Chapter 1

Life doesn't have to be hard, especially for people like us with no family or relatives.

A quick introduction isn't bad, is it?

My name is Luna, and I'm just a girl trying to survive without parents after being chased away from the orphanage I grew up knowing as home.

Surviving is my only choice while living in the city with no family. I scrape by with the tips of my fingernails, working until my neck refuses to move and my waist becomes stiff.

When I discovered hockey, I thought practicing until I became the best player would help reduce my suffering—until I realized I would always sit on the bench while my teammates dribbled around each other on the field. The only thing I'm useful for is serving the players water when they're exhausted after playing, and sometimes I pack their sweaty clothes to take home and wash.

Come on, that's not for free. Each of them pays me $10 for that, of course. What am I expecting? Just looking at them, I can tell they're nothing but spoiled brats.

They always pick on me, and of course, I always find a way to defuse their anger by acting stupid and laughing at things I should be mad about.

I thought I had finally gained peace when I got admitted into the most popular school in town. They're known for having the second-best player of the year. Everyone believes that, and I do too.

I have attempted many times to join their crew. Maybe if I get trained by the best coach, I will improve at least a little, or maybe if I play alongside stars like Dominic, Alex, and Liam, they will recognize my potential and give me a second chance. But I'm never given an opportunity. In fact, I have never even been allowed to step onto their field—let alone meet the coach who could give me permission to train.

Just like on a normal day, my alarm jolts me awake from my deep slumber. Dragging my feet out of bed, I check the time—it is fifteen minutes past ten. Of course, I'm always late for classes. If only it were a workday, I'd wake up by seven.

I stretch my tired body, my eyes scanning the small room the school assigns to me and my roommate.

I am already late for class, so I drag myself to the bathroom, take a quick shower, and get ready for school.

I stare at the lecturer while he writes something on the board, but everything he says goes in one ear and out the other—I don't catch a word.

The time for his lecture ends, and another lecturer enters. One thing I hate about popular schools: they always take their work seriously.

An hour passes in the blink of an eye, and I am already out of class. I don't have friends, so there's no reason to stay behind for small talk.

I walk past the big stadium. Unlike every other stadium I train in, this one is totally different. It looks beautiful from the outside—I wonder how the inside looks.

I have never been allowed inside, but I just hope I can sneak in.

I walk closer to the gate, but before I even get the chance to open it, the security guard is already yelling at me to leave.

I turn on my heel to walk away when I suddenly see a man in black standing behind me.

I don't need to look too closely to know he is the coach—his outfit says it all. I have been searching for a chance to meet him, and now that I have, I can't find the words to say.

"You play?" he questions, raising a brow.

How does he know what's on my mind?

Without a second thought, I nod.

"Follow me."

And with that, he turns and walks away. Shocked, I stare after him.

How come he's so gentle with his words? Without hesitation, I follow him, feeling the security guard's gaze on me.

The moment I step inside, I am speechless. Why has the security guard been denying me the chance to see such a magnificent sight?

I look around and realize only males are here. They all glare at me with disgust, and that's when I notice they are half-naked. I quickly spin around, my heart racing.

After a minute, I hear the coach's voice instructing me to turn back, and just like that, I do. They are now fully clothed.

"Want to change?" the coach asks, and my eyes widen. Will I start training today?

I nod eagerly, watching as he walks into a room nearby. He comes out with a blue outfit—a skirt and tank top—and tosses it to me. I catch it with a smile.

"Thank you, Coach..." My words trail off into a whisper since I have no idea what his name is.

"Margaret," he says, and I nod.

"Okay, Coach Margaret."

It takes me less than five minutes to change into the clothes he gives me. They fit perfectly, making me look like a real player.

When I step outside, the male players stare at me with nothing but disdain. I wonder what I have done to them—they have just met me today, so why the hate?

The coach splits the male team into groups, then asks me to join one. They all seem unhappy, but maybe they don't dare to question him.

He blows the whistle, and the game starts. Before I can even move my heavy legs, I hear a scream of "Goal!"

How?!

We just started.

It feels abnormal to me but seems normal to them.

The match continues, and my team is losing. Of course, they all blame me—even though I haven't even touched the ball since the game started.

Minutes pass, and I feel drained, but they all look perfectly fine. I think maybe they are just strong because they are men, but I have been training with men all my life, and even they get exhausted at some point.

But these guys? They are different. Even after playing for nearly forty minutes, they show no signs of fatigue. No heavy breathing, no spitting, no requests for water, nothing like my previous team. Something is wrong.

"Hey, you!" I hear the coach's sharp voice behind me. I turn to see him gesturing for me to leave the team.

I obey immediately. As soon as I drop my stick, I collapse onto the floor, gasping for air.

"You did great," he says with a small smile, and I give a weak nod.

After catching my breath, I raise my head to watch what is happening on the field.

Fear ripples through me.

The way they move—it is all a blur, like they are using some kind of supernatural power.

They don't seem human.

Who are they?!