Chapter 1
Aurora
I had never heard silence quite like the one that hung over Lupinhollow.
I leaned my forehead against the cold car window. Even through the glass, I could feel the woods pressing in—old and heavy. The trees weren’t like the ones in the city. They didn’t whisper; they towered. Dark pines rose on both sides of the road, so thick they blocked out the sun. It was just past noon, but it already looked like dusk.
Mom hummed quietly along with the radio. Some soft indie ballad. She tapped the steering wheel out of rhythm while Dad snored in the passenger seat, mouth open like a cave. He'd insisted on driving the first five hours of the trip and then passed out as soon as the road got twisty. Figures.
I pulled my hoodie tighter around my arms. August wasn't supposed to feel like October.
The welcome sign flashed by so fast I almost missed it.
Welcome to Lupinhollow—Est. 1812.
A Howling Good Time Awaits!
I snorted. "Seriously?"
Mom just smiled, her eyes still on the winding mountain road. "Local charm, baby."
„Local cringe,“ I muttered.
But I wasn't really annoyed. Just…tired. Nervous, maybe. A little cold. Everything felt different today—the air, the trees, even the sunlight—and I didn't know if that was the town or just me.
We rounded a curve, and suddenly, like something out of a painting, the college came into view.
At first, I thought it was a castle. Out of nowhere, this massive stone building appeared through the trees, covered in ivy like something from a fantasy movie. It had tall, pointy roofs, old arches, and windows so thin they looked more like arrow slits than anything else. It wasn’t ugly—in fact, it was pretty cool—but it definitely didn’t look like any college I’d ever seen.
A chill ran down my neck.
"This is it," Mom said softly, "Moonbound Academy."
I wanted to ask why it is called that, but the words stuck in my throat. I didn't want to sound dumb, especially since they'd spent the last six weeks hyping this place up. "Best-rated private boarding college in the region," Mom had said. “Top-tier academics, incredible wilderness programs, full scholarship—what’s not to love?”
I'd heard it all already. And yet now, sitting in the shadow of this dark, towering place, I had the sinking feeling that I'd missed something important.
„Looks more like a haunted monastery than a college," I murmured, only half-joking.
Dad woke up with a grunt and rubbed his face. „We here?“
Mom pulled into the lot and found a spot next to a bunch of other cars. Students were everywhere, dragging suitcases or tossing duffel bags over their shoulders. I was expecting classic prep school vibes—dress pants, cardigans, maybe some quiet kids with thick glasses and big books. But nope. Everyone looked like they’d just stepped off the set of some supernatural teen show. Lots of leather jackets, combat boots, and dark circles under their eyes like it was a fashion statement.
Some of them were laughing, sure—but not loudly.
And then I noticed something else.
They were staring at me.
Not in a new-girl kind of way. Not even in a 'who's she' way.
They stared like I was…off. Wrong. Something just out of place enough to make them squint.
I shifted in my seat.
"Don't overthink it," Mom said, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. „They're just curious.“
But they weren't looking at her. Or Dad. Just me.
Mom killed the engine. The silence that followed wasn't normal silence—it was alive. The kind that made your ears ring a little. I could hear the wind moving through the trees, like the whole forest was breathing.
"Come on, sweetheart," Dad said as he climbed out, stretching like he hadn't just spent hours snoring. "Let's find the front office.“
I stepped out of the car, the gravel crunching under my sneakers. It was cooler here, even for August. Not cold, exactly, but the air had weight. I pulled my hoodie tighter, fingers fidgeting with the cuffs.
The students kept watching me as we walked by. Their faces didn’t really change. Some squinted, others just stared. I tried to smile at a girl with a silver braid and big boots.
She didn't smile back.
The main building towered above us. Its black stone covered in creeping ivy. Over the double doors, carved deep into the archway, were words in latin: Luna Vincit Omnia
"What's that mean?" I asked, staring up at it.
Dad shrugged. "Something about the moon freeing all. You know your mom took Latin in college, not me.“
He was wrong, but I didn't correct him. I'd seen the phrase before—in a brochure they gave us in the acceptance packet. The Moon conquers all.
I remember thinking it sounded ominous then. It still does now.
Inside, the entryway was somehow darker than outside. The lighting was dim, everything cast in this soft gold glow that made the shadows stretch longer than they should. The floor was stone, the ceilings high enough to echo, and the air smelled faintly of sage and something sharp—like iron or earth after rain.
A woman sat at the front desk, clacking away at a keyboard. She looked…distracted. Early thirties maybe, a coffee mug tucked between both hands, earbuds in like she hadn't noticed we were standing there.
"Uh, hi," Mom said gently.
The woman startled, tugged out one earbud, and smiled too wide. "Oh! Hello! Sorry. You must be the Wells family. Aurora, right?“
„That's me,“ I said, lifting a hand in a tiny wave.
"Right, right. Okay, I've got you here…” She squinted at the screen. "Aurora… Dorm 3B. Assigned roommates… four of them—wow, you're going to have a full house.”
She slid a manila folder across the desk toward me. "This has your schedule, a campus map, and a few rule sheets. Someone from dorm 3 will meet you to show you around in a bit.“
"Thanks," I said, trying to peek at the paperwork inside the folder. The class names looked weird—Lunar Pathfinding, Pack Psychology, Advanced shifting theory. I blinked at the last one.
"Uh…shifting?"
The woman blinked. "Mmm?" Then her eyes widened. "Oh! Oh no, wait. Did I—?“
Mom leaned forward, brows knit. „Is something wrong?“
"No! No, no, I just—uh, it's fine. Everything's in order.” She gave another too-bright smile and waved her hand. "Welcome to Moonbound! You're going to love it here.“
I didn't believe her.
Neither did my mom, by the look on her face.
But before either of us could say anything, a tall, dark-haired guy stepped into the room.
And everything shifted.