Chapter 11: Welcome to Asterion Academy
The moment Starlight stepped down from the minivan, the world exploded around her. Camera flashes detonated in rapid succession, turning the air white. Light burst across her vision from every direction, so bright and relentless that her eyes immediately narrowed. Sharp spots danced at the edges of her sight, making everything blur together for a few disorienting seconds.
"Miss Dawson, over here!"
"Miss Dawson, look this way!"
"Miss Dawson, give us a smile!"
The shouting came from every angle at once. Microphones wrapped in different news logos were thrust toward her face like spears. Phones hovered overhead.
Reporters pushed against one another in their desperation to get closer.
"Miss Dawson, how does it feel to be among the Lunar Lottery winners?"
"Miss Dawson, were you expecting to be chosen?"
"Any words on how you’re feeling right now?"
"Miss Dawson, why did your arrival take so much longer than the other winners’?"
"Miss Dawson, were there complications during your transport?"
"Miss Dawson, is the bandage on your forehead the reason for your delayed arrival?"
Starlight’s fingers tightened around the strap of her backpack. If the van hadn’t driven off the moment she stepped down, she would have seriously considered climbing back inside and refusing to come out until this madness was over. The entire situation felt overwhelming, invasive, and completely ridiculous. Then came the questions that made her pause.
"Miss Dawson, what is your relationship with the Alpha twins?"
"Miss Dawson, are you secretly involved with either of them?"
"Miss Dawson, were you granted a private audience with the Alpha Twins before arriving at the Academy?"
"Miss Dawson, were you selected because you’re secretly dating one of the Alpha Twins?"
If disbelief had a face, Starlight was certain hers would match it perfectly.
Audience and secretly involved with thinvolve Twins? Were these reporters completely insane? Where on earth were they getting these ridiculous ideas from?
How did they even manage to come up with such absurd, baseless questions?
She had never met either prince in her life. Unless watching them on television somehow counted as meeting them, where were all these ridiculous questions coming from?
Voices rose higher, sharp and overlapping, as photographers jostled for better positions and reporters called over one another. Starlight blinked rapidly against the unrelenting barrage of flashes, ducking her head to shield her eyes from the glare. Her grip on her backpack tightened like a lifeline, pulling the small bag flush against her chest.
Where the hell were the security guards? Wasn’t this the perfect time for them to come to her rescue?
As if summoned by her frustration, two towering security guards clad in gray tactical gear cut through the chaos, positioning themselves on either side of her and clearing a path toward the academy entrance.
The media pressed even closer, the perimeter line collapsing under the weight of the crowd. Voices grew louder now, more insistent, desperate for a response, a reaction, anything they could turn into a headline.
"Miss Dawson, what do you think about the Alpha twins publicly supporting you?"
"Miss Dawson, do you plan on choosing one of them during the Lunar Mating Ceremony?"
"Miss Dawson, are you aware that your Apex Ranking is rising faster than any first-year student’s in Academy history?"
Starlight would have rolled her eyes if the relentless flashes weren’t already burning them raw. She kept her jaw locked, focusing entirely on the ground directly in front of her worn shoes as the security guards guided her forward. The questions were becoming more and more ridiculous. Seriously, what ranking? What support? She had absolutely no idea what any of them were talking about.
The second they crossed through the academy gate, additional security personnel stationed at the entrance stepped forward.
A solid line formed across the gateway.
The officers had been deployed specifically for the arrival of the Lunar Lottery winners. It was standard procedure every year whenever a new group of winners arrived at Asterion Academy. "That’s enough."
"Back behind the barrier."
The reporters stopped advancing, but the questions kept flying through the air as though they were determined to squeeze out one final answer before she disappeared from their sight. Cameras continued flashing even as the academy’s massive gates began sliding shut. The sudden barrier muted the roar of the crowd into a distant, muffled clamor.
Starlight let out a long, shaky exhale, her shoulders slumping as she finally unclasped her white-knuckled grip on her backpack strap. That was one hell of a welcome.
She looked up at the sprawling campus before her. It looked less like a school and more like a city carved from glass and white stone. Towering ivory buildings stretched toward the sky, their soaring spires crowned with silver domes that shimmered beneath the afternoon sun. Floor-to-ceiling glass reflected the brilliant blue sky, while sparkling fountains dotted the perfectly manicured courtyards, surrounded by towering trees and vibrant flowerbeds. The entire academy radiated prestige, wealth, and centuries of history. Starlight couldn’t deny it. The werewolves certainly knew how to build.
With the chaos at the gates finally behind her, she had a chance to appreciate the academy’s breathtaking architecture. Unfortunately, the distraction didn’t last. The moment her admiration faded, reality came crashing back. She was finally here. She was finally inside Asterion Academy.
Her nerves returned in full force, a painful knot tightening in her stomach.
What the hell was she supposed to do now?
"Welcome to Asterion Academy."
Caught off guard by the greeting, Starlight jumped, her heart lurching into her throat as she spun around. A well-dressed young woman stood a few steps away, dressed in an immaculate white shirt and a crimson skirt. A practiced smile rested on her face, and her posture was straight and composed.
Starlight frowned, wondering where she had even come from. Had she been standing there the entire time?
"I trust your journey was pleasant, Miss Dawson," the young lady said, her voice calm and composed. "Allow me to formally welcome you to Asterion Academy. We’ve been expecting your arrival."