Chapter 2 Two

Seraphina sat near the center of the room surrounded by girls who looked like they worshipped the ground she walked on.

She was flawless as always, crimson hair perfectly styled, amber eyes sharp with superiority, posture graceful and commanding, she was very beautiful, untouchable, cruel, and rumoured to be married to the gold-blood heir, Kael Draven. 

Seraphina had made Lyra’s life unbearable for years, she never dirtied her hands herself but she didn't need to when she hated something. 

One word from Seraphina was enough to turn the entire class against Lyra. And the teacher never once saw anything wrong with what Sera did. How could they have lower blood than her? 

The girls she controlled had shoved Lyra downstairs, locked her in storage rooms, ruined her clothes, sent her to the hospital and whenever Lyra thought of reporting it, she remembered one truth: no one would believe her over Seraphina.

No one would care, she had prayed for a different class this season, different classmates, a fresh start but fate has ignored her again simply because she's such a cursed child. How can she survive this session without ever getting on Sera's nerves? Is there any day she never got on her nerves? 

Sera bullied her even for the smallest reasons; "I don't like the way you wear the same uniform as me to school...I don't like when my eyes meet yours or when I turn, you're the first person I see. It brings me ill luck." 

At the deepest part of secrets, something she never told Selena. She had climbed onto the rooftop so she could jump to her death, that way everyone would be safe from her, she did jump.... just that, she doesn't know how she was miraculously still alive...

She moved quietly to the back with Selene, trying to disappear, that's when the room changed and voices rose, heads turned and two boys entered. It was Kael Draven and Damon Thorne. 

Lyra’s breath caught, everyone in Sangravia knew them. 

Kael Draven, the feared Gold Blood heir, arrogant, untouchable, dangerous. The same one everyone had been shipping for Seraphina. 

And Damon Thorne his best friend, calmer but just as admired.

Neither of them had been in her class before and now they were? What the hell happened? 

Kael barely looked at anyone as he walked in, tall and effortlessly commanding, while Damon greeted people with an easy confidence that made everyone watch him.

Lyra’s eyes lingered on Damon, she knew him, not closely but enough. He had smiled at her in the cafeteria before.

He had sat at her table once and stolen fries from her tray like it was the most natural thing in the world.

He had stopped girls from cornering her, walked her home twice, made her ride in his bike once with her hands wrapped around his waist, winked at her in the hallway until she couldn't breathe straight. 

He had been a way so she could breathe a little last session and those small kindnesses meant everything to her. Somewhere along the way, she had fallen for him.

Even when she knew that boys like Damon didn’t end up with girls like Lyra. He dated beautiful powerful girls. Girls with status, girls who commanded power from their households.

Still, she couldn’t stop herself from dreaming. 

Selene nudged her, “You’re staring.”

Lyra looked away immediately, “I’m not.” she lied just as much to drive Selene's eyes away from her. 

Selene smirked, “You totally are.”

Before Lyra could answer, class began. The teacher started speaking, but Selene leaned close and whispered, “There’s a Night Riders party tonight.”

Lyra stiffened, “No.”

“Come on.”

“No.”

“Please?”

Lyra shook her head, “I don’t want trouble.”

Selene rolled her eyes, “Lyra, one party won’t kill you.”

Lyra gave her a look. One party could definitely kill her. She's someone who could die at a whim and no one would even look twice and think if she was dead or alive. Even the cops would want that too and they would quickly bury her death like it never happened in the first place. 

“You say that like trouble doesn’t follow me.”

Selene grinned, “That’s why I’ll be with you.”

Lyra hesitated, being with her is never enough, “No.”

Selene kept whispering through the lesson until Lyra finally sighed.

“Fine. But only for a little while.” Selene beamed in victory. Even though Lyra knew she might actually regret this.

The final bell rang later that afternoon and students rushed out in noisy groups. Lyra and Selene walked through the crowded hallway when someone slammed into Lyra’s shoulder so hard her books fell.

She bent quickly to gather them and another hand reached for the same notebook. She looked up and Kael Draven stood over her. .

For one strange second, his golden eyes locked onto hers coldly, his gaze dropped to the notebook in his hand before he handed it back. 

“Watch where you’re going,” he said calmly but something in it sent a chill through her. 

Lyra took the notebook quickly, “Sorry.”

Kael stared at her for one moment longer, as if memorizing her face.

Then Damon appeared beside him. “Kael,” Damon said, glancing at Lyra before smiling softly at her. “You okay?”

Lyra nodded too fast. “Yes.” Her heart started to beat rapidly. 

Damon held her gaze for a second before Kael turned and walked away and Damon followed closely. 

Lyra didn’t realize she had been holding her breath until Selene touched her shoulder from behind.

“What the hell is his problem?” Selene hissed, glaring in the direction Kael had disappeared.

Lyra blinked and looked away quickly, clutching her notebook tighter against her chest, “I... I don’t know.”

Selene folded her arms. “Oh, come on. Just because he’s whatever he thinks he is doesn’t give him the right to act like that.”

Lyra let out a small breath, still trying to steady the strange flutter in her chest. “He’s handsome and a Gold Blood,” she said softly.

Selene stared at her in disbelief, “And so what?”

Lyra gave a weak shrug. In Nocturne Academy, that was enough reason for almost anything.

Gold Bloods could be cruel and still be admired. They could be arrogant and still be worshipped. They could ruin someone’s life and people would still call them royalty.

Before Selene could say another word, a loud chime echoed through the hallway speakers. Then the announcement came.

“Attention students! To celebrate the beginning of the new session, the Night Riders will be holding an exhibition race and a Blood Arena match in the main stadium in thirty minutes. Attendance is open to all students.”

The hallway erupted instantly. Excited voices rose all around them.

“The Night Riders!”