Chapter One: Sent Off

Nyx’s POV

"Come on, Nyx Uren. What is keeping you? You do not want to be late on your very first day, do you?" Mother's bossy voice rang out from some part of the house.

I sat frozen at the vanity, glaring at the almost nineteen year old girl who reciprocated the same intensity as I did. We completely ignored the woman who birthed us, yelling from the ground floor.

It was 5:45am and I was still in my pyjamas, my peroxide blonde hair in utter disarray. My icy blue eyes tinged with sadness at the thought of all that had transpired in the past one year.

All Mother ever thought about was how the circumstances in my life affected her and she was always quick to make hasty decisions on them, without consulting me, without giving a flying fuck about how these circumstances and decisions affected me.

I was done. This time around, I was putting my foot down. She would not make me miss a year and then go back to be a spring onion, the outcast.

Never.

I heard her hurried footsteps as they marched up the stairs. I knew a storm was coming, but I would not care any less. She could do her worse, if there was any more anyway.

“Nyx, what in the world are you doing in...?” Her next words petered out as she stopped in her tracks the same time she pushed the door open.

Her eyes blazed with anger when they zeroed in on my attire.

“Hi, mum.” My tone was bland and lacked any bit of courtesy. The one thing that I knew would set my mom off completely.

Slowly, she stepped into my bedroom, leaving the door slightly ajar. She came to stand in front of me, hands akimbo.

“Why are you not dressed already?” She asked in a dangerously low tone.

“Because I do not wish to go anywhere, mother,”

“And why is that?”

I snorted. I had already told her why. We had this same argument yesterday when she announced another decision she and father had made on my behalf. No, that was wrong.

Another decision that she had made and then pushed to my father to agree.

Did she think continuously asking me ‘why’ would somehow change my mind?

She sighed softly and walked over to me, placing one hand on my shoulder blade. “Nyx, we talked about this yesterday...”

I was taken aback by the soft tone she used on me. It was something I definitely was not expecting. Mother was never soft.

She forced down everything she wanted down your throat, “No. You screamed, I listened. And when I tried to say something, you screamed again. So no, that was not ‘talking about’ anything.” I made air quotes.

She rolled her eyes at me and squatted. “Look, I know this is a huge adjustment but you know why we need to get this done. We do not want anyone growing suspicious.”

“They would have last year, when I actually wanted to go for it. Now I will just be the new girl with no friends. That is depressing, mum. And guess who has had depression as her ride or die for a long time now?” I paused and then pointed to myself. “Me, mother. And I do not want any more of that.”

Mother squatted to my eye level now and I could make out the concern that swirled in her graphite irises.

It confused me, mother never showed emotions. Slight worry? Yes. But full blown concern that ruffled her composure? Definitely not.

“Look, Nyx. This is important...”

“To you or to me? Because it is not to me,” I cut her off again.

She gave me a look that said, ‘I can let you interrupt me today because I really need this one thing from you. But on a normal day, I will not tolerate it.’

This time, I rolled my eyes.

“As the daughter to an Alpha, Nyx, your sole responsibility is to the family...and the pack.”

“Well guess who did not get the memo. Because he keeps on putting the pack first before family,” I referred to my literal nonexistent father.

The most important thing to my father was his pack. As the Alpha to the second strongest pack in our continent, father had a lot of responsibilities and he would often just leave anything that had to do with me and our family to mom.

“He has always cared for you my dear.” Mom interrupted my thoughts with her flimsy attempt at convincing me that had me rolling my eyes.

“Nyx, you know this is important for you too.” She enclosed my palm in hers. “You know what will happen if people found out everything was a lie...”

I bit my lower lips as I rummaged over her last words. No one had to find out that I had not transformed yet.

It would not only bring shame and disgrace to the family, but I would be a total outcast.

Being ostracised from the pack was way worse than being a spring onion in school. Why had I not thought about it before?

I was just really mad at my parents for always making decisions for me and not caring enough to stop by and check up on how those decisions affected their daughter mentally.

This gap year had been draining, in every way. All my friends had gone to the academy. And my parents had come up with this huge rumour that I was terribly ill and needed to be quarantined. It had been a year now and people were beginning to talk.

So now, my parents are asking me to resume at the academy. But being the spring onion was not my only fear about going.

