The High Priestess

Aralyn's POV

Against every ounce of instinct screaming at me to run, I had gotten into the car.

The man—tall and unnervingly polite—hadn't said much after mentioning the Priestess. He had simply opened the car door, waiting patiently for me to step inside, and after standing on that empty road, I had come to the conclusion that I had no better option.

So now, I sat in the backseat, fidgeting with the edge of my tattered pajama sleeve, my heart pounding in my chest. The silence in the car was suffocating, and my mind was spinning as I tried to make sense of what was happening.

Where the hell was I?

Had I stepped into some magical world?

I wasn't dismissing the possibility. A mirror had sucked me in, and I'm pretty sure that didn't happen in Vasthral's slums often.

The car moved smoothly over the road, and after what felt like an eternity, the scenery outside the window shifted. The open space gave way to a huge building, but nothing prepared me for what was at the end of the road.

My breath caught in my throat as we pulled up to a building so massive it defied logic.

It stretched impossibly high into the sky, and the architecture was unlike anything I had ever seen—old, yet terrifyingly modern, with spires that curved unnaturally toward the sky. The sheer presence of it was overwhelming, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.

It was like someone had tried to build a tower to reach the gods themselves.

The car came to a halt at the entrance, where two massive double doors stood, adorned with intriguing drawings illuminated by a faint silver light. I couldn't help but stare at them.

The driver stepped out and moved around to open my door. The moment I stepped onto the pavement, I gasped, unable to contain my shock.

"What… what is this place?" My voice wavered as I took in the sheer immensity of the building in front of me.

The man inclined his head slightly, his expression as composed as ever.

"You stand before the Great Academy of Shadowvale," he said, his deep voice call. "The heart of knowledge, power, and magic in this realm."

I sucked in a sharp breath.

Magic.

That confirmed it. This wasn't just another city, another kingdom hidden beyond Vasthral. I wasn't anywhere normal. I was in a completely different world.

My mind reeled as I tried to piece it together. The mirror, the way I had been pulled into it, and the dreamlike quality of this place. It all made sense in the most terrifying way possible.

And yet… why me?

"I—" I hesitated, swallowing thickly. "Are you saying I'm in some magical world?"

The driver didn't blink. "Well, you're in Eldrinth, My lady," he responded. "A realm far from the one you came from."

My stomach twisted, and I looked back at the Academy, feeling extremely uneasy.

"So… why am I here?" My voice was quieter now, almost afraid of the answer.

The man didn't immediately respond. Instead, he gestured toward the entrance. "The High Priestess will explain everything. She is expecting you."

My brows furrowed, and too many questions surged in my mind. Who was she, and why was she expecting me? What did she want from me?

I opened my mouth to demand more answers, but the man's expression remained unreadable.

"Come," he said simply. "Your questions will be answered in due time."

I hesitated.

Everything about this was a risk. Walking into that building could mean walking straight into danger. For all I knew, I was being led to my death, but I had already taken a risk by getting in the car, and if I was in some strange magical world, blindly wandering it on my own wouldn't do me any favors.

I exhaled slowly, forcing my nerves down, and nodded. "Fine."

With that, the driver turned and led me toward the entrance, and as we approached, the doors opened on their own. The glow of the drawings intensified, as if the Academy itself was responding to me, and another shiver crawled down my spine.

The moment I stepped inside the Academy, my breath hitched.

The first thing I saw—the very first thing—was a girl flying past us. She was not jumping, nor was she suspended by wires—she was simply flying.

Two dark-feathered wings extended from her back, effortlessly keeping her aloft as she went through the hall. The way she moved was both effortless and unnatural, like gravity was nothing but a mild inconvenience to her.

Her eyes flickered toward me for the briefest second, and in that second, I saw it—the look of instant disgust.

My stomach twisted. It wasn't just passing curiosity. It was revulsion, a sneer barely concealed behind her beautiful features. Like I was something offensive.

Before I could process it, she turned her head away and flew off, disappearing behind one of the archways that lined the Academy's interior.

I blinked, heart pounding, my fingers curling against my sides.

What the hell was that about? But before I could dwell on it, my attention snapped elsewhere.

Two boys were walking ahead of us, their hands casually tucked into their pockets, their posture exuding confidence. They looked normal from behind—broad shoulders, lean figures, nothing that screamed 'terrifying flying girl' or 'otherworldly.'

But when they turned, a loud gasp tore from my throat, and I almost screamed.

