Arcadia Academy was not just a school. It was an empire within an empire.
Nestled at the border of Vilgian and Rudeus, its towers gleamed with runes older than dynasties, and its halls whispered with the footsteps of heirs, prodigies, and secret heirs to forgotten thrones. Here, power was not taught—it was expected.
For Shen Yui, Arcadia was familiar in design but foreign in culture. Here, titles outweighed truth, and reputation carved deeper than swords. But if she was to survive—and change the past—this is where her mission truly began.
The First Encounter
Shen Yui had just crossed the courtyard, the afternoon sun warming the carved dragons on her blade sheath. Students stared, as they always did. Some out of curiosity. Others from disdain.
She reached the check-in desk, hand extended for the ceremonial pen.
Her hand brushed against another.
She looked up.
He did too.
AnWenyi Caelum.
He stood like he belonged—shoulders squared, eyes steady, every inch a noble trained from birth to wear silence like silk. His uniform was untouched, his silver crest gleaming like moonlight. And yet his eyes narrowed, just slightly, as if her presence was a variable he had not calculated.
"I didn't expect the Pavilion to send someone with a sword," he said, voice calm but with the edge of curiosity.
"And I didn't expect Caelum heirs to have hands as cold as marble," she replied smoothly.
A beat passed.
He blinked.
She smirked.
Their silent conversation ended as they both signed their names—his with neat precision, hers with calligraphic flair.
"Don't get in my way," he said.
"I'll be too far ahead for that," she answered without hesitation.
The clerk watched them go, blinking. "That... was either the beginning of a rivalry or a romance."
The Great Hall
Students gathered in the Hall of Houses, where the Headmistress—a tall, veiled woman known only as Lady Virelle—began her speech. But Shen Yui barely listened. Her eyes scanned the crowd.
She was already assessing threats, allies, and unknowns.
Seated beside her, Gracy Atizza gave her a sideways glance. "You really came in like a storm."
Yui tilted her head. "Do I look like one?"
Gracy grinned. "Like thunder in silk."
"Flattering," Yui said. "Do all northern nobles speak in poetry?"
"Only the bored ones."
Across the Hall...
Acetein Floresco sat slouched, tossing grapes into his mouth. He waved when he spotted Gracy and nearly choked in the process. His best friend, Jose Cordapior, didn't even look up from his book.
"Didn't expect to see her here," Jose muttered, referring to Shen Yui. "Her name's been in reports. Shen Pavilion isn't just military—they're intelligence too."
Acetein blinked. "Is she dangerous?"
"Yes."
Acetein grinned. "Hot and dangerous. That's my favorite flavor."
Jose looked up. "Gracy will kill you."
"Gracy would kill anyone who stood in the way of her mood."
"Exactly."
Dormitory Assignments
After the ceremony, students received their dormitory placements.
Shen Yui opened her scroll: North Wing, Tower Three. Suite 4.She sighed. Solitary placement. Predictable.
Then another student was announced for the same suite.
AnWenyi Caelum.
They both turned at the same time. A silence passed between them. Not of tension, but recognition.
"...Of course," Yui muttered.
He gave a tiny shrug. "Arcadia favors balance. Fire and ice, perhaps."
"Keep your ice on your side of the room."
"As long as your fire doesn't burn the curtains."
Elsewhere in the Hall...
Clitoria Bornafide, from her perch among Vilgian's elite, watched everything.
She twirled her parasol with calculated grace.
"So… Shen Yui shares a suite with the Caelum heir? How scandalous."
Her handmaiden nodded, timid.
"Spread the rumor," Clitoria said sweetly. "Let them know she's seducing her way through the nobility."
She smiled cruelly. "Let's see how long she lasts once Arcadia devours her reputation."