What had me even more worried was that the academy was for young supernaturals who could transform into their being and access their powers. They were sent to the academy to learn how to harness their powers.

“But I have not transformed yet. Won’t going to the academy expose that fact and make everything worse?” I questioned.

“That is why we needed you to take the gap year...to put everything in place. You have nothing to worry about. We have got your back always,” she assured me, letting her fingers trail my left cheek.

As much as it benefited them more, I could not deny that I needed this more than anything. I cringed at the image of what I would go through as an outcast.

And so with a solemn nod, I stood from my vanity and trudged to the bathroom. When I got out, mother had already left and my formerly trashed room was tidied.

The drawn curtain allowed the sun to illuminate its sparkly white decor.

An outfit had been picked out for me already. Ignoring the blue panelled skirt and chiffon shirt on the bed, I went to my walk in closet to find it almost empty.

I guessed the maids had already packed my suitcases. Not finding what I wanted, I donned the clothing items selected. Then I combed my hair down, the straightened luxurious strands stopping just above my waist.

I slipped my feet into my tan flats and checked myself in the mirror one more time before exiting my room.

“You are all set?” Mother asked, as I stepped down the stairs.

I nodded as I followed her out. Maybe I was set physically. Mentally? I was not so sure.

The ride to the academy was a sombre one. I had plugged in my ear pods and Billie Eilish’s vocals pacified my soul.

Mum sat beside me, speaking into her cell phone while clicking away on the laptop on her laps. Her personal assistant, Miss Georgia sat in the front passenger seat and took notes as Mother spoke.

I looked out the window to enjoy the scenic view nature had painted for me.

The sun tinted the horizon with its bright orange rays as it rested just above the mountains.

The trees danced softly to the slow caress of the wind. At that point, I wished I could freeze time and be engrossed in this beautiful sight forever.

Gradually, we left the woods and entered the city. The trees had morphed into skyscrapers and large LED billboards.

Humans littered every sidewalk, going about their business. I sighed in exasperation as our vehicle slowed and joined the traffic.

This was one reason I hated the city. Thank the moon goddess we stayed in the woods. Imagine having to face this everyday.

The traffic seemed not to be decongesting anytime soon. The academy was in the woods just on the outskirts of this city. The boredom I felt just sitting there, coupled with the music that blasted from my pods, lulled me to sleep.

It was a long time when Mum tapped me and I turned to her, pausing Billie’s I Don’t Want To Be You Anymore.

“We are here.” She motioned to the huge building resting on top of a hill. There was no fence or barriers. Was it even safe there?

As we got closer, I recognized the building’s similarities with the Parthenon, an old architecture building aged to be about 2468 years old. The car pulled up at the entrance and as we got out, I choked on my spit.

Up close, the building was magnificent, as tall as a skyscraper. I subconsciously counted the pillars supporting the mediaeval structure.

“Seven,” I muttered.

This might even be the Parthenon for real.

“Come on,” Mother urged me as she took a step.

As we got close to the entrance, the enormous wooden double doors opened on their own. I felt excitement course through me. Magic!

Okay, this might not be such a bad experience.

Mother led me through a short dimly lit corridor. She knocked on the door at the dead end and it swung open.

The room on the other end turned out to be an office.

“Welcome,” a bubbly voice chimed.

“Welcome,” a bubbly voice chimed.

I recognized that voice. “Aunty Gacia,” I ran into her embrace.

Aunty Gacia was my mother’s younger sister and my favourite aunt. She was a short curvy woman with ginger shoulder length hair and hazel green eyes. It had been ages since I last saw her.

Although they weren't related by blood, I felt more connected with Aunt Gacia than any other relative.

“I would leave you two to it then. Listen to your aunt, Nyx. It is the only way you can survive.” Mother instructed.

“You make it sound like she could die here, Sylva.” Aunty Gacia chided my mum. “Say hello to Dave for me. Your daughter is in good hands.” She reassured my mum.

Mother gave a curt nod and disappeared through the door.

“You must be exhausted, Nyx. I will show you to your room now so you can rest. Come by tomorrow and I will help you settle in properly, alright?”

I nodded uncertainty. I was unsure if I was ready to face this new world.

Taking a deep breath, I mumbled. “Here goes nothing.”