Their faces—they weren't human. I didn't know what they were, but their features were wrong. Their eyes were pitch black with slitted pupils, and their smiles stretched just a little too wide. One of them caught me staring, and his lips curled higher, revealing teeth that were too pointed and too unnatural.

I quickly tore my gaze away, my pulse hammering as I walked faster to keep up with the driver.

This wasn't just a school.

This was something else, and if those boys and the flying girl were any indication—I didn't belong here.

My hands were shaking.

The driver must have noticed, because without slowing his pace, he turned his head slightly and said, "Do not be afraid."

I let out a breathless laugh. Easy for him to say.

He continued, his voice calm. "No one here will harm you."

That was a bold claim, considering I had already gotten my first death glare not even two minutes after stepping foot inside this place.

I swallowed thickly, my voice hoarse. "What kind of academy is this?"

The driver didn't answer. Instead, he led me toward a metallic set of doors that reflected our image back at us like a mirror. It was an elevator, but unlike any I had ever seen. There were no visible buttons and no panel to press.

Just a smooth surface. The driver raised a gloved hand and pressed his palm to the center, and the elevator hummed, light spreading from where he touched, as if it had recognized him. Then, with a faint sound, the doors slid open.

I hesitated.

The Academy was already throwing far too many strange things my way, and if this elevator worked like the rest of this place, I had a feeling it wasn't going to be a normal ride.

The driver stepped inside first and gestured for me to follow. I exhaled sharply, then forced my feet forward. The doors slid shut behind us.

I turned, gripping the rail instinctively as I looked at the driver. "Where exactly are we going?"

He met my gaze, his expression unreadable. "To the High Priestess."

Right. The mysterious woman who supposedly had all the answers.

Then, the driver's voice came again. "Hold on tight."

I didn't have time to ask why because in the next instant, the floor dropped out from under us. A choked gasp ripped from my throat as gravity vanished, my stomach lurching as the elevator plummeted downward at a speed that was utterly impossible.

The walls blurred, and I clenched the rail in a death grip, my breath trapped in my throat and my heart hammering.

"What the hell—"

Then it stopped. Not slowed, not gradually came to a halt. Just stopped.

One second I was free-falling, and the next—I was standing still, knees weak and hands trembling against the rail.

The driver stood unfazed, perfectly composed as if we hadn't just broken every law of physics known to man.

I barely had time to catch my breath before the driver stepped out of the elevator, and I swallowed hard, forcing my shaky legs to move as I followed behind him.

As soon as I stepped into the room, my breath hitched.

It was like stepping into some kind of divine sanctuary, a place that was in between a heavenly shrine and an office.

At the center of the room stood a desk, and sitting behind it was a woman. The chair slowly turned, and I found myself staring.

She was… young. Way younger than I had expected.

I don't know what I had imagined when I heard the title High Priestess—someone older, but the woman in front of me? She didn't look more than five years older than me, and I was only nineteen.

Her white hair ran past her shoulders, and her features were flawless, almost too perfect—high cheekbones, full lips curved into the faintest smile, and piercing silver-like eyes that seemed to see right through me.

Something about her commanded attention, though. Even as young as she looked, she radiated authority.

She smiled, and then, in a smooth voice, she said. "Welcome, Aralyn."

My stomach dropped.

She knew my name. I felt my fingers twitch at my sides, the urge to step back almost overwhelming.

The woman's smile didn't falter. If anything, it deepened, as though she could feel my panic.

"You seem surprised," she mused, tilting her head slightly.

I forced my mouth to work. "I—" My voice cracked, and I swallowed, trying again. "I just… I didn't tell you my name."

She let out a soft laugh, tapping her fingers against the armrest of her chair. "You didn't have to."

That didn't help my nerves at all.

Slowly and cautiously, I straightened my shoulders, forcing my voice to sound stronger than I felt.

"You know my name," I said, watching her carefully. "But I don't know yours."

For a brief second, something flickered in her eyes—something unreadable, then she smiled again.

"I am Amodina," she said. "High Priestess of Eldrinth and overseer of Shadowvale."

"Right," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "And what exactly is this place?"

Amodina studied me for a long moment.

Then, leaning forward slightly, she said. "This is the Great Academy of Shadowvale. A place where the gifted are taught and where the powerful are forged."

Her silver eyes gleamed. "And where the unknowing—" her lips curved just slightly— "discover who they truly are."