Third person POV
The first time Sera Alden walked through the iron gates of Aradia Academy, she felt like she’d stepped into the jaws of something ancient. The ivy-covered stone walls, the gothic spires clawing at the sky, and the overwhelming silence it was like the school itself was watching her.
She kept her shoulders squared, her bag slung casually over one shoulder, her expression unreadable. She’d practiced that look. Calm. Controlled. Forgettable. But she knew better than to think she’d go unnoticed.
Girls at Aradia didn’t ignore a new arrival especially not one dropped in a week after term began, the same day a body turned up in the lake.
Her assigned dorm room was on the fourth floor of the east wing. Small, neat, and shared.
“Hi,” said a voice as she stepped inside.
June Marrow. Friendly enough. Hair tied in a careless braid. Nervous smile. She looked like someone who tried too hard not to stand out, which made her stand out even more.
“I’m June. You must be Sera.”
Sera nodded, dropped her bag onto the bed farthest from the window, and offered a small smile. “Looks like I’m late to the party.”
June didn’t laugh. “You picked a hell of a day to show up.”
“I heard.”
“Everyone’s talking about it. They say it was Grace Lorne. A senior. Top of the fencing team. Disappeared last night, and then…”
Sera glanced at her. “You believe the rumors?”
June hesitated. “I believe something’s wrong.”
Sera sat on the edge of the bed, eyes scanning the minimal furnishings. Perfectly polished floors. Crisp linen. A photo of June and two other girls pinned to the corkboard laughing, unguarded.
“Do you know who found her?” Sera asked.
“No. But everyone’s been whispering about Elira Voss. They say she was close to Grace. Like, really close.”
That name again. Sera had heard it even before stepping foot on campus.
Elira Voss.
She was everything Aradia Academy stood for: legacy, perfection, power. The kind of girl who didn’t have to speak to be heard. The kind who sat at the top of the pyramid and made sure everyone else knew where they stood.
And Sera had come here for her.
---
Later that afternoon, the girls gathered in the Grand Hall for a mandatory assembly. Sera stood near the back, watching. Always watching.
The headmistress spoke about tragedy. About safety. About unity. But no one was listening.
Everyone’s eyes were on Elira.
She sat in the center of the front row, back straight, face unreadable. Like royalty on a crumbling throne. Her friends flanked her, perfect in posture and expression, but none as composed as her.
Sera studied her.
The girl didn’t flinch. Not even when the headmistress mentioned Grace’s name. Not even when the silence in the room grew sharp and judgmental.
Elira’s gaze flicked upward, just for a second.
Their eyes met.
It was like being seen and stripped bare all at once. Elira didn’t look away. She just stared assessing, measuring, deciding.
Sera held her gaze.
The moment passed. But it left a scar.
---
Back in the dorm, June wouldn’t stop talking.
“She looked right at you. That was weird, right? Elira doesn’t do that. She doesn’t look at anyone unless, unless she wants something.”
Sera sat by the window, one leg pulled up, watching the last of the sun vanish behind the trees. “Maybe she just wanted to see what the new girl looked like.”
“Maybe.”
Sera said nothing more.
She didn’t come to Aradia to make friends.
She came to finish what someone else started.
And Elira Voss was the key.
---
YOU ARE READING
The Price of Truth(GL)
Mystery / ThrillerSera Alden is determined to uncover the truth behind the mysterious death of Grace Voss, a tragedy that sets her on a dangerous path. As Sera dives deeper into the secrets surrounding the Voss family, she crosses paths with Elira Voss, a powerful an...
