Moonlit Academy

Five

Stella Lockheed

What is up with that guy?

The encounter with him left me feeling all kinds of weird. He had this intense gaze that made me almost hyperventilate as if he sucked all the air out of the school grounds. His eyes were so dark, with these tiny flecks of crimson, and it was just unsettling.

Vampire Boy had this deathly pale skin that seemed to glow or something. Like he was posing for some fancy skincare ad. Not that I cared about that stuff, but it was hard not to notice. And the way he made eye contact with me made me think that he was singling me out in that sea of students...

Who is he?

"That's Adrian," a sudden voice said from behind, causing me to jump to my feet.

"Oh, shoot!"

As I turned around, my hand flew up instinctively, and I slapped the person standing there. Only when I saw her shocked expression did I realize what I'd just done. "I'm so sorry!" I stammered, mortified, my hands flying to cover my open mouth. "I didn't mean to... I thought you were someone else."

"Aww!" The girl rubbed her cheek where I had accidentally struck her, but she still managed to give me a warm smile. "It's okay, I probably startled you. Sorry. I should not be creeping behind other people." She extended her hand for me to shake, giggling like a kid. "I'm Willow Evergreen, by the way."

I did not take it. "I'm really sorry for slapping you, Willow. I didn't mean to react like that."

Willow laughed, and her voice reminded me of a hundred twinkling bells. "No harm done. Just a little sting, though. I should have announced myself or something. I guess I was too excited to tell you who Adrian was."

I blinked, feeling a little lost. "Adrian? You mean the brooding vampire guy?"

Willow nodded. "Yeah, Adrian Nightshade. He's a bit of a loner, but he's been here for a while. Just a friendly warning, but it's best to steer clear of him if you can. He's got a bit of a reputation, you know."

"What do you mean?" I asked, pretending that I didn't know what it meant. Everyone here has a reputation. And, not good.

"He's not the friendliest guy around," Willow explained. "He keeps to himself mostly, and some people say he's got a bit of a temper. I saw you two having a staring contest, and I thought you should know before you fell head over heels for him."

I looked at Willow as though a horn grew out of her forehead. "Ugh. Never," I said, unable to ignore her flowing blonde hair that shimmered like sunlight. It perfectly complemented her sparkling green eyes that seemed to reflect her boundless enthusiasm. Her smile was so infectious and vibrant, she seemed to glow under the sun. She was almost so bright that I had to squint. Nope. Too intense for me.

"You must be Stella Lockheed," Willow said, plucking me out of my daze.

"W-what?" My eyes blinked several times.

"You're Stella, right?" There was her lustrous grin again. "Stella Lockheed?"

I was taken aback, and all my walls went up, like a clam closing its shell. "How did you know my name?"

"Well, you are pretty famous around here, girl," Willow replied casually, and my confusion only grew.

"Famous? Who? Me?"

"You know, the canteen incident?" she continued with a giggle.

Oh, that. I had been worried that it was about my supposed lack of magical abilities, but it seemed that the canteen issue had garnered more attention than I had anticipated. "Was that too big of a deal?"

Willow took a seat, looking at me as though I was stupid for not seeing the obvious. "Of course, it's a big deal! Tristan saving you from the bully wolf Lenard? Ugh. All the girls are so jealous of you right now," she explained with a hint of exasperation. "In fact, I am jealous of you right now."

Ha! "You can keep him," I said, dismissing the idea with a nonchalant wave of my hand. "I am not interested."

But Willow didn't seem to buy it. She looked at me with a knowing glint in her sparkling green eyes. "Oh, come on, Stella. I can see right through you," she said, playfully nudging my shoulder. "You can't fool me. I know you secretly enjoyed all the attention."

I rolled my eyes at her persistence. "Believe what you want, Willow."

"Well, if you don't want him, I guess that means there's more for us." She squeaked like a mouse. "Anyway, it's getting deathly boring here. Should we head back to our dorm?"

Wait. "Did you just say our dorm?"

