CHAPTER 3 The Watch, The School, And The Scar
Zara's POV
I woke up to the softness of silk. At first, I thought I was dreaming. There was no pain in my chest, no cold wind brushing my skin, no sharp branches beneath me. Just warmth… and silence.
I opened my eyes slowly, blinking against the golden glow pouring through huge, sheer curtains. I was lying on a bed the size of my entire room back in Mooncroft, tucked under clean white sheets. The ceiling was tall, carved with symbols I couldn't recognize. Everything smelled like lavender and something sweet like honey and light.
I sat up quickly. What the hell?
My hands flew to my chest. There were no wounds, no bruises. My body felt like it had never been touched.
I jumped off the bed and ran to the mirror by the wall. My reflection stared back, completely healed. The only sign anything had happened was my hair, still tangled and wild from running through the woods. My heartbeat raced.
How did I get here?
Then I remembered the men, the blade, Lily's voice… the watch and the from the watch.
I looked around the room and saw my bag on a nearby chair. I rushed over, unzipped it, and there it was. The old silver pocket watch, still warm to the touch.
It was real. I wasn't crazy.
As I held it in my palm, a knock came through the room. I froze.
The door creaked open, and a woman stepped in. She looked about thirty, wearing a long robe made of something that glowed like liquid starlight. Her eyes were deep brown, calm, and strangely kind.
"You're awake," she said, closing the door behind her.
I took a cautious step back. "Who are you?"
"My name is Mistress Kyenna," she said. "I'm a teacher at the Arcane Lyceum, the magic school. You're currently in one of our transfer stations."
My brain scrambled to keep up. "Transfer station?"
She nodded. "Every time a chosen heir activates their keepsake, they are brought here, to prepare for entry into the Lyceum. You, Zara, were chosen. By blood… and by fate."
I looked down at the watch again. It glowed faintly.
"This old thing brought me here?"
She smiled. "It's not just a watch. It's a sealed heirloom, passed down by bloodlines tied to ancient magic. Some carry spells. Some memories. Yours? We'll find out in time."
I swallowed hard. "It was my mother's."
Mistress Kyenna's smile softened. "Then your mother left you more than just memories."
I stood there, stunned. So my mother, who died when I was barely five, had been connected to all this? To a secret magical school, hidden heirlooms, and light that could push back death?
Why didn't my father ever tell me?
Why did she keep this part of herself hidden?
"I don't understand," I said quietly. "Why me?"
"Every year," Mistress Kyenna explained, "only a few can be brought here. We select based on bloodline, heritage, and the potential locked within your keepsake. That watch chose to protect you. And in doing so, it opened your door."
I stared at her. "Is there a way I can… say no? Leave?"
She raised a brow. "You've already said yes, Zara. The moment you held that watch and accepted its help, you made your choice. You're one of us now."
I sank back onto the edge of the bed, my hands shaking.
Everything was happening so fast. Yesterday, I was hunted by my own pack. Now I was in some magical gateway to a world I never knew existed.
But maybe this was my chance. My mother's secrets. Lily's betrayal. Darren's lies. Maybe the answers were here. And maybe, just maybe I could finally find out who I really was.
The next morning, I was given a fresh set of clothes, soft cream trousers, and a deep green blouse embroidered with silver thread. I felt strange in them, like I didn't belong. But I buttoned every button, tied my laces tight, and tucked the pocket watch into a small loop sewn inside the shirt, which was close to my heart.
Mistress Kyenna led a group of us through the corridor, all dressed similarly. There were maybe ten of us; boys, girls, all around my age, each carrying something small that glowed faintly which I think were heirlooms.
No one smiled. Everyone looked nervous.
"Today," Mistress Kyenna said as we approached a large gate carved into the stone wall, "you'll step into the heart of the Arcane Lyceum. The Awakening Temple. From there, your journey begins."
The gate creaked open slowly, revealing a blinding white light..As we stepped in, I gasped.
The temple was massive, pillars of marble reached the sky, covered in golden runes. At the center was a glowing pool, and around it stood statues of people holding relics; watches, daggers, pendants, even books.
It was beautiful.
I was so distracted, I didn't see someone in front of me, and I bumped right into him.
"Watch it, half-blood," he snarled.
I stumbled back and looked up. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with sharp green eyes and pale blond hair. His voice dripped with disgust.
"Sorry," I muttered.
He laughed coldly. "So you're the mutt who took her friend's place."
"What?" I blinked. "I didn't take anything."
"There's a cap," he said, stepping closer. "Only a few chosen can pass through each year. When your keepsake lit up, someone else's dimmed. Someone better. You don't belong here."
I stepped back. "Everyone deserves a chance."
He grabbed me by the collar and yanked me close.
"You don't get chances, girl. You're trash. A nobody. A pathetic little…"
I slapped his hand off me. He smirked, then punched me across the face. As his punch landed on me, pain exploded in my jaw. I fell, tasting blood for the second time in two days.
As I tried to push up, he raised his foot, ready to kick..I closed my eyes. But before the blow could land, the air shifted.
A sudden pulse of heat burst through the room, and a glowing circle appeared around me, spinning with golden symbols. His foot froze midair, and then he was flung back by an invisible force. Different murmurs filled the hair through the temple.