All Chapters of THE CROWN THEY HID FROM ME: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

They passed beneath the grand archway, and the courtyard opened up before her. Students were everywhere—some practicing spells in midair, some gliding across the stone paths, their magic leaving shimmering trails behind them. Aera stopped, overwhelmed.The Academy was alive.Whispers followed her like shadows. “Did you see her?” one girl muttered to another. “She has no rank… how is she here?”“They say she’s… the Chosen One,” another replied softly, eyes wide.Aera swallowed. Chosen One? She doesn’t even know how to make fire appear properly.Kael steered her toward a massive stone staircase. “You’ll need to register with the Headmistress before the first lesson.”As they walked, she noticed other students staring at her. Some curiosity, some fear. She tried to ignore it.But then a voice rang out, calm and precise.“You shouldn’t be here.”Aera turned sharply. A young woman, clad in dark emerald robes, approached. Her expression was cold, sharp. “Common-born students don’t enter Ast

The halls of Astryss Royal Academy were quieter at night. Or perhaps it was just that the students who weren’t meant to be here were finally gone. Aera’s footsteps echoed softly on the polished stone, her heartbeat louder than any sound.Kael had warned her—never go near the Restricted Wing. He hadn’t explained why, only that she should stay away. But something about the warning made her curiosity flare. And after the events in the first lesson, her curiosity had teeth.She paused in front of a long corridor veiled in shadows. Torches flickered in iron sconces, but even their light seemed to avoid the end of the hallway, which was sealed by a massive oak door carved with symbols that twisted and shimmered under her gaze.This is it, she thought. The Forbidden Wing.The pull in her chest wasn’t fear; it was something deeper, magnetic. Like the wing itself was alive, calling her.Aera glanced behind her. The Academy was silent. Even Kael, usually never far, was nowhere in sight. “He mus

The courtyard stretched before her like a stage for some cruel play. The morning sun, pale and hesitant, caught the edges of the Academy’s spires, but even the light could not chase away the shadows that had gathered below.Aera’s pulse thundered in her chest. The sigil on her palm pulsed as if alive, reacting to the figure at the center of the courtyard. Shadows twisted unnaturally around them, moving with intent, coiling and writhing in ways that made her skin crawl.Kael was right behind her, but his grip on her shoulder was light. He had learned—somehow—that this was her fight, and while he would intervene if necessary, he knew the shadows had chosen her.“Who are they?” Aera whispered, her voice trembling.Kael’s jaw tightened. “I don’t know. But they’re tied to the sigil you carry. And they’re dangerous.”Aera’s legs moved before her mind could catch up. She didn’t know why she was running down the stairs toward the courtyard, only that something inside her—something deep in her

The next morning, the Academy was shrouded in mist, the towers rising like ghostly sentinels above the sleeping grounds. Aera moved silently through the hallways, the sigil on her palm pulsing faintly. Its rhythm seemed tied to her heartbeat, a reminder of the power now flowing through her veins. She could feel its weight, its presence, a constant companion she could neither ignore nor fully control.Kael walked beside her, silent as always, but his eyes were sharp, scanning every corner, every shadow. “Stay alert,” he said finally. “You’re about to begin your formal training. And this isn’t a lesson like the others. The Trial of Fire is not a test of strength alone—it’s a test of control, endurance, and instinct. You will be pushed to the limit.”Aera nodded, swallowing the tightness in her chest. “I’m ready,” she said, though her voice trembled slightly.Kael’s lips pressed into a thin line, and he didn’t answer. He simply led her to the training grounds—a vast arena ringed by high

The morning sun filtered weakly through the Academy towers, barely piercing the mist that clung to the courtyards. Aera had spent the night restless, the warning from the cloaked figure echoing in her mind. Betrayal was already here, lurking among those she had trusted. Every glance, every whisper, every sidelong look now seemed loaded with hidden intent.Kael had insisted she stay close to him, but even his presence couldn’t shake the gnawing sense of danger that threaded through every hallway, every classroom.“This feels different,” Aera said quietly as they walked through the corridors toward the main training hall. “Something… someone is planning. And it’s not just the shadows or the intruders from before. It’s… someone here.”Kael’s dark eyes narrowed. “I know. That’s why you must remain alert. Watch everyone—but trust almost no one. Even a friend can be a threat.”Aera swallowed, her pulse tightening. The idea that someone she thought was an ally could betray her was almost wor