Nox Academy

Part 1

The sky above Nox Academy was as gray as the walls that rose like the fangs of an ancient predator against the horizon.

Cold. Merciless. Every inch of this fortress seemed to remember blood.

I stood in the courtyard and wondered if I was being stupid.

Maybe I was. Stupid for not standing up, not screaming, when my father passed judgment on my life. Stupid for not running. But where would I have gone? There was nowhere I'd have been safe—except maybe inside my books. And those, I wasn't allowed to bring.

The courtyard was full. Dozens of recruits—boys, girls, and others I didn't dare assign a label to—we stood shoulder to shoulder. Some whispered. Others laughed too loudly. And a few simply stared at the entrance to the inner circle of the Academy, their eyes flickering with a mix of nerves and grim resolve.
The entrance trials were about to begin.

I was smaller than most of them. I knew that. I wasn't weak, but compared to the others... I looked like a child who'd wandered into the wrong place.

Suddenly, the call of an owl pierced the air. I recognized it instantly.

Cael.
I turned, scanning the crowd, and soon spotted my brother.

He stood at the edge of the courtyard, half in shadow beneath a stone archway, arms folded across his chest. The uniform of a second-year cadet fit him perfectly—black with dark silver trim, his sword at his side like an extension of his body. His eyes were cold as frozen water.

He gave the slightest nod. Just for me. I waited a moment, then slipped out of the crowd, pretending to look for something. My heart pounded.

He disappeared behind a wall, and I followed. The passage was narrow, a forgotten path between two old storage buildings. It smelled of cold stone and metal. No one saw us. As I came closer, he grabbed my arm and pulled me deeper into the shadows.

"Elira." His voice was a whisper, but it cut like steel. "Do you have the things I told you to bring?"

I nodded, exhaled. "Yeah. Everything."

His eyes ran over me. The leather uniform fit—tight but not restrictive. Mobile. My boots were sturdy and well-worn. Two daggers were strapped to my thigh, angled so I could draw them with either hand.

"Good," he said. "Most of them wear fabric. One of them's going to eat dirt in the first drill when the mud gets into their boots. You won't. You'll stay standing."

His gaze softened. For the briefest moment, he wasn't Cadet Cael Vareth, the Academy's pride. He was just my big brother—the one who used to sneak me into the old cellar so we could play cards all night.

Then his jaw clenched. Anger crept into his expression.

"He really did it. The bastard." He meant Father. Of course. "I thought he was bluffing. I thought he'd send you to Nyrell once the war cooled down. But no. Here you are."

I couldn't say anything. The cold from the stone walls was sinking into my spine.

Nyrell had been my future—a prestigious academy for scholars and lorekeepers. I'd been accepted last summer. I was so close to becoming a historian. Then Mother died, and with her, my only shield.

"Five months," Cael went on, voice low. "Five damned months. These others have trained for this their whole lives, Elira. They'll kill you if you seem weak. Or you'll die in the trials. And the worst part?" He looked me straight in the eyes. "I can't help you."

I wanted to say something. Anything. But my throat was tight, the words stuck.

"If they find out we're siblings, you'll be a target. Not 'maybe.' Immediately. Understand?" I nodded, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "One more thing—stay away from Kaelryn Drayce."

"Kaelryn Drayce?" My stomach twisted. As far as I knew, he and Cael didn't get along.

"He'll see you as leverage. Against me. Or a weakness."

Suddenly, I felt just how small my body was. How little space I took up in this world. How easy it would be to just... snap me in half.

"Then I can't be a weakness," I whispered.

Cael closed his eyes briefly. "Right. You can't trust anyone. Don't laugh. Don't be too slow. Or too fast. Be invisible. Survive."

He placed a hand on my shoulder. "But you'll make it. You're my sister. You're smart. Maybe not strong—yet—but you think before you strike. That's an advantage at Nox... if you live long enough to use it."

Suddenly, I could barely breathe, my chest tightening like it was trying to fold in on itself.

"Cael..." I wanted to say more. That I was scared. That I missed him. That I didn't belong here.

But we heard footsteps. Loud. Close. Someone was calling the candidates together.

Cael stepped back, face hardening again. The perfect demon slayer.

"Go. And..." He hesitated. "If you fall—fall with your teeth in your enemy's throat."

I swallowed hard. Then I turned around.

And walked away.