Chapter One

August (Five months later)

Layla stared at the grand set of stairs that faced her with her bag strapped around the middle of her body and a hand in her pockets.

Her cousin had gone with her to the mall to buy some new clothes before coming here to Elysium.

Elysium Academy. She'd been offered a full-ride scholarship to be here because she had gotten her grades up. She was at the top of her graduating high school class and she hoped that she would be able to do so here. After her grandmother passed she threw herself into her coursework.

Hopefully, she would be able to keep that same momentum up. Especially to be able to have her own home again. Being with her cousin Perse was fine and all but it was obvious that she was invading the house, even when Perse reassured her that she wasn't.

She felt bothersome. Like a burden and she didn't like to feel like anyone's burden.

She began her trek up the stairs into the ice castle of a school. It looked like something you'd find in here in Greece, just, otherworldly. She couldn't help but stare in awe at the spires and the windows of the building. But it also had a sturdiness to it. That proved it had been standing here for some time.

It took Layla some time to get to Greece but she was finally here in Athens. She took the last flight that was left the night of her graduation. Moving in was almost immediate here to help people adjust. They would also be given a house based on the gods. Either ones they'd grown up knowing and worshipping or ones that had caused their existence in the first place.

She wasn't sure where she would fit in and to be quite honest she didn't know why they had chosen to give her a scholarship here. She thought that this was a place- a school- for only demigods or those blessed by them. But she found mythology intriguing and she had agreed to the scholarship after she saw the program they had for it.

After what seemed like forever she finally came to the fifth landing of the building. Room 503 is where she would be staying. Perse had told her the morning of graduation. She also went to Elysium and her mom had gone to set up our dorms. We weren't staying in the same rooms thank the gods but the building was the same.

Approaching the door, she pulled her key out of her back pocket and inserted it into the door. Turning it she heard a lock click and twisted the knob as she walked in. Dark teal walls and tapestries greeted her. The wood was a dark black, even her floors. She had blue pillows and a comforter set. She sighed as the things from Perse eased her into whatever sense of home this was.

The room was dark, but light in a sense.

She closed the door behind her and entered the fairly large room, placing her bag on the bed. Her shoulder ached and screamed at her for carrying such a heavy sack. She looked up and noticed a chandelier that looked like a shining black tourmaline. She walked to the large desk and computer checking out everything.

She even had her own bathroom. She could live with this. She wasn't sure how she was going to fit in here. She was just a human she thought. So was Perse. But there was a fair chance that there were things that she didn't know about her family history.

She hadn't met her parents and her grandmother immediately took her in as an infant when they passed. She didn't meet any other family that she knew of until 7 months ago. Her first time officially meeting Perse in person was after her house had burned down.

She decided she should start unpacking after she showered and got ready for dinner. She grabbed a pair of linen white pants and a t-shirt that matched and a fresh set of undergarments and headed to the bathroom.

It was just as beautiful as the room. With the walls being a lighter almost lilac blue. The mirrors lit up as she turned the bathroom light on and headed towards the black tiled shower. She turned on the hot water and began stripping off her clothes.

Her aunt had stocked her bathroom with everything that she would need. Even her closet, school supplies, and utensils, everything. The woman was the sweetest. Even though they had just met, she treated her like her own.

Layla showered for another twenty minutes letting the steam roll over her as she soaked in the hot water. She had washed her hair and was ready to get out when she heard laughter in the halls.

It sounded like someone was jumping around the halls as she got out. She quickly dressed and wrapped her towel around her curls, making sure that her hair would dry faster as she cleaned. She had thirty minutes to get downstairs to eat. She sighed as she wiped her face with moisturizer and examined herself.

She was getting thin and had dark circles under her brown eyes. No doubt from not sleeping. She had predicted right that the night the house burned would haunt her dreams and it did. The wolf that she saw was what shook her even more than anything. The look on its face.

She couldn't tell what it wanted to tell her.

She disregarded the thought as she pushed off the counter and turned to go back into her bedroom. She grabbed her sack and dumped the contents on the bed. A couple of pairs of clothes, her toothbrush and toothpaste, and hair and makeup essentials were all. She put the clothes away quickly and soon was putting all her toiletries and makeup in their respective drawers.

When she finished she was satisfied and definitely hungry so she reached over to grab and jacket and her favorite black crocs as she went to the closet. She ripped the towel from her head and fluffed her big curls around her face and shoulders.

She'd let it grow out and it was a bit shaggy and big. But she liked it. It went with her vibe. She took care of her curls. They were big and healthy. And long like her grandmothers had been. Caressing her back everytime she walked. Heading down the stairs and the hallways she made it to the dining room doors.

She stopped and prepared herself for what was on the other side. It had been a minute since she had really let herself immerse herself in the societal aspects of school.

Thankfully Perse had planned to meet her here at the door today and she would go in with her to introduce her to some friends. Perse had grown up with most of these people her whole life. She went to school with the majority of them on her side of town. Her family was a lot better off than we were. Than I was.

Perse soon came bounding around the corner with her bouncing blonde curls. Besides the fact that our hair was curly, you'd never know we were related. There was some sort of falling out with our parents that caused them to cut ties. I didn't believe we were truly related until she mentioned grandmother when they first texted.

She wore a pink ripped t-shirt and low-waist light blue pants. Her shoes were white and new. She looked like some sort of influencer. And her eyes sparkled like grey clouds when lighting dances.

“Did you get all settled,” she chirped when she arrived in front of Layla.

Layla nodded, “Your mom had set up pretty much everything so I didn’t have to worry about too much. Just some of the last things I had to bring with me when I left.”

“Good! I'm glad that all worked out! Listen, when we get in here, you're going to come with me!”

“Come with you where?” Layla asked.

“I'm going to introduce you to everyone!” she pipped.

I nodded in answer and turned with her to enter the dinner hall. Opening the door to a world of new things.

A completely different realm.