I stepped forward, my fingers trembling slightly as they hovered over the black tablets inside the container. Each one was smooth and identical, giving no hint of what number lay beneath. A deep breath steadied me before I reached in and plucked one out.
Seven.
I clenched my fist around it as I stepped back. Around me, the other Ferals did the same, their eyes darting anxiously between one another.
On the boys' side, Callum had already drawn his number. His expression remained unreadable, but I could see the tension in his shoulders as he glanced around, waiting to see who he'd be paired with.
Silas, our dorm master, barely gave us a moment before his sharp voice cut through the room.
"If you've drawn your number, find your match. Your roommate will be the one holding the same number as you. Move."
Murmurs filled the air as we hesitantly began searching for our pairings. My eyes scanned the room, my pulse quickening. Who had drawn seven?
A soft sound behind me made me turn.
A girl stood there, her fingers curled around her own black tablet. She was petite, with wide brown eyes that flickered with uncertainty. Her dark curls framed her round face, and she looked even more nervous than I felt.
She hesitated before holding up her tablet.
Seven.
Relief flooded me. At least she didn't look openly hostile.
I nodded at her. "Looks like we're roommates."
She swallowed hard before nodding back. "I... I guess so. I'm Elise."
"Lorraine."
Before we could say anything else, Silas clapped his hands, regaining everyone's attention.
"You have five minutes to find your rooms and settle in. Your room number matches your tablet. If you have any questions, I suggest you figure them out yourselves. Now move."
The Ferals wasted no time scrambling toward the two hallways—boys to the right, girls to the left. Elise and I exchanged a quick glance before making our way toward our assigned room.
Room Seven.
As I reached for the doorknob, I steeled myself.
The door creaked open, and Elise and I stepped inside. Immediately, I felt a jolt of surprise.
The room was… nice.
Not extravagant like the rest of the academy, but simple and undeniably comfortable. The walls were painted a soft shade of lavender, complementing the purple undertone of our uniforms. Two beds were positioned at opposite corners, each with crisp white sheets and a thick purple duvet. A small nightstand sat beside each bed, and a sleek wooden desk with a chair was placed near the wall beside each bed. The floor was dark polished wood, smooth beneath my boots.
Elise let out a low whistle, turning in a slow circle. "I was expecting a rat-infested dungeon."
I huffed a quiet laugh as I walked further in, running my fingers over the desk. Everything felt too… normal.
Elise hurried toward the bathroom and peeked inside. "Oh, wow." Her voice was almost reverent. She turned back to mw with wide eyes. "Okay, this might not be an actual death sentence."
I raised a brow, intrigued by her sudden change in demeanor
She leaned against the doorframe, grinning. "I come from the HollowFang Pack. When the Lycans came for me, my entire family was devastated. They thought I was dead the second I was chosen." Her grin widened as she looked around. "But this? This isn't bad at all. This is amazing."
I forced a small smile in return, but her words lodged in my throat. People cried when she left. My own pack had been all too eager to get rid of me. They'd handed me over like I was garbage.
Shaking the thought away, I moved to the wardrobe and pulled the doors open. Just as Astrid had said, the only clothing inside was the academy uniforms.
Elise sighed dramatically. "Guess we'll have to shop for everything else."
We stepped over to our desks, where neatly arranged stacks of paper sat waiting for us.
On top of everything were two crisp stacks of currency, our lunars. I picked one up, feeling the smooth texture between my fingers. The Academy's emblem, a full moon encircled by claw marks, was imprinted on it.
Next to the lunars was a copy of our class schedule, a detailed map of the Academy, and the official school guide.
Elise grabbed her stack of lunars with a grin. "Come on, we should go shopping while we still have time."
I hesitated, staring down at the papers in front of me.
Something felt off.
The room, the money, the freedom to buy whatever we needed, it all seemed too easy. Too normal. If things were really this seamless, why had no Feral ever returned?
It felt like a trap. Like they were trying to lull us into a false sense of security before the real nightmare began.
Elise was already at the door, waiting.
I pushed the uneasy feeling aside and grabbed my lunars. "Let's go."
As Elise and I stepped into the common area, we immediately spotted Callum. He was standing near one of the plush couches, deep in conversation with another guy, one I hadn't seen before.
The moment he noticed us, Callum's face lit up. "Lorraine!" He motioned us over.
"This is my roommate, Felix."
Felix was slightly shorter than Callum, with dark brown hair and sharp green eyes. He gave us a nervous smile, his gaze flickering toward my collar before relaxing.
Elise grinned, nudging me slightly.
"And this is my roommate, Elise" I introduced.
Felix nodded. "Nice to meet you both."
Elise wasted no time. "We're heading to the shopping mall to get some essentials."
Callum's brows shot up. "Really? We were just about to go, too."
"Then let's go together," Felix suggested. "This place is huge. It'll be easier if we stick together."
Elise and Callum agreed, and we all made our way toward the dormitory doors.
Felix had the Academy map in his hands, squinting at it as we walked. "Okay, so the mall should be… um…" He turned the map one way, then the other, frowning. "This way?"
Elise leaned over his shoulder. "Are you sure?"
"Pretty sure."
We walked for another few minutes before realizing we were completely lost.
Callum groaned. "Felix, you have one job."
"I didn't think the Academy would be this confusing!" Felix protested.
The further we went, the more twisted the paths became. Towering buildings loomed over us, some with intricate carvings of wolves, others with high spires that disappeared into the darkening sky. The eerie silence didn't help, and an unsettling feeling crept up my spine as we turned into a dimly lit courtyard
Then, without warning—
A group of students stepped out of the shadows, surrounding us in a loose but unmistakable formation.
They were all wearing blue-collared uniforms.
Elites.
I stiffened as one of them, a tall guy with golden hair and an arrogant smirk, stepped forward. He tilted his head, looking us over like we were insects.
"Well, well. What do we have here?" His voice was mocking. "A pack of lost little Ferals?"
The others laughed, closing in.
Callum shifted beside me, his muscles tensing.
The golden-haired guy's smirk widened. "You lot obviously won't last long here. Probably won't even survive the week." He crossed his arms. "So, why don't you do yourselves a favor and hand over your lunars? Consider it… an early exit fee."
My heart slammed against my ribs.
Felix gulped. "And if we don't?"
The elite's smirk sharpened. His eyes darkened, and his claws slid out from his fingers in a slow, deliberate movement.
"Then we rip out your hearts."