THE CROWN THEY HID FROM ME

Aera Vale had always known she was ordinary.

Ordinary hair, ordinary height, ordinary magic.

Magic that barely flickered, magic that barely obeyed. In the village, everyone laughed politely when her spells fizzled. Even her own guardian said, with a sigh, “You’ll never be anything extraordinary.”

Yet here she was, standing in the small clearing behind her cottage, staring at a golden seal that bore the crest of Astryss Royal Academy—the academy that ordinary girls could only dream of… because they were forbidden from entering.

A messenger knelt before her, cloak rustling in the wind. His face was sharp, expression unreadable.

“Miss Vale,” he said, bowing. “You are hereby summoned to the Astryss Royal Academy. Attendance is mandatory.”

Aera blinked. Her hands trembled as she reached for the letter.

It burned.

Not physically, but beneath her fingertips, a warmth pulsed through her palm. The crest glowed faintly—her heartbeat matching the glow.

“Impossible,” she whispered.

Her guardian appeared in the doorway, eyes wide. “You… you received it? I thought…” He trailed off, his lips pressed tight.

“Thought what?” Aera demanded.

He shook his head. “They weren’t supposed to find you. Not yet.”

Aera’s stomach turned. “Who? Who weren’t supposed to—”

Before he could answer, Kael Ardyn stepped from the shadows of the path leading to the forest. He was tall, perfectly composed, with eyes that seemed to see through her very soul.

“You’ll need a guide,” he said simply, his gaze never leaving her face. “I’m assigned to you.”

Aera opened her mouth. “Wait—what? Assigned by who?”

Kael didn’t answer. Instead, he held out his hand. Calm. Certain. Controlled.

Against every instinct screaming in her mind, she took it.

The world tilted. The wind swirled. And then, the seal flared brighter than sunlight, etching warmth into her skin—marking her in a way that made her blood hum.

“You were never meant to be admitted,” Kael whispered, his voice low enough only she could hear. “You were meant to be found.”

Aera’s pulse raced. The golden crest glowed hotter, and the world seemed to hold its breath.

Something ancient, something alive, had noticed her.

And whatever it was… it wasn’t pleased.

Aera’s boots crunched along the cobbled pathway leading to Astryss Royal Academy. The gates towered above her, carved from white stone that gleamed even under the dull morning sky. Spires reached like fingers into the clouds, and banners fluttered, each bearing a symbol more intricate than she could decipher.

The air buzzed—not with ordinary magic, but something older, deliberate, and watching. She felt it tug at her fingertips, prickling her skin. Every step made her pulse faster, every breath heavier.

Kael walked beside her, hands clasped behind his back, expression unreadable. “First rule,” he said, “don’t touch anything unless you’re told. This place reacts to power it doesn’t recognize.”

“Power it doesn’t recognize?” Aera echoed, glancing at the towering walls. “You mean… me?”

Kael’s gaze flickered. “We’ll see.”