The Alpha Twins' Lottery Mate

After what felt like a never-ending argument between Chloe and Ariel over who should be Starlight’s manager, the matter somehow ended exactly where it had started. Elle stubbornly refused to surrender the title, Chloe refused to acknowledge her authority, Ariel found the entire situation hilarious, and Starlight wisely removed herself from the discussion altogether. While the three of them continued bickering, she took the opportunity to properly examine her surroundings for the first time. The room was far too large to be called an ordinary dormitory.

Four bunk beds occupied one side of the room, each separated enough to provide a degree of privacy. Elle had immediately claimed the lower bunk and enthusiastically informed Starlight that the bed above hers belonged to her. Chloe and Ariel occupied the remaining bunks on the opposite side. Beyond the sleeping area was a spacious sitting section furnished with several sofas and a low table, the very place where they had spent the last half hour arguing. A small bookshelf stood against one wall, already stocked with academy materials and reference books. There was even a study corner equipped with desks and personal workstations. Along another wall stood a large wardrobe divided into four separate sections for each girl. Inside the section assigned to her, Starlight found several neatly folded academy uniforms waiting for her. She couldn’t help but wonder how they had known her exact measurements. The academy was certainly efficient. She had to give them that.

By the time the argument finally died down, Chloe and Ariel had collectively decided that opposing Elle was a complete waste of energy and simply allowed her to continue calling herself Starlight’s self-appointed manager. The girls then helped her unpack the academy welcome package she had been too distracted to open earlier. Inside were several academy documents, identification materials, and, most importantly, an academy-issued smartphone. Starlight had initially assumed it was optional and intended only for students who couldn’t afford their own devices, only to quickly discover otherwise.

The device was mandatory for every student. Class schedules, assignment notifications, academy announcements, attendance tracking, emergency alerts, campus navigation, dorm access permissions, and countless other functions were connected directly to it. Even the academy map was integrated into the system, just as Ezabel had said. Unfortunately, the Apex application was already preinstalled. Starlight disliked that fact immediately. During the process, she also learned that Chloe, Ariel, and Elle were all Lunar Lottery winners just like her.

For a brief moment, she wondered if the academy intentionally grouped lottery winners together. The girls quickly explained that wasn’t the case. Most lottery winners were scattered throughout the academy’s dormitories. The four of them simply happened to be assigned together by coincidence, making them unusually lucky compared to many of the others. By the time everything had been explained, Starlight had accepted a difficult truth. There was no avoiding Apex. Short of openly rebelling against academy policy, participation was unavoidable. The best she could do was keep her head down, avoid attracting further attention, and stay as far away from the Alpha Twins as possible. She still had no idea what she had done to earn their interest, but whatever the reason, she wanted no part of it.

Not long afterward, all four of their academy phones vibrated simultaneously. The notification that appeared across the screen was impossible to miss.

All first-year students are required to report to the Central Assembly Hall within thirty minutes. Attendance is mandatory.

Starlight blinked as she read the message before suddenly remembering something. Ezabel had mentioned the assembly before dropping her off at the dormitory. So much had happened since then that she had completely forgotten about it. Time really did fly. She could hardly believe that two and a half hours had passed just like that.

The realization sent the girls scrambling into motion. Starlight immediately reached for one of the academy uniforms, only to be told there was no point since classes had not officially started yet and students were still free to wear casual clothes during orientation. To her embarrassment, she felt a tiny pang of disappointment. She couldn’t believe she had actually been excited about wearing the uniform. Apparently, she had been looking forward to seeing how it looked on her more than she cared to admit. So much for not wanting anything to do with Asterion.

A few minutes later, the four girls left the dormitory together and followed the digital campus map displayed on their phones. As they made their way through the enormous academy grounds toward the Central Assembly Hall, Starlight silently hoped whatever awaited them there would be the most ordinary part of her day. Given how everything else had gone so far, she wasn’t particularly optimistic.

The moment the elevator doors opened, they were greeted by a sea of students moving in the same direction. Thousands of young men and women flowed through the academy grounds in an endless stream leading toward the Central Assembly Hall. Conversations overlapped into a constant hum that echoed through the surrounding buildings.

Some students walked in groups, others alone, while countless academy staff members stood at key intersections directing traffic. For a moment, Starlight could only stare. She had never seen so many students gathered in one place before. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for her to notice something else. People were staring.

