Chapter 1 The Monster in disguise

                 Lyra’s POV 

I gently sat on the dressing table set that my old roommate had left behind after refusing to stay in the same place as me anymore. 

It's just because of the rumor that was spreading around that I was a death magnet. 

They believe I am cursed because the first time I talked back to their favourite female star in the academy, she will soon regret the cruel way she has been treating me, and she died the next day.

In fact, that day was her birthday. 

Although I never wished for Selene's death, students here do not care about the fact that she used to bully, abuse, and assault me so much that it got to a point that I sat beside the school river and ate a poisonous plant to kill myself. Still, I don't know who saved me because I found myself in the clinic the next morning. 

The pain was too much for me because they destroyed my mental health, and I couldn't leave until I graduated, so I attempted suicide. 

Yes, the system of not being able to leave Nightshade Academy until graduation is like that because children here are referred to as outcasts in our magical world. 

Why? Because we can't summon our powers, which were supposed to develop in our bodies once we are twenty years old. 

I am now twenty-two, and still no progress. 

We are seen as not normal, who shouldn't live around others. Some people have died out of shame for not having it. 

So, this is a special and the only school for people to be able to awaken their divine gift.

It's filled with heavy teachings of spells and other magical courses, so if you are not from a rich background, you can't afford it. 

So I can say, this academy was founded for the children of the elite whose essence had never awakened, despite being born into powerful magical bloodlines. 

I am their first scholarship student here who isn't even from a powerful bloodline. 

In fact, I am an orphan who grew up in an orphanage, and the students are angry about it.

Sometimes, I do wonder why this school gave me a chance when they knew that they wouldn't be able to protect me from their nasty customers. 

I thought I was lucky. 

I regret the day I was happy about getting admitted here. 

I thought life outside, while getting mocked and insulted for being an outcast, was bad, but this place is hell. 

Imagine being hurt that a poor outcast exists among outcasts like you, too. 

I mean, we are suffering from the same problem, but they see me as more worthless than the dirt under their shoes. 

Thankfully, they have let me be since last week, after Selene’s horrific death on her birthday, but I am still determined to clear up my name. 

But at what cost? 

Last night, I tried to secretly investigate those whom Selene used to hang out with, they are the top three hockey players in the Academy. 

I was thinking that maybe I could find some hints about her disturbing death, but I saw the horror of my life. 

A dark, smoky creature was silently floating in the air. I swear I saw its glowing silver eyes even though it had no clear face, only a shadowy form that looked both human and monstrous. 

I stalked it even though I was trembling in fear, and it turned into the most admired professor in this crazy academy. 

I gulped down nervously, shaking my head to fling off the image of that creature.  

It has become my new nightmare. 

No way that isn't a demonic creature. 

I took my eye cream and pressed it out of its tube, then aggressively rubbed it just around the dark spot around my eyes. 

Ever since I rushed back into my room, I have not been able to sleep, and I have been feeling hot and sweaty at the same time. 

Right now, I feel like falling on the floor and crying till there are no tears left because all my bones feel so weak, but I have a class this morning that I must not miss. 

I hit my shivering hand on the dressing table, looking at my pale face through the mirror. 

I regret going out last night. 

“That is it. I will not blame myself for Selene’s death anymore, and I will not listen to anyone who says that about me. The way they see me will never change, even if I end up finding the real cause of her death. So, I will not investigate anything again. It's none of my business,” I dramatically dusted my hand, breathed out heavily, and walked to my tiny bed to carry my bag for the day’s class. 

I am planning to go to the grand dining hall to eat after the morning class because I am already late. 

I moved to the entrance of my room and rushed out of the massive hostel building, ignoring the hateful sneers from the girls driving their expensive cars out of the parking lot.

When I reached the towering male hostel compound walls in front, I breathed out tiredly because I still had to reach their main gate before I got to the academy's main premises.

A cold breeze suddenly swept past me, making me freeze, and then I remembered that this was the exact place where I had seen that terrifying creature.

My heart started beating fast, so I quickly turned around, expecting to see it lurking in the shadows, but I didn't see anything. 

Still, I broke into a run as if something was chasing me. My body was weak, but fear pushed me forward.

I didn't stop until I had passed the walls surrounding the male hostels and heard student voices. 

I bent over, resting my hands on my knees as I struggled to catch my breath.

As I forced myself to keep walking, I noticed groups of students, especially girls pouring out of the boys' hostel compound. 

More and more of them kept coming out with terrified expressions on their faces as if a calamity had struck the land. 

I wondered what was happening.