Novel & Cerita Academy 183

The Academy wasn’t a place that appealed to me, but I’d rather be near him than go back to the mansion and face the echoes of Dania’s words. When we arrived at the Academy, the atmosphere changed drastically. It was a vast compound, with a dirt floor and surrounded by stone walls. The air was thick with a metallic smell of sweat, leather, and testosterone. There were dozens of men, most of them shirtless, moving with a brute force that was overwhelming. They were shouting, colliding with one another, and punching sandbags with a violence that made me flinch. “Stay here, on this side,” Arsel told me, pointing to a somewhat secluded area with wooden benches. “I won’t be more than twenty minute

Vaike responded honestly. Even now, he couldn't shake off the chill crawling up his spine. - Saintly Woods Academy was a prestigious private academy for elites located in Springberg. Its vast campus was perpetually filled with the sounds of studious students amidst rustic and picturesque landscapes. It was the pride of Springberg, renowned for its academic and educational excellence. A glance at the school's alumni would reveal the multitude of brilliant individuals it had produced and the numerous accolades it had achieved.

Dear Mom and Dad: My first day was quite interesting, I met some classmates that I liked very much, especially one named Carolina who told me something interesting about the academy, remember I told you that the boarding school was haunted, it seems that the rumors are true. Today I start the first day of school and I am nervous, but I will still do my best not to betray your trust. Love, Mindy. -Mindy, ¿are you ready? -Yes, just let me send this message and...done.

*** Two hours later, three limited-edition sport cars, a royal blue, passion red and pristine white with sleek silver stripe around each, courtesy of A-mobiles, drove into the last gates of the academy. They pulled up in a classic style in a private parking space meant for the three heirs alone. Don't throw shades! As their fathers were the founding members of the school and the only majority share holders, an insignificant issue such as a private parking space was the least demonstration of the power the young heirs wielded in the academy! Co-founders, De' Argent, Winterfield and Campbell, were old friends and business partners which made their heirs easier to bond. BEVERLY HILLS ACADEMY, w

"Dumont Academy is competing." I looked at him. "Raphael's school," he added, unnecessarily. "I know whose school it is, Theo." "Right." He leaned against the door frame. "You okay?" "Fantastic," I said. "Never better. Completely fine. What's the track?" The announcement went up at eight and by eight fifteen the academy common room had achieved a noise level usually associated with natural disasters. The Inter-Academy Grand Invitational — five schools, one track, one weekend, legitimate prize money and a trophy that apparently mattered enough to various pack hierarchies that people were already making calls.

“So, it’s like some kind of generational cult?” “Not at all,” Blakeney laughed it off. “The Academy has been around since before the Revolutionary War. But we only accept certain kinds of students. From certain . . . backgrounds.” Mother and son both blinked blankly at him. “Does your mother know about your special ability, Christian?” Blakeney forged on seriously.

The same team where I'm the assistant coach. The Moon Eclipse Pack runs one of the most elite academies in the country. The Moon Eclipse academy—a place that grooms the one percent of the one percent prominent werewolf heirs—Alphas, Betas, Gammas. A place where ranks matter more than brains and where anyone without a prominent family name is disposable.

“The academy was founded in the year of death by our master, ruler of hell and the king of all demons, Lucifer. He stuck a deal with the heavens. Demons, selkies, fae, all creatures from the underworld could walk amongst humans, on a condition. They survive a year long training in his academy and pass the culling.” The crowd burst into loud screams at that. “There are no rules here,” Alstra looked straight at me. “And only the strongest survive. Good luck.” The crowd scattered immediately, and it seemed everyone knew where they were headed to. Everyone except me. I stood in the middle of the hustle, waiting for someone to at least tell me where I was going. Which is why not even a minute lat

Alex's POV: The academy feels strange that morning. Not loud. Not quiet. Just waiting. I stand in the main hall with the rest of the students while Coach Vega reads the announcement board. The air smells like metal and morning dew drifting in from the open windows. Everyone is restless after the trial sessions. Muscles sore. Minds sharper. Coach Vega clears his throat. “Listen carefully,” he says. His voice is calm but heavy. “Due to the Decade Mate Moon, the academy will close for three days starting tonight.”

The moment I stepped outside, I couldn’t catch my breath. Lunaris Academy. The stories alone were enough to make grown men shiver. And I already knew some… every boy in the region did. They said the Academy trained only the most ruthless. The instructors beat you until bone met ground. The wolves there didn’t fight for sport; they fought like they wanted to tear each other apart. The final trials were rumored to kill at least one student every year. And my father… wanted to send me there. I kept walking. I didn’t even know where I was going. My feet just carried me to the quiet part of the pack grounds, near the training meadow where I usually met with my two closest friends… Talia and Rhea.