I’ve had bad days before. Like spilling spaghetti on my math homework, tripping over my own feet in front of the entire cafeteria, or realizing my crush was dating literally everyone but me. But nothing, nothing prepared me for this.

  It started with a note.

  “Trust no one. Shadows are watching.”

  My mom left it on the kitchen counter, looked me in the eyes, and then vanished. Like a magician, except I didn’t get a rabbit, or an explanation, or, you know, sanity.

  I stared at that note for an hour, which is probably illegal in some parallel universe because apparently that’s how you summon chaos. And guess what? Chaos came.

  First, the shadows.

  I didn’t see them at first. I felt them. A subtle pressure at the back of my neck, a chill running down my spine, like someone was walking on my nerves. Then the rain started. Not the cute “rainy day with a hoodie” kind, but the “apocalypse just puked buckets of water on you” kind. I was soaked, my hair plastered to my forehead, looking like a drowned raccoon, when I noticed the figure.

  Tall. Dark. Handsome in a way that made your brain short-circuit. Black hair falling perfectly, eyes so silver they could probably hack into your soul, and a coat that made the shadows around him obey like they were auditioning for a supernatural fashion show.

  He stepped closer. And I swear, the puddles at his feet weren’t just water. They twisted, curling like living ink, moving with a life of their own.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” he said, smooth as melted chocolate but with enough menace to make me want to pee in my sneakers. “But I’ve been waiting for you, Luna Everhart.”

  “…Waiting for me?” I asked, blinking. Not the most intimidating response, I know. But honestly, I was confused, terrified, and mildly flattered in that weird panic-stricken way where your heart has no idea what to do.

  “Yes,” his voice dropped lower, casual yet lethal. “You’re in danger. And I’m the only one who can fix it.”

  I laughed. Or tried to. It came out as a squeak. “Oh sure, because meeting a mysterious, ridiculously hot stranger in a rainy alley is exactly what I signed up for today. Totally normal.”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “Maybe.”

  My heart betrayed me. Thump. Thump. Thump. Like it was auditioning for some horror movie soundtrack.

  “Name’s Aurelius Blackthorn,” he continued, shadows curling like serpents around his boots. “And you, Luna Everhart, are officially on my radar.”

  I stared. Blinked. “…Perfect. Great. Someone else stalking me. Wonderful.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You’ll thank me later. Probably. If you survive.”

  Cool. Absolutely reassuring. I totally believed him.

  “I…okay…” My voice cracked. Not ideal. Not human. But survival is apparently a good time to panic. “So…what now?”

  “Now,” he said, stepping into the puddles like he owned gravity, “we go to Nocturne Academy. You’ll learn the rules of survival. And I’ll keep you alive as long as you don’t die of stupidity first.”

  “…Sure.” That’s the exact moment my brain filed for early retirement.

  The shadows wrapped around us, a living curtain of darkness. And then we were somewhere else. Not raining, not messy, not my miserable life anymore. Somewhere enormous, dark, and impossibly elegant. Marble floors reflected dim lights, twisted staircases made me dizzy just looking at them, statues that looked like they might wink at you if you blinked.

  “Welcome to Nocturne Academy,” he said casually, like he hadn’t just transported me into what looked like Hogwarts if Hogwarts had been redesigned by a dark, overpowered teen drama director.

  “Are you kidding me?” I asked. “Is this real life?”

  “Not at all.” He smirked. “And don’t worry. I’ll be watching. Mostly to make sure you don’t embarrass yourself in front of the rest of the elite students who are also trying not to die.”

  I groaned. “…You’re terrifying.”

  “Terrifyingly handsome,” he corrected. “Remember that.”

  Yes. My life had officially gone from zero to cinematic blockbuster in under five minutes.

  Then came the introduction to the academy. Elite students glared at me like I’d just insulted their entire existence. Selene Veyra, future queen of evil, walked by with a smile that screamed I will ruin you and I look good doing it.

  My brain: Run. Hide. Cry. Possibly scream.

  But Aurelius stepped in. Shadows curled around him protectively, and suddenly I wasn’t just a random girl in a scary school. I was under his wing. His chaotic, overpowered, dangerous-as-hell wing. And I swear, the moment he looked at me, my entire body decided it was auditioning for falling in love while panicking in 0.2 seconds.

  “Stick with me,” he whispered, leaning closer than necessary. I swear, the air got heavier. “And try not to die.”

  I took a deep breath. And by “deep breath,” I mean hyperventilated while internally screaming this is insane, my heart is broken, terrified, and inexplicably in love all at once.

  “Let’s get this nightmare started,” I muttered.

  He smirked. Shadows twisted around us like a dance of chaos and danger. And in that moment, I realized one terrifying, hilarious, and painfully exciting truth.

  My life would never be normal again