CHAPTER 1

Two girls stood at the center of the hall while the crowd closed in around them. Elaine Hayes stood tall beneath the attention, her chin lifted as though she had been born for moments like this. Every eye followed her, every whisper carried her name.

Elena kept her gaze fixed on the floor. If she looked up, she would see the comparison in everyone's eyes, the certainty that if one of them was worthy of a prince, it certainly wasn't her. Her fingers curled against her skirts as the whispers drifted through the hall.

A young woman stepped forward, and the murmurs died at once. "The goddess has spoken," she announced, her voice carrying easily through the chamber. The hall fell silent.

"The goddess has chosen one daughter of House Hayes as a candidate to marry the Crown Prince."

Shock rippled through the crowd. Although no name had been spoken, many seemed to reach the same conclusion immediately.

"Of course it's Elaine."

"Who else could it be?"

"She's the only werewolf."

A few people glanced toward Elena before quickly looking away again, as though considering her had been a mistake.

"Silence," the saintess said.

The room obeyed instantly. "The final choice belongs to the prince." Her gaze swept over both sisters before settling briefly on Elena, and something unreadable flickered across her face.

Then the saintess raised her hands and began speaking in the Old Tongue. "Helium cranthos."

The strange words echoed through the chamber. Several elders stiffened at once, recognizing the ancient language used in truth rites. A chill crawled down Elena's spine.

The saintess lowered her hand and pointed directly at Elena.

"The goddess sees an old wrong."

The hall fell silent.

"Something that should have been yours was taken, and something that should have been returned remains unclaimed."

Confusion swept through the crowd.

"What does that mean?"

"Was something stolen?"

The saintess's gaze never left Elena.

"The truth cannot remain hidden forever."

Silence followed the command. The saintess took a step forward, her gaze never wavering.

"Elena Hayes," she said, her tone softening for the first time. "Your road will be cruel. You will lose more than most, and there will be moments when you wish you had chosen another path."

A strange sadness flickered across her face before she continued.

"But if you endure what is coming, you will stand where no one believes you can."

A shiver ran through Elena. Before anyone could question her, the saintess turned and walked away, leaving only confusion in her wake.

And behind Elena, the whispers had already begun.

“Mum,” Elaine said, sounding surprised, “that was the Moon Saintess, wasn’t it?” She let out a small breath and gave a faint smile. “She never even said my name, yet everyone already knows who the goddess chose.”

The whispers shifted immediately as people began speaking more openly. Someone called Elena human, another called her weak, and the words spread quickly until they sounded less like opinions and more like facts.

“Of course it was Elaine.”

“She’s the only werewolf.”

“As if the prince would ever choose a human.”

Elaine gave a small, dismissive laugh and turned her gaze fully on Elena. “What could I possibly take from you?” she asked. “If I wanted something, I wouldn’t need to take it from you.”

A few people laughed quietly, and just like that, the tension eased as everyone leaned toward the explanation that was easier to accept.

Elena felt the shift happen without anyone saying it directly, the blame moving away from Elaine and settling somewhere else. She stood still, her fingers tightening around her sleeve as the familiar pattern repeated itself in a way she could not stop.

Rumors spread quickly across the duchy, carried by messenger birds and glowing rune-slates. Within days, everyone had heard the story, though each version was different. By the time it reached the outer courts, the accusation had changed entirely.

Some claimed Elena had stolen a blessing.

Others swore she had stolen part of Elaine’s future.

No one seemed interested in whether any of it was true.

Elaine enjoyed the attention, accepting praise as though it had always belonged to her. Elena stayed in her room, the silence pressing in around her until it felt heavier than the crowd ever had.

She traced faint lines of light along the stone windowsill, watching them glow softly beneath her fingers. This time, the light lingered longer than usual and curled briefly against her skin before fading, making her freeze as her breath caught at the strange response.

“ELENA HAYES, OUT. NOW.”

Clara’s voice cut through the quiet, sharp and sudden. Elena hesitated before opening the door, her hand tightening slightly around the handle as she stepped out.

Each step toward the sitting room felt heavy, as though she already knew what waited for her there.

“Planning to hide forever?” Clara asked sharply.

Elena lowered her eyes, unable to answer.

Elaine leaned back in her chair, her voice calm with a hint of amusement.

“She’s just embarrassed,” she said. “You can’t blame her.”

Elena stepped forward slowly, her fingers curling into her sleeve once again.

“Why did you call me?” she asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper but still clear in the silence.

Clara handed each of them an envelope, her movements precise and controlled. “Your school letters,” she said, her tone firm. “If you get in, remember your duty. Protect the prince’s mate, no matter what.”

Elena opened the letter carefully, her hands unsteady as the words blurred before coming into focus. Her breath caught. Lycoria Academy.

A small smile appeared on her face despite everything.

Lycoria was not an ordinary school. It accepted the children of the kingdom’s most powerful families, and rumor claimed that every admission was personally approved by the goddess herself. Entire noble houses spent years trying to secure a place there.

“I got in,” she whispered.

“I got in,” Elaine said at the same time, her voice bright with certainty. Clara’s expression softened immediately as she looked at her.

“I expected nothing less.”

Pride filled Clara’s voice so naturally that it almost sounded rehearsed.

“I got in too,” Elena said quietly.

For a moment, nobody responded.

Then Clara nodded once. “Good. Stay close to your sister and do what you’re meant to do.”

The familiar disappointment settled over Elena. Even this was somehow Elaine’s achievement. No matter what she did, she remained an afterthought in her own home.

Her father had never treated her that way. The memory of him standing in front of her, shielding her from danger without hesitation, remained painfully clear. It reminded her that there had once been a time when she mattered.

Later, back in her room, Elena unfolded the acceptance letter again. The silver crest of Lycoria shimmered faintly beneath the light from her window.

Almost without thinking, she reached toward the stone sill beside her.

Faint lines of light appeared beneath her fingers.

Elena frowned.

The light lingered.

Then, for the first time, it moved.

A thin strand curled around her finger like living thread before fading back into the stone.

Her breath caught.

The priestess’s words echoed through her mind.

You possess something that belongs to your sister.

Elena stared at her hand long after the light disappeared.

If Elaine had taken something, why did it feel as though she was the one carrying the secret?

And why did it feel as though Lycoria Academy was where that secret would finally come to light?