Abigail's POV
The only Academy in Saudine City. Aurorium Academy. It's fancy, alright. Built for the big shots, people with power, money, and connections. If you don't have that, forget about it. Mr. Aurorium made sure of that when he founded this place. He says it's for the future. The next generation, the better ones. But control? Yeah, I can see that being the real reason.
And then there's me. Abigail Amora Golleger. New girl. They call me the "key of future" for some reason. Probably because I know too much, maybe more than I should. My dad has connections everywhere, even here, so it wasn't hard to get in. What I didn't know was why he really sent me here. All I got was some vague "business reasons" excuse. Great. Another thing I'm kept in the dark about.
That first evening, someone from the staff came up to me with a stack of papers. They didn't even say much. Just handed them over and walked off. Real welcoming, huh? I took the folders to my room, spread them out on my bed, and started flipping through them. It was all boring academy stuff until I came across one file that caught my eye. The daughter of the founder himself.
Emery Amara Aurorium.
Now, there's a name that carries weight around here. She's the Black Elite leader, whatever that means. One of the top student on the school board, so yeah, big deal. But the weird thing was, there wasn't much detail about her. It felt... odd. Like they were hiding something. Her picture showed a girl with brown hair, skin like milk, and yeah, she's gorgeous, no doubt. But there was something off about her. Even through the photo, you could feel her cold, eerie vibe.
"What kind of Elite are you, Emery?" I whispered to myself, staring at her picture. Something tells me she's not just some pretty face with a title.
I'm gonna find out. Because if there's one thing about me, I never let a mystery slip away. Not in a place like this.
---
I'm still looking at Emery's picture when I hear a knock at my door. It's soft, almost hesitant, like whoever's on the other side isn't sure if they should bother me. I don't answer right away. My mind is racing. Who is this girl really? And why is there so little about her in the files? Everyone else in this place has a long list of achievements, scandals, connections... but Emery? Just her face, and a few lines about her being the Black Elite leader. That's it.
The knock comes again, a little louder this time.
"Yeah, what is it?" I call out, my voice sharper than I mean for it to be.
The door creaks open, and it's one of the staff. I don't even remember his name. He's holding out another folder, this one thinner than the last.
"Miss Golleger," he says, not looking me in the eye. "This just came for you. From your father."
Of course. I take the folder and he leaves without another word. I stare at the folder, not sure if I wanna open it. Dad's always up to something, and it's never simple. With a sigh, I tear it open. Inside is just a letter, handwritten, not typed. My heart sinks a little. Dad never writes by hand. Not unless it's serious.
I sit on the edge of my bed, the papers spread out around me, and start reading.
"Abigail,
I know you must be wondering why I transferred you so suddenly. Trust me, it wasn't an easy decision, but it was necessary. There are things going on at Aurorium that you need to understand. And I trust you will. Keep your eyes open, Abigail. You're smart. You'll figure it out. But remember this, there's more at stake here than just your education.
Take care of yourself."
-Dad.
That's it. No explanations, no clues. Just vague hints, like always. What does he expect me to do with that? My fists clench around the letter. This is typical of him. Always telling me half the story, leaving me to guess the rest.
I throw the letter down and lean back against the bed. My head's spinning. What am I supposed to figure out? What's he trying to tell me? And what does this have to do with Emery Amara Aurorium?
I stare at the ceiling, biting my lip. This place, this academy, it feels wrong. Not just fancy and elite, but wrong. Like something dark is buried under all the shiny surfaces. And Emery... She's part of it, I just know she is.
"Alright then," I say out loud to the empty room. "I'll play your game, Dad. But I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for me."
I look back at Emery's picture, the strange aura almost suffocating from the still photo.
"Watch your back, Emery. I'm coming for you."
Welcome to Aurorium Academy. Let the games begin.