ass A had heard the rumors-how the adopted daughter of the An famil

who entered w

m cloaked in s

e or speak; her presence alone commanded silence. Her seat waited for her in the front row, surrounded by the children

over the other. Her fingers tapped ag

s with trembling hands. "W-Welcome, everyone. As you may h

?" someon

the mask. Transfer? More

her a warm welcome." The teacher turned awk

and deliberate. The golden mask cau

yx

said. No surnam

t N

sounded like a pr

in the back scoffed. "Tch, is she trying

accident," another whispered, l

ming with something unspoken. She

a low vo

source-Alec Ji, lounging in hi

n Nyx. Intense

f," he said smoothly, "unless any o

e res

n the t

y behind her mask

d nature. Her hand moved across the paper with practiced precision. When asked a question, she answ

the school was

n't interes

re for som

hing

hing

top, where only the elites dared eat

h blood-red nails

i

e, sister?" she

ps curve

ste

er, her voice li

that title when you t

-

-

in her jaw, the subtle shift in her perfectly manicured hands. I

aining her composure. "I always t

ed around thorns. "Is that so? Then I suppose the rats w

but her smile never wa

try it sometime. Clawing your way to the top te

den. The other elite students watched the interaction from a distance, pretending not t

laim her throne-and Liya, the princess wh

said, her voice now a little too swe

harp. "You don't get to rewrite that chapter, Liya.

dark hair like shadows dancing around her mask. She reache

t to Liya wi

face. Inside was a single silver ring-one with

ce laced with venom. "Before you stole it. A

g to fall at your feet," Liya snapped, drop

from her seat, her shadow fa

sister against sister, rivals b

ntouchable grace, leaving Liya standing alone

rooftop pillars, a pair of s

curled into an

seen ru

seen da

t

mething el

't just

ricane that dev

-