The start of the puzzle

This can't be real.

Moss had arrived right on time this morning, in full Academy uniform, looking better than any male had a right to, and, not for the first time, she wondered how she had such a hot best friend. Saying goodbye to her parents was a blur, and Ruby couldn't remember much about the drive there, beyond the fact that she was flipping terrified.

Driving to the outskirts of town and parking in the car park was when the real panic set in.

"I don't think I can do this," Ruby whispered, and Moss quickly took her hand. " It's all going to be okay, I promise," and a calmness started to seep into her bones. "You deserve the best in life, my friend, and I'm here to make sure that happens."

Once they were out of the car, Ruby went to the boot to gather the large suitcases she would need to lug to the dorm she was put in, but sensing what she was doing, Moss grabbed her hands. " It's a private school for a reason, honey, we have people to do the mundane things while we grow our big brains bigger."

Out of nowhere, a young man approached them and took Moss's keys. Ruby smothered a laugh as he executed a half bow to Moss before heading to the boot to grab Ruby's luggage.

"What on earth?"

Moss seemed a bit disgruntled but shook it off, reaching for her hand again as they headed toward the huge pylons, topped with fierce-looking griffins, that seemed to stare down, taking stock of everyone passing through. The entrance to Allied Elite Academy was as daunting as Freddy Krugar had been in her youth, and Ruby still couldn't watch those movies alone. Most likely, Freddy would now be replaced by those statues in her nightmares.

Just before they got to the gates, a heady smell of cedar wood and rain overcame all of Ruby's senses, drowning her in the delicious aromas until she felt disoriented and befuddled. Moss growled once, a deep, primal sound that made all the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. His face seemed to blur before Ruby's eyes, morphing into something else as he glanced behind them. The smell instantly disappeared. 

There seemed to be an almost impenetrable bubble around them as they inched closer to the entrance. People were shoving and grabbing at others as they met up with friends amid the heavy bustle of the first day back after the weekend.

" These are the day students," Moss murmured in her ear, "Full-time Elites stay on campus until the weekend, some of us don't even bother leaving at all, there's always something going on here anyway."

The air around them suddenly heated up, like the full sun at noon, although it was only 8:30am, and everybody around them turned into the most gorgeous beings to have ever walked the Earth. What on earth was going on? Ruby was mortified at the sensual images playing out in her head, beings of all different fantasies she had ever had were engaging in an almost orgy right in front of her, and her insides were heating so rapidly with arousal she worried that she would start dry humping Moss at any second. He seemed to be completely oblivious until he looked down at her.

Moss was trying to talk to her, but Ruby could no longer hear him; she was well past being aroused and rapidly entering a full sexual meltdown just outside the gates. Ruby could feel the panic clawing at her, and she felt powerless to stop whatever came next. Moss pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her tightly. He was looking over Ruby's shoulder at the air, seeming to be having some internal dialogue. Whatever he was doing, it worked; the heat left as quickly as it came.

"Sorry about the craziness," he murmured, gently letting her go. "Weird things happen all the time around here; after a while, you just tune it out."

Ruby was lost for words.

They were passing through the gates at last, an ominous tolling of the bells signaling their arrival, and Ruby felt the weight of a thousand eyes on her as she walked beside Moss. Thankfully, everyone was fully clothed and not pawing at each other. The feeling of being watched was still there, but Ruby put it down to not enough sleep and too much creative imagination. She walked with purpose, head held high, and could have sworn she heard, "That's my girl." Yet nobody was there.