you're the one they talk about," Zayden shot back, smirking. The crowd erupted in laughter, except for Elion's friends.
Elion's face turned red with anger. Without warning, he punched Zayden in the face. Zayden staggered back, holding his jaw. He touched the spot where he'd been hit, then looked at Elion with a cold smile. Instead of retaliating, he turned to walk away.
"You're just going to run?" Elion sneered.
Before Elion could react, Zayden appeared in front of him in a flash, delivering a punch that sent Elion crashing to the ground.
"You can't stay away from trouble, can you? I told you I didn't want to fight, but since you insisted, you'll get what you asked for," Zayden said, his voice low and dangerous.
Elion scrambled to his feet and lunged at Zayden. The two clashed, trading blows until they tumbled to the ground, rolling and grappling. Zayden quickly gained the upper hand, pinning Elion down. His eyes glowed with a fierce light as energy gathered around his fist, ready to strike. The blow would have been devastating.
Just as Zayden was about to deliver the punch, a loud voice cut through the chaos.
"Stop this instant!" It was Professor Cassiodor, one of the Arkein teachers.
Zayden reluctantly released Elion and stood up, his glowing eyes fading. Elion got to his feet, seething with anger as Professor Cassiodor approached.
"What is the meaning of this? Aren't you supposed to be recharging? Every chance you get, you're at each other's throats," the professor said, his voice stern and low.
"He started it," Zayden said, glaring at Elion. "He wanted a fight, so I gave him one. He's just trying to save face after that human girl sprayed him with pepper spray and embarrassed him. Too ashamed to handle a common human, huh? Maybe you should focus on finding your mate instead of picking fights with someone stronger than you."
Elion's face twisted with rage, but before he could respond, Professor Cassiodor cut him off.
"Zayden, enough!" the professor barked. Zayden shrugged, unfazed. "If I hear one more word from either of you, you'll regret it. Now, go back to what you're supposed to be doing," he thundered.
The crowd dispersed, and Zayden and Elion walked away, still glaring at each other. Professor Cassiodor sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Oh, these young Arkeins," he muttered, shaking his head as he walked away.