Chapter 1 Breaking Moments

*** I watch Damian step into the circle of pillar stones, guiding me with a firm grip on my wrist. His heart pounded, not just from nerves he was feeling, but from the poisonous blade he hid at his back, ready for the moment he'd need it. Lydia, my mother , stood hidden at the back of the stones, chanting ancient words, her eyes glowing as dark mist rose from the ground.

The ritual began.

Damian felt his strength slipping away, his body weakening as my mother's spell took hold. She was draining him bit by bit, feeding off on his power to open the swirling portal behind her. I tried to move, but the magic held me frozen. Damian fell to one knee, as pain burned through him, but he waited.

Waited for my mother to get close.

When she leaned in, her mouth near his neck, he struck her.

With a burst of strength, he tackled my mum, his fangs sinking deep into her neck. I watched her scream in pain, struggling with him, but Damian held her tight at that moment I couldn't do anything. He drank from her, nearly draining her; she kicked him hard on his knees with him in pain,he released her and her body fell limp on the floor, the ritual broken, and the portal flickering.

Damian stood up and wiped blood from his lips and turned to me, his eyes dark and wild.

"It's over," he growled.

***

Freya's Pov

My name is Freya Moore and this is my story, 6 months before everything started...

The old alarm clock rang, signalling the beginning of another boring day. Same routine– wake up, prepare for school,make breakfast,get bullied at school then go to work.

There's only one different thing about today,I'm eighteen. Not that it changes anything,but I've been really looking forward to this age.

After making breakfast for everyone,I took the earliest bus to school. On the ride,I quickly checked my mailbox on my laptop to see if any college had accepted my application.

Please...any college...just one.

But,it was all blank and empty. I sighed, dropping the laptop back in my bag pack. I've been checking my mailbox for five days now,but I've seen nothing yet. But I knew I couldn't give up so easily.

The bus stopped right in front of school. Hartley high,a school I only got to attend through a scholarship.I was always bullied by the rich kids everyday,but I couldn't revolt against the elites. Could I?

Shoulders hitting my shoulders as I walked through the hallway to the classroom. I kept my head down, trying to remain invisible.

***

"It sounds like your life is pretty tough right now."That's what the school counselor said yesterday, as if I didn't already know.

"If you continue like this, you won't finish senior year. Even if you apply to any college, your slipping results won't let you in."

I used to be the brightest student-the one always getting A's, the one teachers trusted to tutor others. But life happened.

And now, I was almost below average.I sat across from her, hands folded tightly in my lap, trying not to cry while she offered me lukewarm tea and a smile that didn't reach her eyes."You've got a lot on your plate, Freya."No kidding. I whispered out.

Everyday,my alarm buzzes by 5:45am. I prepare breakfast for my foster family,go to school and work part-time at a coffee shop.

Yes,I have no parents. They died long ago. How? Well,I can't really remember. All I remember was that Dad asked me to sleep over at my friend's place,and then the next morning when he and mom were supposed to pick me up,they suddenly vanished.

The police said it was a faulty bridge collapse.The car sank and they became fish food,never seen again.

I was taken to an orphanage and later adopted by a loving couple. Well, at least they used to be. Until they gave birth to a daughter, Cherry. Since then,I've been mistreated and treated like a maid.

And at school,I keep my head down. Hoping no one notices my existence. Because,If they do,it never ends well.

Today, someone put rotten food in my locker. I didn't make a fuss about it. It's not like I could pick a fight with families who rule this city.

"Eww,the scholarship student stinks." I could hear whispers behind me.

How I fell from grace to grass– from the top student to an average one, working part-time,being bullied at home and school and the world isn't fair to me.

"What a loser!" Someone whispered as he walked past my locker.

My only hope and light for a fresh start was college. I applied to four schools. The first is my dream school. It's the one Dad also attended. And the last? Well,I just added some random schools to make the list longer.

I remember Tiffany was the one who added the last option saying it was a good university too that why not try my luck.

I didn't think much of it.

A sink full of dishes and an angry Cherry were what welcomed me home. I hated Cherry being angry because I knew she'd vent it all on me.

"And why are you here this late? My laundry isn't done yet and I still have plenty of homework for you to do. You'd better get to work!" She gave orders like a tyrant.

I frowned but couldn't complain. If I did,she'd report me to her mother, Loretta. I spent over an hour completing all the chores she assigned for me to do.

While preparing dinner,my mind wandered back to my application. If only one university could pick me,I'd be very happy. That would bring an end to my suffering here.

The aroma of the chicken I was frying filled my nostrils,but I couldn't taste it. Loretta would kill me if she found out. "You don't need meat,you've already got so much in your brain." Loretta said to me one Christmas evening. She made me kneel in the snow while I watched them eat warm food inside. She didn't let me in till the neighbors begged.

I couldn't sit at the dining table with them during dinner. I wasn't part of their family,I was just an extension.A burden.

I watched them laugh and talk while I ate cold beans in the kitchen that night. After dinner,I was too tired to do anything,my back aches and my hands were sore.

Feeling parched,I went to the kitchen to get some water. "What are you doing there?" It was Kelvin,my foster father.

"I...I needed water." I stammered. "You better not be causing any trouble. I can't clean up after your mess." He said before walking away. I'm sure if I ever got in trouble,he'd leave me for dead.

The next morning,after attending to Cherry's needs and listening to Loretta's whine,I went to school. The day passed really quickly. All my thoughts were on my application.

After all our classes were over I checked my inbox again.

I swallowed hard as I opened my inbox. My heart pounded with anticipation, the weight of my entire future resting on what appeared on the screen.

One unread message.

I clicked on it, hands shaking.

I stared at the screen, my breath catching in my throat. The words blurred for a moment as I blinked away tears of relief.

"Congratulations, Freya Moore! We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Moon Claw University!"

Wait...Moon Claw?

I sat up straighter, scrolling through the email again, searching for any mistake. I had expected to see Evergreen, my dream school-the one Dad attended. But instead, here was Moon Claw University, the last school on my list.

Where even was Moon Claw University?

I didn't remember much about it. In fact, I barely recalled why I added it to my applications in the first place. Did I research it properly? Was it even a good school? The name sounded unfamiliar, almost mysterious.

But still...

I was accepted.

For the first time in years, someone said yes to me. A way out. A new beginning.

I took a deep breath to focus on that thought alone. Maybe Moon Claw University wasn't my dream school,but it was a door,and I was ready to step through it.

A breath I didn't know I was holding rushed out of me in a shaky exhale. Tears burned behind my eyes, but I let them fall, uncaring if anyone saw. For the first time in years, hope didn't feel like an impossible dream.

This was my chance.

My escape.

My beginning.

Now, I just had to make it through the last few months here.