Adaeze Nwosu had always believed that scholarships were earned, not bestowed by unseen hands. But when a black envelope arrived at her doorstep, bearing no return address, no postage, only her name in gold ink, her reality shifted.
Inside, a letter written in a fluid, ancient script:
"Congratulations, Adaeze Nwosu. You have been chosen as a recipient of The Wraith's Scholarship. Your tuition, board, and travel have been arranged. You are expected at Edevane Academy before the next full moon. Do not be late."
Beneath the signature, a symbol, burned into the parchment, depicting an ouroboros encircling a skeletal hand. And one final line:
"Declining is not an option."
Adaeze's fingers tightened around the letter. She had never applied to Edevane Academy. She had never even heard of it.
A Google search yielded nothing. No website. No alumni testimonials. Nothing. It was as though the university did not exist.
Her parents dismissed it, warning her not to entertain scams. But that night, Adaeze awoke to the sound of rustling paper, only to find the black envelope resting on her pillow, untouched, uncrumpled, as though waiting for her decision.
The next morning, an email appeared in her inbox. A one-way plane ticket to Wales. Departure: midnight.
Adaeze should have ignored it. Should have deleted the email, torn the letter, forgotten the academy that had no past.
But curiosity, like an itch beneath her skin, refused to be ignored.
So, on the night of the full moon, she boarded a plane, her suitcase packed, without her parents' consent, with more questions than answers.
The scholarship had chosen her.
And she was about to find out why.