Chapter 3 Through the Veil of Mist

ARIA POV

The morning mist clung to the edges of the forest like a ghost unwilling to leave. It curled low along the ground, slipping between blades of grass and wrapping itself around tree trunks like spectral fingers. The sky was pale, washed in the soft glow of dawn, but no sunlight could reach the heart of the Misty Forest-not anymore.

It hadn't seen true daylight in centuries.

I stood at its edge, boots sinking slightly into the damp earth. Behind me, rising above the treetops like a crown of forgotten dreams, was the tallest tower of Langford Castle, my ancestral home. Its silhouette shimmered faintly through the fog, regal and distant, as if it belonged to another life entirely.

Maybe it did.

I tightened the strap of my satchel over my shoulder, fingers trembling slightly. The letter from Blackthorn University was folded safely inside a hidden compartment, along with a small dagger Lynx had insisted I take "just in case."

She hadn't been happy when she found out I'd already left the castle grounds without telling anyone. Her eyes had flashed with worry and frustration, her usual calm demeanor cracking just enough for me to see how much she cared. But I couldn't wait. If there was even a sliver of truth to what that letter promised-if this place truly meant freedom-I had to find out for myself.

Even if it meant walking straight into the unknown.

I took one last breath of the crisp morning air, then stepped forward.

The moment I crossed the threshold into the forest, the world changed.

The silence wasn't just quiet-it was heavy, thick with something ancient and unseen. The trees loomed around me like silent watchers, their gnarled roots twisting across the ground like veins beneath skin. A low mist curled around my ankles, whispering secrets I couldn't understand-words just on the edge of comprehension, vanishing before they could form meaning.

And then-

Caw.

I froze.

Another crow.

Only this time, it wasn't alone.

Dozens of them perched silently among the branches above me, eyes glinting like polished obsidian. Not a single wing moved. Not a single sound escaped beyond the occasional caw.

It was like they were waiting.

For what?

I swallowed hard and kept walking.

The letter had said: "On the tallest tree of Maple, your guide would wait you there."

But after nearly an hour of wandering deeper into the forest, I hadn't seen a single maple tree.

Just twisted oaks, blackened pines, and trees whose names I didn't know-trees that looked too old to belong to this world.

I paused, pulling the letter from my bag again, rereading the words I had memorized by now.

Lynx had tried to stop me. After investigating Blackthorn University herself, she came up empty-no records, no official website, no history. But right before she could report back to me, she received an anonymous email:

||"If you want to really know, just follow your instincts and go."||

It felt less like advice and more like a challenge.

Or a warning.

Still, here I was.

Alone.

In a forest that shouldn't exist.

And suddenly, I saw it.

A tree unlike any other.

Its trunk was wide enough to house an entire cottage within it. The bark shimmered faintly, almost silver in color, and the leaves were a deep, vibrant red-not brown or green like the rest of the forest. It pulsed with an energy I couldn't explain, as though the tree itself was alive in a way the others weren't.

Maple.

I exhaled sharply, stepping closer.

And standing beside it, half-shrouded in mist, was a girl.

She wore a long, rough-hewn hooded cape, its fabric coarse and dark like woven shadows. Her face was partially obscured by the hood, but I could see the sharp line of her jaw, the pale skin, and the piercing intensity of her eyes.

Eyes that weren't human.

They were cold, glassy, and pointed ears peeked out from under her hood-delicate, elf-like, unmistakably not mortal.

I coughed lightly.

She didn't move.

I stepped closer.

Still nothing.

"Uhm... excuse me," I said politely, keeping my voice steady despite the unease curling in my stomach. "May I know your name, young lady?"

Her gaze flickered toward me.

"#11?" she asked flatly.

I blinked.

"Yes," I answered instinctively.

Because somehow, I knew she wasn't asking for confirmation.

She turned away without another word.

"Follow me," she ordered.

I stared at her retreating back, stunned.

Aurelia Seraphine Langford-the heir to the royal throne of Earth-was being ordered around by some strange girl in a hoodie cape?

I shook my head and followed.

As we walked deeper into the forest, the girl remained silent. Her steps were light, precise, like she was part of the forest itself. She never stumbled, never hesitated.

Me? Not so much.

My legs were beginning to ache, and the path was growing darker. The trees leaned inward, blocking out what little moonlight filtered through the clouds. Crows still called overhead, though they had grown quieter, as if sensing something I couldn't.

"Uhm... excuse me again," I said after a while. "Is there some rule in your cult that doesn't allow you to speak? Or is it just your attitude?"

I expected silence.

Instead, she stopped.

Turned.

Looked me dead in the eye.

"You just need to follow me," she said coolly. "And to answer your question... it's both."

I blinked.

Well. That was direct.

I fell into step behind her again, my mind racing.

There was something off about her. Not just the pointed ears, but the way she carried herself-like she didn't belong to this world.

Wait.

This world.

The thought struck me like lightning.

That cryptic message from the email. The impossible location. The unnatural forest. The girl who didn't blink.

Could it be?

Was Blackthorn University... in another dimension?

I nearly tripped over my own feet.

The girl glanced back, unimpressed.

"We've only walked ten minutes. You're already tired?" She scoffed. "Tsk. You must be some golden-spoon child in this world, huh?"

I stiffened.

This world.

Again.

"What do you mean... 'this world'?" I asked carefully.

She didn't answer.

Of course she didn't.

We kept walking until we reached a clearing dominated by a colossal tree. Its trunk was massive, wide enough that I couldn't wrap my arms around it even if I tried. And carved into the bark was a symbol-a perfect circle with three moons arranged inside it.

The girl pulled something from her cloak-a pendant shaped exactly like the symbol.

She pressed it against the carving.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the bark split open, revealing a doorway.

I stumbled back.

No way.

"This..." I whispered, staring at the door. "This university... it's in another world?"

The girl tilted her head slightly, as if amused.

"#11," she said, voice unreadable. "What are you waiting for? Get inside."

I stared at the portal.

Every fiber of my body screamed caution.

But every dream I ever had whispered go.

I hesitated.

"I can back out, right?" I asked, trying to keep my voice light. "You can just say I got sick on the way here."

She didn't respond.

Instead, she placed a hand between my shoulders and gave me a firm push.

I stumbled forward-and the world exploded into light.

Stars. Fire. Wind. A thousand voices whispering my name.

And then-

Darkness.

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🌙 End of Chapter 1

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