"…and that's what Sir Dione says, Miss Reina," Ms. Evergreen's calm but firm voice came through the phone, her tone leaving no room for argument.
I was fuming—standing in front of this old, intricately designed yet ridiculously oversized gate, dragging my suitcase behind me after hiking uphill from where the car had dumped me—right in the middle of the forest.
I mean, seriously, what was up with this ugly, unpainted monstrosity of a gate? Was this actually supposed to be a school gate? And why the hell was it made of…
Curious—and irritated—I tapped the gate, and my eyes widened. It wasn't just steel. It was silver—or at least, it looked like silver, judging by the distinct sheen. The same cool, pale gleam as my necklace.
I scanned my surroundings and noticed that the entire wall connected to the massive gate was also made of silver. But honestly, who in their right mind builds a giant silver wall that completely blocks any view of what lies beyond, except for this endless, deserted road?
It looked more like the entrance to a creepy, abandoned manor—or maybe some bizarre theme park—not an actual school.
"No, you don't understand," I protested, my grip tightening on the phone. "I thought I was coming here to go after my brother, not transfer to some random-ass school!"
I glanced down at my uniform—the same one I'd been wearing since last night. It had been freshly pressed when they handed it to me, not a single wrinkle in sight. But now? After being dragged out of the house, shoved onto a 12-hour flight—yeah, 12 hours thanks to delays—and going through every possible mishap you can imagine, my luggage getting lost, security flagging something on me when there was literally nothing, and all the other travel nightmares that always seem to happen to me.
And that wasn't even the end of it.
I was crammed into a van for what felt like forever—made even longer because the car got a flat tire, then overheated, and, of course, there was this random traffic jam out of nowhere because some truck decided to flip over.
And then, to top it all off, the driver literally shoved me out in the middle of the forest and told me to walk uphill the rest of the way.
Did I mention I hadn't eaten? The flight attendant spilled my food, and then there was some emergency mid-flight, so they just… forgot about me. So, yeah, by the time I made it here, my uniform was looking far from crisp.
Honestly, I was still in shock when they handed me this black and gray uniform. I thought I was still suspended!
Just three days ago, I'd been in the school president's office, arguing about whether my latest suspension was really justified after my so-called repeated major offenses.
Apparently, while I was grounded over the weekend—well, since I still had my phone, so technically not grounded at all—my transfer had already been processed.
Just. Like. That.
"Well, Miss Dione, you've already been transferred," Ms. Evergreen's annoyingly calm voice informed me. Oh, thanks for the confirmation—really helpful.
"It's best if you head inside and find the faculty office soon. Unlike private schools that start at eight and end at five, the Lyceum Institute also operates at night… I believe you're just in time for your first class."
My jaw dropped. What the hell? Night school? Seriously?
I yanked my phone away from my ear and checked the time—almost 6 PM. The sun was already dipping low, casting long shadows across the forest, the sky bleeding into darker shades of dusk. Thankfully, some kind of lamps were flickering on, one by one, hanging from the trees that lined the concrete path leading toward the gate.
…Huh?
I squinted. Those didn't look like solar-powered or electric lamps. No—they looked more like old-fashioned lanterns, the kind that actually used fire.
Wait, who the hell was lighting these things? Maybe they were some kind of automatic setup… though I'd never seen a system that literally sparked a real fire instead of just flicking on a bulb.
caaaww. caw. cawww.
A sharp caw broke my thoughts, and I glanced up to see a crow perched on the gate, almost like it was laughing at me. I stood there, alone in the middle of nowhere, my phone battery hanging on by a thread. The massive silver wall loomed larger now, its shadow stretched long and ominous across the path. The flickering lamplight didn't make it look any better—in fact, it just made everything seem darker, like the shadows were creeping closer.
The signal was cutting out so badly I could barely catch the rest of whatever Ms. Evergreen was saying. Her voice dissolved into static and then silence.
I clenched my jaw, gripping my phone until my knuckles went white as I stared at the towering gates, the eerie lights, and the thickening shadows.
What the hell did I just get myself into?
***
I looked around the wall, even tried searching for a doorbell or some kind of intercom—but nothing. Great. I figured knocking might do the trick, but all that got me was a sore hand. After knocking a few times with zero response, frustration got the better of me and I ended up punching the damn thing.
Bad idea.
I had to sit down for a few minutes, cradling my throbbing fist and glaring at the unbothered gate like it had personally offended me.
As I sat there sulking, I glanced down at my scuffed black shoes. Should I just kick it? I was actually considering it when a low, creaking groan suddenly filled the air.
Skrrrrreeeeechhh
I froze, snapping my head down.
Oh—wait. It was the gate. For a second, I genuinely thought it was my stomach growling.
But nope—the massive gate was actually opening.
"Oh, crap—!" I scrambled to my feet, heart racing. But because I'd left my luggage lying right next to me like an idiot, I managed to trip over it in my rush. I stumbled back, arms flailing, and my phone—slippery traitor—slipped out of my hand just as I was trying to catch my balance. It dropped, bounced off my shoe because of course it did, since I was also falling, and—
It went flying.
Still blaring my Funny Meme Songs playlist—the one I'd been using to keep myself sane on the dark, creepy road through the forest.
I watched in horror as my phone sailed through the air, spinning like a soccer ball in glorious slow motion…
And then—thud
Suddenly, I was staring up at the sky, flat on my back.
…Huh. Pretty.
You could actually see the stars out here.
And just as I was appreciating the view, smack—I definitely heard it. My phone had nailed someone. Actually, scratch that—multiple someones, judging by the chorus of surprised groans and pained yelps that followed.
Still half-sprawled on my luggage, my back digging into the hard edges, I glanced up and spotted a group of people standing just inside the gate—well, not exactly standing anymore. They were all in weird, hunched-over positions, clutching various body parts that apparently in some way or another had been hit.
I blinked, still dazed on the ground.
Well… at least my luck was still working its magic.