---
Chapter 1 – A Slight Drizzle and a Silent Man
The train slowed to a gentle halt, and the door slid open with a quiet chime. Seraphina Vale stepped off with a backpack slung over one shoulder, a single suitcase rolling behind her, and a plastic-wrapped umbrella dangling awkwardly from her elbow.
The air smelled like fresh rain and wildflowers.
She blinked, looking around the small station. The place was practically deserted. Mist lingered near the ground, curling around her ankles like something alive. It was quiet—too quiet for what was supposed to be the town's main stop.
"Morvain…" she whispered, as if saying the name might explain the emptiness. "This is it, huh?"
She pulled out her phone to check the message again:
> Welcome to Morvain University. We await your arrival at the North Entrance. Your scholarship and accommodation have been confirmed.
It still felt unreal. A full scholarship out of nowhere? No interview, no call, just a letter in the mail with golden lettering and an official stamp that shimmered under light.
If it was a scam, it was a very fancy one.
As she adjusted the strap of her backpack, she heard the faint crunch of footsteps. She turned—but there was no one.
She frowned. "Get a grip, Sera."
---
Outside the station, a black car waited at the curb. It looked expensive. Sleek and polished with tinted windows. The kind of car that didn't belong in a sleepy town like this.
She hesitated until the driver stepped out—a man in uniform with a cap hiding most of his face.
"Miss Vale?" he asked.
"Um… yes?"
"This way, please."
---
The drive was silent. Through the window, she caught glimpses of the town—quaint houses with ivy-covered fences, sleepy cafes, and cobblestone streets lined with lanterns.
Then the trees grew denser.
The road curved.
And the gates appeared.
Tall. Black. Ornate. With a crest she couldn't quite make out from the moving car.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Morvain University looked less like a school and more like a manor pulled from an old romance novel. Stone buildings towered with ivy trailing down their sides. The clock tower in the center ticked faintly against the drizzle. Everything felt timeless.
The car pulled to a stop.
As she stepped out, umbrella in hand, a figure caught her eye.
Across the courtyard stood a man.
He wasn't moving. Just… standing. Watching.
Long coat. Perfect posture. An unreadable face beneath dark hair slightly tousled by the breeze.
Seraphina froze. Their eyes met—just for a second. Then he looked away like she didn't exist and turned into one of the buildings.
"Huh." She blinked. "Rude."
---
Her room was better than she expected. Wooden floors, tall windows, a balcony overlooking the garden, and a small desk with her name carved on a nameplate.
S. Vale
She placed her backpack on the bed and sat down on the edge, exhaling. The room was cozy, like something out of a drama set. She even spotted a kettle with tea bags prepared.
"Are they trying to impress me?" she muttered. "Because it's kinda working."
---
Later that evening, she wandered the garden.
The rain had stopped, but droplets still clung to the petals of white roses. Everything sparkled faintly under the garden lights.
She wasn't looking where she was going when she bumped into something hard. Or… someone.
"Oh!" She stumbled back, her umbrella clattering to the ground.
A hand caught her arm.
Tall. Strong.
Lucien Morvain.
The same man from earlier.
He didn't speak at first. His gaze lowered to her clumsy figure, one brow raised slightly.
"You should watch where you walk," he said, voice low and precise.
"And you should consider making noise when you walk," she shot back, dusting herself off. "You're like a ghost."
That eyebrow rose higher. "Excuse me?"
Seraphina flushed. "I-I mean… you just appeared. Out of nowhere. Like whoosh—there!"
He stared at her.
Then—shockingly—he chuckled. Just once. Like the sound slipped out without permission.
"You talk too much."
"And you don't talk enough," she replied before she could stop herself.
He stepped past her, but paused. "Welcome to Morvain."
Then he disappeared into the fog again, like he'd never been there.
---
Seraphina stood alone under the garden light, blinking after him.
She pressed her palm to her chest.
Her heart was beating a little too fast.
"I wasn't expecting this kind of start," she murmured, eyes drifting up to the stars. "Maybe this place really is like a drama.
---
The next morning came with pale sunlight streaming through the balcony windows. A slight breeze rustled the curtains, carrying the distant toll of the university's bell.
Seraphina groaned into her pillow before flinging the blanket off and rolling to her feet. Her uniform—navy blue with subtle gold lining—hung neatly on the closet door. Too neat. Almost like someone had come in during the night and pressed it.
Creepy.
She dressed quickly, stuffing a notebook into her bag and pulling her damp hair into a loose ponytail. As she caught her reflection in the mirror, she squinted.
"You got this," she said, pointing to her reflection. "New school, new life, and maybe less talking to yourself. Hopefully."
---
The campus looked even more majestic in daylight.
Stone archways cradled ivy, students moved in quiet clusters, and small flocks of birds danced through the trees. The central courtyard was filled with soft chatter and the clinking of ceramic from an outdoor café stand.
Seraphina followed the map she'd been given, passing through wide halls lined with towering bookshelves and chandeliers that looked like they belonged in a castle.
As she rounded a corner toward the main lecture hall, someone brushed past her shoulder—fast and deliberate.
She gasped, spinning on her heel. "Hey—!"
Lucien Morvain.
Again.
Same coat. Same aloof face. Same unreadable eyes.
He didn't even look back.
"What is with that guy?" she muttered, hurrying into the lecture hall.
---
Classroom 204 was already half full. She scanned for an empty seat and—unfortunately—there it was.
Next to him.
Lucien sat by the window, long fingers flipping through a weathered textbook. His expression didn't change when she sat beside him.
"Is this seat taken?" she asked, a little too cheerful.
"It is now," he said flatly.
"You're just a delight, aren't you?" she murmured, pulling out her pen.
He didn't answer.
Instead, his eyes focused on the board ahead as the professor began the lecture on "The Theory of Magical Conduits"—something that sounded like fiction but was apparently quite serious here.
Seraphina tried to concentrate, but his presence was distracting. It wasn't just that he was good-looking—he was, painfully so—it was that strange sense of... stillness. Like he wasn't really here, even when he was.
---
After class, she caught up to him outside.
"Do you always ignore people, or is it just me?"
Lucien finally stopped. He turned slowly, his eyes unreadable but direct.
"You're unusually persistent."
She folded her arms. "And you're unusually cold."
"I don't have time for small talk."
"Well, maybe you should make time. It's called being a human."
He raised a brow. "Debatable."
That made her pause. Debatable? What kind of answer was that?
But before she could say anything, he walked off again, long coat catching the breeze.
---
That evening, she sat at the small table on her balcony, sipping tea and writing in her journal.
> Day 1: Met the coldest man alive. Possibly not fully human. Also, I think I insulted him… twice. Accidental.
She paused, tapping the pen against her lip.
> Still no word from Aunt Mira. Still no cell service. Strange… but not the worst start. There's something about this place. Feels like it's hiding something, but not in a scary way. More like… a secret garden kind of way.
She closed her journal, staring at the sky as stars blinked into view.
And somewhere across campus, in the top window of the west tower, Lucien stood, backlit by candlelight.
He watched the night in silence, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. In his hand, he held a small silver locket—old and worn, like it had passed through generations.
He opened it briefly, then shut it again with a soft click.
Outside, the breeze shifted.
And far below, on her balcony, Seraphina looked up for no reason at all, suddenly feeling like someone was watching her.
--