Chapter 1 – The Invitation.

The afternoon was as calm as ever.

The holidays were drawing to an end, and with them came Nova's seventeenth birthday.

Fiona, her aunt and the woman who had raised her since her parents' death when Nova was only seven, hadn't planned anything extravagant. There was simply a homemade cake, a few bottles of drinks, and enough jokes to fill the evening.

Their apartment was small but cozy, decorated with refined taste. Two or three paintings adorned the walls, while each wall lamp had a tiny gem embedded at the bottom of its handle—a unique little touch Fiona had added to the house's design.

"Hey, my cupcake. Happy birthday."

Fiona wrapped Nova in a warm hug before they both settled onto the couch.

"Time flies too quickly, as always." She sighed, then looked at Nova with a tender smile. "But I'm so happy and proud of the young lady you've become. And I'm sure your parents would be proud of you too."

Nova returned her smile.

"Thank you, Aunty Fiona." She tilted her head mischievously. "But tell me, at seventeen, were you as beautiful as me?"

She finished with a smug little smirk.

"Humph! Beautiful?" Fiona scoffed dramatically. "I was beautifully beautiful! The most charming, and I still am. The queen with the title and no rival, you little descendant of Stitch!"

She proudly tossed her black hair over her shoulder.

Nova stared at her for a second before they both burst into laughter.

After a moment, Fiona's expression changed. She wasn't suddenly serious, exactly, but there was enough weight in her eyes to capture Nova's attention.

"Take this..."

She reached beside her and picked up a small, beautifully decorated envelope. It was sealed carefully, as though whatever lay inside had been waiting a long time to be opened.

Fiona held it out to her.

"It was left by your parents," she explained. "A kind of will. I promised my brother that I would give it to you once you were old enough."

Nova's eyes widened.

"Is... is this a letter from Vesper Academy?!"

She barely waited for an answer before tearing open the envelope.

Her eyes quickly scanned the letter.

"It says..." Her voice caught.

Then her jaw dropped.

"I'm admitted..."

For a moment, she simply stared.

"But how is that possible? I didn't even take the entrance examination!"

The realization finally hit her.

"AHHH! I'm going to Vesper! I'm going to Vesper!"

Nova jumped to her feet and threw her arms around Fiona.

Her excitement lasted only a few seconds before she suddenly pulled away.

"Wait!"

She narrowed her eyes.

"Why not last year? How come I wasn't ready? I've always been responsible!"

Fiona raised an eyebrow.

"A concert... in a hospital?"

"Music is good therapy."

"A cone microphone?"

"It actually worked."

"In a library?"

"I was doing an internship, and a group of insolent brats were making too much noise. I needed to stop them."

"By making even more noise yourself?"

"Fight fire with fire. They learned their lesson and never came back."

"You didn't either."

Fiona slowly exhaled, trying not to laugh.

"What I mean is... you have good ideas."

Nova smiled proudly.

"Sometimes," Fiona added.

Nova's smile disappeared.

"But you need to learn how to temper those ideas before putting them into practice. You still have a long way to go."

She paused.

"Vesper Academy was the family high school."

Nova blinked.

"What?! You went to Vesper too?"

She stared at Fiona in disbelief.

"I didn't know you could even get admitted!"

"What the—?!" Fiona immediately smacked Nova lightly on the head.

"You silly brat! How dare you?"

Nova rubbed her head, laughing.

"Go get your luggage ready," Fiona ordered. "A car will come tomorrow to pick you up."

She pulled Nova into another hug.

"Don't get sentimental already, or I'll really start thinking you're going to miss me."

Nova's voice was teasing, but her smile softened.

"Miss you? Daydreaming is a terrible illness. How could I possibly miss a silly girl like you?"

Fiona released her and waved toward the hallway.

"Allez, go! Bad cupcake!"

She chased Nova toward her room.

"Stop chasing me!"

"Go pack!"

Their laughter echoed through the apartment.

---

The next morning, the car arrived at exactly seven.

A discreet black car was parked at the entrance.

"Nova! Get your feet outside! You're late!"

Fiona's voice echoed through the apartment.

"No need to destroy my eardrums with your cracking voice!"

Nova hurried outside, partly to avoid her aunt's madness and partly because she really was running late.

A young man dressed in an impeccable black suit stood beside the car. The moment Nova approached, he bowed slightly.

His expression was calm, and his voice was steady and polite.

"My name is Gregory. I will be responsible for driving you safely to the campus. May I see your admission letter first, my lady?"

"Oh, uh... here."

Nova quickly handed him the letter.

"And there's no need for the 'my lady' stuff. My name is Nova Castrel. Just call me Nova."

Gregory's eyes briefly flickered over the letter.

"A Castrel..."

There was a subtle change in his expression.

"It is an honor, Miss Nova."

He inspected the letter carefully before returning it to her. Then he opened the car door.

"After you."

Nova climbed inside.

Once she was comfortably settled, Gregory closed the door, walked around the vehicle, and took his place behind the wheel. Nova looked back through the window. Fiona was standing at the entrance, her arms crossed as she watched her leave. Nova gave her a quick wave and Fiona waved back.

Then the engine came to life.

The car pulled away.

---

The journey took more than an hour. For most of the trip, Nova watched the scenery through the window. The city gradually disappeared behind them, replaced by long stretches of road surrounded by towering trees. The farther they travelled, the quieter the world became.

At some point, Nova began to wonder about Gregory. There was something strangely formal about him. His posture was perfect. His driving was smooth. He barely spoke unless spoken to.

Was he really just a driver?

She glanced at him through the rear-view mirror.

Gregory remained expressionless.

Nova decided not to overthink it.

She turned her attention back toward the window.

Then, after passing through what seemed like an endless colony of trees, something appeared in the distance. She slowly sat upright. Her eyes widened.

Vesper Academy had finally come into view.

The main building was enormous. It stretched several stories into the sky—five, perhaps six levels—with towering white walls accented by deep green details. Its architecture was elegant yet imposing, carrying an almost ancient grandeur.

A vast garden surrounded the academy. Flowers of countless colors bloomed between carefully arranged paths, while unfamiliar plants grew beneath towering trees. The air itself seemed different here—cleaner, almost charged with something Nova couldn't quite explain.

Beyond the garden lay an enormous courtyard, even larger than she had imagined. A magnificent fountain stood at its center, its water sparkling beneath the morning sun. Benches were scattered along the pathways, providing quiet places for students to sit.

And that was only the main building.

A second structure stood nearby. It was smaller than the main academy, but no less impressive.

Nova stared through the window, completely captivated.

"So this is Vesper..."

The car finally stopped.

Gregory stepped out and opened her door.

Nova grabbed her luggage and stepped onto the pavement.

She looked up at the academy.

For the first time, the reality of everything that had happened began to sink in.

She had left home. She had been accepted into Vesper Academy without even taking the entrance examination.

And whatever her parents had left behind for her had brought her here.

Nova took a deep breath then she smiled.