Some recognized her immediately. Others nudged their friends and whispered while glancing in her direction. A few openly pointed before quickly pretending they hadn’t. Now that she understood what the Apex Rankings were and had read some of the comments circulating about her, every stare suddenly felt different. Starlight became painfully aware of herself. She found herself resisting the urge to pull an imaginary hood over her head and disappear. The attention made her skin crawl.

"Once we’re done with the assembly," Elle said cheerfully, completely oblivious to Starlight’s discomfort, "we’re taking you to the infirmary so they can change those bandages properly. After that, we’re heading straight to the dining hall and putting some good food into your system."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "You’re taking this manager thing very seriously."

"Damn right I am," Elle replied proudly, puffing out her chest. "A good manager takes care of her client. Health comes first. You can’t become the number one-ranked student if you faint from starvation."

Ariel chuckled. "Listen to her. She’s already talking like Star is going to be number one in the academy. At this rate, she’ll be planning her entire career before the term is over."

Starlight sighed. She just wanted to crawl into a bed and have a long, peaceful sleep, hoping that when she woke up, everything would turn out to have been a dream.

By the time they reached the Central Assembly Hall, the crowd had grown even larger. New students streamed through the enormous open entrance in a steady flow, disappearing into the massive structure. Starlight couldn’t believe this many students had been admitted in a single year.

The hall itself was gigantic, resembling a luxurious conference center more than a school assembly hall. Towering pillars lined the interior, while crystal chandeliers hung from the high vaulted ceiling, casting warm light across the room. Rows upon rows of elevated seats stretched toward the back of the hall in a gentle slope, all facing the enormous stage at the front. Large screens had been mounted along the walls to ensure every student could see whatever was happening onstage. The entire place was easily large enough to accommodate several thousand people at once.

What surprised her even more was the number of human students she saw among the crowd. Humans walked alongside werewolves without issue, chatting, laughing, and sitting together as though there was no difference between them. Starlight knew better than most how humans viewed werewolves. They were admired, respected, and in many cases worshipped almost like living gods. Most humans became nervous just standing near one, yet the students around her seemed completely at ease.

The sight left her feeling strangely unsettled, as if she had stepped into a different world where the rules she had grown up believing no longer applied. Besides, wasn’t Asterion Academy an institution created exclusively for werewolves? Why were there so many humans here?

It seemed that over the years, the academy had evolved into one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the entire Empire, attracting both humans and werewolves alike, provided they could afford the tuition. Even though it had originally been founded by werewolves and was still controlled by werewolf nobility, it had long since become something much bigger than that.

If only they knew what those beasts were truly capable of, they probably wouldn’t look so comfortable standing and sitting beside them.

The four girls eventually found a row of empty seats near the far side of the hall, away from the center where most of the crowd was gathering. Starlight immediately chose the seat closest to the wall. Elle sat beside her, Chloe took the next seat, and Ariel settled into the one beside Chloe.

Even then, Starlight could still feel eyes on her from every direction. It made her feel like some kind of exhibit on display.

"That’s Starlight Dawson, right?" a girl whispered from somewhere behind them. "The one the Alpha Twins are supporting?"

"She’s not even that beautiful," another voice answered. "I wonder what they even see in her."

"At least she got their attention," someone else shot back. "What has your beauty done for you?"

"Excuse me?" the first girl snapped. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

The argument continued in hushed voices, quickly disappearing into the countless conversations filling the hall.

Elle frowned and twisted around in her seat. "Do you want me to go deal with those idiots?" she asked. "Because I can absolutely go deal with those idiots."

"Just let them be," Starlight said, leaning back against her seat with a sigh. "I can’t exactly stop people from talking."

The truth was that she was already exhausted. The comments bothered her, but not nearly as much as the constant attention itself. Responding to every person who had an opinion about her would be impossible.

Fortunately, before Elle could continue, movement on the stage drew everyone’s attention. A middle-aged woman stepped onto the platform from a side entrance. She wore a dark navy academy suit embroidered with silver patterns along the cuffs and collar. A pair of thin-framed glasses rested on her nose, and her brown hair was gathered into a neat bun at the back of her head. There was a warm, welcoming smile on her face as she crossed the stage with calm, practiced steps and made her way toward the podium at the center. Almost immediately, conversations throughout the hall began to die down. Within seconds, the massive assembly hall fell silent. All eyes turned toward the stage.

Headmistress Whitmore lightly tapped the microphone twice. Tap. Tap.

A brief squeal of feedback echoed through the hall before fading away. The smile on her face widened as she looked out over the thousands of students seated before her.

"Good afternoon, students, and welcome to Asterion Academy. First of all, congratulations on making it here..."