Chapter 4 The First Bell of Blackthorn

ARIA POV

I woke up feeling... comfortable.

That was the first contradiction.

My mind was still tangled in chaos-memories of the forest, the strange girl with pointed ears, the impossible tree that opened like a door-but my body? Oh, it was nestled in something soft and warm, like sinking into a cloud that didn't want to let me go.

For a moment, I just lay there, eyes closed, savoring the unfamiliar sensation of peace. No palace bells ringing at dawn. No servants waiting behind velvet curtains. No expectations weighing on my chest before I'd even opened my eyes.

Just silence.

And warmth.

I blinked slowly, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling above me. No gold leaf. No painted constellations. Just smooth white stone, simple and bare-yet somehow peaceful in its minimalism.

I sat up slowly, the sheets pooling around my waist as if reluctant to release me. The room wasn't big-nowhere near the sprawling luxury of my royal chambers back home-but it felt oddly cozy. There was a bed, a bedside table, a wardrobe, a study desk, and another door that I assumed led to a bathroom.

I stood, stretching my arms high. My muscles were sore from yesterday's long trek through the Misty Forest, but I couldn't bring myself to feel regret.

This place was real.

And somehow... so was I.

I wandered over to the mysterious second door and opened it cautiously.

Inside was a small bathroom-so small I could almost touch both walls at once. It had a bathtub, a shower, and a sink barely wider than my hands. The fixtures were old-fashioned, polished brass gleaming faintly under the dim light.

I groaned.

"This is a bathroom?" I muttered, stepping inside. "Even my pet's chamber has more space."

I missed Lynx. I missed the castle. I missed having someone there to do the little things for me-like turning on the water tap.

After a full minute of fumbling with the faucet, I finally managed to get cold water running. I splashed it onto my face, sighing as the chill jolted me fully awake.

I found a toothbrush wrapped in plastic inside one of the cabinets and used it without hesitation. Back home, I rarely brushed my teeth myself. I always had someone else do it for me while I read or got dressed.

Now?

I was doing everything myself.

And honestly?

It was kind of terrifying.

I left the bathroom and walked back into the main room, eyeing the bedside table again. Something about it nagged at me. I pulled open the top drawer and found another letter.

Same design. Same shimmering purple paper. Same eerie golden emblem-the hooded figure holding both a scythe and a rose.

I unfolded it carefully.

||"8 AM sharp. Scarlett Gymnasium. This is your welcoming ceremony for first-year students. The invitation letter serves as your enrollment form. Showing up means you're officially enrolling in Blackthorn University."||

I stared at the words, mouth agape.

"You have got to be kidding me," I whispered.

I hadn't even decided if I wanted to stay here. I just came to see what this university was like. But now, because of that creepy girl with the elf ears and the scary silence, I was already enrolled?

Unbelievable.

I flopped onto the bed and groaned loudly, pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes.

Then I noticed the window.

The sky outside was pale, not quite morning yet. Maybe five or six o'clock?

I tried the door next, hoping to explore, but it was locked.

Locked.

Great.

Back to the letter.

On the back side, in tiny, elegant script, was a message:

||"Look to the left of your bed. After the bell rings three times, the door shall open. Let your curiosity be answered."||

I turned sharply.

There, mounted on the wall beside the bed, was an old-fashioned golden bell.

"A bell?" I asked aloud. "What am I, in some Victorian horror story?"

Still, I waited.

And I did what any bored, confused princess would do-I memorized the campus map printed on the back of the letter.

Blackthorn University was massive. Nearly the size of Berry College back on Earth-around 27,000 acres, though this place looked far older and far stranger.

Facilities had names like Scarlett Gymnasium, Napoleon Golf Court, and Paragon Hall. I had no idea what Paragon was for, but I hated it already.

I spent half an hour studying the layout, trying to distract myself from the fact that I was stuck in this room until the bell rang.

When it did, it gave me such a fright I nearly fell off the bed.

Ding.

One.

Ding.

Two.

Ding.

Three.

The lock clicked.

I hesitated only a moment before stepping out.

Fresh air hit me, along with the sound of footsteps and murmured voices. I wasn't alone.

Other girls were walking down the hallway, all wearing the same uniform as mine-red sleeves, black ribbons, short skirts-and each had a numbered badge pinned to their chests.

I checked my own clothes again.

I didn't hate the design-it was modest enough, with a military-style cut-but the color scheme wasn't really me. And the skirt?

Ugh.

I tugged at it self-consciously.

I clipped my number-#11-onto my chest and stepped forward, closing the dorm door behind me. It had the same emblem as my letter and my badge. And yes, my number was engraved right beneath it.

I followed the flow of students, keeping my head down.

Most of the other girls looked normal enough-at least by Earth standards. Some had dyed hair, others wore makeup in bold colors, but nothing too strange.

Until I saw them.

Pointed ears. Animal tails. Fox-like features. One girl even had bunny ears and was munching on a carrot.

I stopped mid-step.

"What the hell..." I muttered under my breath.

I suddenly felt very out of place.

Then I saw him.

He was the only guy in sight, standing near the entrance of the boys' dormitory across the path.

Tall.

Broad-shouldered.

Long, flowing violet-lavender hair cascading past his back like liquid twilight.

And eyes like molten gold.

I blinked.

No way.

Those weren't contacts.

They glowed.

I stared longer than I should have.

He turned.

Our eyes met.

His expression was cold. Unreadable. Like he'd seen a thousand battles and none of them mattered.

And for some reason, he didn't look away.

I swallowed hard.

Then, without thinking, I rolled my eyes at him.

Like I didn't care.

Like I wasn't completely thrown off by his god-like presence.

He didn't react.

But everyone else did.

All the girls around me stopped moving. Their heads swiveled toward me like synchronized puppets.

Then, silently, they parted ways-moving away from me like I'd committed a crime.

I frowned.

"What?" I asked, looking around. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

No one answered.

I huffed and kept walking.

Let them stare.

Let them judge.

I was Aria Langford, heir to the throne of Earth.

And I wasn't going to let anyone scare me-not even a guy who looked like he could burn the world with a glance.

__________

🌙 End of Chapter 2

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