"Yup, surprise! We're going to be roomies!" Willow said, exposing me to yet another one of her luminous smiles, making me wonder if she had swallowed a flashlight. "Isn't that exciting?"

Oh, no, it's not. I forced a small smile, but it felt so unnatural, I probably looked like I was constipating. If I hadn't accidentally slapped her earlier, I might have considered running away from her already. But now, I had no choice but to deal with the consequences of my actions. Besides, even if I did run, she is my dorm mate. I'm stuck with her for a year. "Sure, whatever."

Willow seemed unfazed by my lack of enthusiasm, and she beamed as if she had just won the lottery. "Great! We'll have so much fun together, I just know it. Best friends, you and I."

Oh, Goddess, no. I let out another forced sigh and nodded. "Alright, we should go then."

~ o 0 o ~

When I opened the door and stepped inside, I was relieved to see that my things were already neatly arranged, just as Mrs. Pendleton had promised. But as my gaze shifted to the other half of the room, I was greeted with a burst of color and cheeriness that was almost terrifying. Willow's belongings were like a kaleidoscope of bright hues and girlish charm, scattered across the space with an air of magical chaos. It was like Barbie had exploded inside the room.

There were posters of KPop girl groups adorning the walls, along with an assortment of enchanted trinkets and spellbooks displayed on the shelves. The room practically screamed "teenage witch vibes," and it didn't take long for me to realize that Willow was a sorceress like Mom. For a moment, I thought Willow's festive taste was a good thing. At least, she was colorful and lively, unlike Seraphina and the other witches back home.

Stop thinking about home, Stella.

I shrugged, trying not to let her vibrant decor affect me too much. It was her space, after all, and I had no right to judge how she chose to express herself.

As the day slid by, I found myself silently thankful that the school tour guide didn't come around to check on us. Willow, on the other hand, seemed saddened by the absence. She had mentioned that she always looked forward to it, and I could only wonder why.

When dinner time arrived, Willow offered to go to the canteen to eat together, but I declined. I had lost my appetite with everything that had happened today. The mate claims, the bullying, Headmistress's cryptic warning, and the mysterious vampire boy lingering in my thoughts—all of them left me feeling emotionally drained.

I hate it here already.

As the night enveloped the Academy, I lay in bed, staring up at the canopy above me. The soft glow of Willow's automatic fairy lights filled the dorm, casting a warm and ethereal ambiance. She was already fast asleep on her side of the room, her soft snores barely audible.

In the stillness of the night, my thoughts kept circling back to Vampire Boy.

Adrian.

There was something about him that both intrigued and terrified me. And I could only wonder what that was.

Ah, forget it, Stella. You still have a lot of problems besides a goth boy with perfect skin.

With a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes and allowed the blackness to take me in.

~ o 0 o ~

I stirred in my sleep, feeling a sense of unease wash over me like a cold breeze in the night. My eyelids fluttered open, and I could barely make out anything in the darkness. The fairy lights were now turned off, and the room was shrouded in obscurity.

"What time is it?" I muttered under my breath as I fumbled for my phone. As I gazed around, something caught my attention. I sat up.

Wait, I remember closing the window before going to bed. Why is it open now?

The curtain billowed gently in the wind, confirming that the window was indeed open. Panic surged through me as goosebumps ran up and down my arms and legs.

And then, amidst the dimness, I saw it—the silhouette of a man standing by the window. Terror gripped my bones as I could now see the glint of his eyes, peering at me like a predator stalking its prey. My breath quickened, and my body tensed up with fear.

"Who's there?" I managed to stammer, my hand reaching for a book on my nightstand. I needed something, anything, to defend myself.

Just as the fear threatened to consume me entirely, the lights suddenly flickered on, and I let out a blood-curdling scream.

"What's going on, Stella?" Willow asked as she stood by the light switch, her eyes wide with concern.

"There was someone... someone in our room," I stuttered, my heart still pounding in my chest. I turned, pointing a trembling finger to the window.

"What is it? What are you pointing at?"

My mouth fell open. The shadowed figure was gone, vanished into thin air.