Chapter 1 🖤MY SECRET STARTED WITH A LIE

I never wanted to lie.

But once I left home, I knew I had no choice.

My name is Ariel Valemont. At least, that's who I really am. But right now, everyone knows me as someone else.

They think I'm Xander Vale-a quiet boy from a quiet village. Nobody important. Just another new face at Arcanis Academy.

They don't know the truth.

They don't know I'm a girl. They don't know I used to live here, in this city, a long time ago. They don't know what happened to my brother. They don't know what I came here to do.

But they will.

Soon.

---

The train ride to Arcanis was long. I sat alone, wearing clothes too big for me and a black hoodie that hid most of my face. I kept my voice low whenever I had to speak. I avoided eye contact. That was how I stayed safe.

Nobody looked twice at me. Nobody guessed.

That was good.

The academy came into view just before nightfall. Huge black towers stood against the sky. The main building looked like a castle, with silver gates and sharp rooftops. Students walked everywhere, dressed in dark blue uniforms, talking and laughing like it was just another school.

But this wasn't a normal school.

Arcanis Academy trained people to become leaders, fighters, Council members... or something worse.

My brother had gone here. His name was Caleb.

And now he was gone.

They said he betrayed the school. That he ran away. That he broke the rules.

But I didn't believe them.

I knew something bad happened. I had to find out what.

And to do that, I had to be someone else.

---

At the gate, I showed my fake ID card.

"Xander Vale," the guard read. He looked at the photo. Looked at me. Then nodded. "Go on in."

I stepped through.

Just like that, I was inside.

---

My dorm room was small and plain. One bed. One desk. One window that faced a wall. I didn't care. I dropped my bag and sat on the bed.

I took out my notebook.

I started writing my new rules.

Rule 1: Trust no one.

Rule 2: Speak as little as possible.

Rule 3: Don't stand out.

That was how I'd survive.

A knock came at the door.

I opened it slowly.

Two boys stood there.

One had dark brown hair and green eyes. He looked calm but serious.

The other had messy black hair, sharp features, and a lazy smile.

"Yo," the smiling one said. "You're the new guy, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"I'm Zane Wilson," he said, pointing at himself. "This is my brother Zack."

The quiet one gave me a nod.

Twins.

"Nice to meet you," I said, keeping my voice low.

"You're in Class B?" Zane asked.

"Yeah."

"Cool. We are too. Stick with us. Some people here are... weird."

Zack rolled his eyes. "You're the weird one."

They bickered like brothers, which made it easier to blend in. I gave them a small smile and nodded again.

"Thanks."

They left after that.

I closed the door and let out a breath.

So far, so good.

But I couldn't relax yet.

---

The first day of classes was hard. Not because of the lessons, but because I had to keep my act perfect.

Sit like a boy. Walk like a boy. Talk like a boy.

Every move I made had to be careful.

Our homeroom teacher was Mr. Ward. He had gray eyes and a cold voice. He looked at me for a long time when I said my name.

"Xander Vale," I said.

He stared.

Then wrote something in his book.

---

At lunch, I sat alone.

Some girls passed by, whispering.

"Who's the new kid?"

"He looks lost."

"Kind of cute though, in a weird way."

I kept my head down.

Zane walked over with his tray and sat beside me.

"Don't let them bother you," he said. "Girls here are mean."

I shrugged.

"Wanna see the training yard after class?" he asked.

"Sure," I said.

Zack joined us a few minutes later, looking annoyed.

"Why are you talking to him?" he asked Zane.

"Cause he's cool. Right, Xander?"

I didn't answer. Just gave a small smile.

Zack narrowed his eyes at me.

---

That night, I couldn't sleep.

I looked at the photo hidden in my bag. It was old. Faded.

Me and Caleb. Before everything changed.

I missed him.

I wanted to scream.

But I stayed quiet.

Just like always.

---

The bell rang early the next morning.

I was already awake.

I hadn't slept much. My brain wouldn't stop thinking. About the academy. About the boys. About the danger I'd just stepped into. I kept hearing my brother's voice in my mind.

"Don't trust anyone, Ariel. Not even the ones who smile."

I got out of bed and changed into the school uniform. It felt stiff and strange. The tie was annoying. The blazer was a little big, but that helped hide my chest, so I didn't complain.

I tied my hair down flat under my hoodie cap and made sure my voice still sounded a little deep in case anyone spoke to me. Then I looked at the mirror.

No one would think I was a girl.

Good.

I walked out of the dorm quietly.

---

Classes started in the West Wing. The building was huge and cold. There were long hallways, strange symbols on the floors, and dark paintings on the walls. I kept my eyes down and followed the other students into a big room.

Homeroom:

Zack and Zane were already there. Zack was staring out the window. Zane waved at me.

"Over here," he said.

I sat next to him.

The teacher walked in.

Mr. Ward.

He had the same cold look as yesterday. His silver glasses made his eyes look sharper than they were. His voice was flat when he spoke.

"Welcome to Arcanis Academy," he said. "This will be your life for the next four years. Some of you will leave stronger. Some of you will leave broken. And some of you... won't leave at all."

That made the room go quiet.

He smiled faintly like he enjoyed that reaction.

"There are rules here," he continued. "Not like your normal schools. You will follow the rules if you want to survive. Not just pass-survive."

He wrote on the board.

1. Respect the Arcanis Crest.

2. No one enters the East Wing without permission.

3. Midnight is curfew. No exceptions.

4. No magic outside battle zones or assigned lessons.

5. The Council's word is final. Always.

Council?

That was the first time I heard of them.

I wrote it all down, pretending to be a serious student. But inside, I was watching everything. Listening. Taking mental notes.

That name-The Council-it felt familiar.

---

After class, we had Combat Training.

We went outside to the yard. There were weapon racks, rings drawn in the dirt, and several students in dark red uniforms watching us from the side.

Upperclassmen.

One of them was a tall girl with short blond hair. Her arms were crossed and her eyes followed me too long.

I didn't like it.

Coach Dalton introduced himself. Big voice. Big chest. Big hands. He looked like he could crush someone without trying.

"We're going to separate the weak from the strong," he said. "You will fight. You will fall. And you will learn. Today is partner day. Find one. Now."

Zane nudged me. "Wanna team up?"

Before I could answer, Zack stepped in between us.

"I'll take him," he said.

Zane frowned. "Why?"

"Because I said so."

I didn't argue. I nodded. "Okay."

We stepped into the ring.

"Ready?" Dalton shouted.

I took a stance I remembered from training back home. Caleb had taught me. Low knees. Guard up. Move light.

Zack charged first.

I dodged.

He swung again.

I blocked it, just barely.

He wasn't holding back.

I didn't expect that.

He grabbed my shoulder and tried to flip me. I twisted my weight, landed hard on the dirt, but rolled fast.

I got up, breathing fast.

Zack narrowed his eyes. "Where'd you learn to move like that?"

I didn't answer.

He attacked again.

This time, I swept his legs and made him fall.

The class went silent.

Even Coach looked surprised.

Zane laughed. "Whoa. Xander's got skills."

Zack stood up slowly, brushing dirt off his shirt.

His eyes locked on mine.

He didn't smile.

He didn't speak.

He just walked away.

---

Later, in the hallway, I opened my locker and found a piece of paper stuck inside.

"Stay out of the East Wing. If you value your life."

No name.

No clue.

My hand trembled a little.

But I didn't tear the note.

I folded it and slipped it into my pocket.

I didn't know who sent it.

But I knew one thing.

Something was wrong with this school.

And if Caleb's secrets were buried somewhere...

I was going to find them.

Even if it killed me.